Tiny zebra-striped bee sighting a 'huge surprise'
Summary
A rare sea aster mining bee has been spotted at Steart Marshes in Somerset, far west of its usual range along England’s south and east coasts. The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust says saltmarsh restoration created habitat with abundant sea aster, the flower the bee relies on for food.Key Facts
- Naturalist Nigel Phillips found the bees at Steart Marshes.
- Phillips said he saw several groups of nests in dry, sandy ground.
- The sea aster mining bee relies on sea aster flowers for food.
- The restoration project at Steart Marshes was completed in 2014.
- The project turned former farmland into coastal wetland by allowing seawater to flow back across the fields.
- The reserve has many coastal wildflowers, including sea aster.
- Of 290 invertebrate species recorded in saltmarsh habitats across the UK, 148 are found only in saltmarshes.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
