A tiny bee species in Fiji, about the size of a grain of rice, has suffered an estimated 99 per cent population decline over the past 150 years, according to researchers from the University of Wollongong in Australia.
The Fijian masked bee (Hylaeus navai) was discovered only two years ago. Researchers believe climate change, habitat loss and invasive species, including the African tulip tree and European honey bee, may be contributing to its decline. The bee’s habitat has shrunk to just 1.4 to 2.4 per cent of Fiji’s land area.