Just how many species of bees live in Ohio? Based on other states, estimates land between 400 and 450. Until recently, there hasn’t been a way to be sure.
Just how many species of bees live in Ohio? Based on other states, estimates land between 400 and 450. Until recently, there hasn’t been a way to be sure.
Thanks to the Ohio Biodiversity Conservation Partnership (OBCP), the Ohio Bee Survey is entering its fifth year of data collection. More than 330 species of bees have been collected either in water bowls or nets, including almost 50 “specialist” species.
“Specialist bees have narrow diets, restricting their pollen collection to a few plant species, and often exhibit specific habitat associations, too,” said Karen Goodell, a professor at The Ohio State University Newark and a member of OBCP. “We’ve collected a ton of ecological data over the last few years about these rare species. We now know where they occur and have a better understanding of their habit requirements.”
Read more at: Ohio State University
A pickerelweed shortfaced bee (Duforea novaeangliae), a specialist bee, approaches a pickerelweed plant. (Photo Credit: Bill Stitt)
