FEW bugs (and even animals) maintain fairly as a lot sway on the planet as bees. As pollinators that flock from flower to flower, crop to crop, they preserve the world’s flora and biodiversity thriving. And but, due to a myriad of lethal elements, equivalent to pesticides, habitat destruction and local weather change, 1000’s of species are teetering on the brink.

A brand new exhibition all about these very important creatures, Bees: A story of survival, supplies an immersive window on their world, from the intricate anatomy of a single bee to the construction of total colonies. In collaboration with artist Wolfgang Buttress, it makes use of sound, sculpture and light-weight, mixing artwork and know-how to point out guests the lives of bees world wide, illuminating simply how devastating it will be to lose them.

The principle picture is of a bee from the genus Euglossa, often known as orchid bees. These are a key orchid pollinator in North and South America (though additionally they flock to rotting fruit, fungi and even faeces). The males, one in every of which is proven right here, use the odours from the chemical substances they accumulate from pollination to court docket females – the extra advanced the odour, the better the attraction.

The subsequent photos present (prime to backside): a violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea), recognisable by its purple-sheened wings and physique, and one of many largest bees in Europe; a bee from the genus Nomioides, which is among the smallest varieties of bee; and an African carpenter bee (Xylocopa inconstans).

The exhibition shall be on the World Museum in Liverpool, UK, till 5 Could 2025.