Almost 80% of crop pollination by wild bees is provided by just 2% of the most common species, say scientists.
In the UK, a small number of bees are vital for crops such as oilseed rape and apples, according to the University of Reading team.
But protecting a wide range of bees would “provide an insurance policy against future ecological shocks, such as climate change”, the scientists say.
Prof Simon Potts, director of the Centre for Agri-Environmental Research at Reading, said: “The few bee species that currently pollinate our crops are unlikely to be the same types we will need in the future.
“It is critical to protect a wide range of bees and other insects now so that, as Britain’s climate, environment and crop varieties change, we can call on the pollinating species which are best suited to the task.
“We cannot just rely on our current starting line-up of pollinators. We need a large and diverse group of species on the substitutes’ bench, ready to join the game as soon as they are needed.”
An international team of scientists reviewed data from five continents on the work of wild bees in pollinating crops.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, indicated the pollinating work of wild bees was worth about £1,900 per hectare globally.
