What began as a farming fix in central Chile has, over four decades, reshaped pollinator communities across southern South America. Approximately 300 queens of Bombus ruderatus were introduced into central Chile in 1982-1983 from the New Zealand population to increase the yield of red clover seeds. This farming choice led to ecological alterations that are now putting the Bombus dahlbomii at risk of regional extinction. Bombus dahlbomii is the sole bumblebee species native to the area and is one of the biggest bumblebees in the Americas.
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