A recent discovery is absolutely the bee’s knees for Kalamazoo College Assistant Professor of Biology Clara Stuligross. 

Stuligross is a bee ecologist who studies how the insects respond to environmental stressors such as climate change and pesticides. Her research combines field work, lab experiments and collaboration with students to understand how such pressures affect bees. 

“I love studying bees because they are charismatic, incredibly diverse in their biology, and also are essential for ecosystems because of their role as pollinators,” she said. 

So, when alumnus Nathan Rank ’83 brought her what he believed to be a recently deceased rusty-patched bumble bee, she was excited. The species hadn’t been officially documented in Michigan since 1999, when the insects were last found in Washtenaw County. Together, Stuligross and Rank—a professor of entomology and ecology at Sonoma State University in California—examined the specimen he found in a local driveway while visiting relatives. 

Rusty-patched bumble bees are identifiable through distinctive rusty-orange-colored patches on the abdomen of workers and males, which also have a black head and a mostly yellow thorax with a black band between their wings. Through high-resolution photography, Stuligross and Rank agreed on Rank’s original conclusion, confirming the species. 

“Finding a rusty-patched bumble bee in Kalamazoo is incredibly exciting because it was listed as a federally endangered species in 2017 and it hasn’t been documented in Michigan for over 25 years,” Stuligross said. “As someone invested in pollinator conservation, this finding is a hopeful sign that more may be out there, which would be exciting news for the future of the species.” 

Rusty-patched bumble bees are exceptional pollinators, especially for wildflowers and Michigan crops such as blueberries and cranberries. Pollinator insects in general are ecologically important because they move pollen from the male parts of plants and flowers to the female parts, allowing for seed production. Bumble bees of all types are especially important to agriculture because of their unique buzz pollination technique, which is required to pollinate certain plants such as tomatoes and cranberries. They are also more active in cold weather than other bee species, making them particularly valuable in Michigan for pollinating early spring plants. 

Ongoing surveys in the area now are looking for more rusty-patched bumble bees, but so far, only the one individual has been found. 

“The rusty-patched bumble bee used to be common in Michigan, but it has been lost from about 90% of its historic range,” Stuligross said. “That’s why this sighting is so exciting and a reminder that conservation efforts are so important to protect our biodiversity. We will keep looking in hopes of finding additional bees or even a colony, and we will be watching closely again next spring when new colonies appear. Community members can play a role by planting native flowers, reducing pesticide use and keeping an eye out for these bees in their gardens and on flowers in the area.” 

Community members can further help by spending time in nature to observe native bees while taking photos and uploading images to the iNaturalist app or Bumble Bee Watch website. Rusty-patched bumble bees typically are found in prairies, woodlands, marshes and agricultural areas. They feed on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, including asters, goldenrods and bee balms. 

“This discovery reinforces how important it is to learn about and conserve the biology in our own backyards,” Stuligross said. “The bee was found in someone’s driveway, and it was discovered because someone was curious and wanted to learn more. For students studying biology, it is essential to see concrete examples of conservation successes, like the finding of this endangered bee, as encouragement to continue the work that we do. It’s also a reminder that science is not something that happens far away. It’s something that happens right here in our own backyards and everyone can be a part of it. Finding this bee is also a reminder to students and the broader community that conservation work is essential. We are always working to conserve habitat and provide resources for wild pollinators to thrive.”