Texas 'Bee Guru' visits SHSU

Bees are one of the most well-known groups of pollinators. While most people are aware of honeybees, less well-known are the other 1000 or so species of bees in Texas. These native bees collect a diverse array of substances and have wildly diverse habits. Many are facing declining numbers. A few are thought to be in danger of going extinct.

You might think that the bees of Texas would be all known and well-studied, but in reality, we do not know all the species of Texas and it is possible that some may vanish before we ever had the opportunity to study them fully.

This job is being done as quickly as possible by a handful of bee scientists. Foremost among these in Texas is Jack Neff, of the Austin, Texas Central Texas Melittological Institute. Neff is often referred to as “Texas’ Bee Guru”.

Providing insight into his research, Neff will visit the Sam Houston State Natural History Collections  to study SHSU’s insect collection and work with SHSU entomologists.

He will also lead a public discussion about bee diversity, biology, conservation problems, the state of our knowledge and the gaps in that knowledge.

Neff’s discussion will start at 6:30 pm. The public is welcome to attend and bring bee specimens or photographs for identification and questions. The university collections will be available for viewing.

For further information please contact Dr.William Godwin at 936-556-2289