The blue bee ( Osmia calaminthae ) was first discovered in 2011; However, experts believed it to be extinct since 2016 , since it had not been observed since then. Now, according to researchers from the Florida Museum of Natural History (USA), a series of new sightings of these strange insects, have stoked hopes that it will be possible to recover them.
It is an extremely rare variety of bee: it has a metallic navy blue color and has only been found in four areas of the pine habitat of Lake Wales Ridge in Central Florida, a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot but one that is at risk of disappearance , according to a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published in 2015.
Chase Kimmel, a postdoctoral researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History, wasn’t sure he’d find blue bees when he ventured into this area in March 2020. Because Kimmel and his adviser, Jaret Daniels, director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and biodiversity of the museum, they set out to determine the current state of the bee population, where it nested and its eating habits, if it still existed.
“I was open to the possibility that we might not find the bee, so the first moment we saw them in the field was really exciting,” Kimmel said in a museum news release. During his journey, he observed the particular blue bees at three of their previously known locations and at six new locations up to 80 kilometers away.
This discovery marks an incredible breakthrough as scientists struggle to learn more about the blue bee, which is currently listed in the Florida State Wildlife Action Plan as a species in greatest need of conservation.
Characteristics of blue bees
These solitary bees are known to nest on their own and have a fairly selective diet, feeding on Clinopodium ashei , a flowering plant in the mint family that is unfortunately also threatened as a species and can only be found in Florida. At the time of the discovery – for the first time – of this peculiar insect, they tried to protect the bee and its threatened habitat in central Florida, but just five years later they apparently disappeared.
“We are trying to fill in many gaps that were not previously known. It shows how little we know about the insect community and how there are many discoveries that may still occur,” clarifies Kimmel, after the reappearance of the blue bee.
While no nests have been found, the species is part of the Osmia genus, which tends to use burrows, hollow stems, or existing holes in dead trees as nests.
Considering that the habitat both where the favorite host plant of blue bees and the bees themselves grow is one of the ecosystems that is disappearing faster due to habitat loss and human development, additional efforts are required to better protect to this rare species.
According to Kimmel, it is too early to know if the bee will be registered on the endangered species list, because more research is needed. There is still much to learn about her, as not much is known about her biology. The goal for next year is to register the bee in as many locations as possible to determine its range and increase understanding of this brightly colored, blue-haired bee.
Reference: Florida Museum of Natural History
