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For immediate release
September 6, 2011
Contact:
Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation; 503-449-3792; sblack@xerces.org
Karl Magnacca, Researcher, University of Hawaii-Hilo; 808-756-4631; knm956@gmail.com
PORTLAND, Ore. - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined today that seven species of Hawaiian yellow-faced bees deserve to be listed as endangered under the U. S. Endangered Species Act, but failed to provide these bees with protection. In response to a petition from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the USFWS assigned these seven species the highest listing priority number possible, but concluded that the listing of these bees as endangered is precluded by higher priorities.
"We are extremely disappointed that these rare pollinators did not receive full Endangered Species Act protection," said Scott Hoffman Black, executive director of the Xerces Society. "It is our hope that the Service will follow through on their finding, so that these bees do not go extinct while waiting to be listed."
Although R.C.L. Perkins, a naturalist active in the late 1800s and early 1900s, described Hawaii's yellow-faced bees as "almost the most ubiquitous of any Hawaiian insects," more recent surveys by biologist Karl Magnacca have demonstrated that seven species-Hylaeus anthracinus, Hylaeus longiceps, Hylaeus assimulans, Hylaeus facilis, Hylaeus hilaris, Hylaeus kuakea and Hylaeus mana-are in imminent danger of going extinct.
"Most people, and even many scientists, don't realize that we have a huge diversity of native bees in Hawaii-62 species from the Big Island to Nihoa," said Magnacca. "But some of the rarest ones, including five of these candidate species, live down on the coast and people would see them every day on the beach if the native plants were still there."
The USFWS recognized myriad threats to these rare pollinators, from the loss of habitat due to land conversion, development and recreation-especially in coastal and lowland areas-to the negative impacts of nonnative species, such as wild pigs, bigheaded ants and invasive plants. They also recognized that climate change, fire and the bees' small population sizes add to the extinction risk. Conservation of Hawaii's yellow-faced bees will require the active management of natural areas where populations are known to exist.
Despite their small size, these yellow-faced bees are extremely important to the ecology of Hawaii. They are critical pollinators of many native flowers and the decline of these bees could lead to the extinction of several endangered plants. Recognizing the endangerment of numerous plants on the islands, the Service has already granted Endangered Species Act protection to over 300 Hawaiian plants. Protection of these yellow-faced bees will benefit both the bees and the rare plants that they pollinate.
"Pollinators are keystone species in many ecosystems," said Sarina Jepsen, endangered species program director at the Xerces Society. "But these Hawaiian yellow-faced bees are likely even more important since many of Hawaii's native plant species are not well adapted to pollination by nonnative bees. For the sake of this ecosystem we hope that the Service will act quickly to list these pollinators."
Read more about Hawaiian yellow-faced bees >>
Read the finding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service >>
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