29 May Have You Seen a Long-horned Bee?

Long-horned Bee (Eucera longicornis)

 

 

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• Species Introduction
• Record a Sighting
• Appearance
• Nesting and Foraging
• Conservation
• How Can We Help?

 

 

Sam Skevington, Conservation Officer – Life on the Edge & Buglife

 

 

 

Species Introduction

 

While visiting the South Devon coast between mid-May and mid-July, amongst the bright yellow flowers of Meadow Vetchling, Kidney Vetch, and Bird’s-foot Trefoils, you might just spot a Long-Horned Bee (Eucera longicornis).

 

 

 

 

 

Making their home in the south-facing banks and flower-rich coastal grassland of South Devon, these iconic bees are a special sight; once widespread across Southern Britain, their numbers have dwindled thanks to the loss of wildflower-rich grasslands, which have declined by 97% since the 1930s. These vital habitats now cover only 1% of the UK’s land area.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, their populations are fragmented into small, isolated pockets along the coast, including the secluded coves around East Prawle. There are also historical records further east, on the cliffs at Brownstone.

 

 

 

The Long-horned Bee is now considered to be one of the UK’s most declined bee species. It is also the host of the very rare Six-banded nomad bee (Nomada sexfasciate).

 

 

 

Record a Sighting

 

 

Directly contribute to this species’ conservation by sharing your sightings using iRecord and joining the Life on the Edge activity. Remember to include a photo and the location of your sighting.

 

 

 

Appearance

 

 

Aptly named, the male of this species boasts a large pair of antennae that are almost the length of its body! The female has slightly more modest antennae and is slightly larger-bodied than the male. 

 

 

Male Long-horned Bee C. John Walters

 

 

Nesting and Foraging

 

 

Solitary species nest alone and in the case of the Long-Horned Bee, a mining bee, underground.

 

 

The female Long-Horned Bees seek out sparsely vegetated soils in warm, south facing slopes in which to excavate their nests. Despite being solitary, these bees will form nesting aggregations where conditions are right. Within these burrows, the females create chambers in which to rear their larvae, provisioned with nectar and pollen.

 

 

 

 

 

Long-Horned Bees visit a range of flowers, but particularly favour legumes such as vetches and Bird’s-foot Trefoils. They require large numbers of these flowers in close proximity to their nest sites.

 

 

 

Conservation 

 

 

 

By restoring coastal wildflower grassland at a landscape scale, along South Devon’s B-Line, Life on the Edge will create the conditions for populations of the Long-Horned Bee to flourish and grow. We also hope to prevent the national extinction of the Six-banded Nomad Bee (Nomada sexfasciata), a Critically Endangered cuckoo bee that is hosted by the Long-Horned Bee.

 

Much like their bird namesake, cuckoo bees lay their eggs in host species’ nests. Once hatched, the cuckoo bee larvae devour the host bee’s store of nectar and pollen.

 

Within the UK, the Six-banded Nomad is found solely on Prawle Point, therefore efforts to protect both it and its host, the Long-Horned Bee are of critical importance.  

 

How Can We Help?

 

 

 

The future of the Long-Horned Bee, and many other species, depends on changing the way that our land is used, to restore habitats that have been lost, and to be more equitable for people and wildlife.

 

Life on the Edge is working with landowners and farmers, providing free agri-environment advice, guidance, and grant funding that will help landowners restore and expand species-rich grasslands along the coast, benefitting numerous species including the Long-Horned Bee. Additionally, by planting more of the Long-Horned Bee’s foodplants, creating additional nesting habitat, removing scrub, and raising awareness, we hope to bolster populations of these charismatic bees. 

 

 

If you want to get involved in saving the Long-Horned Bee, Life on the Edge will be holding volunteer events throughout the summer which you can find on the South Devon National Landscape Events Page. You can also pick up our Gardening for Wildlife booklet and make a difference for nature in your own garden.

 

Remember, keep an eye out for the Long-Horned Bee when you are next out on the coast path. And, if you see it, snap a photo and submit it to iRecord!