The count of wild bee varieties in Europe confronting dying out has increased twofold during the previous ten-year period, whereas the total of threatened butterfly types has almost doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating species was unveiled by research studies for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The total of butterflies facing extinction in European nations has grown from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the last study, performed over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food supplies and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with risks increasing for butterfly types and vital wild bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the continuing harm or degradation of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The division of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the threat of local extinctions.
Global warming is also revealed to be a primary risk: 52% of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are threatened by the climate change crisis – approximately twofold the amount as a decade ago.
As many as nine out of ten of blooming plants in the European continent depend on animal pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type unique to the continent and the single type of this genus in Europe, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain peaks are especially at risk to climate change as they must ascend higher as their habitats become hotter but eventually exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are threatened by intense dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global warming is causing the forest boundary to move north by many meters each year, with bushes invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice to browse Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly throughout European nations because of all these factors,” said Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to reverse the drop in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are engaged. We hope they can receive the incentives that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and could improve it – such as farmers developing margins rich in flowers around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this risk. Along with participating nations, the European Commission has implemented an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and collaboration with member states to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the initial EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Released in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
