Invertebrate Red Data Book and analagous lists invariably contain a high percentage of the bee species of a geographic location. The situation seems little better elsewhere. Many bee species appear threatened with extinction, with the general consensus of opinion falling on humans as the culprits, through their degradation and destruction of habitats. Bees are important components of natural ecosystems and play a big role in their functioning. As such, they are important for the conservation, directly or indirectly, of other wildlife.
Bees are important in agriculture as crop pollinators.
Though there may be much overlap in all three arguments, and though advocates of wild bee conservation may variously use these arguments in the defence of bees, by simplifying the arguments it may be possible to highlight their essential elements and thereby indicate where we require extra input, in terms of discussion or research, to understand how to reduce, even about-turn the demise of wild bees. I shall deal with each in turn, and hope to highlight a few salient points where information is lacking. Bees for bees' sake Subsumed within this argument for bee conservation are those elements based on the maintenance of bee biodiversity for bees' intrinsic or aesthetic appeal. There is a diversity of 'biodiversity' definitions so that priorities for one bee conservationist may not be those of another. Going back a few steps in the development of the argument, there is a need to know which species are rare, and which are changing in abundance.