Rusty Patch Bumblebee

I was unaware of this until today but there is an endangered species of bumblebee in the United States and Canada. It's the Rusty Patch Bumblebee or Bombus Affinis.

She's not very big but she's an important pollinator. Which is why it's a big deal that numbers have dropped almost 90% since 1990. And that's why, since February 2017, Rusty Patch Bumblebees have been an endangered species in the U.S.

Live in this area? Great! You can help by growing plants that bloom early in the spring or by leaving grassy areas unmowed so their colonies can grow.
If you want to know more, you can look at the Fish & Wildlife Service's webpage:
www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/rpbb/factsheetrpbb.html
You can even take a picture and report a sighting:
www.bumblebeewatch.org