A CONTINENTAL bee rarely seen in the UK has been spotted in Worcestershire.
People are now being asked to report sightings of the violet carpenter bee (xylocopa violacea) after one was spotted in a garden near Tenbury Wells.
There have been a scattering of records of the bee, which is only thought to have arrived in the country over the last few years, in Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Kent and on the south coast – but this is the first time the bee has been recorded in Worcestershire.
Steve Bloomfield, conservation officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said: “This is a really exciting record as it’s a very rare insect in this country.
“It would appear that the species is one of several on the brink of colonising the UK from continental Europe, perhaps as a result of our changing climate.
“Despite their size these bees aren’t aggressive and are unlikely to sting. They’re harmless to people and breed in old wood of all types.
“While it is likely that bees found in the south of England are natural migrants that have flown the channel, it’s possible that inland records might have arrived in imported timber and have successfully over-wintered here. It’s really important that people across our county report any sightings they may have of this bee to enable us to monitor populations and build up a picture of their spread.”
The bee, the largest solitary bee in Europe at 25mm in length, gets its ‘carpenter’ name from excavating nest burrows in dead wood.
They are relatively easily recognised, with jet black bodies and a violet hue to their wings.
Readers are invited to send Worcestershire records to the biological records centre at records@wbrc.org.uk. Records must be accompanied by a photograph and include species name, place name, location (postcode, gird reference), date and abundance (one or several).
For more information about recording species in Worcestershire visit wbrc.org.uk.
For more information about the work of, or how to join, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk.
Reproduced from here