The total of native bee types in Europe confronting extinction has increased twofold during the previous ten-year period, while the total of at-risk butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in Europe has risen from 37 to over sixty since the previous assessment, conducted 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our well-being, our food systems and our economies – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterflies and crucial non-managed bee types.”
The causes of the quick recent decreases are the continuing destruction or damage of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Global warming is also revealed to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate change crisis – about double the number as a previous decade.
Nearly nine out of ten of plants that flower in the European continent rely on insect pollination, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, non-managed bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees disappear, many native plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, recognized for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the mainland and the sole species of this genus group in the European continent, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific classification nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global warming as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are imperilled by intense wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, climate change is leading to the tree line to move north by many meters each year, with scrub invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can no more cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest living space for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast throughout European nations because of all these factors,” said Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to turn around the decrease in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are interested. We hope they can receive the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinating insects which will not lower agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as farmers creating flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to tackle this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an Europe-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and partnership with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the initial European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another crucial group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
