Rare bee back in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, 2012 is the Year of the Bee.

Translated from Vroege Vogels radio in the Netherlands:

January 1, 2012 10:00

The Year of the Bee started just a few hours ago, and there’s already news. In Gelderse Poort nature reserve near Lobith recently the Anthophora aestivalis bee was seen. A species which since 1946 had been no longer seen in the Netherlands. The discoverer was bee expert Jan Smit.

Anthophora bees look a little like bumble bees: a thick coat and a long tongue. They got their Dutch name sachembijen, sachem bees, from the hair on the middle legs. According to the founder of the Dutch conservation movement, Jac. P. Thysse, these long hairs, or tufts, look like the fringes on the pants of an Indian chief.

Other Anthophora bees found in the Netherlands are Anthophora plumipes and Anthophora retusa.

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