The number of wild bee types in the European continent experiencing disappearance has increased twofold during the previous ten-year period, and the number of endangered butterfly types has almost doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinators was unveiled by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least over 170 bee species out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly species at risk of extinction in the European continent has grown from over thirty-five to 65 since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our health, our food systems and our financial structures – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with risks increasing for butterflies and crucial native bee species.”
The causes of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing harm or degradation of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also revealed to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterflies in the European continent are threatened by the climate emergency – roughly twice as many as a ten years ago.
Up to nine out of ten of flowering plants in Europe depend on insect pollination, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Unfortunately, native bee populations are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, known for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the mainland and the only species of this genus group in European nations, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the research category closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are solely present on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by extreme drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, climate change is leading to the timberline to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush encroaching on bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice sheets to browse northern grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast across Europe because of all these elements,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to turn around the decline in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. We hope they can obtain the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not lower agricultural output – and could improve it – such as farmers establishing bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, characterized the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is necessary to confront this threat. Together with member states, the European Commission has established an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with participating nations to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional essential pollinating insect category. Issued in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in European nations were threatened with extinction.
