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Outdoor Radio: Little Bee On A White Flower

Vermont Public | By Chris Albertine
Published August 28, 2020 at 8:00 AM EDT
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
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Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
Kent McFarland
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
2 of 7
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
Kent McFarland
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
3 of 7
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
Kent McFarland
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
4 of 7
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
Kent McFarland
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
5 of 7
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
Kent McFarland
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
6 of 7
Andrena parnassiae is a rare species of bee that only feeds on one plant, fen grass-of-Parnassus.
Kent McFarland
Sara Zahendra and Spencer Hardy are examining the flowers looking for the rare species of bee, andrena parnassiae.
7 of 7
Sara Zahendra and Spencer Hardy are examining the flowers looking for the rare species of bee, andrena parnassiae.
Kent McFarland

Fen grass-of-Parnassus has a beautiful white flower that blooms from mid-August to mid-September in Vermont. It is the sole food source for a rare species of bee, which are only referred to by their Latin name, andrena parnassiae.

In this episode of Outdoor Radio, hosts Kent McFarland and Sara Zahendra are next to a pond in Strafford, Vermont looking for this rare species of bee with Spencer Hardy, a biologist at the Vermont Center For Ecostudies. Discover that bees have tongues and pouches to harvest and carry pollen. Learn that not all species of bees are social. Andrena parnessiae don't have queens or drones or hives, when you see one in a white flower it is probably a female harvesting for her young.

Check out these links to learn more:

Outdoor Radio is produced in collaboration with the Vermont Center For Ecostudies.
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Chris Albertine
Chris was Vermont Public Radio Audio Engineer for more than 20 years. In addition to his work for VPR, he has supervised the sound for television documentaries for the Discovery Channel, Turner Broadcast, and the Arts and Entertainment Network. Chris retired in December, 2020.
See stories by Chris Albertine
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