Saving the small things that run the planet
Red Bartsia Bee
Fast Facts
Latin name: Melitta tricincta
Notable feature: Dull brown with narrow white bands on the abdomen.
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Where in the UK: Mostly concentrated in South East England on calcareous soils. A few outlying records are from South West England, Wales and Lincolnshire.
Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) © Julia Moning (CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist)
The Red Bartsia Bee is a relatively small, compact bee with dull brown hair and neat narrow white bands across the abdomen.
As you might guess from their name, they almost exclusively forage on Red Bartsia (Odontites vernus) and their flight period is closely synchronized with the flowering of this plant.
The Red Bartsia Bee has a preference for chalk grasslands, however, its host plant is not restricted to this type of habitat. Red Bartsia can be found as far as North Scotland and is also present in Ireland.
- Size: 10mm
- Life span: Adult bees are on the wing for approximately 2 months.
- Diet: Only collects pollen from Red Bartsia flowers.
- Reproduction: This solitary bee nests in light soils.
- When to see: Late July to early September.
- Population Trend: Declining generally but perhaps increasing in Dorset.
- Threats: The decline of its food plant Red Bartsia is no doubt to blame for this bee’s rarity.
- Interesting Fact: These bees are part of the Melitta genus or the blunthorn bees due to the rounded tips to their antennae.
Buglife is working to increase awareness of invertebrates and the Red Bartsia through specific projects and campaigns, including Kernow Wyls – People for Pollinators, Solitary Bee Week and B-Lines, but we need your help!
Buglife B-Lines are an imaginative and beautiful solution to the problem of the loss of flowers and pollinators. B-Lines are a series of ‘insect pathways’ running through our countryside and towns, along which we are restoring and creating a series of wildflower-rich habitat stepping stones. Linking existing wildlife areas together, creating a network, like a railway, that will weave across the UK landscape. More information about B-Lines and how you can help pollinators can be found here.
Join a recording scheme and log your finds – send any records/sightings to BWARS or download the iRecord app and get recording!
Do remember that we rely on donations to continue our work. If you have searched, found and learned about our incredible invertebrates on our website, please do consider Making a Donation, Becoming a Member or maybe even making a purchase in our shop. For more ideas on how to support our work find out how to Get Involved. Thank you 🕷
You might also be interested in
