This blanket of yellow is of course provided by none other than the yellow loosestrife which makes its home in wetland habitats. And where the loosestrife is you often find the yellow loosestrife bee (Macropis europaea). What makes this solitary bee so fascinating is the tactic they have developed to thrive in their niche habitat.

The genus Macropis is broadly known as oil collecting bees and unlike most plants yellow loosestrife does not produce nectar, but instead produces pollen and fatty floral oils. With specially developed hairs on the fore and mid tarsi These oils are collected and utilised by the bee to great success.

In wetland environments flooding is more than just a possibility, it poses a real risk to a burrowing bee. While most would search for higher ground, Macropis europaea has developed a tactic to mitigate the wrath of winter. By collecting the oils and mixing it with the pollen these bees are provided with a much-needed material and the flower receives the pollination it had hoped for. Once a burrow has been dug the females line the tunnels with this natural waterproofing before loading the chamber with supplies collected from other local flora. Eggs are laid and the cells are capped, leaving the larvae to rest easy through the hardships of winter and ready to emerge the next summer and begin the cycle again.

Something I’ve been up to lately is building a little plant nursery at the reserve. The initial seed for the idea was none other than our much-loved Loddon lily. You may know the plant is a bit of a show piece which we duly celebrate every spring, and we often receive requests for either plants or seeds. I am sure the reader also knows it is illegal to dig up and remove plants from the wild. However, you can responsibly collect seeds by only taking a few and with permission from the landowner.

Whilst going through the process of getting this all set up, I started to think about what other plants we have here at Withymead which might appeal to visitors, and of course appeal to wildlife in and around the CTA. You may have guessed I plan to grow yellow loosestrife. Macropis europaea was classified as Rare in 1987 and nationally notable in 1991. The Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society suggest the status needs review. Given the developments in agriculture and the ever-changing landscape since 1991 I would hazard to guess the distributions are becoming increasingly fragmented.

Our little project down at Withymead aims to ensure that our local phenotype/genotype/ecotype are available for anyone in the CTA who wants to plant some wonderful local flora, in addition to bolstering nature corridors and expanding the range of a truly unique little bee.

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