The total of non-managed bee species in European nations experiencing dying out has over doubled over the past decade, whereas the number of endangered butterfly species has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinating species was revealed by research studies for the IUCN red list, which found that at least 172 bee species out of 1,928 were facing extinction in Europe.
The total of butterflies at risk of extinction in European nations has increased from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the last study, conducted a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural value, pollinators like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our health, our food supplies and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal significant difficulties, with threats increasing for butterflies and vital wild bee varieties.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the continuing harm or degradation of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all threatened butterfly species in European nations are endangered by the climate emergency – about twice as many as a decade ago.
As many as ninety percent of blooming plants in Europe require pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, native bee groups are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, famous for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the mainland and the single type of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific category closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are especially at risk to global heating as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become hotter but in the end exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are imperilled by intense dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global warming is leading to the tree line to move north by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no more cross the frozen water to feed on Arctic grasslands and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is declining quickly in the European continent because of all these reasons,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to reverse the decrease in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are engaged. We hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and may enhance it – such as agricultural producers developing flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, described the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is necessary to tackle this risk. Along with member states, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to prioritize execution and collaboration with participating nations to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the first Europe-wide study on hoverflies, another essential pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were threatened with extinction.
