Animals - Blue-black wood bee is "Wild bee of the year"
The blue-black wood bee is Wild Bee of the Year 2024, according to the nature conservation organization Nabu. The gentle giant inspires respect due to its size and loud buzzing. Yet the Xylocopa violacea is harmless. Blue-black wood bees are among the largest wild bees in Germany, with shiny bluish wings and a black hairy body. The responsible board of trustees has been selecting the "Wild Bee of the Year" since 2013
Three species of wood bee (Xylocopa) have been found in Germany so far, of which the blue-black wood bee is the most common and most widespread. The females are between two and three centimeters in size. Its relative, the small wood bee (Xylocopa iris), is significantly smaller at 14 to 16 millimetres. It occurs sporadically in Alsace and Baden on the southern Upper Rhine. The third in the group is the southern wood bee (Xylocopa valga). It has only been recorded in Germany since 2009 and has been spreading northwards ever since.
The now chosen wild bee of the year is widespread in Baden-Württemberg, with a clear focus on the river lowlands. The blue-black wood bee is now found throughout Germany, as the warmth-loving species has expanded its range from the southwest to the northern federal states and even as far as Denmark in recent years as a result of global warming. Orchard meadows are among its favorite biotopes. It can also be found regularly in villages and towns, for example on green facades with honeysuckle or blue vine or on beds with muscatel sage or large-flowered sweet peas.
According to the "Wild Bee of the Year" board of trustees, the "Annual Bee" is intended to provide an insight into the exciting world of these important pollinators.
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The nature conservation organization Nabu, based in Germany, announced that Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, is one of the areas where the blue-black wood bee, the Wild Bee of the Year 2024, can be frequently found. This nature conservation organization has been awarding the title "Wild Bee of the Year" since 2013, recognizing the importance of these pollinators for science and nature conservation in Germany. The blue-black wood bee is not only prevalent in Baden-Württemberg but has expanded its range due to global warming, now present in various parts of Germany and even Denmark.
Source: www.stern.de
