Wild bee diversity in the village of Peyresq and the surrounding areas in the southern French Alps

Background Wild bees are essential pollinators, yet the populations of an increasing number of species are declining across Europe, with knowledge gaps particularly acute in mountain regions. The southern French Alps represent a biogeographically exceptional area, situated at the interface of Alpine and Mediterranean influences, but their bee fauna remains poorly documented. Here, we present a curated dataset of wild bee occurrence records from the village of Peyresq (France) and its surroundings, collected over four consecutive years during summer along an elevational gradient spanning montane, subalpine and alpine zones. New information The dataset comprises 4,502 wild bee specimens, of which 4,007 specimens were identified to species level, representing 241 species across six families. The dataset includes six threatened species according to the European Red List of Bees, five being Vulnerable and one Endangered, as well as several species characteristic of Alpine and Mediterranean mountain faunas. A sampling completeness analysis estimated observed richness at about 88% of the predicted local bee fauna detectable during our sampling period (early to mid-July). All specimen data have been digitised following the Darwin Core standard, deposited in the collection of the University of Mons (Belgium) and made openly accessible through GBIF. This dataset constitutes a valuable baseline for biogeographical research and conservation planning in mountain ecosystems facing ongoing environmental change.