A rare bumblebee was spotted in eastern Iowa and one expert says it’s a sign habitat conservation efforts could be helping the federally-endangered species.
Danielle Holthaus is a research station manager for Monarch Research in Linn County, and she confirms seeing the rusty patched bumblebee in a cluster of flowers near their building.
“To see one in Marion, right outside our research station building, that’s incredibly special for us,” Holthaus says. “It suggests that there’s some habitat characteristics around here that are attracting the species and supporting them.”
The organization works to incorporate native habitat for all sorts of pollinators into rural and urban settings.
“This was Monarch Research’s first sighting, which is super exciting for us,” she says, “but I think this speaks to the wider finding that the habitat that we’re providing them is clearly bringing them in and supporting them.”
Holthaus says the bees benefit from native prairies and healthy woodlands. She says the two best things someone can do to help the species is plant some native flowers and take a moment every now and then to watch them.
“We’re pretty confident that this was not an isolated finding,” she says.
The rusty patched bumblebee has disappeared from most of its historic habitat across the Midwest, Northeast and Canada. It’s one of about 21 species of bumblebees in the region and it was listed as federally endangered in 2017.
Holthaus says it’s important to observe your surroundings from time to time because you never know what you might find.
(By Eliza Billingham, Iowa Public Radio)