2026-05-15 12:30 UTC
This Endangered Species Day I’m sharing a bee. This #linocut print rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) is a pollinator native to North America and was common here in Ontario as recently as the 1980s. It is now sadly on the brink of extinction, designated federal Species at Risk in Canada. On January 10, 2017, it was the first bee to be placed on the endangered species list in the US. Historically it had a large range in the eastern US from Maine to Tennessee and in Canada in southern 🧵
Replies (1)
-
@minouette@spore.social 2026-05-15 12:31
Ontario and southwestern Quebec. Its rapid decline is likely due to habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, competition with other species like the European honeybee and may be exacerbated by climate change. In Ontario we are working on habitat recovery and searching for a queen Bombus affinis to try and establish a new colony. 🧵2/3