A small selection of species that have been newly recorded from Minnesota

The Bees of Minnesota Project

There are nearly 500 bee species recorded from Minnesota. We have a higher number of species that many eastern states because we exist at the confluence of multiple ecoregions. As a result, our bee fauna is made up primarily of eastern bees, but we also see many species that are principally western, northern, and southern. 

I am currently leading the bees of Minnesota project, which consists of many partners from the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and multiple bee taxonomists. Our goal is to publish the definitive list of the species that occur in Minnesota.