12/22/2023 0 Comments Rare blue bee![]() ![]() Its presence is highly associated with Ashe's calamint, so the bee may influence how well the plant is pollinated which can affect the plant's survivorship," Kimmel told CNN. "It is still very rare and can take many hours and days to find it which reinforces how rare it can be. This spring, Kimmel was able to record the blue bee in seven new areas they were never spotted in before, proving their known range is larger than scientists thought. Kimmel and his adviser, Jaret Daniels, are currently working on a two-year research project to determine the blue calamintha bee's current population and the species' nesting and feeding habits.īefore the discovery, the blue bees were only found in four locations along the southern portion of the Lake Wales Ridge. While finding a blue calamintha has reassured scientists that the bee is still present despite the impact humans have had on their environment, there is still little known about the species' behavior, biology, and habitat needs. "In reading about this unique behavior we were pretty shocked to see it."Īfter catching the bee in March, the researcher used macrophotography and checked in with lead authors who studied the species to confirm the insect was a blue calamintha. "We observed a shiny little blue bee grabbing the flower and rubbing its head on the top portion of the flower two or three times before moving on to another flower," Kimmel told CNN. Kimmel spotted the bee, known for its unique way of collecting pollen, when he and a volunteer were installing a bee condo in the Lake Wales Ridge near some Ashe's calamint - another threatened species that blue calaminthas depend on for food. ![]() ![]() "I was open to the possibility that we may not find the bee at all so that first moment when we spotted it in the field was really exciting," postdoctoral researcher Chase Kimmel, who found the bee, said in the release. The discovery marks an incredible breakthrough as scientists race to learn more about the blue bee, which is currently listed by Florida's State Wildlife Action Plan as a species of greatest conservation need. The metallic navy insect, a blue calamintha bee, had only been previously found in four areas "totaling just 16 square miles (41 square kilometres) of pine scrub habitat at Central Florida's Lake Wales Ridge," the Florida Museum said in a news release. An extremely rare blue bee that was last seen four years ago has been rediscovered by a researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |