Addressing pollinator introduction policy and the effects introduced species can have on local ecosystems, Romina Rader, Manu Saunders and Tobias Smith discuss the recent Policy Direction, Coordinated species importation policies are needed to reduce serious invasions globally: The case of alien bumblebees in South America by Aizen et al.

Photo by A. Saez

Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are large, iconic pollinators of many wild flowers and crops.  Their ability to buzz-pollinate flowers with poricidal anthers and their ease of husbandry has led to the domestication of several species as managed pollinators, particularly Bombus terrestris, a native to Europe.  In many countries, bumblebee colonies are now mass-produced to pollinate a range of different crops in greenhouses, polytunnels and open fields, with an estimatedannual value of €55 million. The recent Policy Direction by Aizen et al.  investigates the consequences of this rapid expansion by reviewing the current…