The count of wild bee varieties in the European continent experiencing disappearance has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the count of threatened butterfly species has almost doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinating insects was revealed 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 over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The count of butterflies facing extinction in Europe has risen from thirty-seven to 65 since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our health, our food supplies and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with risks mounting for butterflies and essential wild bee types.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing harm or degradation of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the threat of local extinctions.
Global warming is also revealed to be a significant danger: 52% of all threatened butterfly types in Europe are endangered by the climate emergency – about twice as many as a previous decade.
Nearly nine out of ten of flowering plants in the European continent require pollination by animals, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, famous for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the European continent and the only species of this biological genus in European nations, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific category closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are solely present on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to global heating as they need to move uphill as their habitats become hotter but in the end have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are imperilled by severe drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is causing the timberline to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice to feed on northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is declining quickly throughout Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to turn around the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are involved. Let’s hope they can obtain the incentives that will support them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and might boost it – such as farmers creating margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, described the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this threat. In collaboration with member states, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize application and collaboration with participating nations to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the first Europe-wide study on hoverflies, a further essential pollinator group. Published in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
