The total of native bee species in European nations confronting extinction has over doubled in the last ten years, and the number of at-risk butterfly has close to doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species facing extinction in the European continent has increased from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the last study, carried out 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food systems and our economies – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterfly types and crucial native bee varieties.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Global warming is also revealed to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterflies in the European continent are imperilled by the climate crisis – approximately double the number as a previous decade.
Nearly nine out of ten of flowering plants in the European continent rely on insect pollination, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, native bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many native plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the continent and the sole species of this genus group in Europe, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific category most akin to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are especially at risk to global warming as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become more heated but eventually run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by intense drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global warming is leading to the tree line to advance northwards by many meters each year, with underbrush invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can not anymore cross the ice sheets to feed on northern grasslands and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these reasons,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to turn around the drop in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are engaged. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and could improve it – such as growers developing bloom-filled edges around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this risk. Together with member states, the European Commission has put in place an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to focus on execution and partnership with member countries to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the first Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, another vital pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in European nations were facing extinction.
