A hierarchical approach for finding undiscovered populations of an endangered bumble bee
Otto, Clint; Schrage, Alma; Lothspeich, Audrey Claire; Bailey, Larissa L.; Smith, Tamara; Planman, Robert; Cardin, Judy; Ellis, Kristen; Dennis, Bethany; Grundel, Ralph
Understanding the distributions of rare species is necessary to guide monitoring and inform species recovery efforts. The rusty patched bumble bee (RPBB; Bombus affinis, Cresson) is an endangered species with an extant, known distribution centered around urban areas of the Midwestern United States. We tested a novel approach for finding undocumented RPBBs outside of urban centers and estimated the species occurrence at two scales that are relevant to management. We confirmed presence of RPBBs at