The count of wild bee types in European nations facing dying out has increased twofold in the last ten years, while the number of at-risk butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinators was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least over 170 bee species out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The total of butterfly species threatened with extinction in Europe has risen from over thirty-five to over sixty since the last study, carried out a decade and a half ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food systems and our economies – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with dangers mounting for butterfly types and essential native bee types.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of living environments caused by farming intensification and abandoned land, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the danger of local extinctions.
Global heating is also revealed to be a major threat: 52% of all endangered butterfly types in the European continent are endangered by the climate change crisis – roughly twice as many as a ten years ago.
As many as 90% of plants that flower in European nations rely on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, wild bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the continent and the only species of this biological genus in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on mountain tops are especially at risk to climate change as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by extreme drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, global heating is resulting in the forest boundary to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can not anymore cross the frozen water to browse northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating species is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these elements,” remarked Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to turn around the decrease in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are involved. Let’s hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as growers creating margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, described the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this danger. Together with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to focus on implementation and cooperation with member countries to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the pioneering European-wide study on hoverflies, another crucial pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were facing extinction.
