The number of non-managed bee varieties in the European continent experiencing disappearance has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the number of endangered butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinating species was disclosed by research studies for the IUCN red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterfly species at risk of extinction in European nations has increased from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the previous assessment, carried out a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our well-being, our food chains and our economies – sustaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with risks increasing for butterfly species and essential wild bee species.”
The factors of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the threat of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also shown to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterflies in European nations are threatened by the climate change crisis – about twice as many as a previous decade.
Nearly 90% of plants that flower in the European continent require pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, wild bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the continent and the only species of this genus group in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they must ascend higher as their habitats become more heated but eventually exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are endangered by severe wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is causing the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub encroaching on marsh and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can no longer cross the ice sheets to browse Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly across Europe because of all these elements,” said Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to reverse 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 motivations that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce food production – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers creating margins rich in flowers around their fields.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the protection status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this risk. Along with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an EU-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to prioritize application and partnership with participating nations to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The release of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the pioneering Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further vital pollinating insect category. Issued in 2022, it disclosed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were facing extinction.
