KITAKYUSHU -- A rare species of blue bees said to bring happiness have been spotted in a park in this southwest Japan city.

       Blue bees are seen buzzing above a flower at Fukuoka Prefectural Central Park in the city of Kitakyushu's Kokurakita Ward on Sept. 7, 2021. (Mainichi/Takashi Kamiiriki)=Click/tap photo for more images.

       The Thyreus decorus bee, characterized by its blue and black stripes, measure between 1 and 1.5 centimeters long, and do not make their own nests. They can be found on Japan's main island of Honshu, as well as the western island of Shikoku and the Kyushu region in southwest Japan. Development of farmland and other factors have greatly reduced the bees' numbers.

       The blue bees visit Fukuoka Prefectural Central Park in Kitakyushu's Kokurakita Ward every summer, where they can be seen buzzing around flowers. According to the park's administrative office, this year a group of 10 or so blue bees have been extracting nectar from sulfur cosmos, golden dewdrop, golden lace, and other varieties in the flower bed. In a normal year, the bees can be spotted through late September.

       (Japanese original by Takashi Kamiiriki, Kyushu Photo Department)

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