Co-author John Neff had been amassing specimens of this bee in Texas for a number of years earlier than confirming its distinctive place within the Andrena family tree.
HOUSTON — A one-of-a-kind new species of mining bee present in Texas and Oklahoma has researchers buzzing with pleasure.
The newly found species, Andrena androfovea, was documented interacting with vegetation within the wild in each Oklahoma and Texas, in line with a examine lately printed within the journal Ecology and Evolution.
Why is the invention so necessary?
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 75-85% of all flowering vegetation on Earth depend on animal pollinators to outlive and reproduce. Bees are probably the most vital members of this group.
Co-author John Neff had been amassing specimens of this bee in Texas for a number of years earlier than confirming its distinctive place within the Andrena family tree.
This newly found bee is the one species within the genus Andrena that has an affinity for vegetation within the Solanaceae household, generally referred to as the tomato household.
James Hung, assistant professor of biology on the University of Oklahoma and co-author of the examine, captured high-quality video and photograph proof of the bee utilizing its furry stomach and legs to assemble pollen from these vegetation.
“I noticed this matte-blue-colored bee doing a handstand on the flower, sucking nectar with its tongue whereas scraping the flower with its hind legs and rubbing the flower with its bushy stomach,” Hung mentioned. “This is fairly uncommon conduct for a member of the mining bee genus and actually helps us showcase the distinctive evolutionary improvements of this new subgenus.”
A name for conservation
In addition to the invention and documentation of this new species, Hung highlighted the significance of native bee conservation and biodiversity analysis.
“Oklahoma is a treasure trove of biodiversity, however there’s nonetheless rather a lot to be realized in regards to the hidden and undiscovered issues in our state,” he mentioned. “More must be completed to make sure environmental safety for the totally different habitats, each for the species we learn about and those who could possibly be found sooner or later.”
