Environment · 2026-10-21 · Morning briefing

Europe's wild bees in century-long decline, new study finds

Most of Europe’s wild bee species and about half its hoverfly species have declined over the past century, according to a new study analysing records since 1921. The drop in pollinator richness was most persistent in the continent's Atlantic and Continental regions; the Alpine region is the sole exception, with more species increasing than declining.

The decline affects a critical ecosystem service, as over 75% of major food crops and nearly 90% of wild flowering plants depend on such pollinators. Scientists say communities are being reshaped by the gradual loss of sensitive species and the rise of a resilient few. Though up to 9% of historically recorded species have not been spotted since 2001, researchers do not believe widespread extinctions have yet occurred.

The findings arrive as diplomats gather in Yerevan, Armenia, for a UN biodiversity summit known as Cop17. Since the biodiversity convention was created in Rio in 1992, governments have not met a single UN target on nature.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• A century of records paints a worrying picture for Europe's bees
• Wild honeybees in Europe could decline 56% in 10 years without managed hive swarms, study finds
• Wild bees in Europe are declining, scientists warn
• ‘Crucial opportunity to act’ as study finds most of Europe’s wild bee species in decline
• 135 Scientists Warn Europe’s Pollinator Crisis Runs Deeper Than Bees

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