Maine Bumble Bee Atlas

Bumble bees are among Maine's most important pollinators of both wild and cultivated flowering plants. Their early emergence and "buzz pollination" method are especially beneficial to many spring wildflowers and valuable Maine crops, including apples, blueberries, cranberries, and tomatoes. Unfortunately, some species of bumble bees have declined throughout their ranges over the past several decades, and several have all but disappeared. Habitat loss, pesticides, diseases and parasites associated with commercially raised bumble bees, and intensive agricultural practices likely all play a role in bumble bee declines worldwide.

To better understand the diversity, distribution, and conservation status of Maine's native bumble bees, MDIFW initiated the Maine Bumble Bee Atlas project in 2015. The five-year statewide survey was coordinated by the Department in partnership with the University of Maine and relied on volunteers from across the state to collect information about which species were present, where they occurred, the habitats they used, and their relative abundance.

More than 230 participants were trained in a standardized survey protocol and contributed thousands of new bumble bee records from across Maine. The information collected through the project significantly expanded our understanding of the state's bumble bee populations and will help guide future research, monitoring, and conservation efforts.

Several species historically documented in Maine were not observed during the survey. These included species that have also declined in other parts of their ranges and may no longer occur in the state. One of these species, the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, has declined substantially throughout its North American range and became the first bumble bee protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2017.

The Maine Bumble Bee Atlas demonstrated the important role that trained community scientists can play in documenting Maine's wildlife and building the information needed to support its conservation.

This work was supported by the federal State Wildlife Grants program, in-kind contributions from the University of Maine at Orono and Farmington, the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, state revenues from the Loon Conservation Plate and Chickadee Check-off Funds, and the assistance of volunteer community scientists.