Rare bee rediscovered in Virginia after more than a century
Virginia Natural Heritage Program zoologist Ellison Orcutt recently rediscovered Protandrena abdominalis, a rare, red-colored native bee species that had not been documented in Virginia for more than a century.
The discovery took place on a privately owned property in Isle of Wight County, where the landowners spent years restoring native flora that helped many bee species spread on their own.
State researchers emphasize that studying rare native bees helps evaluate conservation efforts and protects key pollinators across Virginia's nearly 500 native bee species.
Read more here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-10-02/rare-bee-rediscovered-in-virginia-after-more-than-a-century
u/GeneralDumbtomics — 12 days ago