The total of non-managed bee varieties in the European continent experiencing extinction has over doubled over the past decade, and the total of endangered butterfly types has almost doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinators was disclosed by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least 172 bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The number of butterflies threatened with extinction in European nations has grown from 37 to sixty-five since the previous assessment, conducted a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food systems and our financial structures – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with risks growing for butterflies and crucial non-managed bee types.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the persistent destruction or damage of habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly species in European nations are endangered by the climate emergency – about twofold the amount as a decade ago.
Up to 90% of flowering plants in Europe rely on animal pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, native bee groups are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” 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 bumblebees, which have an essential part in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, known for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the European continent and the single type of this genus in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the research category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are especially at risk to climate change as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become hotter but eventually exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are threatened by intense dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is causing the timberline to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with bushes invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the frozen water to browse Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast across Europe because of all these factors,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to halt the drop in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are involved. Let’s hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not lower crop yields – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers developing flower-rich margins around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this threat. Along with participating nations, the EU Commission has put in place an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and collaboration with member countries to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, another vital pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it disclosed that 37% of all hoverfly species in European nations were at risk of extinction.
