The count of non-managed bee species in the European continent experiencing disappearance has increased twofold over the past decade, whereas the count of endangered butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinating insects was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least over 170 bee types out of over 1900 were facing extinction in European nations.
The count of butterfly species facing extinction in Europe has increased from 37 to sixty-five since the last study, carried out over a decade past. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food supplies and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The most recent European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with risks growing for butterfly types and crucial native bee varieties.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the persistent destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Global heating is also revealed to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly types in Europe are imperilled by the climate emergency – roughly double the number as a decade ago.
Up to 90% of blooming plants in the European continent rely on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, native bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the mainland and the sole species of this genus group in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific classification nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain tops are highly susceptible to climate change as they need to move uphill as their habitats become hotter but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global heating is leading to the forest boundary to move north by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush encroaching on marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice sheets to graze northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast throughout European nations because of all these reasons,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to turn around the decline in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are involved. We hope they can get the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinators which won’t reduce crop yields – and could improve it – such as growers creating margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, described the protection status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this danger. Together with member countries, the EU Commission has implemented an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to focus on application and cooperation with participating nations to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the initial European-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further essential group of pollinators. Issued in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly types in Europe were threatened with extinction.
