India, Aug. 12 -- A rare solitary Himalayan bee, Colletes bhutanicus, has been recorded for the first time in India, from Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), officials said.

The species was recorded during a recent survey in Tawang by ZSI scientists Dibyajyoti Ghosh, K A Subramanian and Dhriti Banerjee, they said.

The bee had earlier been recorded from Bhutan and China, including the Xizang region. Its documentation in Arunachal Pradesh adds to the understanding of the distribution and diversity of Himalayan pollinators, they added.

According to researchers, the bee was found at elevations ranging from 1,500 metres to 3,800 metres and was observed visiting 25 species of flowering...