The number of native bee varieties in Europe confronting dying out has over doubled over the past decade, whereas the count of threatened butterfly has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for essential pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were facing extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly types at risk of extinction in Europe has grown from over thirty-five to 65 since the last study, carried out a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural value, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterflies and crucial non-managed bee species.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the ongoing destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The division of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the danger of local extinctions.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterflies in Europe are imperilled by the climate emergency – approximately twofold the amount as a previous decade.
Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, wild bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many native plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which have an essential part in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, recognized for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the European continent and the single type of this biological genus in European nations, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific classification closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but eventually exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by severe wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global heating is leading to the tree line to move north by tens of metres each year, with bushes encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice to browse Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly throughout European nations because of all these factors,” said Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many people are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to reverse the decrease in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are interested. Let’s hope they can receive the incentives that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not lower food production – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, described the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to confront this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has established an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and cooperation with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the pioneering European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinator group. Released in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
