The count of wild bee varieties in Europe experiencing dying out has over doubled in the last ten years, while the count of at-risk butterfly species has almost doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinators was revealed by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least 172 bee species out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The number of butterflies at risk of extinction in the European continent has increased from 37 to 65 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.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economies – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with dangers increasing for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee varieties.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the persistent damage or destruction of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly species in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – about twofold the amount as a previous decade.
Up to 90% of blooming plants in Europe require pollination by animals, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, wild bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many native plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the European continent and the only species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific classification closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global warming as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become hotter but in the end have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by extreme drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, climate change is leading to the tree line to advance northwards by many meters each year, with scrub encroaching on bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to browse Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest living space for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is vanishing rapidly in the European continent because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to halt the drop in pollinating insects by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are involved. Let’s hope they can obtain the incentives that will support them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers creating bloom-filled edges around their fields.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to confront this threat. In collaboration with member countries, the European Commission has established an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the first Europe-wide study on hoverflies, an additional crucial pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
