The number of wild bee species in Europe facing disappearance has over doubled over the past decade, whereas the count of endangered butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinators was unveiled by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least over 170 bee types out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in European nations has increased from over thirty-five to over sixty since the earlier research, performed 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our health, our food chains and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with dangers mounting for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee types.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterfly species in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – approximately twice as many as a previous decade.
As many as nine out of ten of flowering plants in European nations depend on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, native bee groups are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, famous for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the mainland and the single type of this genus in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific classification closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are solely present on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to global heating as they need to move uphill as their environments become hotter but ultimately exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of European endemics (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are endangered by extreme wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is resulting in the forest boundary to move north by dozens of meters each year, with bushes encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice sheets to graze northern grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these factors,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The good news is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to turn around the decrease in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are involved. Let’s hope they can receive the motivations that will help them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which won’t reduce food production – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers establishing flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to prioritize application and cooperation with participating nations to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the first European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further crucial pollinator group. Published in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
