The count of wild bee species in Europe confronting dying out has increased twofold during the previous ten-year period, while the number of at-risk butterfly species has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of 1,928 were facing extinction in European nations.
The total of butterflies at risk of extinction in European nations has grown from thirty-seven to over sixty since the last study, performed over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural significance, pollinators like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food chains and our economic systems – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterflies and vital non-managed bee species.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the persistent harm or degradation of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Over half of all threatened butterfly types in Europe are threatened by the climate change crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Nearly 90% of blooming plants in European nations rely on animal pollination, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many native plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, famous for pollinating trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the sole species of this biological genus in Europe, is now assessed as severely threatened – the research category most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they must ascend higher as their habitats become more heated but in the end have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is resulting in the forest boundary to move north by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush encroaching on bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating insects is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is declining quickly in Europe because of all these elements,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to halt the drop in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are engaged. We hope they can receive the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinating species which won’t reduce food production – and may enhance it – such as farmers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, described the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to tackle this threat. Along with member states, the European Commission has implemented an EU-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to prioritize application and cooperation with member countries to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the first European-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional crucial group of pollinators. Released in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly types in European nations were facing extinction.
