The number of wild bee varieties in European nations experiencing extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, while the total of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating species was unveiled by research studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least over 170 bee varieties out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The total of butterflies threatened with extinction in the European continent has risen from 37 to 65 since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food supplies and our financial structures – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” said the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with threats growing for butterflies and crucial native bee varieties.”
The factors of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate change crisis – about double the number as a previous decade.
Nearly ninety percent of flowering plants in European nations rely on animal pollination, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, wild bee groups are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, recognized 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 mainland and the sole species of this biological genus in Europe, is now assessed as critically endangered – the scientific category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they need to move uphill as their habitats become hotter but eventually run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by intense drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to move north by dozens of meters each year, with scrub invading wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice sheets to browse northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest habitat for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly throughout the European continent because of all these reasons,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to halt the decline in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are engaged. We hope they can obtain the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease agricultural output – and could improve it – such as growers establishing flower-rich margins around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is needed to tackle this danger. Together with member countries, the European Commission has established an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and partnership with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the pioneering European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further vital group of pollinators. Issued in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly species in Europe were threatened with extinction.
