July 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

New Roads School Students Make Big Scientific Discovery On School Grounds:

New Roads School students and amateur entomologists Will Pulier, Craig Barrett, and Justin An made an important discovery on their Santa Monica campus in early October.

The 10th grade students found a large bee crawling around on campus, collected it in a cup and brought it to their biology teacher, Eric Cleveland.

Together, they identified the insect as a Carpenter Bee of the genus Xylocopa – nothing unusual there.

Upon closer examination to determine the gender of the bee, the teacher and students discovered that they had found a very rare form of the insect, a mosiac gynandromorphy.

Cleveland said during the development of the insect egg, there is a mistake separation of male chromosomes from female.

“Consequently, the left side of the bee has the yellow look of the male while the right side is black, a characteristic of the female of the species,” Cleveland said.

Cleveland immediately contacted the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum to tell them of the students’ discovery.

Dr. Brian Brown, Head Curator of the Entomology Collection, was extremely interested in the find and collected the rare bee to verify it is indeed a mosaic gynandromorphy.

The “New Roads Bee” is now a member of the Natural History Museum’s permanent gynandromorphy collection, letting insect enthusiasts and scholars alike witness firsthand one of nature’s most unusual insect variants.

Acclaimed actress Isabella Rossellini even discussed the New Roads Bee in a recent presentation at the Natural History Museum about gender oddities in the natural world.

Student scientists Justin, Will, and Craig are now dedicated bug hunting enthusiasts.

Will says, “Making a scientific discovery is much more exciting than just reading about biology in a book. Experiencing something firsthand and feeling like I found something unique makes me want to learn more.”

in News
<>Related Posts

More Commercial Uses Could Be Coming to RAND Building

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

Amendment Unlocks New Opportunities, Secures $5.5 Million in Community Benefits The Santa Monica Planning Commission unanimously approved an amendment to...

People are Using Palisades for “Disaster Tours.” Local Officials Are Trying to Stop Them

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

A new motion introduced to City Council requests a coordinated strategy from LADOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the...

Santa Monica Favorite Esters Rebrands as Esters Wine Shop & Oyster Bar

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

New Concept Launches With French-Spanish Flair and Free Bubbles Esters Wine Shop, the fave Parisian-style wine bar in downtown Santa...

Letter to the Editor: Santa Monica’s Great Park: It’s Time to Deliver on 100 Years of Promise

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Santa Monica stands at the edge of history. For nearly a century, residents have consistently supported turning the airport land...

Why Nordstrom Says It’s Closing Its Santa Monica Place Location

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

A Nordstrom spokesperson explained the closure as a strategic realignment Nordstrom confirmed its decision to close its Santa Monica store...

Three-Bed Palisades Highlands Townhouse Hits Market for $1.7M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The Mediterranean-style property, located at 1529 Michael Lane, is part of a 71-unit community A remodeled 1,919-square-foot townhouse in the...

Six-Bed Mar Vista Hilltop Home Under Construction Lists for $5.3M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The private backyard is complete with a pool, spa, fire pit, built-in BBQ, and areas for outdoor dining A stunning...

(Video) Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction of Palisades Wildfires

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

With the reopening also comes a new exhibit, “The Kingdom of Pylos” Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction...

Free Virtual Planetarium Shows Coming to SMC in July

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The virtual format is in place as construction of the new SMC Planetarium and Observatory nears completion The Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget for FY25-27, Prioritizing Housing and Safety

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The budget preserves core services and invests in major projects, including over $1 billion in hotel investments The Santa Monica...

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

California Doubles Down on Hollywood: $750M in Tax Credits Approved for Film and TV Industry

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

State Lawmakers Back Major Expansion of Production Incentives, Raising Job Projections Los Angeles’ film and television industry is poised to...

Park: “Our Water Infrastructure Must Be Emergency-Ready Every Day”

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Councilwoman expressed cautious relief at the news but emphasized the need for robust infrastructure The Los Angeles Department of Water...

Washington Square Pizza Opens to the Public

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

New York Style Pizza “By-The-Slice” Now at the Beach By Nick Antonicello  Washington Square Pizza formally opened its doors today...

California Allocates $5B for Road Repairs, Transit Expansion

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

The funding aims to improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion, and promote cleaner transportation California is investing nearly $5 billion...