U.S. Congress is set to pass a huge wildlife conservation bill. Self‑pollinating plant shows rapid loss of genetic variation. Survey finds native New York pollinators at risk.
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Editor’s Note
Next week the Bee Report will be on vacation because I will be on a long-overdue vacation. So the next issue of your favorite bee-related news publication will hit inboxes on Friday, August 26. Thanks! ~ Matt
Conservation
Photo: Ryan Young, Cornell University
Conservation survey finds native New York pollinators at risk
(Cornell Chronicle) The three-year Empire State Native Pollinator Survey, released August 4 by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, found that at least 38% – and as many as 60% – of the pollinators targeted by the survey are at risk because they are rare or declining. For bees, up to 24% of the species may be at risk and an additional 11% are considered possibly extirpated, or known only from historical records. The survey is among the most systematic conservation status assessments of pollinators conducted by any state, according to its authors.
Survey observes wild bees in Montana’s Gravelly Mountains
(NBC Montana) The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest’s botany and wildlife crews and Dillon’s Youth Employment Program participated in a wild bee survey in the Gravelly Mountains. The program was led by Montana State University, Forest Service entomologists and graduate students, and served as a training event for Forest Service and YEP employees. The goal was to get a baseline of information on bee species in the Gravelly Mountains.
Rusty patched bumble bee makes surprise visit to Milwaukee County Zoo
(OnMilwaukee) The critically endangered bumble bee was seen, photographed and documented during the annual Backyard Bumble Bee Count. UW-Madison graduate student Emily Sneed led the team at the zoo this year and she had her camera at the ready when she spotted the endangered bee as it landed on a flower.
Pot of £1 million available for West of England bees projects
(BBC) Applications are open for grants of between £10,000 and £100,000 for West of England projects supporting bees. The funds can be used for planting wildflower meadows, installing bee-friendly green roofs on community buildings, or working with local people to construct “bee paths”.
Climate change leads to invasive insect expansion on West Coast
(ScienceDaily, Binghamton University) Climate change has led to warming temperatures in the Pacific Northwest, leading some insect species to expand their range into more northerly oak savannas, according to new research.
Policy/Law
Photo: Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto, Getty Images
U.S. Congress is set to pass a huge wildlife conservation bill with bipartisan support
(Vox) Known by the acronym RAWA, Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would provide close to $1.4 billion a year for restoring wildlife populations across the country. At its core, RAWA addresses a big problem: More than a third of the nation’s plants and animals are threatened with extinction, from the monarch butterfly to the Florida panther, putting outdoor recreation and ecosystems that Americans depend on at risk.
Cornell researchers say New York bill to save bees from insecticides goes too far
(Spectrum News 1) The researchers are pushing back against a proposed ban on certain insecticides in New York state, saying lawmakers should consider only banning their use for specific crops that flower prior to harvest. The Birds and Bees Protection Act, passed the state Assembly, but never reached a vote in the state Senate. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Brad Hoylman, D- Manhattan, said the bill will be reintroduced next session.
Environmentalists ask feds to protect rare Nevada butterfly
(Greenwire) The Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition to list the bleached sandhill skipper as an endangered species, potentially disrupting a geothermal project that could be built near the butterfly’s only known habitat.
Science
Photo: weisschr, iStock
Self‑pollinating plant shows rapid loss of genetic variation
(Washington State University) A group of self‑pollinating monkeyflower plants lost 13% to 24% of their genetic variation compared to another group that was propagated by bumble bees. This loss could rob the plants of their ability to adapt to environmental challenges. “We found that in a very short amount of time, there were major consequences on the genomes of the plants when they had to adopt selfing.”
Spiders seem to have REM-like sleep and may even dream
(Scientific American) Jumping spiders have REM-like twitches when they sleep, suggesting dreams may be much more widespread in the animal kingdom than previously realized.
How darkness might illuminate the insect apocalypse
(Nautilus) If one graduate student is right – that insects have been evolving to avoid light – then many of the observations on which some scientists base an insect apocalypse may actually indicate more of an insect-observation error. We could be trying to observe insects by looking exactly where they aren’t.
Technology
Photo: Marta Rossi
New online resource can help users ‘bee’ friendly when it comes to planting for pollinators
(Phys.org, University of Sussex) An online database developed at the University of Sussex which documents pollinator-plant interactions, could help the public understand how to plant for pollinators and support biodiversity.
One More Thing…
Bees, England, ca. 1200. From weird medieval guys @WeirdMedieval via Twitter.
