The number of native bee types in Europe experiencing disappearance has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, whereas the total of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinators was disclosed by research studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The total of butterfly types at risk of extinction in the European continent has risen from 37 to 65 since the previous assessment, performed over a decade past. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our physical condition, our food systems and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with dangers growing for butterfly species and essential wild bee types.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the ongoing destruction or damage of habitats caused by farming intensification and abandoned land, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also revealed to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterflies in Europe are threatened by the climate crisis – about twofold the amount as a decade ago.
Nearly 90% of plants that flower in European nations rely on insect pollination, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, non-managed bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee types, known for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the mainland and the sole species of this genus in Europe, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific classification closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global heating as they need to move uphill as their habitats become more heated but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, species such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are threatened by severe wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, climate change is causing the forest boundary to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with underbrush taking over marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to feed on Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is declining quickly in the European continent because of all these factors,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, 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 landowners who are interested. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and might boost it – such as farmers creating margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is needed to confront this threat. Along with member countries, the European Commission has implemented an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize application and cooperation with participating nations to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the first EU-wide study on hoverflies, an additional essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
