The count of wild bee species in Europe confronting disappearance has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, whereas the total of endangered butterfly has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinators was disclosed by research studies for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were facing extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in Europe has risen from thirty-seven to over sixty since the previous assessment, conducted over a decade past. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food chains and our economic systems – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats growing for butterfly types and vital native bee species.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Global warming is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: 52% of all threatened butterfly types in the European continent are threatened by the climate crisis – about twice as many as a decade ago.
Up to 90% of flowering plants in the European continent require insect pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Unfortunately, wild bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many native plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the mainland and the only species of this genus in European nations, is now assessed as severely threatened – the research category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they need to move uphill as their environments become more heated but eventually exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are threatened by severe dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the timberline to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush encroaching on marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to browse northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly throughout the European continent because of all these elements,” stated Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to turn around the decline in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are interested. We hope they can receive the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinators which won’t reduce food production – and may enhance it – such as growers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, described the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to tackle this threat. In collaboration with member states, the EU Commission has put in place an EU-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to focus on implementation and collaboration with participating nations to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the initial EU-wide study on hoverflies, a further essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly types in Europe were at risk of extinction.
