A new bee species have been discovered offering hope amid reports of their dwindling populations with many appearing on endangered species lists.
According to researchers led by Professor Yael Mandelik and PhD candidate Karmit Levy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the new bee species is unique to the sand dunes on Israel’s coastal plains, in Alexander Stream National Park, and at Beit Yanai Beach.
The bee species, Lasioglossum dorchini, was named after Israeli bee researcher Dr. Achik Dorchin of Tel Aviv University, and biologists have already initiated habitat restoration and preservation programs for the unique pollinators.
Professor Mandelik said: “Beyond just the professional excitement of discovering a new species that was previously unknown to science, this finding has broader applicative value in helping us better understand bee communities, their habitat requirements, and the pollination services they may provide.”
Levy explained: “We observed changes in bee communities and in the availability of their food and nesting resources in the restored habitats. In general, we can see that restoration efforts have positive effects on bee communities.”
There has been a decline of bee populations of up to 90 percent in some regions of the world, mainly due to habitat destruction, pollution, pesticides and pathogens. T4/Newsflash
