Logan Beekeeper's Solitary Bee Photo Enters WWF Contest

A Daisy Hill beekeeper, Alison Shepherd of Norma May Honey, has submitted her photo of an Amegilla solitary bee to the World Wide Fund for Nature photography competition. The photo, titled "pollinators power the planet," aims to raise awareness about native pollinators.

Shepherd, also a bee educator with The Girls in Pink, expressed pride in her photo, emphasizing its authenticity amid the rise of AI-generated images. She hopes to highlight not only European honey bees but also native ground-nesting solitary bees.

Solitary bees constitute an estimated 90%-95% of the world's bee species. Female Amegilla bees dig burrows with their mandibles, while males sleep by clamping onto plant stems with their jaws, legs hovering.