There are new species being discovered each year. New species being discovered gives testament to the great diversity of life on Earth. Now there is an addition to it, as ant-like bees have been discovered.
In some areas bees have been declining in population. While there is much concern for a decline in bee populations, there is also hope as a new species of bees has been found. The new species of bees look more like ants and can be found in the desert. Unlike other bees, the new species aren't pollinators. Even so, it still has a role in the ecosystem, as said by Entomologist Zach Portman from Utah State University.
The new bee species could be found in the American southwest, especially in Death Valley. Portman is studying this new bee species along with Terry Griswold of the USDA-ARS Pollinating Insects Research Unit of Utah State and John Neff from Central Texas Melittological Institute. The findings of the group have some surprises, which would include two male ant-like bees.
The ant-like bees likely spend more time in the next, as surmised by Portman. Some bees that Portman has found are tiny. The bees are active in the daytime, which might be a way to avoid from predators as they are small and hard to detect.
The tiny bees are important to an equally tiny plant called Crinklemats, according to Science Daily. These tiny plants have flowers that are small which only the bees could get into. The bees are important in pollinating the plant.
The bees have a special adaptation that looks like hair baskets, as UPI reports. These are hooked hairs that could let pollens stick to them while they are inside the flowers. Portman did say that they still don't know how the hair baskets actually work.
The bees are well adapted to life in deserts and other arid areas. He and his colleagues are still studying the bees and how they could adapt in such harsh environments. The ant-like bees that have been discovered are important to the ecosystem. While a new species is found, the ring-tailed lemur is in danger of extinction.
