5/7/21 - Violets

Chances are there are Violets blooming within 1000’ feet of where you are at the moment. They are nearly ubiquitous in gardens, lawns, and forests - we have 32 species according to the Vermont Atlas of Life. But what about the Violet Miner (Andrena violae)? At the moment, we know very little about its distribution and status in Vermont. The only two confirmed VT records are from the spring of 2020 in Windsor County. Both were from passive traps, so we don’t know what flowers they were visiting. Based on records from elsewhere in the country, Violet Miners seem to primarily occur south of VT and on the blue or purple violet species. Luckily this species can be identified from clear photos, so next time the sun shines, step outside and see if you can find one!

Explore VT Violet records: here.https://bie.vtatlasoflife.org/species/2874237#classification

Learn more about Violet Miners: https://val.vtecostudies.org/projects/vtbees/andrena-violae/

Posted on 07 de maio de 2021, 01:12 AM by beeboy