Morning walk at East Lawn Cemetery in Ithaca, Up-to-date York, he discovered a huge colony of approximately 5.5 million subterranean bees. The discovery, which a Cornell University research team published in a journal in April Apidologydocuments one of the largest concentrations of these insects ever recorded. A population belonging to a species Regular adrenalineit covers an area of approximately 1.25 acres and is crucial for pollinating the region’s orchards, demonstrating that historic cemeteries can prove to be unexpected hotbeds of urban biodiversity.
Origin of the discovery
In the spring of 2022, Rachel Fordyce, then a laboratory technician in Cornell University’s entomology department, noticed the anomalous presence of insects on her regular commute. After collecting several specimens, she showed them to Bryan Danforth, an entomologist at the same university. The analysis showed that yes Regular adrenalinecommonly known as the mining bee or mining bee. Unlike honey bees, this wild species is solitary and builds nests by digging tunnels in the ground. Historical data indicate that this insect has been present in the cemetery established in 1878 since at least the beginning of the 20th century.
Census
To calculate the size of the colony, scientists placed 10 traps in the cemetery from behind schedule March to mid-May 2023. These little curtains cover less than one square meter of soil and direct insects emerging from the soil into a glass container. Samples were taken from over 3,000 insects of 16 species, including bees, beetles and flies, with insects predominating Regular adrenaline. Extrapolating the average density found in the traps, scientists estimated the total population at 3 to 8 million, with an average of 5.5 million, the equivalent of over 200 house hives.
The research provided previously unpublished data on the biology of this little-studied insect. Traps have shown that in the first balmy days of April, males emerge from the ground several days earlier than females, a strategy to maximize mating opportunities. The females then dig nests and lay eggs in cells filled with pollen and nectar. This species is unique in that it hibernates as an adult underground, allowing it to become busy very early in the spring, in perfect synchronization with the apple blossoms in the nearby Cornell University orchards. Monitoring also revealed the presence of intricate ecological dynamics, such as parasitism by bees A rooted nomad species that lay eggs in the nests of host species at the expense of the original larvae.
A heritage that must be protected
The discovery highlights the need to protect the breeding sites of wild bees, 75 percent of which are solitary species that live underground. Places such as senior urban cemeteries offer ideal conditions: sandy soils that are uncomplicated to dig, no pesticides, and an environment that is not subject to the profound changes typical of intensive agriculture or housing construction. To prevent a population of this size from being accidentally wiped out by concrete pouring or roadworks, the study’s authors launched a global effort citizen science initiative. The project encourages citizens to report the presence of underground bee communities in order to investigate and protect these vital pollinators before habitat fragmentation threatens their survival.
This story originally appeared on WIRED Italy and was translated from Italian.