Posted by Max Naylor on Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The recently-discovered Bombus hypnorum, or new bumblebee, has decided to settle in Iceland. There have been multiple sightings of what Icelanders call the rauðhumla (rauð = red + humla = bumblebee) since 2008. What makes this significant, however, is that this is the first sighting of a queen bee of the species. The sighting was made in Hveragerði, a town between Selfoss and Reykjavík, earlier this month.
The Icelandic Institute of Natural History speculates that the bee has chosen to make its home in Iceland due to recent global warming, providing a perfect habitat for the buzzing insect. The new bumblebee is amongst many new insect species that have settled in Iceland in recent years. This species was first observed in Keflavík in 2008; at the time it was thought the insect had come to Iceland through some cargo aboard a ship. A year later, another one of the bees was found in the Vesturbær neighbourhood in Reykjavík.
The Institute is encouraging those who see the bee to notify them about it. The bee enjoys proximity to humans and its usual habitat is houses and their walls. The species has spread out across mainland Europe with the expansion of cities and their green spaces, and stands out against those bee species already endemic to Iceland with its bright red colour.
Labels: Environment, Nature
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