Rare Himalayan Bee Recorded In India For First Time

A rare solitary Himalayan bee, Colletes bhutanicus, has been recorded for the first time in India from Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), officials said.

The species was recorded during a recent survey in Tawang by ZSI scientists Dibyajyoti Ghosh, K A Subramanian and Dhriti Banerjee, they said. 

Earlier, C. bhutanicus had been recorded from Bhutan and China, including the Xizang region. Its documentation in Arunachal Pradesh adds to the understanding of



the distribution and diversity of Himalayan pollinators, they added.

According to researchers, the bee was found at elevations ranging from 1,500 metres to 3,800 metres and was observed visiting 25 species of flowering plants, including mustard, buckwheat, coriander, beans, chilli and eggplant. 

Unlike honeybees, Colletes bees are solitary and do not live in large colonies. Individual bees generally nest separately and play an important role in pollination by moving between flowers to collect pollen and nectar.