The total of native bee varieties in European nations facing disappearance has over doubled over the past decade, whereas the count of endangered butterfly has almost doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinators was disclosed by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least over 170 bee species out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in Europe.
The total of butterflies threatened with extinction in Europe has grown from thirty-seven to 65 since the previous assessment, carried out 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our well-being, our food chains and our economies – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with dangers growing for butterflies and essential native bee types.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also shown to be a primary risk: Over half of all endangered butterfly species in Europe are endangered by the climate emergency – about twofold the amount as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of plants that flower in European nations require insect pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, native bee colonies are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, known for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the mainland and the sole species of this biological genus in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the research category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global heating as they have to climb upward as their environments become warmer but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, varieties such as the critically endangered grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by intense dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the timberline to move north by tens of metres each year, with scrub invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice to browse Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly in European nations because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to turn around the drop in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are involved. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will help them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinating species which will not decrease agricultural output – and might boost it – such as growers establishing flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this threat. Along with member states, the European Commission has put in place an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and partnership with participating nations to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The release of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the first European-wide study on hoverflies, another crucial pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it disclosed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly types in Europe were threatened with extinction.
