The count of wild bee varieties in Europe facing extinction has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, whereas the total of at-risk butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinating insects was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The total of butterfly types threatened with extinction in Europe has increased from over thirty-five to 65 since the previous assessment, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with risks growing for butterfly species and crucial wild bee varieties.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and abandoned land, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.
Climate change is also revealed to be a primary risk: 52% of all at-risk butterfly species in Europe are imperilled by the climate change crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a decade ago.
Nearly 90% of flowering plants in the European continent require insect pollination, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, wild bee groups are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many native plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which perform a vital function in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, famous for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the continent and the sole species of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as critically endangered – the research category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but eventually exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by extreme dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global warming is causing the timberline to move north by many meters each year, with underbrush invading bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the ice to graze Arctic grasslands and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinating insects is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast across Europe because of all these factors,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens care now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to halt the drop in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are involved. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will support them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which will not decrease food production – and could improve it – such as farmers establishing flower-rich margins around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this risk. Along with member states, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to focus on application and collaboration with participating nations to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, another essential pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
