The count of wild bee species in the European continent experiencing extinction has increased twofold in the last ten years, and the number of endangered butterfly species has close to doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least 172 bee types out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The number of butterflies facing extinction in European nations has increased from thirty-seven to 65 since the earlier research, conducted 14 years ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with risks increasing for butterfly species and essential non-managed bee types.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all threatened butterflies in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – roughly double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly ninety percent of blooming plants in the European continent require insect pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, wild bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, recognized for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the European continent and the sole species of this genus in Europe, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific category closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global heating as they have to climb upward as their environments become hotter but eventually have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by extreme dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice to feed on northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout Europe because of all these factors,” stated 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 awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to reverse 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 get the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not decrease agricultural output – and might boost it – such as growers creating bloom-filled edges around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to confront this danger. Along with member states, the European Commission has implemented an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and cooperation with participating nations to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the first Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinating insect category. Issued in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
