The number of native bee species in the European continent facing disappearance has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, and the total of at-risk butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinators was disclosed by research studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly species at risk of extinction in European nations has grown from 37 to 65 since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural value, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with dangers mounting for butterfly types and essential wild bee varieties.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing harm or degradation of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly types in Europe are endangered by the climate emergency – about twice as many as a decade ago.
Nearly 90% of flowering plants in European nations depend on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, wild bee populations are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific category most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they must ascend higher as their habitats become hotter but eventually exhaust available 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) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are threatened by severe dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, climate change is causing the timberline to move north by dozens of meters each year, with bushes encroaching on marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can not anymore cross the ice sheets to browse Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in European nations because of all these reasons,” stated Martin Warren. “The good news 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 halt the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are interested. We hope they can get the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which will not decrease agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as agricultural producers creating flower-rich margins around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, described the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to confront this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the European Commission has implemented an EU-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to focus on implementation and cooperation with member states to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the initial Europe-wide study on hoverflies, a further crucial pollinator group. Published in 2022, it disclosed that 37% of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
