Tochigi, May 11 (News On Japan) –
A doubtlessly new bee species has been recognized by workers on the Tochigi Prefectural Museum, sparking a name for extra specimens on social media after initially amassing solely six.
Takashi Kurihara, lead researcher on the Tochigi Prefectural Museum, expressed remorse over not amassing extra samples. “Everyone was surprised, it felt unreal. We thought collecting about six would suffice, but had we known it was a new species, we would have definitely collected more,” he mentioned.
The bee, recognized in 2021, is a sort of stingless bee that doesn’t hurt people. Typically noticed within the autumn, its discovery in spring prompted additional investigations, which led to its classification as a brand new species.
Understanding the biology of bugs can contribute to developments similar to new medicines. However, with solely six specimens collected, the museum turned to social media to solicit additional data.
According to the museum, quite a few invaluable contributions, together with photos of the bee, have already been acquired.
Due to the restricted variety of specimens, they should be fastidiously preserved, and they are going to be on show solely till June 30.
This July, the bee is ready to be formally named “Shimotsukehiraashikibachi.”
Source: ANN