The first ever bumble bee protected under the Endangered Species Act was announced this week.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the rusty patched bumble bee was a common sight in 28 states, from Connecticut to South Dakota 20-years ago. But now, the species are on the brink of extinction.

The bumble bee has experienced a swift and dramatic decline since the late 1990’s. The number of the rusty patched bee has plummeted by 87 percent, leaving small scattered populations in just 13 states and one Canadian province.

Causes of the decline in rusty patched bumble bee populations are believed to be loss of habitat; disease and parasites; use of pesticides that directly or indirectly kill the bees; climate change, which can affect the availability of the flowers they depend on; and extremely small population size. Most likely, a combination of these factors has caused the decline in rusty patched bumble bees.

The rusty patched bumble bee once lived in grasslands and prairies of the Upper Midwest and Northeast, but many of those areas are gone.

The Endangered listing takes effect on February 10th of this year.