(Ames, IA) — Iowa State University researchers say their effort to map out the location and habitat of the rare rusty patched bee In Iowa found them in limited quantity. Teams from I-S-U surveyed 50 sites across Iowa twice in recent months. They only found the rusty patched bumble bee at four locations — in Ames, Brushy Creek State Recreation Area near Fort Dodge, and two locations near Dubuque and Yellow River State Forest. The rusty-patched bumble bee was the first ever bee to be listed as endangered in 2017. Researchers hope the findings could help wildlife managers and land stewards reverse the decline of bee populations and support other pollinators more broadly.
