Ultra Rare "Blue Bee" Found in Florida, After Researchers Thought It Might Be Extinct

Beautiful, metallic-blue bee is one of many amazing native bee species that could be lost forever if action is not taken to preserve their habitat. Like Hamlet, the Calamintha Bee might have wondered whether or not it will survive or die from extinction. It's a fact these rare bees have to endure the metaphorical "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" from the insidious effects of habitat loss and lethal pesticides.

Before the discovery, the blue bees were only found in four locations along the southern portion of the Lake Wales Ridge. This spring, Kimmel was able to record the blue bee in seven new areas they were never spotted in before, proving their known range is larger than scientists thought. "It is still very rare and can take many hours and days to find it which reinforces how rare it can be. Its presence is highly associated with Ashe's calamint, so the bee may influence how well the plant is pollinated which can affect the plant's survivorship," Kimmel told CNN. "It is very important to continue investigating the relationship between the bee and the plant host or hosts and its influence on the environment itself." Kimmel and Daniels also discovered another plant the bee visits when it cannot find Ashe's calamint. However, the threatened plant species isn't the only risk to the bee's survival.