Wild bee specialists discover 33 new wild bee species in the Bliesgau biosphere in Saarland. The discovery was made as part of the EU-funded LIFE project “Insect-promoting regions”. Climate change, immigration and a lack of evaluation of previous findings are possible causes for the new findings of bees in the UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Bonn, 07.02.2024: Wild bee specialists from IFAUN – Faunistics and Functional Biodiversity went on a voyage of discovery into the Saarland world of flowers and insects. The result: 33 wild bee species that were previously not on the natural history map in Saarland. This is a valuable finding that illustrates the need to catch up in the recording of native insect populations.
A checklist from 2020 lists 213 wild bee species for Saarland. Climate change and immigration from neighboring regions such as Lorraine, Luxembourg, Alsace and Rhineland-Palatinate are favoring new settlements in Saarland. At the same time, the Saarland Biodocumentation Center has an extensive collection of wild bees waiting to be analyzed – wild bee specialists are sure that there is more to discover here. Renowned wild bee expert Ronald Burger, who carried out the research in the Bliesgau as part of the “LIFE Insect-Promoting Regions” project for IFAUN, has now spotted rare species such as the highly endangered French rock bee and the inconspicuous narrow-winged bee for the first time in Germany, in addition to wild bee species that are common in the rest of the southwest.
“We can only protect what we know”
The “LIFE Insect-Promoting Regions” project enabled a long overdue survey of wild bee species in the Bliesgau biosphere. The discovery of new wild bee species is of central importance. “We can only protect what we know,” explains Jenja Kronenbitter, project manager at the environmental foundation Global Nature Fund.
In order to improve the measures for insect protection in Saarland, a group of experts has come together for the project in the Bliesgau Biosphere. Together they developed a special flowering mixture for Saarland’s wild bees, which is now to be tested with farmers in perennial flowering areas. The results of the studies by Ronald Burger and other specialists serve as a basis for finding the best possible mixture: high benefits for pollinators such as wild bees and other insects, with little effort for farmers and manageable costs.
Collaboration with impressive results
The “LIFE Insect-Friendly Regions” project is an example of the commitment of associations and initiatives that are not only dedicated to protecting the environment, but also actively contribute to expanding our knowledge of nature. The loss of biodiversity is a pressing problem that is being tackled by such projects. A look at the Bliesgau biosphere shows: Cooperation between farmers, wild bee specialists and environmental protection organizations can lead to impressive results. A small step in Saarland, but a big one for the protection of bees and biodiversity.
Find out more about our EU-LIFE project Insect-friendly regions
Contact us
Global Nature Fund – Bonn Office
Jenja Kronenbitter
Project manager
Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 11
53113 Bonn
Phone: +49 157 33085788
E-mail: kronenbitter@globalnature.org