The number of non-managed bee varieties in Europe facing extinction has more than doubled in the last ten years, whereas the number of threatened butterfly has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinators was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least over 170 bee types out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species at risk of extinction in the European continent has increased from thirty-seven to 65 since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural value, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with threats increasing for butterfly types and vital wild bee species.”
The causes of the quick recent decreases are the continuing harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the threat of disappearances in specific areas.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in Europe are threatened by the climate crisis – about twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Up to ninety percent of plants that flower in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, wild bee groups are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, famous for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the continent and the single type of this genus group in European nations, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific category nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain tops are highly susceptible to climate change as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become hotter but in the end have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are endangered by severe dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global heating is causing the forest boundary to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with scrub encroaching on bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to graze northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is declining quickly in European nations because of all these elements,” said 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 consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to reverse the drop in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can get the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as growers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to address this risk. Along with participating nations, the European Commission has implemented an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to focus on execution and collaboration with member states to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the first EU-wide study on hoverflies, an additional essential pollinator group. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were at risk of extinction.
