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Finding them in the Ocala National Forest First described in 2011, the blue calamintha bee, Osmia calaminthae, was known from only four locations on Lake Wales Ridge until museum researcher Chase Kimmel documented new populations in 2020. Over the past two field seasons, Kimmel and field technician Clint Gibson have observed the bee at 11 new locations, including the Ocala National Forest, giving scientists valuable insight into the species’ potential range.  The bee’s primary home, Lake Wales Ridge, is a 150-mile-long sandy spine running down the center of the state, the remnant of ancient islands in Florida’s distant past. The region harbors plant and animal species found nowhere else, but ranks among the nation’s fastest-disappearing ecosystems, with pockets of natural habitat surrounded by citrus groves and suburban neighborhoods. 

United statesFlorida museum of natural historyPolk countyOcala national forestNatalie van hooseSebring sunWales ridgeClint gibsonJaret danielsFlorida biodiversity foundationWildlife service state grantGreen horizon landConsumer servicesFlorida museumFlorida forest serviceNatural resources division