There are over 270 bee species in the British Isles most of which are solitary bees – the social bees (bumblebees and honeybees) only make up about 10% of these species. Join our tutor in the field to search for, find, and discuss the identification features of a variety of UK solitary bee species that can be identified in the field.
The Mason and Leafcutter Bees (Megachilidae), is a large family of solitary bees where many species require microscopic examination in order to reliably identify them to species. This course will provide you with the skills you need to be able to start identifying Mason and Leafcutter Bees to genus and species using a microscope.
This course provides an introduction to identifying bees to genus. This includes a short presentation introducing the morphological features used to identify specimens to genus level, followed by practical sessions guided by our expert tutor. During the lab sessions, you’ll explore a wide variety of different bee species, including ones that can be trickier to identify in the field. This course will use the Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland, by Steven Falk – copies will be available for use from our reference library.
Through a combination of taught classroom… Read more
If you’re interested in finding out more about bees but don’t feel ready for a beginner’s ID workshop, then this is the course for you. Learn To Love Bees is a very gentle introduction to our planets most important pollinators, introducing aspects of their biology and ecology.
This course combines the use of classroom-led learning and outside learning opportunities led by one of our bee tutors to give individuals the skills and confidence to learn more about the lives and ecological role of bees.
If you’re interested in finding out more about bees but don’t feel ready for a beginner’s ID workshop, then this is the course for you. Learn To Love Bees is a very gentle introduction to our planets most important pollinators, introducing aspects of their biology and ecology.
This course combines the use of classroom-led learning and outside learning opportunities led by one of our bee tutors to give individuals the skills and confidence to learn more about the lives and ecological role of bees.
This course provides an introduction to identifying ants to species using microscopes and identification keys. The day includes a short presentation introducing the morphological features used to identify specimens to species level, followed by practical sessions guided by our expert tutor. During the lab sessions, you will explore a wide variety of different ant species, including workers, queens and males.
Through a combination of taught classroom content and lab-based practical sessions, learners will gain confidence in using the identification keys and preserved specimens to… Read more
You can find and download a zip file of all BWARS records at 10km resolution here. It has just been updated.
This day is all about learning and improving your ant ID skills using a stereo microscope and identification key. It is free to attend (though booking is essential) so that we can ensure you get access to a microscope. You don’t need any experience of using microscopes, identification keys, or specimen preparation – we will provide instruction in all of these.
Identifying Insects using Specimens and Microscopes focuses on how to find and sample insects, how to prepare and curate specimens for identification purposes, and how to approach identification of your chosen species group.
The main emphasis will be on how to carry out reliable and verifiable identifications through the correct presentation of specimens and the use of keys and other entomology identification resources. Participants will be expected to select a suitable taxonomic group in which they will start to specialise by building up a reference collection of specimens.… Read more
Bumblebees are large, furry and charismatic insects that are known for their bumbling flight and distinctive buzz.
There are currently 24 species of bumblebee present in Britain, with 8 varieties being fairly widespread no matter where you live in the UK. By looking at the colour of their tails and banding, some bumblebees can be identified in the field. However, queens, males and workers can vary in their appearance making some species harder to identify than others. This means that identifying bumblebees isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. This course is designed for… Read more
