Bumble bee is proposed for U.S. endangered species status

[Octane]

Nymeria said:

Octane said:
At first I was a bit surprised, because a bumblebee isn't even a species, but the article makes it clear that it's the rusty patched bumble bee. Unless you're a trained entomologist, I don't think you can easily differentiate all the species of bumblebees. That explains why you may have seen plenty of bumblebees this year, whilst this specific species is actually endangered.

Still, endangered doesn't have to mean on the brink on extinction. It can also mean that the population is slowly declining. It's easier to prevent extinction early on than to wait until there's barely an individual left of the species. They're vital to orchards and several species of crop, so I think it's in everyone's interest to keep the diversity of pollinators up. The same is true for several species of bees. Those have been on a decline too..

Well put.  There are concerns about types of insecticides and agricultural methods such as how genetically modified crops affects bees leading to potential colony collapse.  The reason we should concern ourselves is actually a selfish one, bees are incredibly valuable for the proliferation of many food sources we enjoy.

Agreed, I guess the bees and bumblebees are lucky that humans depend on them?

Although I should stress that it's not all GMO plants that cause a decline in bee population, only those that either produce a specific form of insecticide, or produce low quality or no pollen at all (some plants only polinate under specific conditions in the presence of specific fertilisers that are also patented by the same company). Low quality pollen leads eventually to starvation of bee colonies. It's a big issue that not many people are aware of unfortunately.