The rusty patched bumblebee has ventured into new territory: the endangered species list.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) added the bee to the list Tuesday, earning it the sad honor as the first-ever bumblebee in the U.S. with the endangered designation, according to the federal agency.
The bee has seen a dramatic population decline in the past 20 years.
This is a rusty patched bumblebee in Minnesota.Credit: Sarah Foltz Jordan/The Xerces Society via AP"Listing the bee as endangered will help us mobilize partners and focus resources on finding ways right now to stop the decline," said Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius in a press release.
SEE ALSO:If you want to see bees flash frozen, look no furtherThe bee, with its namesake rust-colored marking on its back, used to be found all over the East Coast and throughout the Midwest. Today they remain in 13 states and one Canadian province (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin — and the province of Ontario). The population has plummeted 87 percent since the 1990s, according to the FWS.
Part of the blame for the bee's decline can be attributed to a combination of destroyed habitat, disease, climate change and pesticides. But don't despair entirely, says Melius from the FWS. People can plant native flowers to help the pollinators gather pollen and nectar before it goes into hibernation in the fall. Another way to help: limit or stop using pesticides in gardens.
The nonprofit American Farm Bureau Federation saw the listing as a risky move, according to the Associated Press. The group is worried the designation could lead to expensive regulation for land or chemical use. The FWS estimated that insects' pollination services (mostly by bees) are valued around $3 billion in the United States.
Tweet may have been deleted
In a blog post Wednesday, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation applauded the listing, but noted more work is needed to save the bees, especially when it comes to cutting back on insecticides. "Whether you grow food or just eat it, value vibrant wildlands or just relax in your garden, recovery of this species is in everyone’s best interest — and we Xerces will roll up our sleeves to join you for the work ahead," wrote Sarina Jepsen, the group's director of endangered species and aquatic conservation.
Now's the time.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
(责任编辑：娛樂)
Two astronauts just installed a new parking spot on the International Space StationWaymo is launching a campaign to teach people about self
Dating app maps where people love and hate the 'take a knee' protests the mostAriana Grande kneels on very tiny stool, becomes very big memeDog elected for third term as mayor of Minnesota townThese glasses hide a fitness tracker on your face
The last time a company tried popularizing wearable tech embedded in glasses, most notably with Goog
...[详细]OUCH. Yankees pitcher can't believe what happened to his teammate.
Oooooooooooff. Nope. Not cool. 。 Gary Sanchez was trying to help his New York Yankees win its wildcar
...[详细]Hurricane Nate intensifies as it takes aim at vulnerable Gulf Coast
UPDATE: Oct. 7, 2017, 8:11 p.m. EDT
。 Hurricane Nate made landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi
...[详细]Amazon to actually bring Alexa compatibility to Big Mouth Billy Bass
Amazon will bring Alexa functionality to Big Mouth Billy Bass toys starting next year.。 You read tha
...[详细]Nate Parker is finally thinking about the woman who accused him of rape
Nate Parker is getting a crash course in male privilege after, in his own words, not thinking about
...[详细]Want to stop men like Harvey Weinstein from ruining women's lives? The solution is simple.
Another week, another incredibly powerful man outed as a serial sexual predator. That's what I thoug
...[详细]Facebook is spending $1 billion for a building that basically no one will work in
The Commonwealth of Virginia celebrated on Thursday with the announcement that Facebook would be inv
...[详细]Dating app maps where people love and hate the 'take a knee' protests the most
These days, it's hard not to choose a side on every political issue--and that's especially true for
...[详细]We asked linguists if Donald Trump speaks like that on purpose
Donald Trump may do a good "drunk uncle at Thanksgiving" impersonation at his rallies, but amid all
...[详细]10 TV shows we're hyped about at New York Comic Con 2017
New York Comic Con kicks off Thursday, and while the TV lineup isn't quite as expansive as San Diego
...[详细]