The number of native bee varieties in European nations experiencing extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, and the number of at-risk butterfly has almost doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinators was unveiled by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least 172 bee types out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in Europe.
The total of butterflies facing extinction in Europe has grown from 37 to 65 since the earlier research, carried out a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our health, our food systems and our economies – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterflies and crucial native bee species.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly types in Europe are imperilled by the climate change crisis – approximately twice as many as a previous decade.
Nearly nine out of ten of blooming plants in European nations depend on pollination by animals, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, non-managed bee populations are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee species, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the continent and the only species of this genus group in European nations, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific category nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to climate change as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become hotter but ultimately run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by extreme wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the forest boundary to advance northwards by many meters each year, with bushes taking over bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the frozen water to feed on Arctic grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to reverse the decrease in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are interested. Let’s hope 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 growers creating margins rich in flowers around their fields.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to tackle this threat. Along with participating nations, the European Commission has put in place an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to focus on application and collaboration with participating nations to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the first European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly types in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
