Ecology and Vulnerability

Rusty-patched Bumble Bee

Limited research was found to determine the response to climate change for the Northeast bees of greatest conservation need. However, research on more common species responses to climate change has been increasing in focus over the last decade. The majority of current research focuses on species within the Bombus genus, with research lacking for other genera (Buckner and Danforth 2022). General research on Bombus spp. iIndicates that bees are particularly vulnerable to increased temperatures causing range shifts north in latitude and to higher elevation (Dibble et al., 2017, Feuerborn et al., 2023). Along with range shifts, studies have shown the effects of increased temperature and precipitation patterns on foraging behavior and activity which could have an impact on reproduction, dispersal, and survival (Drummond et al., 2017). Collecting species-specific data across an entire range is difficult for many reasons including time and cost constraints and in response researchers have been increasing the use of publicly available occurrence data to help answer questions. Buckner and Danforth (2022) used publicly available occurrence data to look at the response of Macropis nuda, an oil-collecting bee, and its host plant, Lysimachia ciliata, to four climate change scenarios. They found a shift in the species range to refugial habitat along with their host plant. M. nuda is closely related to two species on the RSGCN list above, this information could help inform researchers on potential future research for other Macropis species but does not provide us with the information needed for informed decision making.