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Abstract <p>Biodiversity knowledge in tropical regions remains limited due to incomplete species inventories and strong spatial and temporal sampling biases, particularly for diverse and ecologically important groups such as bees. Bees are key pollinators whose diversity is well documented in temperate and xeric regions but remains poorly understood in tropical biomes such as seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs). This biome is among the most threatened in the Neotropics and may harbor substantial, yet under-documented, bee diversity. Here, we provide the first comprehensive assessment of bee richness across Neotropical SDTFs by integrating occurrence data from GBIF and literature and evaluating two alternative biome delimitations (DRYFLOR and TEOW). We compiled 1,851 species and 250 genera in DRYFLOR and 1,424 species and 201 genera in TEOW, representing 28–37% of the known Neotropical bee fauna. Species richness was concentrated in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Costa Rica, with Apidae and Megachilidae as the most diverse families. Despite this, SDTFs remain markedly under-sampled, with over half of grid cells lacking records and most occupied cells containing fewer than 20 species. Sampling completeness ranged from 58% to 68%, suggesting that up to 40% of species may remain undetected. Approximately 39% of species in DRYFLOR and 43% in TEOW were recorded within protected areas, with strong variation among countries. Species richness scaled strongly with sampling effort, while area showed a moderate but consistent effect. Together, these results highlight substantial knowledge gaps and limited conservation coverage, emphasizing the urgent need for increased sampling, taxonomic effort, and targeted conservation strategies to protect bee diversity and ecosystem services in this highly threatened biome.</p> Implications for insect conservation <p>Our findings suggest that SDTFs harbor substantial bee diversity but remain strongly undersampled and poorly represented within protected areas. Given that species richness is closely tied to sampling effort, current knowledge likely underestimates true diversity in this biome. Increasing and systematizing sampling, alongside improving the representation of bee diversity in conservation planning, is critical to safeguard pollination services and biodiversity in this highly threatened ecosystem.</p>

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Neotropical seasonally dry forests host diverse bee communities despite sampling, conservation, and taxonomical challenges

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月16日

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  • Andrés Felipe Herrera-Motta,
  • Claudia Nuñez-Penichet,
  • Víctor H Gonzalez,
  • Jorge Soberón

摘要

Abstract

Biodiversity knowledge in tropical regions remains limited due to incomplete species inventories and strong spatial and temporal sampling biases, particularly for diverse and ecologically important groups such as bees. Bees are key pollinators whose diversity is well documented in temperate and xeric regions but remains poorly understood in tropical biomes such as seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs). This biome is among the most threatened in the Neotropics and may harbor substantial, yet under-documented, bee diversity. Here, we provide the first comprehensive assessment of bee richness across Neotropical SDTFs by integrating occurrence data from GBIF and literature and evaluating two alternative biome delimitations (DRYFLOR and TEOW). We compiled 1,851 species and 250 genera in DRYFLOR and 1,424 species and 201 genera in TEOW, representing 28–37% of the known Neotropical bee fauna. Species richness was concentrated in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Costa Rica, with Apidae and Megachilidae as the most diverse families. Despite this, SDTFs remain markedly under-sampled, with over half of grid cells lacking records and most occupied cells containing fewer than 20 species. Sampling completeness ranged from 58% to 68%, suggesting that up to 40% of species may remain undetected. Approximately 39% of species in DRYFLOR and 43% in TEOW were recorded within protected areas, with strong variation among countries. Species richness scaled strongly with sampling effort, while area showed a moderate but consistent effect. Together, these results highlight substantial knowledge gaps and limited conservation coverage, emphasizing the urgent need for increased sampling, taxonomic effort, and targeted conservation strategies to protect bee diversity and ecosystem services in this highly threatened biome.

Implications for insect conservation

Our findings suggest that SDTFs harbor substantial bee diversity but remain strongly undersampled and poorly represented within protected areas. Given that species richness is closely tied to sampling effort, current knowledge likely underestimates true diversity in this biome. Increasing and systematizing sampling, alongside improving the representation of bee diversity in conservation planning, is critical to safeguard pollination services and biodiversity in this highly threatened ecosystem.