The number of wild bee types in European nations confronting dying out has more than doubled over the past decade, whereas the count of at-risk butterfly types has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least 172 bee types out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The number of butterflies threatened with extinction in the European continent has increased from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food chains and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal significant difficulties, with threats increasing for butterflies and crucial wild bee species.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the continuing destruction or damage of living environments caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a significant danger: 52% of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate crisis – about twice as many as a ten years ago.
As many as ninety percent of flowering plants in European nations require pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, non-managed bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many native plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which have an essential part in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific category most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to global heating as they have to climb upward as their environments become warmer but ultimately have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are imperilled by intense dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is resulting in the tree line to move north by many meters each year, with bushes encroaching on bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice sheets to graze Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast throughout Europe because of all these factors,” remarked Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to turn around the decline in pollinating insects by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are engaged. We hope they can receive the incentives that will help them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating species which will not lower food production – and could improve it – such as growers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this threat. Together with participating nations, the EU Commission has put in place an EU-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to focus on execution and collaboration with member countries to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the first European-wide study on hoverflies, an additional vital group of pollinators. Released in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
