The number of non-managed bee types in the European continent experiencing disappearance has increased twofold over the past decade, while the number of endangered butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least over 170 bee types out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly types facing extinction in European nations has risen from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the previous assessment, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economic systems – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with threats growing for butterfly species and vital wild bee varieties.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the continuing harm or degradation of habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also revealed to be a significant danger: Over half of all at-risk butterflies in Europe are threatened by the climate emergency – roughly double the number as a previous decade.
As many as ninety percent of plants that flower in the European continent depend on animal pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, wild bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, known for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the only species of this genus group in Europe, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global heating as they need to move uphill as their environments become more heated but ultimately run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are threatened by severe dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the tree line to move north by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in the European continent because of all these elements,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to reverse the decline in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are involved. It is hoped they can get the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinating species which will not decrease crop yields – and might boost it – such as growers establishing bloom-filled edges around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, described the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to address this risk. Together with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with participating nations to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the pioneering European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Released in 2022, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
