New male bee has nasty attitude

Nelson has become home to a species in which the male has a reputation as a "bovver boy" of the insect world.

Auckland University masters student Jo-Anne Soper is doing a nationwide study of the wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum), which, she says, has been in Nelson since 2006. She is calling on the public to help with her research.

"Studies from overseas suggest they may have an impact on other species. The male patrols the bush the females are foraging. He attacks other insects, including honey bees, and drives them away," Ms Soper said.

Much larger than the females, the males have five sharp spines on their abdomen which can damage or even kill other insects.

As a solitary bee, the wool carder is unlikely to become sufficiently populous to have a severe impact on honey bees. "It's much more likely to adversely affect other solitary bees, but I'm not sure. This is what I'm hoping to find out," she said.

They look rather like a cross between a bee and a wasp, with quite striking yellow markings.

Native to Europe and North Africa, it is found in three New Zealand locations: Nelson, Napier and Auckland. All are close to a harbour, so it is assumed the bees came on ships.

"They can nest in tiny little holes and crevasses. Several people have reported finding them in aluminium window frames," she said.

They have a liking for purple or blue flowers such as cat nip, lavender, rosemary and lambs ear. They derive their name from the females' habit of scraping the fur off some plants which they roll into little balls to line their nests. Ms Soper thinks that, between now and April, there will be two generations of the bee, with it over-wintering in pupae form.

Originally found in the Brook and Wood area of Nelson in 2006, it is now widespread in the Nelson region, Nelson entomologist Richard Toft said. "They were found in Tahuna the next year, then Stoke and last year as far out as Ranzau Rd, Hope. I've had reports from Orinoco and suspect they're in Motueka," he said.

He wonders if the arrival of varroa in 2006 and the subsequent depletion in honey bee numbers might have created a gap for the wool carder bee to exploit.

"I imagine they're spread by natural means, but it is conceivable that they could hide away in timber that was being shifted," he said.

Ms Soper thinks her study will probably take several years to complete and eventually she hopes to publish a paper of her findings in the New Zealand Entomology Journal.

Anyone interested in helping with Ms Soper's study can email her with exactly where they have seen the bee and on what species of flower.

Those interested can collect a specimen, place it in a freezer overnight and send it in a sturdy container to: 2 Wallingford St, Grey Lynn, Auckland. Please include a sample of the plant on which the bee was found, your name, the date collected and the specific address where the specimen was found.

• Ms Soper can be contacted on jo-soper@ihug.co.nz