Rusty-patched bumble bee on culver’s-root at UW–Madison Arboretum. Photo: Susan Day/UW–Madison Arboretum
A biology professor at Lawrence University in Appleton is reporting that a rare, endangered bee was spotted at a home in the downtown area of Appleton.
Professor Israel Del Toro says that the Rusted Patched Bumble Bee was never been positively identified in Northeast Wisconsin prior to this sighting.
The bee, known in scientific circles as Bombus affinis, was added to the endangered species list after most of its grassland and prairie habitat has been built over in the area.
However, there have been efforts to save pollinators, including No Mow May, and gardeners beginning to use native plants, which Del Toro believes is helping the species make a comeback.
