Beez

The US government has announced that seven species of Hawaiian yellow-faced bees have officially been added to the endangered species list, which means they're now the first US bee species to earn federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service's decision will hopefully put in place systems that will help these affected populations rebound, saving some of the state's biggest pollinators from extinction.

"Native pollinators in the US provide essential pollination services to agriculture which are valued at more than US $9 billion annually," Eric Lee-Mäder, program director at the Xerces Society, the non-profit organisation that petitioned the US government to label the bees as endangered, told CNN.

The seven species – Hylaeus anthracinus, Hylaeus longiceps, Hylaeus assimulans, Hylaeus facilis, Hylaeus hilaris, Hylaeus kuakea, and Hylaeus mana – live in many different habitats on the Hawaiian Islands, such as coastlines, wet and dry forests, and shrublands.

But what they all have in common is that their numbers are dwindling.

"These bees require a habitat with a diversity of plants that flower throughout the year so that a consistent source of pollen and nectar is available," the Xerces Society reports.

"Many species nest in the ground, but some nest in hollow stems of plants; the availability of nest sites is another important habitat requirement for these animals."

The team says the bees are threatened mostly by human development and invasive species, both of which are causing them to lose vital habitat, prompting populations to become splintered and sparse.

While so far only Hawaiian bees have been added to the list, just last week, the US Fish and Wildlife Service also proposed adding the rusty patched bumble bee – a dwindling species that was once common in the upper midwest and north-eastern United States – so we could see more mainland species added in years to come.






but we will live forever :)