Furnace Run MetroPark was one of my favorite research sites during a study of Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) pollination in 1999-2000. We didn’t know it at the time, but those research trips included some of the last recorded sightings of the Rusty-Patched Bumble bee for the entire state of Ohio. This bee was once one of our most common bumble bees, and frequently found in both wild areas and backyards. But since about 2000, it has been seen only a handful of times. The most recent sighting was at the Toledo Zoo in 2013. The decline for Bombus affinis is not limited to Ohio – because of an abrupt shrinkage in population sizes and range, in 2017 it became the first bumble bee on the US Endangered Species list. No one knows the reasons for this decline, although habitat loss, pesticides, and disease are likely to play a role. But for now, we in Ohio are left with the question of whether there are any existing populations anywhere in the state.
Fortunately, the Ohio Department of Transportation is also interested in this question, and provided funding to me and Dr. Karen Goodell (OSU-Newark) to do a two-year statewide hunt (2017-18) to find any surviving populations, and then determine what habitats are most suitable for the Rusty Patched Bumble bee. Along with a dedicated postdoc (Dr. Jessie Lanternman) and MS Student (Paige Reeher), and many student assistants, we hunted for bumble bees throughout the state last summer. Although we visited >200 sites and identified over 25,000 bees on the wing, we saw not a single Bombus affinis.
Although we still hold out some faint hope to find our endangered Rusty Patch, at this point we are focused on documenting the distribution and abundance of all the bumble bee species in Ohio. They can be identified on the wing just like birds and butterflies, mostly based on their distinctive color patterns and body proportions. Several excellent online guides are available:
There are about 5 common bumble bee species in Ohio, and another dozen or so that you might possibly run into. Below are some cartoons of the Rusty-Patched Bumble bee and some of our common species. That orange patch on the abdomen, surrounded on all sides by yellow is the best way to confirm B. affinis. Note that B. griseocollis also has an orange patch, but it is not completely surrounded by yellow fur. If you see a possible B. affinis, please contact me at rjm2@uakron.edu.
To help us track bumble bee sightings in Ohio, as well as document bee biodiversity throughout the state, we have also established an iNaturalist.com project called “The Ohio Bee Atlas”. Anyone can submit photos of Ohio bees to that website once registered. iNaturalist is free and easy to use. Once you post a photo there, I and other bee aficionados will identify your finding. Last year we added over 2500 bees to this new project, and documented several uncommon species.
The most helpful images of bees will be well-focused close-ups, and will also include several photos of the same individual bee - top (showing wing venation and abdomen details) face, and side. Nevertheless, we have successfully identified bees to species even with mediocre snapshots. So please take some bee photos and share them with us through The Ohio Bee Atlas . You might just help us rediscover an old fuzzy friend.
Randy Mitchell
Professor of Biology
University of Akron
