Six New Mojave Poppy Bee Populations Found, Prompting No Endangered Listing
Surveys in the eastern Mojave Desert uncovered six previously unknown groups of the specialist Mojave poppy bee, leading the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide the insect does not meet criteria for Endangered Species Act protection.
Researchers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and other collaborators surveyed historic sites across the eastern Mojave Desert in 2023 and 2024, locating six previously undocumented populations of the specialist Mojave poppy bee (Perdita meconis). The bee, which relies on a narrow suite of poppy species growing on gypsum-rich soils, is extremely small—males measure only 5 to 7 mm—and lives only a few weeks as an adult.
While the new populations broaden the known range of the insect, scientists also recorded the disappearance of a Utah group, echoing earlier observations of fluctuating numbers. Genetic work completed in 2024 produced a near-chromosome-level reference genome to aid future studies of drought resilience and host-plant interactions. After reviewing the expanded distribution data and other threat assessments, the Fish and Wildlife Service determined the species does not currently satisfy the federal definitions of threatened or endangered, but it will continue to monitor and protect unlisted at-risk species.
Why it matters
The findings show the Mojave poppy bee is more widespread than thought, influencing conservation priorities and preventing unnecessary federal listing.
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