Sep 25, 2024 · It eventually turns into a pupa and then undergoes metamorphosis to become a bee, like a caterpillar turning into a moth or butterfly. The new bee emerges from the nest tunnel the following September and the cycle starts all over again.

As suggested by its common name, Ivy is the main plant used by this bee for pollen. It is seen when ivy is in flower, from early September to early November. Ivy bees nest in loose, light or sandy soil on southern-facing banks and cliffs with ivy nearby for foraging.

Jan 5, 2024 · The bee’s lifecycle consists of four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The egg stage is the first in a bee’s life cycle and typically lasts three days. Eggs are laid by the female bee and hatch into larvae.

May 27, 2024 · Also called the ivy mining bee, Colletes hederae is a medium-sized bee with a distinctive banded (striped) appearance. The adult female Ivy bee measures between 0.4 – 0.5 inches (10 to 12 mm) in length, while the males are slightly smaller at 0.3-0.4 inches (8 to 10 mm).

Ivy bees are the last solitary bees of the year. Males appear from late August and females a few weeks later which can be seen into November. First found in Dorset in 2001, these bees have spread throughout the south coast of England and expanded northwards into south Wales and Shropshire in the West and Norfolk in the East.

Aug 10, 2023 · The Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) is a species that was discovered in 1993 from specimens taken in Southern Europe. Since then, this charismatic and determined solitary bee has colonized the British Isles and established itself as an integral part of the UK’s fascinating pollinator fauna.

Larvae then begin to feed on the pollen stores and grow until they are ready to pupate and become adult ivy bees. They emerge as adults in late August the following year. What do they do? Ivy bees feed on and collect the nectar and pollen of ivy.

If you are lucky enough to find nest burrows of the ivy bee, look out for males taking their opportunity to mate with emerging females, to father the next generation in mid-September.

The Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae) forages almost exclusively on ivy. It’s a fairly recent addition to the UK’s bee fauna and our only true autumnal bee; it’s the last bee species to emerge in the UK. The Ivy bee is a solitary bee that was first recorded in the UK in 2001 having arrived from Europe.