Insect wingbeats could help monitor insect biodiversity. Antibiotics used on food crops may be starving bees. Hundreds of new native bees species added to Oregon database.
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Conservation
Photo: Michael Bendixen, OPB
Hundreds of new native bees species added to Oregon database
(OPB) The Oregon Bee Atlas just got bigger. In an update announced this month, the largest bee and plant database in the state added hundreds of new native bee species that were discovered all over the state. The atlas was created because of a lack of information available about the state’s bee populations. The program’s scientists collect data from each county with help from trained volunteers who collect bee specimens. In the latest update, they added 224 unique bee species to their list from data collected in 2019, increasing the number of known native bees in Oregon to 650.
Vegetation helps wild honey bees survive the winter in Europe
(Earth.com) Most apiculture enterprises in Europe make use of honey bees from only a small number of strains. These are the strains that exhibit characteristics making them suitable for beekeeping and honey production. Wild honey bee varieties, in contrast, are left to their own devices. Until recently, it was considered unlikely that any native, wild-living honey bees would be found surviving in Europe at all. However, a new study confirms that in Galicia, NW Spain, the native subspecies Apis mellifera iberiensis is alive and well, and making good use of hollow power poles.
How important is connectivity for bumble bee conservation?
(Twitter thread, John M. Mola @_JohnMola) “I got asked again about how to prioritize land purchases/acquisition for bumble bee conservation. Seems like we should have an answer for this as a research community, but I’m not sure we do... Connectivity has never really struck me as all that important for BBs so long as relevant habitat is within range...”
Next phase of airport construction plan at Bell Bowl Prairie remains unclear
(WNIJ) Rockford Airport officials suspended construction at the Bell Bowl Prairie in the fall to re-evaluate their plan with state agencies. Nearly 3 months later, it’s unclear to the public when the project will resume. The airport authority has repeatedly turned down WNIJ’s requests for information on the start date of construction over the remnant prairie. It has also turned down WNIJ’s request for details of the environmental impact evaluation that the authority last year said it would conduct in coordination with state and federal agencies. For their part, The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says the Airport Authority has not responded to a consultation letter suggesting that the airport pursue an “Incidental Take Authorization” permit for state-listed species found in the vicinity of the proposed construction project.
Why you shouldn’t hope for an early spring
(Ensia) Increasingly common false spring events are leaving crops and wild plants vulnerable to subsequent freezes, creating a cascade of consequences for ecosystems.
Economics
Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP
Beekeepers turn to anti-theft technology as hive thefts rise
(Sacramento Bee) For a few frenzied weeks, beekeepers from around the United States truck billions of honey bees to California to rent them to almond growers who need the insects to pollinate the state’s most valuable crop. But as almond trees start to bloom, blanketing entire valleys in white and pink flowers, so begin beehive thefts that have become so prevalent that beekeepers are now turning to GPS tracking devices, surveillance cameras and other anti-theft technology to protect their precious colonies.
Honey bees are explosively ejaculating to death during heat waves
(Digital Hive) When male honey bees get too hot, they convulse until they explosively ejaculate to death, and a phallus the size of their abdomen bursts from their lifeless body. Why this happened recently in British Columbia is “a total mystery”. However, scientists do know that about 50% of male bees will die after six hours at 42° C, and British Columbia got that hot this past summer. Male honey bees contain a whole phallus internally, and when they mate, their abdominal muscles contract very strongly. “The same thing happens when they die due to stress for reasons that we don’t know, and that forces the endo-phallus to appear outside their body.”
Delhi’s outskirts abuzz with efforts to bolster India’s bee population
(Hindustan Times) The dwindling bee population over the last decade has slowly become a matter of concern, prompting conservation efforts across different cities around the world, even in Delhi. As part of the efforts, apiaries have sprung up on the outskirts of the capital over the last few years and weekly workshops on how to develop and protect bee habitats are also being held. Experts say Delhi’s seven biodiversity parks and green spaces, like Lodhi Garden, are filled with flowering plants, water bodies and certain tree species that are ideal habitat for bees.
Policy/Law
Photo: Lorne Gill, NatureScot
Report shows Scotland is doing ‘its utmost’ to increase pollinators
(The Press and Journal) A new report published by NatureScot highlights the huge effort by a wide range of organizations and individuals to implement the Pollinator Strategy for Scotland. Success stories in 2021 included the sowing of dozens of new wildflower meadows and improvements to road verge habitat across Scotland.
The U.S. Supreme Court could block climate change protections
(Scientific American) “The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a case on February 28 that could limit the power of the Environmental Protection Agency to curtail heat-trapping emissions at a time when the clock is ticking on our ability to limit catastrophic climate change. West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency is a challenge being mounted by several states and coal industry interests on how the agency regulates carbon emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. Should SCOTUS find in favor of West Virginia, the ruling could severely impede the EPA’s ability to regulate heat-trapping emissions and other forms of toxic pollution. It could also set a precedent in which federal agencies beyond the EPA could be forced to interpret and implement existing laws very narrowly, which would be greatly detrimental to the public interest.”
Science
Photo: Matt Kelly
Insect wingbeats could help quantify insect biodiversity
(ScienceDaily, University of Copenhagen) It’s more important than ever to monitor insect biodiversity, so as to understand their decline and help them out. So far, this task has been difficult and resource intensive. In part, this is due to the fact that insects are small and very dynamic. Furthermore, scientific researchers and public agencies need to set up traps, capture insects and study them under the microscope. To overcome these hurdles, researchers have developed a method that uses the data obtained from an infrared sensor to recognize and detect the wingbeats of individual insects.
Antibiotics used on food crops may be starving bees
(Earth.com) One of the causes for declines in pollinator populations could be the increased spraying of antibiotics on crops to battle spikes in bacterial infections. A new laboratory study has found that exposure to streptomycin, an antibiotic sprayed on orchard crops, slows the cognition of bumble bees and reduces their foraging efficiency.
(Twtiter, Carolina Morales @CaroMorales_eco) “Our first attempt to undertsand the role of #climatechange on the endangered #Bombusdahlbomii has just been published” Original paper
Initial floral visitor identity and foraging time strongly influence blueberry reproductive success
(Twitter, Lynn Dicks @LynnDicks) “Important, detailed, careful research on blueberry pollination. Just one visit from a wild stingless bee does the whole job; honey bees are generally less effective pollinators.” Original paper
First record of Lithurgus cornutus from Poland
(Twitter, BDJournal @BioDataJournal) “The #bee Lithurgus cornutus was recorded for the first time from Poland.” Original paper
Pollination by birds can be advantageous
(ScienceDaily, University of Bonn) Why have some plant species changed pollinators in their evolution? An international team of researchers studied the reproductive systems of three sister species pairs from different plant families, where one species is pollinated by insects and the other by hummingbirds. Mechanisms were discovered that explain the switch from insect to bird pollination. “From these results, we can conclude that hummingbird pollination evolved in populations of bee-pollinated species that are particularly dependent on cross-pollination.”
Society/Culture
Artwork: Margherita Cole, My Modern Met
Learn how to draw a beautiful bee in 14 simplified steps
(My Modern Met) If you’ve never drawn a bee before, they can seem like a difficult subject to tackle. Not to worry. By breaking down the anatomy into easy-to-follow steps, you'll quickly master this winged insect.
How often do researchers leave a paper because of certain co-authors?
(Twitter, Dr Manu Saunders @ManuSaunders) “I’ve pulled myself off two really cool papers because a problematic co-author joined the team who I don’t want a publishing record with. It sucks I missed out on authorship but there will be better opportunities. Wonder how often this happens, is it something no one talks about?”
One More Thing…
“Highly recommend looking at the alt text google assigns to your photos” From Salamander Jill (Fleming) @salamander_jill via Twitter.