The total of native bee varieties in Europe experiencing dying out has more than doubled over the past decade, while the total of at-risk butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least over 170 bee types out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The total of butterfly types threatened with extinction in European nations has grown from 37 to over sixty since the last study, performed over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with risks increasing for butterflies and vital non-managed bee varieties.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the persistent damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the risk of local extinctions.
Global warming is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterflies in the European continent are imperilled by the climate crisis – approximately twofold the amount as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of blooming plants in the European continent require animal pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, native bee groups are in drastic decline and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the continent and the single type of this biological genus in the European continent, is now assessed as severely threatened – the research category most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to global warming as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but in the end run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by extreme dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is causing the forest boundary to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with bushes invading bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no longer cross the ice to graze northern grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these factors,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to halt the drop in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can get the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinating insects which will not lower crop yields – and could improve it – such as growers establishing flower-rich margins around their fields.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this threat. In collaboration with member states, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to focus on application and partnership with member states to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the pioneering European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it disclosed that 37% of all hoverfly species in Europe were threatened with extinction.
