Alaska Center for Conservation Science

Fostering research, education, and collaboration on biological conservation and natural resource management in Alaska and the Arctic

Pollinator Diversity and Conservation Status

The status and trends of pollinating insects is an increasing ecological and economic concern nationally and globally. Many species in Alaska may be vulnerable to changing climates, alteration of plant communities and habitats, and disease. The Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS) is the state authority on the conservation listing of plants and animals in Alaska. The tracked lists undergo continuous revision based on new information gained through inventory, research, and monitoring. The Alaska Bee Atlas project has significantly increased the amount of data, therefore increasing the accuracy of the assessments. Continuous assessment of imperiled species allows for preventative measures or elevations to endangered or threatened legal status.

Conservation Ranking Methods

The conservation ranks are instrumental for natural resource management, prioritizing restoration or conservation efforts, and identifying species requiring further research or protection. The ACCS is responsible for assigning a state conservation rank while NatureServe assigns ranks at the global scale. The ACCS generates the Alaska conservation ranks using NatureServe’s conservation ranking protocol. This standardized methodology incorporates distribution, abundance, condition, threats, and trend data to calculate a conservation rank. Species receive a ranking on a scale of 1 to 5, with lower numbers indicating a higher degree of imperilment. A complete set of definitions are available on the NatureServe Conservation Status website.

Bombus foraging on rubus flower
Bombus sitting on geranium leaf

Explore Conservation Assessments

The lists below are complete checklists of butterflies and bumblebees in Alaska, however the solitary bee list is near complete. Conservation assessment reports are completed for many species, but is an ongoing project. Check back each spring for updated conservation ranks and reports. The list was last updated March 1, 2024.

icon for solitary bee assessments Solitary Bees
icon for bumblebee assessments Bumblebees
icon for butterfly assessments Butterflies
FamilyScientific NameGlobal RankState RankFederal StatusConservation Report
ApidaeBombus bohemicusG4S3BLM SensitiveDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus bohemicus
ApidaeBombus cryptarumG5S4Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus cryptarum
ApidaeBombus distinguendusGUS1BLM Sensitive
ApidaeBombus fervidusG3G4SNR
ApidaeBombus flavidusG5?S4Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus flavidus
ApidaeBombus flavifronsG5S4BLM WatchlistDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus flavifrons
ApidaeBombus frigidusG5S5Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus frigidus
ApidaeBombus insularisG3S4BLM WatchlistDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus insularis
ApidaeBombus johanseniGUSNRDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus johanseni
ApidaeBombus jonellusG4G5S4Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus jonellus
ApidaeBombus kirbiellusG4S4Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus kirbiellus
ApidaeBombus kluanensisG3G4S1BLM SensitivePDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus kluanensis
ApidaeBombus lapponicus sylvicolaG5T5S5Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus lapponicus sylvicola
ApidaeBombus mckayiG4S4BLM WatchlistDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus occidentalis mckayi
ApidaeBombus melanopygusG5S5Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus melanopygus
ApidaeBombus mixtusG5S5Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus mixtus
ApidaeBombus natvigiG3S4Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus natvigi
ApidaeBombus neoboreusG3G4S3S4BLM WatchlistDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus neoboreus
ApidaeBombus perplexusG5S2BLM SensitiveDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus perplexus
ApidaeBombus polarisG3G4S4Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus polaris
ApidaeBombus rufocinctusG5S2Download the Conservation Status Report for Bombus rufocinctus
ApidaeBombus sitkensisG4S3BLM WatchlistDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus sitkensis
ApidaeBombus vancouverensisG5S3BLM WatchlistDownload the Conservation Status Report for Bombus vancouverensis