pollinator decline

An analysis of museum data and naturalists' observations finds that the number of bee species recorded has been declining since the 1990s. The first global, long-term study of bee trends adds to mounting evidence that the pollinators are in trouble worldwide.

University of Connecticut entomologist David Wagner speaks with The Scientist about his biggest concerns for global insect populations and recommendations for actions to help save these tiny but important creatures.

The rate of population decline is outpacing the ability of the bees to find a new habitat.

A decade-long study tallies the numbers of pest-eating, flower-pollinating hoverflies that travel to the UK every year, and illustrates their important ecological roles in southern Britain.

Over 30 years, one-third of the wild bees and hoverfly species surveyed sustained losses, likely due to pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change.

Sulfoxaflor, an alternative insect-killer to older chemicals that decimate pollinators, turns out to kneecap colonies.

Researchers pinpoint a protein that can metabolize at least one of the insecticides, highlighting a route to identifying compounds that are friendlier to the critical pollinators.

The first global evaluation of populations demonstrates that certain species are diminishing considerably.