Diversity and Distribution of Pollinators (Wild Bees, Hoverflies, Beetles)

Section: Zoology, Ecology

Responsible staff: Alexander Weigand, Alain Frantz, Francesco Vitali

Research strategy: Understanding and Preserving Nature, Society and Natural History

Wild bees, hoverflies and beetles are essential pollinators that contribute significantly to plant diversity and agricultural production. However, despite their importance for biodiversity conservation and food security, these taxonomic groups have been far less studied than other major pollinators such as butterflies.

This knowledge gap is even more problematic in Luxembourg, one of the most urbanised countries in the world, where substantial land‑use changes are expected due to new infrastructure and urban development driven by population growth.

To safeguard their functional role in providing key ecosystem services, it is necessary to document the diversity and distribution of these insects. Indeed, developing this basic knowledge is a crucial first step towards understanding how landscape disturbances affect their population dynamics and, ultimately, towards producing sophisticated future Red Lists.

To this end, national checklists and Red Lists will be established for these insects.