The number of non-managed bee varieties in the European continent confronting disappearance has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, and the number of threatened butterfly types has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least 172 bee varieties out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly types at risk of extinction in European nations has increased from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the earlier research, conducted over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our physical condition, our food systems and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats growing for butterfly types and crucial native bee types.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the continuing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in Europe are imperilled by the climate change crisis – roughly double the number as a previous decade.
Nearly 90% of blooming plants in Europe require insect pollination, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which perform a vital function in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, famous for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the continent and the single type of this genus in European nations, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are solely present on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global heating as they must ascend higher as their habitats become hotter but eventually run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are endangered by severe drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global warming is causing the tree line to move north by tens of metres each year, with scrub invading wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no more cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast across European nations because of all these elements,” remarked Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can get the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not lower crop yields – and may enhance it – such as growers creating bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the protection status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to confront this risk. Along with participating nations, the EU Commission has established an EU-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to focus on application and collaboration with participating nations to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the initial EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were threatened with extinction.
