Posted on 05/16/2020 8:16:28 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Insect researchers are buzzing in Florida this week over the rediscovery of the blue bee, a rare little creature thought to have gone extinct shortly after it was discovered.
Researchers in Florida say the blue calamintha bee (Osmia calaminthae) has been spotted for the first time since 2016, stoking hopes that it might be possible to save the insect from extinction.
Blue calamintha bees nest alone and feed on Ashes Calamint, a threatened plant found only in Florida. The bees were first recorded in 2011 and dropped out of sight a few years later, despite calls to protect their threatened habitat in central Florida.
Researcher Chase Kimmel ventured back to the patch of pine forest where the bee was first discovered to look for it this spring, just to see if it was still alive.
I was open to the possibility that we may not find the bee at all, Kimmel said in a release from the Florida Museum of Natural History, where hes conducting his post-doctoral research.
When we spotted it in the field it was really exciting, Kimmel said.
Researchers at the museum have launched a two-year study to learn more about the bees numbers and habits, particularly since it can only be found in one tiny tract of forest.
They know that the bee nests alone but theyve never actually found one of its nests. Theyve also learned that it likes to bob its head around on top of flowers to collect as much pollen as possible on its tiny hairs.
Were trying to fill in a lot of gaps that were not previously known, Kimmel said. Theres a lot of neat discoveries that can still occur.
The bee is a hyper-local species that likely evolved around an isolated patch of sand dunes along the central Florida ridge, according to Jaret Daniels, Kimmels adviser at the museum. They hope to figure out exactly how many of the bees live in the area.
Having this bee in more abundance than we expected is really encouraging for its survival, Kimmel told Weather.com.
The two researchers are doing their best to work through the COVID-19 lockdowns so they can monitor the bee over the next year.
If nothing else, they hope their work will answer a key question for the critically threatened bee: is it to be, or not to be?
Just call me Rain Man.
Well, I certainly don’t know anything about the ‘games’ some of you play, here. Im just having trouble dissecting your post.
What on Earth does not giving a !!!! about possibly extant species have to do with PETA?
Do you ever think critically, and outside of your knee-jerk politics and antipathy to certain social movements? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and doesnt relate to any political or social ideology.
It is quite possible that some species that we have believed were extinct, still exist.
I think thats kind of interesting. It not only points to some of the possible failures of understanding on the part of the Great God Science; but to the resilience of life on Earth; and to how much we still dont understand.
Nothing personal, but the mental picture of Dustin Hoffman sitting at the keyboard is a bit unnerving.......
Luckily, I don’t look anything like him.
well aint this just the blue bee’s knees?
So can an actual green hornet be far behind?
How'bout the poster girl?
YES!! YES!!!
I don’t know which to test drive first!!!
NOT GUILTY!!
How do so many here know I’m a dog?
Or is it just that most other guys are too? :)
Only if the researcher receives the proper amount of funding.
The Blue Bee is Darwinian science as reality.
I was thinkin’ more along the lines of Ol’ Blue Eyes...
Hive got to believe that Josh K. Elliot's waited his whole career for this one. Insect researchers are buzzing in Florida this week...
Don't you mean, blue bee or not blue bee?
What kind of bees give milk? [punchline redacted]
The researchers probably had to comb the forest.
I'm glad they didn't experience the sting of failure.
Okay, I'll stop now.
All industry in Florida must be shut down now!
And BLM must take full possession of the state of Florida for this precious endangered species’ sake!
Interesting... thanks for sharing nick...
My kids love that joke.
These bees xtinct somebody, it was better when they were extinct.
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