Stop Turbines In North Cornwall

Rare bees identified at Davidstow Forestry

Rare bees identified at Davidstow Forestry

"To whom it may concern.

It has recently come to my attention that there is a plan to build a windfarm on the site of Davidstow Woods.

I am e-mailing you to inform you that this area is the home for two rare species of bee - Andrena tarsata and Nomada roberjeotiana, the latter being a cleptoparasite of the former.

Andrena tarsata has undergone a marked decline in Britain since the 1970s, so much so that it is a BAP [Biodiversity Action Plan] species. In the forthcoming autumn review of hymenoptera status [2007] it will be assigned a status of RDB 3; [rare] or higher.

Nomada roberjeotiana has always been a very scarce species in Britain, with a status of RDB 3, which will almost certainly be upgraded in the autumnal review 2007. This species has rarely been recorded in Britain in recent years, the records by Haes C. on the lower slopes of Rough Tor in 1996 and by Falk in 2004, are the last known records for this species in Britain apart from my recent record of both species on tormentil along the hedgerows bounding Davidstow Woods on 08/08/2007.

Operations to cut down and develop parts of this woodland will inevitably involve the movement of heavy machinery and the like in this area, and it is my great concern that the habitat for both of these rare species will be severely and irreversibly disrupted.

Yours sincerely, Paul A. Gainey [Dr]"