Crop-pollination
Guides
Anthophora villosula
Asian Shaggy Digger Bee
Anthophora villosula is a solitary digger bee native to Asia that was introduced to North America in 1988. The species has established populations in Maryland and is undergoing ongoing distribution expansion across the United States. As an exotic bee introduced for crop pollination, it has received limited research attention despite its potential ecological impacts on native bee and floral communities.
Bombus huntii
Hunt's Bumble Bee, Hunt Bumblebee
Bombus huntii is a native western North American bumble bee with a broad range spanning western Canada to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The species occupies diverse habitats from desert scrub to high-elevation pine ecosystems and has been documented foraging on at least eight plant genera. While populations have declined, it remains among the more common bumble bees in western North America. Its genome was sequenced as part of the Beenome100 project.