Introduction
This report summarises a talk delivered to the Parish Grasslands Project Group on 25/10/2025 by Ciaran Clark, Project Manager of Bees for Development, a Monmouth based charity that supports sustainable beekeeping and pollinator conservation around the world. Ciaran outlined the charity’s recent projects both in the United Kingdom and in developing countries such as Ethiopia and Uganda, focusing on bee diversity, species identification, habitat needs, and conservation efforts.
Report published by Gill Stott
About Bees for Development and the UK Project
Bees for Development is best known for its work supporting beekeeping in developing countries, but this talk focused on a new UK-based biodiversity study carried out in Monmouthshire. The project aimed to:
- Survey the diversity of native bee species in the region.
- Encourage public engagement and citizen science recording.
- Build a comprehensive photographic database and eventually publish The Bees of Monmouthshire, a local reference volume.
- Survey the diversity of bee species in the region.
- This was the charity’s first major UK project, complementing its international work.
Understanding Bees: Taxonomy and Definition
Ciaran began by challenging the common assumption that defining a “bee” is straightforward. Bees belong to the insect order Hymenoptera, which also includes wasps, ants, and sawflies.
Key characteristics of bees include:
- Three pairs of legs, two pairs of wings, and one pair of antennae.
- Five eyes — two compound and three simple eyes (ocelli).
- Membership in the “stinging” subgroup of Hymenoptera, whose egg laying organs (ovipositors) have become modified into stings. This means that only females of the groups mentioned above actually have stings!
Interestingly, bees are descended from hunting wasps, evolving from carnivores to vegetarians that feed their larvae with pollen instead of prey. Two main features distinguish bees from wasps:
- They collect pollen rather than hunting insects.
- They have branched (plumose) hairs used to trap pollen.
Global and UK Bee Diversity
Globally, around 20,000–27,000 bee species are known, but the real number is likely higher.
In the UK, there are approximately 270 – 280 bee species:
- 1 honeybee species
- 24 bumblebee species
- ~250 solitary bee species
There have been about 170 species recorded in Monmouthshire, with new species being added thanks to recent survey work.
Types of Bees and Nesting Behaviour
The talk described three major nesting strategies among bees:
- Ground Nesting – The majority of bees (about 140 UK species) dig burrows in the ground
- Social Nesting – eg Carder bees – bumblebees (queens and workers) in colonies of 50-500 that nest in cavities such as abandoned rodent or birds nests or in woven grass or other vegetation (about 20 species) and some furrow bees who dig underground nests with varying levels of sociality.
- Cavity nesters – Nest above ground in pre-existing holes in wood, plant stems or ‘bee hotels’. There are around 40 different species.
Additionally, roughly 30% of bees are cleptoparasitic “cuckoo bees,” which lay their eggs in the nests of other species, similar to the behaviour of cuckoo birds.
12 Common Bee Groups (Genera) in the UK
1. Megachile spp (Leaf Cutter bees)
These bees are cavity nesters that like cutting leaves (rose, willow etc) to line their
nests. There are seven different leaf cutter species in the UK, with females having
pollen brushes on the underside of their abdomens. They are sexually dimorphic with the males of three species having expanded front legs which are used to cover the females eyes during copulation. 7 species in the UK
2. Osmia (Mason) bees.
2. Osmia spp (Mason bees)
These bees are compact with large heads and large strong jaws to collect pieces of mud and rock for their nests. They also have abdominal pollen brushes and nest in cavities found rotten wood, bee hotels and empty snail shells, with one species (Osmia bicolor) also build a wigwam of plant stems and twigs over the shell to protect it. (see video clip below)
3. Anthidium spp (Wool Carder Bees)
Only one UK species, Anthidium manicatum. Bees that use soft plant fibres to create
felt like cocoons for their offspring. They particularly like lamb’s-ear plants (Stachys
byzantina) and collect balls of the ‘wool’ to carry back to their nest.
4. Eucera longicornis (Longhorn Bees)
Bees of this species have extremely long antennae in males and with females
carrying pollen on their hind legs. They are considered to be greatly-declined, relying
on haymeadow plants, especially bird’s-foot trefoil and soft rock cliffs for nesting.
However, the hay meadows of Momnouthshire are supporting healthy populations of
our 1 UK species.
5. Anthophora spp (Flower bees)
There are 5 different species in the UK, including the common Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes). This species emerges early, around March/April, and particularly likes to forage on lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis).
There are 5 different species in the UK for example the hairy footed flower bee. They are early to emerge and like plants such as pulmonaria or lungwort.
6. Nomada spp (Nomad ‘Cuckoo’ Bees)
These bees have little hair and often have bright, wasp-like colouration. They are kleptoparasites, laying eggs in the nests of ground nesting bees (mining bees). There are 36 different species in the UK, often having patterned and colourful eyes of green and red.
7. Andrena spp (Mining bees).
Fluffy bees of which there are 67 ground nesting different species in the UK. They have grooves filled with short, velvety hairs running down the inside of their eyes (called facial fovea). The conspicuous, black and white Ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria) is often found nesting in lawns and gardens.
A female Andrena cineraria (Ashy Mining Bee)
8. Colletes spp (Plasterer Bees)
Line their nest cells with a saliva-like secretion forming a cellophane-like coating. They prefer open, short-flowered plants like daisies and yarrow. A fairly recent colonist, the Ivy Bee (Colletes hederae), which specialises on late-flowering ivy, is a member of this genus. There are 9 UK species.
9.Hylaeus spp (Yellow-faced bees)
These are small bees about 5mm in length with yellow-marked faces. There are 12 different species within the UK, all being almost hairless. They make their nests in hollow plant stems, e.g. brambles and umbelifers, with the larvae developing in these stems overwinter. Unlike other bees they ingest the pollen to transport it and regurgitate it at the nest.
10. Lasioglossum spp, Halictus spp and Sphecodes spp (Furrow and Blood bees)
Lasioglossum and Halictus are mostly small, often metallic bees with a range of social behaviours, from solitary to eusocial, making them an interesting group to study the evolution of sociality. They all make underground nests, with evidence of labyrinthine nest structure in some species.
Sphecodes are red and black cleptoparasites that invade the nests of other species, mainly their closest relatives the furrow bees.
Project Work in Monmouthshire
Over two years, the project achieved significant results:
Over 1,600 new bee records from 118 site visits across the county.
Five new species records for Monmouthshire:
- Epeolus cruciger (a cuckoo bee found on Sugarloaf Mountain)
- Andrena synadelpha (mining bee found near Monmouth)
- Sphecodes miniatus (tiny blood bee possibly expanding due to climate change)
- Lasioglossum semilucens (a tiny furrow bee)
- Lasioglossum quadrinotatum (a furrow bee from the Clytha Estate)
A photographic archive of over 120 species was created, with uniform white backgrounds to assist with identification. Outreach included talks, school presentations, field walks, and workshops.
The forthcoming Bees of Monmouthshire publication will feature species profiles, photographs, flight periods, and local distribution maps.
International Work: Bees and Sustainable Development
Bees for Development also conducts extensive work in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia and Uganda.
Ethiopia Projects
- Focused on integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce pesticide use.
- Conducted pollinator education to raise awareness of the role of bees in crop pollination.
- Supported the creation of local resources, including training manuals and poster guides on bee diversity.
Ethiopia has one of the largest honey industries in Africa, but 80% of its honey is used domestically to make tej (honey wine). Despite high potential for bee diversity (likely 600–700 species), only about 200 have been recorded due to limited research and collection facilities.
A Master’s student at Bahir Dar University is now being supported to expand bee recording and study the effects of pesticide reduction on bee populations.
Uganda Work
Similar biodiversity studies and training have been initiated under the Bee Informatics Diversity Project (BeeDIP). The project covers all bee species and is focused on documenting diversity and distributions, supported by Makerere University
Scientific and Educational Impact
Ciaran emphasised how citizen science, local observation, and photographic recording can significantly expand understanding of bee diversity.
It also highlighted the potential of DNA barcoding for identification, though this requires a robust species reference library — currently lacking in much of Africa.
Conclusion
The Bees for Development projects demonstrate the power of combining scientific research, education, and community engagement to protect pollinators.
From the meadows of Monmouthshire to the farmlands of Ethiopia, this work is uncovering the vast and often overlooked diversity of bees — creatures vital to ecosystems and human food security alike.
Ciaran’s closing message encouraged everyone to observe bees closely, contribute to recording schemes such as iRecord, and help build a richer understanding of the world’s pollinators. More specifically is BWARS -Bees Wasps & Ants Recording Society which will give you a UK distribution of species that you may find and a detailed species gallery.