2019-05-21 Tue

The UNPA will be releasing three souvenir sheets featuring bees and flowers on 20th May to celebrate World Bee Day. The $3 stamp on the souvenir sheet for use from the post office at U.N. headquarters in New York City features a diphaglossine bee and a yellow fumewort flower. A honeycomb pattern, a silhouette of a bee, text “World Bee Day”, scientific names of the flower and the bee are also featured on the souvenir sheet.

A Bombus dahlbomii bee from South America is featured on the 2.60-franc stamp in the souvenir sheet for use from UN Post Office in Geneva. These bees can grow up to 1.5 inches in length and are called “the flying mouse”. Lobelia cardinalis or cardinal flower is also shown in the design. Scientific names of the bee and flower, bee silhouette and World Bee Day inscription in French (Journee mondiale des abeilles) are also depicted.

Melissodes communis bee and Scutellaria lateriflora flower are featured on the 2.70 stamp for use from the UN post office in Vienna. World Bee Day, written in German as “Weltbienentag” is also included in the design. Scutellaria lateriflora is a herb which is used in traditional medicine. It is also known as blue skullcap, American skullcap etc. Melissodes communis bee is known for its long-horn.

The photographs were sourced from Patuxent Wildlife Research Center of the United States Geological Survey for the stamp design which was created by Rorie Katz of the UN. The souvenir sheets were printed by Lowe-Martin Group of Canada by offset lithography. 18,000 $3 stamps; 19,000 2.60fr stamps; and 21,000 2.70 stamps were produced.

The U.N. General Assembly proclaimed 20th May as World Bee Day in December 2017. The initiative was led by Slovenia to create more awareness about the significance of bees and other pollinators along with the need to protect their natural habitat.

The great agriculturist, Anton Jansa was born on 20th May 1734 in Carniola, which is located in present-day Slovenia. The date for World Bee Day was selected to celebrate the birth anniversary of Anton Jansa.

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Image Courtesy: The UNPA