The rusty-patched bumble bee (<i>Bombus affinis</i>; ‘RPBB’) was a common and widespread species in eastern North America before an abrupt loss of more than 90% of its range in the late 1990s, leading to recent endangered species designation by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Remaining populations are restricted to agricultural landscapes of the Midwestern US, where ongoing threats of habitat loss may be compounded by a dearth of conserved lands managed to meet RPBB habitat needs. Other at-risk animal species such as the monarch butterfly (<i>Danaus plexippus</i>) occupy the same flower-rich habitats favored by this bee, suggesting that stewardship projects in these areas could meet multiple overlapping conservation goals simultaneously. In pilot work in eastern Iowa, we addressed this need using a combination of species distribution modeling, native seed mix development, field inventory, and engagement with private landowners. We assembled a database of ~10,000 RPBB occurrence records from museum holdings and citizen science inventories, using it to construct species distribution models, characterize seasonal patterns of bee activity, and identify plant species that serve as nectar and pollen resources. We then obtained occurrence records for RPBB host plants and analyzed their flower phenology in the study region. In partnership with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium we designed native seed mixes to meet the nectar, pollen, and larval host plant needs of RPBB and monarch butterflies, and are working with landowners and other stakeholders to restore flowering habitat in the vicinity of USFWS RPBB Priority Zones. We plan to measure the value of these plantings to the target species as well as other pollinators in field surveys. Our work serves as a model for science-based endangered species stewardship integrating efforts across private, industry, and government stakeholders that could be applied in a variety of addition contexts.

Rusty-patched bumble bee habitat restoration in Northeast Iowa: Meeting multiple conservation objectives in a working landscape

256th National Meeting (2018)

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