Nov 15th updates

Need even more bee info in you life? Check out this online bee exhibit which goes over a lot of information on bees across the world! https://www.museumoftheearth.org/bees/

Specimen Progress:

We only sorted through one kit last week, both because we only had 2 days in the lab and because this kit had a lot of sample dates and specimens. This was collected by C. Diltz in Allen Co. With the 5 kits so far, we are up to over 2,500 bees pinned.

Example sorted sample from this kit. Lots of bigger bees in this kit (predominantly Melissodes bimaculatus). Location hidden since I believe this is private property.

This seemed to be the most abundant sample week (99 bees!) in this kit. Still nowhere close to the 450 bees from the other kit, but 99 bees is more than enough to start figuring out the species present.

This kit had an unusually high number of butterflies and skippers each week. I’m not sure why there were so many in this kit compared to other kits. Location hidden since I think this is a private property.

As for notable bycatch, there were several colorful/weird leafhoppers, a striped tortoise beetle, and a spider with some very rotund palps. Lots of other cool things, but we didn’t have a lot of time this week to take photographs.

Covid Updates and Impacts on Progress:

Unfortunately, the transmission rate for covid is getting too high for comfort across Ohio. We hit 7,000 new cases a day in Ohio on Thursday, 8,000 new cases on Friday, and 7,500+ both Saturday and Sunday. That is compared to our average of 1,000 new cases a day over the summer. I do not want any of us to be one of those numbers. I know a few of you have already had it or know someone who has suffered immensely because of it.

We have plans to reduce capacity in the lab to a maximum 2 people (instead of 3, counting me), so people will mostly be pinning alone with me stopping in the room periodically to check up. We got permission to use the classrooms down the hallway, which have been unused most of the semester, so it is easier for us to spread out. Masks are also to be worn the entire time, even when alone. I have not added any additional sign up slots for now so we can see how this week progresses and already asked those who signed up to reconsider pinning for a bit.

There is some hope for a vaccine soon, with a few studies providing positive results. So hopefully we will be able to get a vaccine in a few months. Once people are getting vaccinated, I will feel better with having people in to pin, but for now, hold tight.

Stay safe,
– MaLisa