Parable of the world’s largest bee. Swanscombe saved – for now. Hairy-footed Flower Bee spotted in Ireland for the first time.
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Conservation
Image: Alexis Rockman, Re:wild
The parable of the world’s largest bee
(Undark) The rediscovery of the Wallace’s giant bee, a rare slice of good wildlife-related news, was splashed across media outlets around the world, illustrated with pictures of delighted researchers holding a vial with the hefty insect inside. They hoped the local community and government would take proud ownership of the bee in order to protect it. But the conversations tailed off, the momentum spluttered. Worse, knowledge of the bee’s existence lit up a murky corner of the internet that specializes in the trade of rare animals. But the most sobering aspect of the bee-finding adventure is that even the flurry of interest surrounding the species didn’t provide it much of a reprieve. “No one cares. Even for something as charismatic as the world’s largest bee we can’t seem to muster enough interest to give it a conservation status or do proper surveys.” If the world’s largest bee is vulnerable, it’s easy to feel pessimistic about all of the millions of insect species without such celebrity.
Rolling wildflower blocks: Benefits for biodiversity
(British Ecological Society) Rolling wildflower blocks are made up of parallel short-lived wildflower strips of different ages that provide permanent resources for endangered plant and insect species in agricultural landscapes. They’re intended to create new attractive habitats for insects, but can also act as ecological trap due to their short-lived nature. In view of the criticisms, one biologist has developed an innovative concept of rolling wildflower blocks as a possible new agri-environmental schemes.
(Twitter, U.S. Fish and Wildlife @USFWS) “Monarch migration is underway! So far sightings have been reported across Texas and even into Oklahoma and Arkansas. Want to help monarchs? Plant a native pollinator garden”
2021 good year for some threatened U.K. butterflies
(Twitter, Richard Fox @RichardFoxBC) “On the plus side, 2021 was good for some threatened UK butterflies: Heath Fritillary has now increased by 112% in 10 yrs. Silver-studded Blue & Brown Hairstreak had best years since 1996, & Chalk Hill Blue had its 3rd best year since @UKBMSLive began in 1976.”
Photo: Daniel Greenwood
Swanscombe saved – for now. But campaigners stress the fight is not over
(Bug Life) Plans to build a theme park in North Kent on top of 100 hectares of a nationally important wildlife site have been withdrawn at the eleventh hour by the applicant – but the fight to save this haven of biodiversity is far from over.
(The Guardian) The park, called the London Resort, would cover land equivalent to 136 Wembley stadiums and would be built on the Swanscombe peninsula on the Thames – an area that has recently been designated a “site of special scientific interest” because of its wide range of rare plants and wildlife, including more than 1,700 invertebrate species, a quarter of the U.K.’s water beetle species and more than 200 species that are considered of conservation importance.
(Sierra) Land is political – especially so in Iowa. Today, 85% of Iowa’s land is used for agriculture. Farmers produce more corn, soy, and pigs here than in any other state – a dominance that has taken a heavy toll. Since 1850, nearly seven inches of nutrient-rich glacial topsoil have been lost to erosion. Growers now compensate with what the industry calls “soil enhancements” – fertilizers that drain off fields and wreak havoc on groundwater and wetland biodiversity. A steady stream of herbicides and pesticides adds to the pollution. According to the Department of Natural Resources, the water in more than half the state’s lakes and rivers is unsuitable for swimming, fishing, or drinking. In one of the most used and abused states in the nation, a small but growing number of conservationists have advanced a radical theory: Iowa is ripe for rewilding.
How species adapt to survive in cities
(Scientific American) Around the globe, living things are evolving differently in cities than in the surrounding countryside. It’s happening in plants: White clover in downtown Toronto is less likely than clover in surrounding rural areas to produce a cyanide that deters herbivores – a trend mirrored in cities in many countries. It’s happening in birds: Songbirds in Europe and owls in Argentina show evidence of natural selection in genes associated with cognition. All are examples of urban evolution: genetic changes that may help living things adapt to life in big city environments. “A city changes an environment dramatically. It creates a completely novel ecosystem.”
Economics
Photo: TJ Mullinax, Good Fruit Grower
Nets can reduce fruit set by limiting pollination
(Good Fruit Grower) If you already have nets in your orchard to protect against hail, insects, sunburn or other threats, you could use them to manage crop load, too, but research is finding pros and cons to the approach. According to trials conducted by Michigan State University, nets can reduce fruit set by excluding pollinators. If you drop the nets during early bloom and prevent pollinators from continuing their work, the resulting reduced fruit set might eliminate the need for later hand or chemical thinning. However, nets are expensive and growers have discovered they have other drawbacks too.
Biodiversity loss has knock-on effects on global markets
(Trinity College Dublin) Biodiversity losses in countries with smaller, less-developed economies, impact large, developed economies, according to a new study. Researchers show that pollinator declines and potential loss of pollination services can have widespread implications for global trade in food.
Israeli robotic beehive maker raises $80 million in private funds
(Reuters) Beewise, an Israeli maker of robotic beehives aimed at saving bees from climate changes, said it raised $80 million in a private funding round led by private equity firm Insight Partners. The round brings total funds to date to $120 million, it said, adding the new financing will go towards meeting rising demand for its robotic beehives. Beewise said its agricultural technology has saved more than 160 million bees in the past year.
Canadian beekeepers opt for closed border on U.S. bulk bees
(Manitoba Co-operator) Manitoba’s beekeeping sector won’t be endorsing any push to reopen the U.S. border to American bulk bee shipments. In late February, a majority of members at the Manitoba Beekeepers’ Association annual meeting shot down a resolution to support the Canadian Honey Council, should the national industry group ever lobby the federal government to allow boxed bees from the U.S. Canada-U.S. bee trade ground to a halt in 1987, after Canada closed the border due to the risk of spreading two parasites – honey bee tracheal mite and varroa mite. The border later reopened to some trade of queens, in an effort to improve Canadian genetics, although bulk shipments remain off the table. The debate has been highly political for years in Canada’s honey sector.
Arizona firefighters called to preserve a colony of bees
(Firehouse) Firefighters were called to assist with cooling down a colony of bees after their transport truck broke down in the Arizona heat. The hives are typically cooled by the flow of air during travel, so coming to a stop in the record heat meant certain death if the bees sat uncooled for too long. Firefighters sprayed a mist of water onto the hives to keep the bees cooled until the truck could be fixed and get back on the road.
Policy/Law
Photo: Davidhill22, Wikimedia Commons
Co-designing the environmental land management scheme in England
(Twitter, Lynn Dicks @LynnDicks) “Interesting study about the challenges of engaging farmers in developing agricultural policy. Trust, time and access to technology are key considerations.” Original paper
Biden seeks major spending boost for global climate efforts
(Scientific American) President Biden’s proposed budget would give a big boost to the global climate fight by injecting more than $11 billion into efforts to help other countries address global warming. The money would go toward a range of programs, budget documents show – from one initiative designed to help developing nations transition away from coal, to another that provides grants to help countries handle climate change and biodiversity loss.
Science
Photo: Mary Molloy
Hairy-footed Flower Bee spotted in Ireland for the first time
(National Biodiversity Data Center) Less than six-months after the arrival of the Ivy Bee, another new solitary bee species has been spotted in Ireland. The Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes) has migrated from Britain to set up home in Ireland for the first time. The first sighting was made by Mary Molloy in her garden in Harold’s Cross, Dublin on the March 27, 2022.
Bees get anxious and octopuses feel pain. Why do we look away?
(CNet) “Although we are used to thinking about how our actions affect other humans, recognizing widespread animal sentience requires us to also notice – and consider – our impact on other species.” When it comes to species that appear insensitive to painful sensations or those that might require complex mechanisms for more-than-baseline comfort, we humans might have work to do. For instance, researchers conducted a study on honey bees that involved agitating them by shaking them around. After analyzing the bees, the team saw they exhibited brain chemistry changes, like lowered serotonin, that are directly associated with anxiety, depression and other negative psychological states.
Monarchs take generations to make annual south-north journey
(Scientific American) Citizen science data reveal how the declining species travels from its southern wintering site to its northern breeding grounds.
Society/Culture
Free leafcutter bee fact sheets for download
(Twitter, Xavier McNally @air_beenbee) “Leafcutter bees are solitary bees that do not live in a hive, do not make honey and are at threat from habitat loss in the UK. Any teachers or parents or big kids can download this worksheets FREE”
One More Thing…
“Highlight of the day – a diorama of bees learning made by my grad student Leeah. Yes, the teacher is wearing a tie. (No bees were harmed in the making of this).” From Dr Felicity Muth @felicitymuth via Twitter.