Large scabious bee
Assessing the status and conservation prospects for the large scabious bee in Cornwall.
The project
Rory Dimond, who is carrying out his internship at Buglife, has been looking for the large scabious bee on grassland sites in north Cornwall. Surveys have revealed mixed fortunes for the species in Cornwall. We were concerned that the bee faced extinction in the county, so were encouraged by a stronghold on a nature reserve. Unfortunately, this appears to be an isolated population and the bee has been lost from another reserve nearby, so urgent action is needed to conserve the large scabious bee in the southwest.
Latest update
Using new maps of bee records and suitable habitat, and knowledge on the species ecology, Rory has mapped opportunities for restoring and creating wildflower-rich habitat to increase the range of the Large scabious bee in North Cornwall.
Read Rory’s final project report here.
See images that Rory took during his project below.