The count of wild bee species in the European continent experiencing extinction has increased twofold in the last ten years, while the total of at-risk butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinating insects was revealed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of 1,928 were facing extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterflies threatened with extinction in European nations has grown from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the last study, conducted over a decade past. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food supplies and our economies – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with risks increasing for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee varieties.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing harm or degradation of habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. 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 – about twofold the amount as a decade ago.
Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in European nations require insect pollination, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, native bee populations are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees disappear, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, recognized 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 European nations, is now assessed as critically endangered – the scientific classification nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain peaks are especially at risk to climate change as they have to climb upward as their environments become more heated but eventually exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by intense dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is leading to the tree line to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the frozen water to feed on northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest living space for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly in Europe because of all these reasons,” stated Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people 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 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are interested. Let’s hope they can receive the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as growers creating flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this risk. Together with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to prioritize application and partnership with member states to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the pioneering European-wide assessment of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Issued in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were threatened with extinction.
