Ecology of Bumblebees and their Identification for Intermediates

This online course will begin with a discussion on bumblebee conservation and decline, evolution, lifecycle and their autecology. We will briefly cover identification of the big seven and then move onto all UK species. We will view photographs and videos to help with identification. The objective of the course will be to enhance participants’ knowledge and skills of bumblebee ecology and identification. Students should leave the day with a clear idea of how they can carry forward their interest and continue their study of bumblebees.

As this is an online course there will be no outdoor session, but we will run breakout rooms in groups to identify species from photographs and videos.

By the end of the session it is expected that participants will be able to:

• Identify all species of bumblebees found in the UK
• Understand more about the lifecycle, conservation and/or ecology of the bumblebee
• Learn about field survey techniques

A bumblebee identification guide would be useful, if you have one, such as the Bumblebee; an introduction by Gammans et al, Field Guide to the Bumblebees of Great Britain and Ireland by Mike Edwards and Martin Jenner, or Bumblebees by Oliver E Prys-Jones and Sarah A Corbet (Naturalists’ Handbooks no. 6).

Led by Dr Nikki Gammans, Bumblebee Project Manager, Short-haired Bumblebee Reintroduction Project. at the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

This day is suitable for those who know how to identify the big seven (most common bumblebees) and wish to further their skills in other species.