Bumblebees May Be Next on US Endangered Species List.
Bumblebees, or wild bees, one of the primary agricultural pollinators in
the US, have reached the “endangered species” threshold.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday proposed listing the rusty
patched bumble bee for federal protection as an endangered species.
The species, named for a distinctive red patch on its belly, was once
abundant in the upper Midwestern and northeastern United States, but its
population has been reduced by almost 90 percent over the last 20
years.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service says that disease, pesticides, climate
change and habitat loss are contributing to the decline of the wild bee
population.
This insect is a vitally important pollinator for almost one-third of US
crops, from blueberries to tomatoes.
Sarina Jepsen of the
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation says neonicotinoid pesticides, commonly used in insecticides such
as those manufactured by Bayer, are a key factor in decimating wild bee
populations.
"[The] Endangered Species Act safeguards are now the only way the bumble
bee would have a fighting chance for survival," said Jepsen .
The problem is not only affecting the rusty patched bumblebee, as,
according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature
(IUCN), more than one quarter of the 47 varieties of wild bees present
in the US are at risk of extinction.
In Russia, eight species of bumble bees are included in the so-called
Red Book, a state document that lists endangered species protected in
the country.
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