These are bees as you've never seen them before.

There are more than 20,000 known species of bee and they are vital to life on Earth, as they help keep plants thriving.

Image: A northern white-tailed bumblebee. Pic: Pete Carr

A new immersive exhibition in Liverpool explores their lives, and the threats they now face.

Image: A female violet carpenter bee. Pic: Pete Carr

A collaboration between artist Wolfgang Buttress and World Museum, Liverpool, it uses close-up photography, sound, sculpture and light to show the impact the modern world is having on bees.

"Bees can be seen as sentinels of the earth," said Buttress.

"Their health and wellbeing mirror the health of the Earth and they are dying in unprecedented numbers.

"Their existential challenges reflect our own - they die and suffer, we die and suffer."

Bees are threatened by a number of factors including the use of pesticides, their loss of habitat, and intensive farming, according to Friends of the Earth.

Image: An African carpenter bee. Pic: Pete Carr

"We want to shine a light on the plight of bees and the devastating impact a world without bees would have on humanity," said the head of World Museum, Anne Fahy.

Follow Sky News on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Tap here

Bees: A Story of Survival opens at World Museum, part of National Museums Liverpool, on Saturday 4 May 2024, and runs until Saturday 5 May 2025.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.