The count of native bee varieties in the European continent experiencing dying out has more than doubled over the past decade, while the count of at-risk butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least over 170 bee types out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly types facing extinction in European nations has grown from 37 to over sixty since the last study, performed over a decade past. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food supplies and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with threats growing for butterfly species and vital native bee varieties.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent harm or degradation of habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat significantly raises the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterflies in European nations are threatened by the climate change crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a decade ago.
Up to 90% of blooming plants in the European continent depend on animal pollination, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, wild bee groups are in drastic decline and are not easily replaceable by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, recognized for pollinating trees such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the mainland and the sole species of this genus group in Europe, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to climate change as they have to climb upward as their habitats become more heated but ultimately exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the timberline to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush taking over bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout European nations because of all these elements,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to turn around the decrease in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are interested. We hope they can obtain the incentives that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which won’t reduce crop yields – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers creating flower-rich margins around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, described the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to confront this threat. Together with member countries, the European Commission has established an EU-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to prioritize application and partnership with participating nations to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the first Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
