![]() ![]() They tend to rapidly bob their heads two to four times when visiting flowers. For example, the bees appear to have an unusual way of foraging. “While we have no evidence of pesticide exposure, it is highly likely that the bees could be impacted by this adjacent agriculture given that they have been found only meters away.”īecause blue calamintha bees have been known for only a decade, scientists are still getting to know more about their vulnerabilities and idiosyncrasies. “This ancient island ridge is now primarily composed of agriculture, typically citrus, and urban development,” Kimmel says. In addition to this geographic limitation, experts believe habitat loss and fragmentation have hurt the blue bee’s numbers in recent decades. ![]() The flower that hosts the bee is restricted to a few of these isolated scrub pockets, predominantly along the ridge, Kimmel says, meaning the bee has probably always been restricted to a small area. “The Lake Wales Ridge is a pretty specialized environment composed of unique scrub habitat that is limited in geographic extent,” Kimmel says. It’s a place where the jasmine-like scent of orange blossoms hangs thick in the air. To find these few, and record them for potential legal protections, Kimmel ventured to different sites across the Lake Wales Sand Ridge, a 150-mile long region along the dirt roads of central Florida marked by sprawling citrus groves and Bok’s Singing Tower, a 205-foot iridescent neo-Gothic structure. In all, Kimmel and colleagues documented just 17 rare bees and never more than three at any one time. I needed to look multiple times at the photos to confirm their identity.” “The first few times I found the bee I couldn’t help constantly question my own eyes and judgment on the diagnostic characteristics of the bee. “It was a great feeling those first few nights were hard to sleep due to the anxiousness and excitement,” he says. At first, he couldn’t believe his own eyes. But this spring, just as Americans began to hunker down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rare blue bees, known scientifically as Osmia calaminthae, were rediscovered in the same region foraging on Ashe's calamint, a dainty violet flower that blooms in certain scrub habitats.Ĭhase Kimmel of the Florida Museum of Natural History confirmed the bees’ survival in March. The indigo insect was last spotted in central Florida in 2016, five years after it was first identified. Many beginner questions can be answered by reading the wiki.As soon as the blue calamintha bee arrived on the scene, scientists worried it might be gone for good. The spam filter and Automoderator settings may pick up many legitimate submissions and flag new or negative karma users. If your submission is not appearing, message the moderator. Clarify when talking about another bee, or if unsure.Īnd Check Out the Big List of Related Reddits The majority of posts here concern the common honeybee, Apis mellifera.Questions should include location (region, state, or country).Message the mods before posting a thread advertising your business or crowdfunding campaign.Read the wiki and find a local club or mentor before asking "Starting Out" questions.Discord CommunitiesĪre you new to Beekeeping? More information can be found in the wiki ![]() Topics of interest: beekeeping, bee gardens, bee research, bee pictures, and honey appreciation. ![]()
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