The number of wild bee varieties in Europe experiencing dying out has more than doubled in the last ten years, while the count of threatened butterfly has close to doubled.
This pressing issue for essential pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which established that at least 172 bee species out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly species facing extinction in the European continent has grown from thirty-seven to over sixty since the previous assessment, carried out a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our health, our food chains and our financial structures – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with dangers increasing for butterflies and crucial non-managed bee varieties.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: Over half of all threatened butterflies in European nations are threatened by the climate emergency – roughly twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Up to ninety percent of flowering plants in European nations rely on animal pollination, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, non-managed bee colonies are in sharp decrease and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the European continent and the single type of this genus group in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the research category most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are solely present on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to global warming as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become hotter but eventually have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by intense dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is causing the timberline to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with scrub encroaching on bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can no more cross the ice to browse Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast across Europe 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 European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are interested. It is hoped they can receive the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinating species which won’t reduce food production – and may enhance it – such as growers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to confront this threat. Together with member states, the EU Commission has established an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize application and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the initial Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further essential pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly species in the European continent were at risk of extinction.
