>“Honeybees are not that important,” he said.

I would just contrast this statement with one made by Mike Allsopp:

Modern commercial crop production is increasingly dependent
on managed pollinators (e.g. the introduction of honeybee colonies
into orchards or fields to improve crop production), and less on wild
insects living on the periphery of crop fields. The honeybee is
regarded as the most important commercial pollinator, and
although other bee species are also used for commercial pollination
[alkali bees (Nomia); mason bees (Osmia); leafcutter bees (Megachile);
bumble bees (Bombus)], *at least 90% is performed by honeybees*. 

Valuing Insect Pollination Services with Cost of Replacement
www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0003128

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned 
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html