[Syrphidae] Congratulations = Flower fly workers in UK & Netherlands

[christian thompson]

Yesterday a major report on Pollinator Diversity Decline in Europe was published by Science (21 July 2006, vol. 313: 351-354; also page 286 for editorial summary).

The data came from bees and, YES, flower flies, as we call them in America to emphasize their critical importance as pollinators. That data, over 1 million records, comes from you folks. So, congrats for a fine job.

While the article is entitled "declines," the report did note that flower fly diversity actually increased in the Netherlands and was more or less balanced in Britain. So, it is clear that when the bees are gone, the flower flies will keep our flowers blooming!

Menno Reemer was a co-author.

Cheers

F. Christian Thompson
Systematic Entomology Lab., USDA
c/o Smithsonian Institution
MRC-0169 NHB
PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
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