Osmia illinoensis, m, right, Rockingham Co, VA
Osmia illinoensis, m, right, Rockingham Co, VA
Range Jumper. This range jumper jumped from Illinois to Virginia. There are no records in between. How odd....this is a rare bee in its limited range in the Midwest and to find it all the way in the Mountains of Virginia seems near fantastical, but there it is and more than one specimen too. Also interesting to note that all the other Osmia in the East range from Black to dark metallic blue...nothing like this green bling, so its not like it was overlooked by past bee workers.
The identification was confirmed by Molly Rightmyer. Good work Virginia Heritage People (Ellison Orcutt) who found this rare bee (as well as others) by starting to do surveys in the corners of the state. Photo by Brooke Goggins.
We Are Made One with What We Touch and See
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
- Oscar Wilde. Original public domain image from Flickr