Franklin’s bumble bee remains elusive

Franklin's bumble bee (Bombus franklinii) is a rare and highly endangered bee that has not been seen since 2006, but people have been looking for it every year. So it was when employees of the Fish and Wildlife Service, USFS, BLM and some Oregon Bee Atlas members gathered on Mount Ashland to conduct the annual Franklin's bumble bee survey.

No one found Franklin's during the survey, but two western bumble bees (Bombus occidentalis) were found by Jess Tyler — an Oregon Bee Atlas member. The western bumble bee has become increasingly rare in western Oregon, so it was reassuring to find it on Mount Ashland. The USFWS is considering listing both Franklin's and the western bumble bee as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.