BBC Wildlife - UK 2020-07)

BBC Wildlife 55

BEES

All of this evolutionary activity took place

a long time ago. Bees have been with us for

at least 120 million years, since the middle

of the Cretaceous Period. Time travellers

visiting that era might first notice the

dominance of dinosaurs, but there was an

equally dramatic story playing out in the

vegetation below those lumbering feet. Ferns

and cycads abounded, but where were the

flowers? Any blossoms on offer were tiny

and hard to find, bit players in flora still

dominated by things such as ginkgos and

early conifers. It was hardly a promising

landscape for the evolution of insects that

relied solely on pollen and nectar, which

means that the first bees were making

a rather bold bet. But the wager paid off

handsomely, for bees and flowers alike.

Above: though most bee

species lead a solitary

existence, honeybees live

in colonies, which can

become overcrowded.

This leads the bees to

swarm, heading o in

search of a new home.

In spite of the complex challenges facing

bees, we know enough to take action to

helpthem. Simply providing more flowers and

nestinghabitat and reducing pesticide use makes

beeshealthier, and healthier bees are more resilient

andprolific.Putting these straightforward ideas into

practicecan be transformational at any scale, from

farmstoparks, gardens and roadside verges. Useful

how-toguides are available online, including those

fromTheBumblebee Conservation Trust, Buglife

andTheXerces Society.

Helping bees

OneofAustralia’sprettiest
bees,it’sthoughtthat
atleast 30 percentof
Australia’scropsbenefit
fromthisspecies.InAsia,
it issometimesconfused
withA.zonata.

BLUE-BANDED BEE

AMEGILLA CINGULATA

They developed long, tube-like tongues

for sipping nectar from deep flowers, as

well as feathery, branched hairs specifically

adapted for carrying pollen back home to the

nest. The sensory organs on their antennae

became attuned to floral scents, and they

became experts in navigation, plotting and

memorising efficient routes from blossoms

to nest and back again.

Flower power

Of course, there is nuance to the story.

Some bees have become parasitic and no

longer bother collecting pollen at all, and a

few tropical species have even returned to

carnivory. But for the basics of bee evolution,

just remember that they are the long-haired,

flower-loving vegetarians. The hippy wasps.