Native Australian bee rediscovered in Christchurch
Photo: Supplied / Bioeconomy Science Institute / Wara Bullôt
We are excited to the share the news that a native Australian bee, leioproctus launcestonensis, has been rediscovered in Christchurch gardens after 65 years. The bee was found during a pollinator survey carried out by the University of Canterbury PHD candidate, Ava Johnson, during the summer of 2024/5 in four community gardens across Christchurch. After being collected from traps and sent off to the lab for DNA analysis, the bee was confirmed to be the leioproctus launcestonensis that belongs to the same genus as most of Aoetearoa’s native bees. The bee was found in Christchurch South, Dovetail and Lyttleton Community Gardens and at Smith Street Urban Farm and is considered a “really important crop pollinator”.
Read more here
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/environment/596397/bee-species-found-in-christchurch-after-65-years
Listen to an interview with Ava Johnson discussing her research here
