The total of wild bee types in European nations confronting extinction has more than 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 studies for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the last study, conducted 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with risks increasing for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee types.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of local extinctions.
Global heating is also shown to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly species in Europe are threatened by the climate change crisis – about double the number as a decade ago.
As many as ninety percent of blooming plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, non-managed bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, famous for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the continent and the single type of this genus in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global warming as they have to climb upward as their habitats become more heated but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Far North, climate change is causing the tree line to move north by tens of metres each year, with scrub invading wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze northern grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly in 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 concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to turn around the drop in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are involved. Let’s hope they can receive the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinating insects which won’t reduce agricultural output – and could improve it – such as growers creating bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to confront this risk. In collaboration with member states, the European Commission has established an Europe-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and collaboration with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the initial Europe-wide study on hoverflies, a further essential pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
