The count of native bee species in European nations experiencing extinction has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, and the number of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least 172 bee species out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species facing extinction in Europe has increased from thirty-seven to 65 since the previous assessment, conducted a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food systems and our economies – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats increasing for butterflies and essential wild bee varieties.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators significantly raises the risk of local extinctions.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: 52% of all endangered butterflies in the European continent are endangered by the climate emergency – about double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly nine out of ten of plants that flower in Europe rely on insect pollination, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, native bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, recognized for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the continent and the single type of this genus in Europe, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they need to move uphill as their environments become more heated but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are threatened by extreme dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, global heating is resulting in the timberline to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast in European nations because of all these factors,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to turn around the decrease in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are involved. We hope they can get the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinating species which won’t reduce crop yields – and may enhance it – such as farmers establishing bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, characterized the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this danger. Together with member states, the European Commission has put in place an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to focus on implementation and cooperation with member countries to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional crucial group of pollinators. Released in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were at risk of extinction.
