A survey of the invertebrate fauna of Marford Quarry in 2018, with a particular focus on aculeates (bees, wasps and ants).
Following management work at Marford Quarry to increase the extent of bare sand habitat for psammophilic insects, a survey undertaken in 2018 recorded 118 species of aculeate bees, wasps and ants, including 35 species new to the site.
The cumulative aculeate species list now stands at 171 species, comprising 81 bees, 80 wasps and 10 ants, making Marford Quarry one of the most important sites in Wales for this taxonomic group. The survey also recorded four new psammophilic aculeates (Anoplius infuscatus, Arachnospila wesmaeli, Coelioxys conoidea and Coelioxys inermis) and the psammophilic ground beetle Harpalus tardus at its only known inland locality in Wales. The overall site total now stands at 31 psammophilic species, including 26 aculeates, two beetles and three flies.
Six new deadwood-nesting aculeates were recorded: Ancistrocerus gazella, Ancistrocerus scoticus, Megachile ligniseca, Psenulus pallipes, Stigmus solskyi and the Hornet (Vespa crabro). This brings the cumulative deadwood assemblage total to 43 species, comprising 42 aculeates and one beetle.
Both the psammophilic assemblage and the deadwood assemblage are considered to be in favourable condition. However, there is an urgent need to provide additional deadwood habitat, which is currently limited. It is also important to maintain early-successional sandy habitats through a programme of regular excavation and habitat management.
The discovery of the solitary wasp Gorytes laticinctus at Marford Quarry is arguably the most significant finding of the 2018 survey, given its UK distribution and the substantial range extension it represents. Other notable records include the tachinid flies Freraea gagatea (new to Wales), Gymnosoma rotundatum and Wagneria gagatea (both recorded at only their second Welsh localities), and Leucostoma simplex (new to north Wales); the Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni), otherwise known in Wales only from Fagl Lane Quarry; and the parasitic wasps Sphecophaga vesparum and Haltichella rufipes, both of which were recorded in Wales for the first time.
- Identification
- Extent
- Distribution
- Quality
- Keywords
- Spatial Reference System
- Content
- Constraints
- Maintenance
- Metadata
Identification
- Identifier
- NRW_DS122469
- Metadata Language
- English
- Lineage
-
Survey techniques included visual searches, sweep netting and pitfall trapping.
- Additional Information
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Formstone, J.B. 2019. A survey of the invertebrate fauna of Marford Quarry in 2018, with a particular focus on aculeates (bees, wasps and ants). NRW Evidence Report No: 328, 46pp. Natural Resources Wales, Bangor.
- Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
- 2019-10-01
Temporal Extent
- Begin date
- 2018-03-01
- End date
- 2018-09-30
- Topic category
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- Biota
Extent
Extent
- Geographic Extent
- Wales (WLS)
))
Distribution
Distribution
- Format Type and Description
-
-
Database
(
Unknown
)
- Specification
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Species records: Recorder 6
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Documents
(
Unknown
)
- Specification
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Report as pdf format
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Database
(
Unknown
)
Quality
Data quality
- Quality Scope
- Dataset
- Conformity
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
- Explanation
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This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
- Degree
- false
- Lineage
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Survey techniques included visual searches, sweep netting and pitfall trapping.
Keywords
Keywords
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2008-06-01
Keywords
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NRW Thesaurus
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- Aculeate bees, wasps & ants
- INVERTEBRATES
- Sand Quarry invertebrates
- invertebrates (see also specific species)
- invertebrates (see also specific species)
- Deadwood invertebrates
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2026-08-27
Keywords
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IPSV Subjects List
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- Bees
- Type
- Theme
Citation
- Date (Publication)
- 2020-11-18
Spatial Reference System
Content
Content Information
NRW Profile
Custom Elements
Constraints
Constraints
Limitations on Public Access and Use
- Restriction type
- Other restrictions
Access Constraints Directive
- Limitations
- noLimitations
Access Constraints Text
- Other constraints
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This data is jointly owned by NRW and North Wales Wildlife Trust. There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely
Use Constraints
- Use constraints type
- Other restrictions
- Other constraints
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© CNC/NRW and North Wales Wildlife Trust. Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and copyright of the owners. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.
Attribution Statement
- Other constraints
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© CNC/NRW and North Wales Wildlife Trust.
Licence
- Other constraints
- Open Government Licence
Metadata
Metadata
- File Identifier
- 4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313232343639 XML
- Metadata Language
- English
- Resource type
- Dataset
- Metadata Date
- 2026-09-29T15:25:36.904Z
- Metadata Standard Name
- NRW
- Metadata Standard Version
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1.0