The count of wild bee varieties in the European continent confronting disappearance has more than doubled over the past decade, whereas the count of endangered butterfly types has almost doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinating species was unveiled by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were facing extinction in Europe.
The number of butterflies threatened with extinction in Europe has risen from over thirty-five to over sixty since the last study, conducted over a decade past. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our well-being, our food chains and our economies – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with risks increasing for butterfly types and vital non-managed bee species.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the persistent damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the danger of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly types in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – about twice as many as a decade ago.
As many as ninety percent of blooming plants in Europe depend on insect pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, non-managed bee colonies are in sharp decrease and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, known for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the European continent and the sole species of this genus group in Europe, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific category nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become more heated but eventually have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by severe drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Far North, climate change is causing the tree line to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with bushes encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no more cross the ice to feed on Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout the European continent because of all these factors,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to turn around the decline in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are involved. It is hoped they can get the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating insects which will not lower crop yields – and may enhance it – such as growers 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 “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to confront this risk. In collaboration with member states, the European Commission has implemented an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and collaboration with participating nations to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the first European-wide study on hoverflies, another crucial pollinator group. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly species in European nations were threatened with extinction.
