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Commentary: With all due respect, Illinois’ most valuable insect isn’t the monarch

Mason says there’s another insect far more valuable to the economy and ecology of Illinois: the rusty patched bumble bee. (Mara Koenig:USFWS photo)

Unlike honey bees, which were introduced from Europe, the rusty patched bumble bee is a native species. For thousands of years, it pollinated Illinois prairies, oak savannas, woodlands, and wetlands, helping countless native wildflowers reproduce.

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