The number of wild bee species in the European continent facing disappearance has increased twofold in the last ten years, whereas the count of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinators was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least 172 bee species out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The count of butterflies facing extinction in the European continent has grown from thirty-seven to over sixty since the earlier research, performed a decade and a half ago. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our health, our food chains and our financial structures – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with dangers increasing for butterfly species and essential wild bee varieties.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing destruction or damage of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterfly species in Europe are endangered by the climate crisis – about twice as many as a decade ago.
Up to nine out of ten of plants that flower in European nations require animal pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, wild bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which have an essential part in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, known for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the single type of this genus group in the European continent, is now assessed as severely threatened – the research category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are especially at risk to global heating as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but in the end run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are imperilled by intense wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, global heating is causing the forest boundary to move north by many meters each year, with bushes invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice sheets to graze Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly throughout the European continent because of all these elements,” said Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to turn around the drop in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are involved. It is hoped they can get the incentives that will help them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing margins rich in flowers around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this risk. Together with member countries, the European Commission has established an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and cooperation with member countries to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the first EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were facing extinction.
