A Rare Bee Was Just Spotted in Upstate New York

Naturalists in upstate New York are celebrating after a rare bee was spotted in a historic state park.

With so much doom and gloom about invasive insect species currently ravaging local gardens, it's always a highlight when a welcome visitor makes their presence known, including a recent bee sighting.

A very rare bee was recently seen in upstate New York (MSchauer)

Bee Populations in New York State

While it is estimated that more than 400 different species of bees call New York State home, some are more common than others... and species like the one recently seen at the Ganondagan State Historic Site are special for several reasons.

Bees in the Dufourea genus, like this one, are uncommon (MSchauer)

Rare Bee Seen at Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, NY

"RARE BEE SIGHTING!!" Began a recent post from the Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, NY (below). The unique insect was none other than the beebalm shortface bee, and naturalists have a big reason to be excited.

As we welcome this new species to Ganondagan it is important to note that the Beebalm Shortface Bee are considered few in number in New York, with only five other known populations statewide. So, as you enjoy the flora, keep in mind that our tiny friends are also enjoying them too.

Attract Rare Bees to Your New York Yard

While the staff at Ganondagan State Historic Site expressed their honor to host the special bee, they shared that it's possible for other New Yorkers to attract them as well.

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The beebalm shortface bee almost exclusively feeds on the beebalm plant (this classifies them as a "specialist pollinator"), and is attracted specifically to purple blooms. New Yorkers without a green thumb could also simply choose to visit Victor, NY to see the bees for themselves.

Quiz: Do you know your state insect?

Stacker has used a variety of sources to compile a list of the official state insect(s) of each U.S. state, as well as their unique characteristics. Read on to see if you can guess which insect(s) represent your state.

Gallery Credit: Andrew Vale