Rare small scabious mining bees found at Highland Wildlife Park

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has completed its first ever small scabious mining bee survey at Highland Wildlife Park, following a handful of sightings of the rare insect in previous years.

Working as part of the Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) partnership, staff at the wildlife conservation charity found a total of 70 bees and discovered important nest sites during the survey, which took place over August and September.

As one of Scotland's rarest bees, this tiny invertebrate is only found in a small number of locations in the Highlands. It is thought to be threatened due to habitat loss and Highland Wildlife Park could act as a vital bridging site to connect different populations of this bee within Speyside.

This work with small scabious mining bees is part of RZSS’s recent pledge to reverse the decline of 50 species by 2030 and the ongoing biodiversity action plan for the park. The plan spans the various ecosystems within the park and is designed to strengthen the chances for native species to thrive there.