Discovered in 2011 for the first time, the blue bee rare species recently reappeared after almost a decade of absence.
Once they discovered it back in 2011, the scientists worried that it may disappear for good.
The special insect was seen for the last time in central Florida 5 years after its first identification.
However, this spring, the rare Osmia calaminthae was rediscovered in the same region while foraging on Ashe’s calamint, a violet flower which grows in some habitats of scrubs.
The Rare Florida Blue Bee Is Alive
This rediscovery was confirmed by Chase Kimmel from the Florida Museum of Natural History. At first, Kimmel couldn’t believe what he saw.
It was an amazing feeling and he couldn’t sleep the few first nights afterward because of anxiousness and excitement.
The first several times he found the bee he was constantly questioning his judgement on the bee’s characteristics.
Together with his colleagues, he documented 17 rare bees and never more than 3. In order to locate new, he set out to various sites across the Lake Wales Sand Ridge.
This is a 150-mile long region along the dirt roads of central Florida. It’s a place where orange blossoms grow.
This lake area is a specialized environment consisted of one-of-a-kind scrub habitat. The flowers which these bees prefer are limited to several of these isolated scrub pockets.
So, the bee has probably always been limited to a small part.
Another limitation besides the geographic one is considered to be the loss of habitat and fragmentation which has significantly reduced the bee’s numbers in the recent decades.
Also, it’s highly likely that the bees are also influenced by pesticide exposure.
Why Is the Bee Species Colored Blue?
Kimmel and his colleagues aren’t entirely sure why the bee has an indigo color. It’s among at least 9 bee species in Florida with blueberry-like exoskeletons.
The indigo league is consisted of spring-flying bees. These solitary bees have been spotted in the wild from 9 March to 30 April.
Molly G. Rightmyer, whose team first identified this species almost a decade ago, expressed his happiness for the rediscovery.
Kimmel doesn’t have an estimate of how many blue calaminthas are in the wild, but he’s hopeful that this bee will make a big comeback.