Ivy Plasterer Bee (Colletes hederae)

Very easy indeed to overlook, this late emerging Ivy bee can easily be mistaken for a Honeybee, particularly if, like this specimen, you're mature and lost most of your distinctive colouring.

However there are a couple of very interesting facts which make this bee out as something a little special for us in the UK.

Read and watch here :

comments (8)

Christine Young

Lion

I always enjoy the 'fun facts'! Posted 4 years ago
1. Philip Booker
  
  Lion
  
  Christine
  
  It's always fun trying to find them or confirm what you think you already know.
  
  Not that different sites always agree on the 'facts'!
  
  This is a handsome bee. Even more so with its orange colouring.
  
  My Ivy is smelling wonderful at the moment and swarming with different species. Posted 4 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Fantastic -- finding out bits of interesting information is something I love.
    
    I admit that I have no idea what ivy smells like or that it even had a fragrance. But, I'm glad you have insects enjoying it! Posted 4 years ago

Ferdy Christant

Lion

Is it cleaning itself in the video? Posted 4 years ago
1. Philip Booker
  
  Lion
  
  Well.......................
  
  There's a bit of a story there.
  
  I thought it was cleaning to begin with, then I noticed it was brushing off nectar which seemed a little odd.
  
  It also seemed to be stationary at times for a longer period than i would have expected, so i kept watching it.
  
  It started clumsily to climb over the leaves and seemed to be trying to fly off, but instead it kept falling further into the Ivy at each attempt.
  
  Given it was a mature specimen, I though maybe it was just reaching the end of its life?
  
  At that point I took one photo when I noticed the sun was just illuminating it, deep in the Ivy, between some leaves, where I could just about see it. It was still trying to move and/or brush itself.
  
  Then, a moment or two later, it suddenly it poked its head out and flew off!
  
  I almost cheered. Posted 4 years ago
2. 1. Philip Booker
    
    Lion
    
    Which reminds me.
    
    I have a few insect 'dramas', I have yet to post, which i think might be of great interest?
    
    Well, they were to me. That's for sure! Posted 4 years ago
  2. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      Of course, Philip, any wildlife content of your making is welcome! Our guidance/rules are very light:
      - You need to be the owner/maker of the content (or content is in public domain)
      - Content is on topic:
      --- natural organisms only (plants, fungi, animals)
      --- or....natural landscapes
      --- captive/zoo animals allowed, yet not pets like cats and dogs
      --- avoid people and man-made objects in the photo, unless really not possible
      
      So don't hold back. Also don't worry if people find it interesting. They probably will. And if they don't, it's still valuable as it adds useful imagery to species records.
      
      Don't let beautiful and valuable content sit on dusky disks. Posted 4 years ago
  3. Ferdy Christant
    
    Lion
    
    I recognize the behavior you describe, I've also seen late summer insects physically intact yet clearly near their end. Which I guess is just the cycle of life, yet here in the Netherlands it also sometimes happens in any season, for darker reasons: pesticides. Some discussion on that in the comments of this post:
    
    Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago