Solitary Bees: Identification and Nesting Ecology

This is one of FSC BioLinks informal virtual meet ups (VMUs) on Zoom which we've started doing in response to the COVID-19 lockdown. In each meet up we, or a guest speaker, gives a 30 minute presentation on topics such as invertebrate ecology, easy to ID species/groups, or projects/recording schemes we can all get involved with whilst at home. This week we are joined by Aaron Bhambra who currently works as a trainee with the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and I also conduct research as a pollinator specialist on behalf of the British Entomological Society and the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species. With around 250 species in the UK, solitary Bees are pretty ubiquitous and abundant animals. The trouble lies in knowing a Miner from a Mason, a Furrow from a Nomad and all the other fascinating varieties we see in our parks and gardens. This talk aims to teach you some simple observational tips on how to identify common species and explain the varied nesting ecologies of the world’s most important insects.
Author(s): 
Aaron Bhambra
Free: 
Yes
Available as: 
Online