Zoological survey team records 1st India sighting of Colletes bhutanicus
A team from the Zoological Survey of India just found a rare bee species, Colletes bhutanicus, in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district, marking its first-ever sighting in India.
Until now, this solitary bee was only known from Bhutan and China.
The discovery adds to the understanding of Himalayan pollinators and highlights the rich, but still poorly documented, bee diversity of the eastern Himalayas.
Colletes bhutanicus nests alone, pollinates crops
C. bhutanicus lives high up in the mountains (1,500 to 3,800 meters) and visits 25 different flowering plants, including crops like mustard and buckwheat.
Unlike honeybees, it nests alone but still plays a big role in pollinating both wild plants and local farms.
Officials say this find highlights Arunachal Pradesh's rich biodiversity and shows there's still so much left to discover in these regions.