Great Bee Mystery: Rare San Clemente Digger Bee Spotted In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA — After a few years of no sightings, a rare bee was recently spotted in San Diego.

A San Clemente Digger Bee was spotted July 29 foraging on California Aster on Cabrillo National Monument's Bayside Trail, the National Park Service announced. Another bee was photographed two days later on the same trail visiting California Buckwheat.

A population of Anthophora urbana clementina, also known as San Clemente Digger Bee, was first discovered at Cabrillo National Monument in September 2020. The species was previously known to only be on San Clemente Island.

Community scientists and researchers began gathering data about the island bee to confirm their presence on the mainland, and a scientific note was later published in the journal Apidologie.

The species wasn't seen again on the mainland until July.

"The great mystery as to why and how the San Clemente Digger Bee made its way to Cabrillo National Monument has yet to be solved," a statement from the National Park Service said. "However, its presence prompted an uptick in observations and recorded data of other bees by researchers and community scientists, expanding our knowledge of local species."

Since the beginning of the surveys in March 2021, nearly 3,200 observations of native bees were made on iNaturalist.org and more than 60 species of bees were confirmed.

The National Park Service encourages visitors to help them unravel this and many other wildlife mysteries, by dropping by for a visit and recording nature observations with community science apps like iNaturalist.