Six-banded Nomad Bee Project

The Six-banded Nomad Bee is a cuckoo bee, and much like the cuckoo bird, they lay their eggs in the nests of other solitary bees. Female nomad bees will search out a host bee nest and lay their eggs. When their larvae hatch out, they feed on the pollen and nectar store provided by the host bee, before emerging as adults the following year.

The host for the Six-banded Nomad Bee is the Long-horned Bee (Eucera longicornis), which is itself threatened, and can be found in Southern England and Wales. Long-horned Bees feed on flowers in the legume family, including Bird’s-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris), Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), and Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis).

Being a cuckoo bee, the Six-banded Nomad Bee relies on good populations of its host bee to survive. Long-horned Bees need south-facing cliffs to nest, as well as a steady supply of foodplants throughout their flying season to sustain their populations. Unfortunately, across much of their range, habitat loss has caused declines in both bee species.

What did the project do?

The Six-banded Nomad Bee project was based at Prawle Point, and worked alongside the Life on the Edge project to undertake surveys and learn more about the populations of Long-horned Bee that live there. By discovering more about the Long-horned Bee, we hope to support populations of the Six-banded Nomad Bee.

Surveys were conducted between Gara Rock and Prawle Point over the three years of the project. Sadly, no Six-banded Nomad Bees were found.

Work was also carried out on their host species (Long-horned Bee), including pollen analysis collected from the Long-horned Bee. This provides vital information on the foraging habits of the Long-horned Bee, which can be shared with landowners, farmers, and relevant projects in the area, like Life on the Edge. The results from the pollen analysis can also inform planting schemes and ensure the Long-horned Bees preferred forage is available in the area.

Soil samples were taken at nest aggregations, which we compared with soil where no nests are present. This has provided us with more information on the habitat requirements for the Long-horned Bees. Additionally, landowners and managers around Prawle Point have been encouraged to provide legume-rich habitat for both species of bee, to help strengthen their future survival.

How can you support the Six-banded Nomad Bee?

We encourage you to look at the related Life on the Edge project for more information and upcoming events in the area.

For additional help with identification visit Steven Falk’s Flickr.