The species is found in South East England on calcareous
soils. Reports also say that they have been seen in South West England, Wales,
and Lincolnshire. It is more common to see male Red Bartsia bees than females
of the species.
This species forages only on Red Bartsia flowers. These flowers
can be seen as far as Scotland and Ireland. While the flowers can grow in most
grasslands, the bees prefer chalk grasslands. The bees are usually seen from
late July to early September. They often become more prevalent at the time of year
where sightings of other bees decline.
Red Bartsia Bees were recently found on the coast of
Cornwall. This species was recently seen in just one other region of Cornwall
in 2022. This was located near the Towans. There were also reports of the
species being found in North Cornwall in early 2026. In general, this species
of bee is declining, though the population in certain areas, including Dorset, is
increasing.
There are no known parasites of the Red Bartsia species of
bees. However, it is believed that the Nomada
flavopicta may be a cleptoparasite of the Red Bartsia bees. They can be
seen flying around Red Bartsia flowers, even when the other flowers they
collect pollen from are absent.
The United Kingdom’s Invertebrate Conservation Trust (also
known as Buglife) is collaborating with the National Trust to help protect the habitat
of the Red Bartsia Bees. Buglife has a variety of projects, such as Kernow Wyls
– People for Pollinators, Solitary Bee Week, and B-Lines, which are dedicated
to helping to preserve Red Bartsia bees and their flowers.
Everyday people are also encouraged to get involved and
report their sightings. People are encouraged to send their finds to BWARS
or download the iRecord app to track their findings and send in their data.
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