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A four-year study in the southern French Alps created a carefully checked collection of records showing where wild bees were found. The researchers recorded 241 species from six families. Their findings highlight the importance of protecting these pollinators in a region with a unique mix of natural environments. Wild bees are among the most effective pollinators and help farms produce food and ecosystems remain healthy. Animals pollinate more than 80% of flowering plants. However, wild bee populations are falling worldwide because of human activities, including habitat loss, climate change, and more intensive farming. The study focused on the area around Peyresq, a village in the southern French Alps where Alpine and Mediterranean environments meet. Despite its potential to support unusual groups of animal species, this region has received little scientific attention in the past. The researchers collected 4,502 bee specimens from six families, including Apidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae. This collection provides an important starting point for tracking biodiversity in high mountain environments that are changing rapidly.
The research team worked at the Laboratory of Zoology at the University of Mons in Belgium. They carried out field surveys once a year for four years, from 2022 to 2025. They collected specimens in early July, covering elevations from 910 to 2,474 meters across five municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments. The team sampled accessible places around Peyresq, including hiking trails and roadside habitats. They also covered three different natural zones. The mountain zone, at about 910–1,600 meters, has a mix of broadleaf and coniferous forests. The subalpine zone, from 1,600 to 2,200 meters, is mainly covered by coniferous forests, including *Larix decidua*. The alpine zone, above 2,200 meters, includes open areas such as alpine grasslands. The researchers spread their sampling sites across different slopes and levels of sunlight to account for local differences in climate and conditions. Although human activity in the immediate area is limited, the landscape has been greatly changed by rural depopulation, which has led to the loss and closure of mountain grasslands.
The resulting dataset follows the Darwin Core standard and contains 4,502 specimens. Researchers identified 4,007 of these to the species level, representing 241 species. The six families recorded were Andrenidae, Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae, and Melittidae. The genus Bombus was the most common, with 1,954 specimens. However, 496 specimens, or 11%, could not be identified to the species level. Most of these belonged to subspecies of *Bombus sensu stricto* or were identified as *Halictus aff. adjikenticus*. Specialists carried out the identification work to help ensure the data was reliable. All specimens were recorded digitally and placed in the collection at the University of Mons. The findings are freely available through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
To find out how complete their inventory was, the researchers used species accumulation curves and the Chao1 estimator. This method uses the number of rare species in a sample to estimate how many species may have been missed. Using data from all four years, the Chao1 estimator predicted that the area could contain 271.9 bee species. The 95% confidence interval ranged from 248.2 to 295.7 species. The 241 species observed therefore represent about 88.6% of the bee species that could be detected during the mid-July sampling period. This result shows that the region supports a wide variety of bees. However, the researchers warned that their estimate has limits because they sampled during only one part of the year. Species that are active in spring or autumn may have been missed. The total number of bee species in the study area is therefore likely to be higher than 275.
The inventory is important for conservation because it includes several threatened species. Of the 241 species identified, six are listed as threatened on the European Red List of Bees. One is classified as Endangered (EN), and five are classified as Vulnerable (VU). Another nine species are listed as Near Threatened (NT), while three are classified as Data Deficient (DD), meaning there is not enough information to assess their risk fully. Mountain bees face particular dangers because species adapted to cold conditions may have to move to higher elevations as the climate warms. Their ability to move between isolated mountain ranges is limited. Changes in land use can also threaten them. For example, when pastoral farming stops, grasslands can become overgrown and lose the open conditions that many bees need.
The researchers recorded several threatened species. These included *Halictus carinthiacus*, which is classified as Endangered, and *Bombus pomorum*, which is classified as Vulnerable. *Halictus carinthiacus* is typical of alpine areas and lives in open, warm habitats in mountain and subalpine zones. *Bombus pomorum* was once widespread but has disappeared from large parts of its former range in Europe. Other vulnerable species recorded included *Nomada rhenana*, *Lasioglossum euboeense*, *Lasioglossum laeve*, *Trachusa interrupta*, and *Bombus pomorum*. These bees often depend on particular types of habitats or plants. For example, *Lasioglossum euboeense* prefers warm, dry, steppe-like environments and dry grasslands. *Trachusa interrupta* depends on plants in the Caprifoliaceae family. These examples show how complex the relationships between bees and their environments can be where Alpine and Mediterranean conditions meet.
The study also recorded several species that reflect the mix of Alpine and Mediterranean environments around Peyresq. These included *Bombus mendax*, *Nomada gransassoi*, *Megachile parietina*, and *Osmia inermis*. Their European ranges are often limited to mountainous areas, highlighting the region's special value for biodiversity. For example, *Megachile parietina* depends on plants in the Fabaceae family and often builds its nests on rocky surfaces. *Osmia inermis* visits plants from four different families, but it strongly prefers plants in the Loteae group. The presence of these specialist bees shows why it is important to protect open grasslands rich in flowers. These habitats provide essential resources for bees with specific needs.
Despite the high quality of the dataset and its public availability through GBIF, the researchers identified several limitations. The amount of sampling varied between years, and the methods were not fully standardized. This may have affected which species were detected and how common they appeared to be. The study also covered only accessible places around Peyresq and only sampled in early July. As a result, the full range of bee species in the region remains unknown. Future studies should cover more locations and more times of the year. In particular, researchers should include Mediterranean habitats at lower elevations and survey bees across a longer period of the season. They should also study areas that have received little attention so far, including protected places such as Mercantour National Park. These efforts would provide a more complete picture of regional biodiversity and improve long-term monitoring and conservation planning for these fragile mountain environments.
Subject of Research: The study examined wild bee diversity and conservation status in the southern French Alps.
Article Title: Wild bee diversity in the village of Peyresq and the surrounding areas in the southern French Alps
Article References: Benrezkallah, J., Brau, T., Carion, F., De Tandt, B., Devorsine, R., Dorio, L., Duez, T., Evrard, D., Flaminio, S., Ghisbain, G., Herinckx, A., Leconte, C., Lemaire, S., Maugendre, A., Michez, D., Naveaux, A., Reverte, S., Rigaut, B., Santerre, R., … Gérard, M. (2026). Wild bee diversity in the village of Peyresq and the surrounding areas in the southern French Alps. Biodiversity Data Journal, 14, Article e213911. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.14.e213911
Image Credits: AI Generated
Keywords: Wild Bees, Alpine Ecosystem, Biodiversity, Conservation, French Alps, Entomology, IUCN Red List, Pollinators, Mediterranean Biogeography, Wild, diversity, village