Skip to content
Subscriber Only
Green
Energy & Science

Bee Extinction Worries Grow as Species Numbers Drop

The number of reported bee species has dropped 25% from the 1990s

Bees are essential pollinators that ensure the reproduction of thousands of wild plant species.

Bees are essential pollinators that ensure the reproduction of thousands of wild plant species.

Photographer: Lokman Ilhan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Fewer bee species have been recorded since the 1990s, raising concerns that rare species might be extinct.

About 25% fewer species were found between 2006 and 2015, compared to records prior to the 1990s, according to a study published on Friday in the One Earth Journal. The authors are researchers at Argentina’s Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET).