News: April 2005

Thought to be the first ever comprehensive photographic guide to British bumblebees, the 'Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland' was published on 24th March.

Interest in bumblebees has reached an all-time high over recent years as the decline of many species has become more widely recognised. Clearly sensitive to the state of our environment, bumblebees may have the potential to be valuable indicators of the condition of the countryside. Recognising the 22 native species can be quite tricky - particularly in light of the paucity of decent field guide material - until now that is. Mike Edwards (former secretary of the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society) and Martin Jenner have come up with a novel format which makes it comparatively easy to identify most British bees in the field without resort to killing and microscopic examination (though these techniques are covered too). Look out for a review on SpaceForNature in the near future.

Anon. It's as easy as one, two, bee! http://www.english-nature.org.uk/news/story.asp?ID=704 on April 4th 2005.