The total of wild bee varieties in Europe experiencing disappearance has increased twofold over the past decade, while the count of threatened butterfly has almost doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least over 170 bee species out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The number of butterflies facing extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to over sixty since the last study, carried out a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with dangers increasing for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee types.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat significantly raises the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a major threat: 52% of all threatened butterfly types in European nations are endangered by the climate change crisis – about twice as many as a decade ago.
As many as nine out of ten of plants that flower in Europe rely on animal pollination, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, wild bee groups are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, known for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the continent and the only species of this genus group in European nations, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific classification most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to climate change as they have to climb upward as their habitats become warmer but in the end exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by severe wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global heating is leading to the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with bushes encroaching on marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can not anymore cross the ice sheets to browse Arctic grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly in Europe because of all these factors,” remarked Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to halt the decrease in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are involved. Let’s hope they can obtain the incentives that will support them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which won’t reduce crop yields – and may enhance it – such as growers developing bloom-filled edges around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, characterized the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this threat. Together with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to concentrate on application and collaboration with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the first EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
