On November 26, 1900, future melissopalynologist Anna Maurizio (1900-1993) was born.

Melissopalynology – the study of pollen in honey.
From the Greek words for “bee” and “honey” along with the words for “study of dust,” which now refers to “pollen.”.
MELISSOPALYNOLOGY | Bee Culture

Dr. Anna Maurizio became one of the world’s leading experts in bees and their behaviour. In a career that spanned 50 years, she was recognised for her encyclopedic knowledge of bees as well as her ground-breaking research that furthered the  how pollination works and the humble bee’s contribution to life on earth. 

To date no stamps featuring Dr. Maurizio have been issued, which is a disgraceful oversite. But, Switzerland has released a number of bee stamps that will have to do. Maybe we should pester Swiss post to put her on a stamp.

Schaffhausen savings / revenue stamp
Released in 1919

European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Released in 1950 as part of the Pro Juventute: Insects, Theophil Sprecher v. Bernegg set
Designed by Nikl. Stoecklin

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
Released in 1954 as part of the Pro Juventute: Insects, Jeremias Gotthelf set
Designed by Nikl. Stoecklin

European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)
Released in 2011
Designed by Bernadette Baltis

Bumblebee
Released in 2022 as part of the Animals in their Habitats 2022
Designed by Oreste Vinciguerra

 

 Anna Maurizio pioneered techniques to trace the pollen in honey back to the originating plants—that work is called melissopalynology.  Understanding the pollen composition of honey allows researchers to trace plant use by bees, a fundamental aspect of bee ecology.  From that basic research (her work is still the foundation of much pollen analysis) comes rationales for conserving plant diversity and controlling factors that reduce bee survival.
November 26 — Anna Maurizio, Swiss Bee Expert, Born (1900) – Today in Conservation