Square-headed Furrow Bee
CR

Square-headed Furrow Bee

Halictus maculatus

UnknownLCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halictus_maculatus

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

The Square-headed Furrow Bee faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development, which eliminates the diverse flowering plants and suitable nesting sites this ground-nesting species requires. Climate change and pesticide use further compound these pressures, disrupting foraging patterns and reducing reproductive success across its remaining fragmented range.

Threat summary

Habitat

Open grasslands, meadows, field margins, and sandy or well-drained soils where females excavate ground nests. The species requires diverse flowering plant communities including composites and other native wildflowers for foraging throughout the active season.

Other threatened species in Halictidae

Shiny DufoureaCR

Shiny Dufourea

Dufourea minuta

Unknown
VU

Red-tailed Blood Bee

Sphecodes rubicundus

Unknown
VU

Yellow Footed Mining Bee

Lasioglossum xanthopus

Unknown
VU

Short-horned Furrow Bee

Lasioglossum brevicorne

Unknown

Threatened in Austria

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
VU

Large Tree-chernes

Dendrochernes cyrneus

Unknown
VU

Olive Skipper

Pyrgus serratulae

Unknown
SandoldenborreCR

Sandoldenborre

Hoplia graminicola

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Square-headed Furrow Bee classified as Critically Endangered?
Square-headed Furrow Bee is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Square-headed Furrow Bee faces severe population declines due to widespread habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urban development, which eliminates the diverse flowering plants and suitable nesting sites this ground-nesting species requires. Climate change and pesticide use further compound these pressures, disrupting foraging patterns and reducing reproductive success across its remaining fragmented range.
Where does Square-headed Furrow Bee live?
Square-headed Furrow Bee occurs in Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Croatia (plus 31 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Square-headed Furrow Bee?
The main threats to Square-headed Furrow Bee are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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