Trinity

What do flies have in common with us? For one thing, an innate immune system mechanism to detect and fight off invaders that threaten our health. Four scientists, including two Nobel Laureates, will discuss host defense at a UC Davis symposium on Wednesday, Jan. 25 in the UC Davis Conference Center.

It's good to see University of California scientists pursuing rare bumble bees.

It's good to see so many people looking for the critically imperiled Franklin's bumble bee, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may soon list as endangered and provide protective status.

Native pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp, emeritus professor of entomology at the University of California, Davis, is on a mission. He and fellow members of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation are trying to save Franklin's bumble bee from extinction.

Some species of bumble bees are disappearing at an alarming rate. And that, in itself, is alarming. A three-year study published Jan.

If Franklin's bumble bee were a human, you might think it part of the Federal Witness Protection Program. That's because it's rarely seen. Its narrow distribution range covers parts of southern Oregon (Jackson, Douglas and Josephine counties) and northern California (Siskiyou and Trinity counties).

Let's have a show of hands. How many of you have seen Franklin's bumble bee in the wild? Never HEARD of it, you say? Well, you probably will never SEE it, either. Bumble bee experts think it may be extinct.