Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a law designating the black and gold bumblebee as the official Illinois State Bee. The designation was the result of a year-long campaign by students at Lincoln Junior High School in Naperville.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed a law designating the black and gold bumblebee as the official Illinois State Bee. The new state bee plays a crucial role in pollinating the state's prairies, supporting agriculture, and sustaining life on Earth.
The designation was the result of a year-long campaign by students at Lincoln Junior High School in Naperville. The students, led by Ms. Barbara Bell's eighth-grade science class, conducted research on bee species native to Illinois and created presentations to raise awareness about the importance of the black and gold bumblebee. They also launched a statewide vote and testified before lawmakers, ultimately leading to the passage of HB 4438.
The black and gold bumblebee is one of the largest bumblebee species, with workers measuring up to half an inch and queens measuring up to an inch. It can be found in the eastern half of the United States, including Illinois, and is known to feed on a variety of flowers, including thistles, clover, and coneflowers. Only the queen black and gold bumblebees survive winter to form a colony, and they are responsible for constructing a nest from plant materials.
The black and gold bumblebee is one of numerous bumblebee species native to Illinois, but one species, the rusty-patched bumblebee, is endangered on both state and federal levels. The designation of the black and gold bumblebee as the official Illinois State Bee serves as a reminder of the importance of pollinators in maintaining the state's natural ecosystem and supporting its agriculture
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