The number of native bee varieties in European nations facing dying out has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the number of at-risk butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were facing extinction in the European continent.
The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to 65 since the earlier research, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural value, pollinators like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food systems and our economies – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with risks mounting for butterflies and essential native bee types.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the continuing destruction or damage of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all endangered butterfly types in Europe are endangered by the climate crisis – about double the number as a ten years ago.
As many as 90% of flowering plants in European nations depend on pollination by animals, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, non-managed bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the sole species of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific classification most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are solely present on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they must ascend higher as their habitats become more heated but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are threatened by intense dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Far North, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush taking over wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can not anymore cross the ice sheets to graze Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout the European continent because of all these reasons,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware 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 twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease food production – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing flower-rich margins around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, described the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this risk. Together with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an EU-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and partnership with member countries to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another crucial pollinating insect category. Issued in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly types in the European continent were facing extinction.
