Biodiversity depends on pollinators

If the numbers of pollinators change, reproduction of many plant species is likely to be affected.

The honeybee may be the best-known pollinator of plants, but there are thousands of pollinator species , including other bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and even some birds and mammals. Pollinators help to produce food—their contribution to crops is worth billions of dollars . But they are also essential for the reproduction of plants generally, and thus for biodiversity.