The number of non-managed bee types in the European continent confronting disappearance has over doubled over the past decade, and the count of endangered butterfly species has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinators was unveiled by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least over 170 bee varieties out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The total of butterfly types at risk of extinction in European nations has grown from thirty-seven to over sixty since the last study, conducted over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our health, our food chains and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with threats mounting for butterfly species and vital wild bee varieties.”
The causes of the quick recent decreases are the persistent damage or destruction of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterflies in Europe are imperilled by the climate emergency – about twice as many as a previous decade.
Nearly ninety percent of flowering plants in Europe rely on insect pollination, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, non-managed bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type unique to the continent and the only species of this genus group in Europe, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific classification nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they must ascend higher as their habitats become more heated but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are endangered by severe dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is leading to the timberline to advance northwards by many meters each year, with underbrush taking over bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly throughout Europe because of all these reasons,” said Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many citizens care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to halt the decrease in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are interested. Let’s hope they can get the motivations that will help them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease food production – and may enhance it – such as farmers establishing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, characterized the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Immediate and joint measures is needed to address this risk. Together with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to focus on execution and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, a further crucial pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in the European continent were facing extinction.