Happy New Year
Hello everyone. We were very happy with the interest in bumble bees last year, and hope to get even more involvement this summer. Charlie and I are trying to start a South Dakota Bumble Bee atlas with the help of several professional biologists, and if we are successful, we will need help from as many volunteers as possible. We will need people willing and able to learn survey protocols help to document the presence of all bumble bee species they encounter on surveys. Even if we are not successful in securing funding, we hope to run a more formal bumble bee survey summer, and hope to have time for some centralized coordination. In the meantime, please post any photos from bumble bees you took last summer. The best photos include a shot of the backside of the full thorax and abdomen (underwing if possible), a clear view from the side, and if possible, a close up of the face. This includes 2-3 photos.
If possible, please note the plant species the bee was photographed on, or observed feeding from.
Please feel free to message either of us with questions.
Hope your 2021 is far better than your 2020
Dan
