New Study! National records of 3000 European bee and hoverfly species: A contribution to pollinator conservation

A study published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity (The Royal Entomological Society) in 2023, with the participation of researchers from the FLOWer Lab, Sílvia Castro and Hugo Gaspar, presents an updated list of about 3,000 species of bees and hoverflies, two of the main groups of insect pollinators. This list reflects the current state of their distribution at a national level across European countries.

"Because we cannot protect what we do not know about, the first step for conserving pollinators is documenting which species exist in Europe, and where they occur."

The scientific article used published and unpublished information, relying on the knowledge of various taxonomists and ecologists. After listing the species, distribution patterns were analyzed, and countries with the greatest species richness were identified.

The study also revealed that many species of bees and hoverflies are recorded in only one European country, highlighting the importance of coordinated conservation strategies at both European and national levels. These data can be combined with future research to promote the protection of pollinating insects!

The article is available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12680