Bee species has not been seen since 2006 and enter the endangered animals list

Bee species has not been seen since 2006 and enter the endangered animals list

Bombus franklini is the second species of bee to join the endangered species list in the United States and the first in the west of the country..

BY MATT KELLY PUBLISHED 29 DE SET. FROM 2021 07:00 BRT

The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced in August what toB. franklini, rare species of black and yellow bee that has not been seen since 2006, Joined the United States Endangered Species List.

It is the first species of bee to make this list in the western United States and only the second in the entire country.; aBombus affinis, that could be found in even 28 state, was declared an endangered species in 2017.

Named in honor of the researcher from the beginning of the century 20, Henry J. Franklin, aB. franklini faces numerous challenges: pathogens transmitted by bees bred for the honey industry, pesticides and a history of sparse population and limited geographic distribution.. Its existence is confirmed only in a region of approximately 33 thousand square kilometers, on the Oregon-California border. This is possibly the smallest distribution of a species of bee in the world.

Although the species has not been seen for 15 years, scientists involved in conservation projects still do not believe it has been extinguished. The fact that they have the Endangered Species Act in their favor means that, in addition to strict prohibitions on any actions that may harm the species, there will be more federal investment in recovery initiatives at the state level, as the expansion of research in the area.

"I would be surprised if we didn't find them", diz Jeff Everett, field biologist responsible for the bee conservation programB. franklini of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. And "knowing where they are, it is possible to get more support for the work of conservation of the species.”

AsB. franklini visit different types of wildflowers and collect pollen from lupine and poppies and mint nectar. Very little is known about the species. Therefore, its importance for these flowers and for the ecosystem in general has not yet been estimated.. in any case, bees are important pollinators and the disappearance of any species can have many ecological consequences.

finding a lost bee

Since it was first recorded by scientists, a hundred years ago, aB. franklini was just sighted 325 times, mainly by Robin Thorp, professor of entomology at the University of California, in the city of Davis. In 1998, when he started to monitor the bee already retired, saw 98 species individuals; in 2006, he found only one. After that, no more was seen.

That's why, in 2010, Thorp and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation have filed a petition with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to list theB. franklini as an endangered species. Thorp passed away in 2019, two months before the service releases the update to the list.

"It is worrying that no individual of the species has been seen in 15 years", the firm Leif Richardson, conservation biologist at the Xerces Society who has compiled all known records of theB. franklini for your status assessment. "However, I don't think it's time to give up and declare it extinct.”

There is still a lot of research to be done before taking this step., defende Everett.

every july, Everett organizes a search event, that lasts a week. The event has grown and now even involves 60 researchers and volunteers. Swinging hammocks and watching wildflowers, they venture into the rugged wilderness of historic Franklin Ranges, researching strategic locations in California and Oregon, hoping to locate the bee.

But, Everett diz: “we may not be looking in the right places at the right times”. And even if they are, a single bee may be right behind the researchers, but fly when you see the movement.

That's why Everett is also working on another method of detecting the species..

In the last years, the US Wildlife Service and Geological Survey have developed a DNA fingerprint for theB. franklini. Once it is completed, scientists will be able to test flower samples for the bee's genetic material. With that, they wouldn't need to spot the bee to know if it's still in the wild or if it's visited a specific area recently..

hope of rediscovery

Because it has a small population and limited geographic distribution, aB. franklini is quite vulnerable. The species does not usually visit farms or agricultural areas, but there is still the possibility that the bee is exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides, that interfere with the insect's nervous system and lead to paralysis and death.

It is also possible that bees used in commercial pollination servicesspread pathogens to theB. franklini and other species in nature. For example: the outbreak of a fungal disease, in the middle of the 1990 among bees used in commercial pollination services, was associated to the rapid disappearance of several species of western bees, inclusive aB. franklini.

Despite the risks against the species, Richardson and Everett say they are optimistic that, with the update of the Endangered Species Act list and more research, will find theB. franklini.

And as soon as they do, experts will be able to develop more efficient conservation strategies. This can include limiting the use of pesticides in certain locations and at certain times., the limitation of activities that harm bees during the nesting or hibernation season, the establishment of a licensing process related to the transport and accommodation of bees used for commercial purposes across the country and the classification of ahabitat specific for the recovery of the species.

even after 15 years, it is not utopian to think that theB. franklini can be found. There are notable examples of researchers who rediscovered bees and other insects after they were declared extinct.: Ablue bee (Osmia calaminthae) was found after nine years without being seen in Florida; Fender's Blue Butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) was found after 52 years in oregon; iswallace's giant bee (Chalicodoma pluto), the biggest bee species in the world, was rediscovered after 122 years in indonesia. of more than 350 species rediscovered since 1889,the average time between last sighting and rediscovery is 61 years, revealed a study carried out in 2011.

And most species that have been rediscovered have limited geographic distribution and reduced populations., just like the B. franklini.

Matter extracted from: https://www.nationalgeographicbrasil.com/animais/2021/09/especie-de-abelha-nao-e-vista-desde-2006-e-entra-na-lista-de-animais-ameacados

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