If you’ve never heard of a blue bee, you’re not the only one. While Florida is most known for its alligators and manatees, the ultra-rare Osmia calaminthae bee made a recent appearance. While researchers discovered the metallic blue bee species in 2011, the insects haven’t been spotted since 2016. Though scientists feared the bee’s extinction, the new siting is creating an exciting buzz among researchers.
Chase Kimmel, a postdoctoral researcher, is working on a new two-year research project to study the blue calaminthae bee. Understanding this rare species is essential to ensuring its habitat is properly preserved, especially since it’s believed that the bee is native to a specific ecosystem in Florida. (1)
A Highly Specialized Blue Bee
Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge is an ancient topographic feature of the region. The ridges are the oldest and highest in the state, forming over millions of years as sea levels rose and fell. The dune ridges, once islands, are home to species found nowhere else in the world. The blue calaminthae bee is one of them. (2)
Only documented since 2011, the blue bug has finely adapted to its environment. Among the scrub and sandhills, blue calaminthae bees depend on lavender-hued flowers of the local Ashe’s calamint plant. The symbiotic relationship between the species is what gave these blue bees their name. Working solitarily, the bees flit from flower to flower and collect pollen. Unlike other bees, these unusual insects collect the golden substance on facial hairs instead of their legs.
Other bees in the Osmia family make individual nests instead of hives, and scientists hypothesize that blue calaminthaes do the same. To test their nesting preferences, Kimmel and his research team created bee “condos.” Pine boxes with drilled holes and hollow reeds will test how the bees best like to make their home. As they collect their findings, the team will get a better idea of how the bees live. (1)
Florida’s Threatened Habitat
The dry, desert-like habitat of Lake Wales Ridge is home to one of the highest number of rare plant and animal species in the United States. Sadly, it’s estimated that up to 85% of the rich, diverse land area has been lost to development and agriculture. As a result, sections of the ridge are under protection to ensure the ecosystem is preserved. (2)
Since the blue calaminthae bee is thought to be an exclusive resident of the area, it’s currently listed on Florida’s State Wildlife Action Plan as a species of greatest conservation need. Kimmel’s team hopes that their project will help protect the bee even further. With enough information, the blue calaminthae could qualify under the Endangered Species Act. Ashe’s calamint, the bees’ preferred pollen-source, is also a threatened species. The more research that the team can gather, the better equipped they’ll be to enact measures for conservation.
Though COVID-19 safety measures prevent the entire team from being in the field, Kimmel has thankfully received special permission to conduct his research. He hopes that his colleagues will be able to join him soon, but he continues to focus on the work ahead. “We’re trying to fill in a lot of gaps that were not previously known,” Kimmel told the Florida Museum. “It shows how little we know about the insect community and how there’s a lot of neat discoveries that can still occur.” (1)
