 Of 19 species of native nestmaking bumblebees and six species of cuckoo bumblebees formerly widespread in Britain , three have been extirpated , eight are in serious decline , and only six remain widespread . Similar declines have been reported in Ireland , with four species designated endangered , and another two considered vulnerable to extinction . A decline in bumblebee numbers could cause large @-@ scale changes to the countryside , resulting from inadequate pollination of certain plants . 
