Although its territory is usually more to the west, the rusty-patched bumble bee Bombus affinis had been found in both Cook and Lake counties, said Crystal Boyd, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologist.
That’s important because the humble little bumblebee is one of four Minnesota wildlife species the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will study to see whether they should be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The other species that will be studied are the Regal fritillary, a large orange and black butterfly that as a caterpillar eats only violets and the northern bog lemming, found in sphagnum bogs, wet subalpine meadows and mossy forests. Its range in Minnesota includes most of Itasca County.
Another species to be studied is the wood turtle, which inhabits streams, woodland bogs and marshy pastures and is found in St. Louis County. Due to pollution and predators, the wood turtle was designated at a threatened species in Minnesota in 1984.
Once the Fish and Wildlife Service completes its assessments, it will determine whether to propose any of these species as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 provides protections for ecosystems upon which threatened and endangered species of fish, wildlife, and plants depend.
The notice of the initiation status of reviews appears in the September 18, 2015, Federal Register. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking input as it conducts in-depth studies of these species through November 17, 2015.
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