The total of native bee varieties in Europe confronting disappearance has over doubled in the last ten years, whereas the total of threatened butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly species facing extinction in European nations has grown from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the earlier research, carried out a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with risks increasing for butterfly types and essential wild bee varieties.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the continuing harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the risk of local extinctions.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterfly types in European nations are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about double the number as a decade ago.
As many as nine out of ten of plants that flower in the European continent depend on pollination by animals, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, native bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many wild plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, recognized for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type unique to the continent and the sole species of this genus group in European nations, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to climate change as they have to climb upward as their environments become more heated but eventually have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of European endemics (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by intense dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Far North, climate change is resulting in the tree line to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with scrub invading bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no more cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating insects is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these elements,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to reverse the drop in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are interested. It is hoped they can obtain the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce crop yields – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers creating flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to confront this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to prioritize execution and cooperation with member countries to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the pioneering Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another essential pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in European nations were threatened with extinction.
