Else & Edwards Understandings Reference

An updated corrections file for Else & Edwards - Handbook of the Bees of the British Isles.
Corrections updated at December 2022.

An updated version of Mike Edwards' key to Vespine social wasps.

Please read the accompanying note "Notes to Updated Vespine Key

A crib sheet by Steven Falk to aid the identification of bumblebees with bands and red tails (i.e excluding those with unbanded black bodies and red tails) - 2021

A crib sheet by Steven Falk to aid in the identification of female cuckoo bumblebees - 2021

This guide uses a combination of size, colour pattern and biological information to provide an identification key of 14 fairly distinctive species of solitary bees known
from Scotland. The key applies to female bees only: their male counterparts are often much harder to identify and are not discussed.  Most of the bees in the key should also be identifiable from good close-up photographs as long as their critical features are visible.

A draft key to the British DEBS (Dryinidae, Embolemidae & Bethylidae) by Michael Archer. Michael comments "I have produced these keys via Perkins although I am grateful for the help I have received from Olmi". Note: Olmi authored the key work to Fenno-Scandian DEBS (Olmi, 1994).

A key to the genera of the families Dryinidae, Embolemidae and Bethylidae by Michael Archer - tested at BWARS workshops.

A key to the British Chrysididae by Micahel Archer

A list of all known major uses of nomenclature in GB and their current interpretation (August 2023)

Dipterists Forum Field Week 2021 Invitation

A list of all the species recorded by David Baldock from Farnham Heath

List of British and Irish aculeate Hymenoptera, providing BWARS' currently accepted concepts (February 2020) PDF

The water-dropwort mining bee, Andrena ampla Warncke (Hymenoptera: Apidae), New to Britain

Dusky-horned Nomad Bee, Nomada bifasciata, New to Britain (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

A visual guide to distinguishing ‘midriffed’ white-tails and their dark forms by Steven Falk

Presentation notes on Sphecodes identification by Steven Falk. Made for an identification workshop at the 2019 BWARS AGM.

A visual guide to distinguishing white-tailed bumblebees by Steven Falk

A visual guide to distinguishing Bombus vestalis and B. bohemicus by Steven Falk

A visual guide to distinguishing male cuckoo bumblebees by Steven Falk