The Lost Chestnut Bee. Â Have you seen this bee lately (that bee would be Andrena rehni)? Â No you have not unless you have been looking on blooming Chestnut or the blooms of Chestnut's mysterious sister, Â Chinquapin. As far as we can tell no one has seen this species for decades. Why? Â It seems that this is likely due to the fact that this bee is a chestnut specialist and since the American Chestnuts disappeared in the 20's and no one looks at the obscure Chinquapin, then, of course, there will be no records. Â Many do not realize that the chestnut was a pollinator powerhouse back before they all died. Â Providing tons of pollen in a forested environment in late spring/early summer when nothing else was blooming in the woods. Â There is so much about this tree that is special and stands out and now it appears we have one special thing to add to that special list. Â This specimen was found by Morgan Lowry on one of the state of Connecticut's chestnut groves. Â You can also make a contribution by looking for this species on American Chestnuts and Chinquapins. Â Photo by Cole Cheng. Â














