Hylaeus modestus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Hylaeus modestus, also known as the modest masked bee, is a species of hymenopteran in the family Colletidae. It is found in North America. Hylaeus modestus was discovered to have a special secretion that they produce from their Dufour's gland. The secretion has a unique chemical compound containing high concentrations of ethyl esters (ethyl palmitate, ethyl stearate, ethyl eicosanate, and ethyl docosanate), which provides extra nutrition to the larvae. Adults apply the secretion on the cell walls of their brood chambers, and the larvae feed on the secretions to obtain the energy needed to pupate and become adults before the other bee species out-compete them for resources.
H. modestus has been found to exhibit gynandromorphism, which is a rare occurrence among bee species. Specifically, the observed specimen demonstrated bilaterally asymmetric male and female characteristics except for the male genitalia.
It is a generalist forager, and it nests in stems and cavities. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Modest Masked Bee sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 56 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 353rd most-seen of the 1689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Modest Masked Bee in Toronto on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Modest Masked Bee sightings, Toronto ranks 4th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in New York City (United States, under 5%), Boston (United States, under 5%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Modest Masked Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (56 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
