Shutterbee Symposium, Season Recap, Autumnal Bee Habitats
Shutterbee Symposium is November 11th!
You are cordially invited to our 2nd Shutterbee Symposium at Webster University on November 11th @ 10am-12pm! Last year’s talks were amazing, so we had to do it again :). If you come, you’ll have the chance to chat with other participants and hear some great talks from your fellow participants and our amazing undergraduate researchers. So far, we have topics ranging from rainscaping grants to tarantulas and bees on drugs.
If you are interested in attending, please fill out this form by November 3rd so we can make sure we have enough coffee and bagels for everyone.
Additionally, we have slots for a few more speakers. If you are interested in giving a five minute talk, please fill out this form by October 20th.
We look forward to seeing you all there!
Season Recap
Data collection for the season of Shutterbee is over, and we are in the process of cleaning it so we can use it for analyses. (If you still have data to upload to iNaturalist, it’s not too late to upload it!)
You all sure put in a lot of work!
- In all, there were 11,365 photos submitted to the project (most of which were taken during Shutterbee surveys).
- These photos were taken by 136 participants
- The most common species were Bombus griseocollis (n=1470), Bombus impatiens (n= 1117), Lasioglossum (n=991), Halictus ligatus (n=954), Ceratina (n=857) and Xylocopa virginica (n=805).
- Every year, there’s always a few bees that are more common that previous years. For example, in 2021 there were quite a few sightings of Bombus fraternus. This year, there were some bees seen that, although not necessarily rare, are more commonly found in larger patches of habitat such as natural areas or the large patches of prairie in Forest Park. These neat sightings include:
- Holocopasites calliopsidis in South City
- Dieunomia heteropoda in South City
- Nomia nortoni in University City
- Colletes aestivalis in University City
- Andrena cerebrata in Glendale
Thank you all for continuing to contribute to the project!
Autumnal Bee Habitats
Autumn is officially here! As temperatures cool, leaves begin to fall, and forbs start to dry out, a common instinct is to start clearing away the leaf litter and old stems from our gardens. What some might not know, however, is that many species of native bees rely on this dead plant matter for habitat.
Fallen leaves play a crucial role in providing shelter for many insects during the colder months. Roughly seventy percent of bee species, such as mason bees and sweat bees, nest underground, and leaf litter serves as an insulating layer that shields their nests from extreme temperature fluctuations and helps maintain a stable microclimate. This helps protect the bee larvae and pupae as they overwinter.
Additionally, the dried-out or dead flowers in your yard – especially those with hollow or pithy stems – offer cavity-nesting bees an ideal refuge. Solitary species, like certain leafcutter or small carpenter bees, seek out these plants to burrow and lay their eggs in.
Many spring nesting bees use stems after they “cure” over the winter. For those stems to yield more bees, they have to remain intact until the following spring.
Overall, naturalizing your yard and garden will help support many of our pollinator neighbors during the colder months. So, next time you reach for your rake, consider leaving some leaf litter and dry stems behind. More bees will have safe habitats and you’ll have a bit less yard work to do. A win-win for all!
SHUTTERBEE 