The number of native bee species in Europe experiencing extinction has over doubled over the past decade, while the count of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinators was disclosed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least 172 bee types out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly types threatened with extinction in the European continent has increased from over thirty-five to 65 since the previous assessment, conducted a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food systems and our economies – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with threats growing for butterflies and crucial native bee varieties.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the persistent damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Global heating is also shown to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterflies in European nations are endangered by the climate emergency – about double the number as a previous decade.
Nearly ninety percent of plants that flower in Europe require animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee populations are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which have an essential part in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, recognized for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the European continent and the single type of this genus group in Europe, is now classified as severely threatened – the research category nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain tops are especially at risk to global warming as they must ascend higher as their habitats become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by extreme wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Far North, climate change is leading to the forest boundary to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast in European nations because of all these factors,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to reverse the drop in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are engaged. We hope they can get the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating insects which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this threat. Together with member states, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on application and cooperation with participating nations to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the first EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional crucial group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it disclosed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly types in Europe were facing extinction.
