What can you do to conserve the birds and the bees, even in the face of climate change? In some cases, small actions, such as maintaining a pollinator garden or avoiding pesticides can be important. Take the rusty patched bumble bee, once one of the most common pollinators in eastern North America.
FORT ecologist Ian Pearse organizes workshop to support monitoring of an endangered bumble bee.
By Fort Collins Science Center
January 12, 2024
FORT ecologist Ian Pearse organized a workshop with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (Jan 9-11) to develop a monitoring program for the endangered rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis).
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The rusty patched bumble bee was once one of the most common bumble bees in eastern North America, but currently only maintains small populations in the upper Midwest and the Virginias. The sharp population decline of this species since the early 2000s has led to its listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and has prompted scientists to establish monitoring protocols and investigate conservation measures to prevent further declines and potential extinction.
Workshop attendees included USFWS personnel, USGS scientists from other centers, USDA personnel, and many others from state, local and private groups. Participants developed shared protocols to monitor the long-term trends in endangered bumble bees and determined needs to sustain a long-term monitoring program. To learn more about the workshop and USGS science on the rusty patched bumble bee, please reach out to Ian Pearse.
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Determining the dietary preferences and population genetics of an endangered bumble bee, Bombus affinis, by maximizing the use of museum specimens
Bombus affinis, the rusty patched bumble bee, was federally listed as an endangered species in 2017 and has been identified as one of the top priority species for recovery nationally. Shortly after listing the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and other partners prioritized the research needed to prevent the extinction of B. affinis. Some of the top research needs that were identified...
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A rusty patched bumblebee visits a flower
What can you do to conserve the birds and the bees, even in the face of climate change? In some cases, small actions, such as maintaining a pollinator garden or avoiding pesticides can be important. Take the rusty patched bumble bee, once one of the most common pollinators in eastern North America.
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by John Mola , USGS Research Ecologist (Former Employee), Assistant Professor, Colorado State University
Learn About:
Endangered Bumble Bees - Science on the Threats and Recovery
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Learn About:
Does the loss of plant diversity affect the health of native bees?
Loss of plant diversity is the primary cause of native bee decline. About 30-50% of all native bees are highly specialized, so if the plant they rely on disappears, the bees go away. If the bees disappear, the plant is unable to reproduce and dies out. While some of the plants pollinated by native bees are important food crops, other plants pollinated by native bees are critical for healthy...
How many species of native bees are in the United States?
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About 75% of North American plant species require an insect—mostly bees—to move their pollen from one plant to another to effect pollination. Unlike the well-known behavior of the non-native honeybees, there is much that we don’t know about native bees. Many native bees are smaller in size than a grain of rice. Of approximately 4,000 native bee species in the United States, 10% have not been named...
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Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a juicy peach, an-apple-a-day, almonds, rich and creamy dates, a handful of plump cashews, or vine-ripened tomatoes? Do you enjoy seeing the native flowers and plants that surround you? If so, you depend on pollinators. Wherever flowering plants flourish, pollinating bees, birds, butterflies, bats and other animals are hard at work, providing vital but often...
Related
Determining the dietary preferences and population genetics of an endangered bumble bee, Bombus affinis, by maximizing the use of museum specimens
Bombus affinis, the rusty patched bumble bee, was federally listed as an endangered species in 2017 and has been identified as one of the top priority species for recovery nationally. Shortly after listing the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and other partners prioritized the research needed to prevent the extinction of B. affinis. Some of the top research needs that were identified...
Western Bumble Bee and Native Pollinator Research
The western bumble bee was historically one of the most common bumble bees across the western U.S. and Canada. However, our research and others found it has declined substantially across its range and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering it for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and other land managers need information to inform...
A rusty patched bumblebee visits a flower
What can you do to conserve the birds and the bees, even in the face of climate change? In some cases, small actions, such as maintaining a pollinator garden or avoiding pesticides can be important. Take the rusty patched bumble bee, once one of the most common pollinators in eastern North America.
What can you do to conserve the birds and the bees, even in the face of climate change? In some cases, small actions, such as maintaining a pollinator garden or avoiding pesticides can be important. Take the rusty patched bumble bee, once one of the most common pollinators in eastern North America.
PubTalk-11/2022: Endangered Bumble Bees - Science on the Threats and Recovery
Endangered Bumble Bees - Science on the Threats and Recovery
by John Mola , USGS Research Ecologist (Former Employee), Assistant Professor, Colorado State University
Learn About:
Endangered Bumble Bees - Science on the Threats and Recovery
by John Mola , USGS Research Ecologist (Former Employee), Assistant Professor, Colorado State University
Learn About:
Does the loss of plant diversity affect the health of native bees?
Loss of plant diversity is the primary cause of native bee decline. About 30-50% of all native bees are highly specialized, so if the plant they rely on disappears, the bees go away. If the bees disappear, the plant is unable to reproduce and dies out. While some of the plants pollinated by native bees are important food crops, other plants pollinated by native bees are critical for healthy...
How many species of native bees are in the United States?
There are over 20,000 known bee species in the world, and 4,000 of them are native to the United States. They range from the tiny (2 mm) and solitary Perdita minima, known as the world’s smallest bee, to kumquat-sized species of carpenter bees. Our bees come in as many sizes, shapes, and colors as the flowers they pollinate. There is still much that we don't know about native bees—many are smaller...
What is the role of native bees in the United States?
About 75% of North American plant species require an insect—mostly bees—to move their pollen from one plant to another to effect pollination. Unlike the well-known behavior of the non-native honeybees, there is much that we don’t know about native bees. Many native bees are smaller in size than a grain of rice. Of approximately 4,000 native bee species in the United States, 10% have not been named...
Why are pollinating bats, birds, bees, butterflies, and other animals important?
Do you enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a juicy peach, an-apple-a-day, almonds, rich and creamy dates, a handful of plump cashews, or vine-ripened tomatoes? Do you enjoy seeing the native flowers and plants that surround you? If so, you depend on pollinators. Wherever flowering plants flourish, pollinating bees, birds, butterflies, bats and other animals are hard at work, providing vital but often...
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