The number of native bee types in Europe confronting extinction has more than doubled in the last ten years, while the number of threatened butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinating insects was revealed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which found that at least 172 bee types out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The count of butterfly species at risk of extinction in the European continent has risen from thirty-seven to over sixty since the earlier research, conducted a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural importance, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our health, our food supplies and our economic systems – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats increasing for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the continuing destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a primary risk: 52% of all endangered butterflies in the European continent are imperilled by the climate emergency – roughly twofold the amount as a previous decade.
Nearly ninety percent of flowering plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, native bee populations are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, known for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the continent and the single type of this genus in European nations, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they have to climb upward as their environments become more heated but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are imperilled by severe drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the tree line to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice to graze Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast across Europe because of all these factors,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to reverse the decrease in pollinating insects by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are involved. It is hoped they can get the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and might boost it – such as growers establishing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to confront this risk. Together with member states, the European Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to concentrate on application and cooperation with participating nations to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the pioneering European-wide study on hoverflies, an additional vital pollinating insect category. Issued in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were at risk of extinction.
