05. How Many Bee Species Are There? :

There are approximately 20,000 known bee species worldwide. These include:

Honeybees (e.g., Apis mellifera)

Bumblebees, carpenter bees, mason bees, and leafcutter bees. Sweat bees and many solitary bees that do not live in hives.

New species are still being discovered—especially in tropical regions.

Honeybees (Apis mellifera) contribute approximately 35–45% of total crop pollination.

The rest is done by:

Wild bees (like bumblebees, mason bees) – ~40–50%

Other insects (butterflies, flies, beetles) – ~10–15%

Birds and bats – minor share

Why wild bees matter?:

Many wild bee species are better suited than honeybees to pollinate certain crops like Tomatoes (buzz-pollinated by bumblebees), Blueberries, squash, and watermelon

Many bee species