The count of native bee species in European nations experiencing disappearance has increased twofold over the past decade, while the total of at-risk butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly species facing extinction in the European continent has grown from over thirty-five to 65 since the previous assessment, carried out a decade and a half ago. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economies – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with risks mounting for butterflies and essential wild bee species.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the continuing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators significantly raises the danger of extinctions at local level.
Global warming is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all threatened butterfly species in the European continent are threatened by the climate crisis – about twice as many as a ten years ago.
As many as nine out of ten of flowering plants in the European continent depend on pollination by animals, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, native bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which perform a vital function in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the European continent and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific classification closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain peaks are especially at risk to global heating as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become more heated but ultimately exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by intense wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the forest boundary to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with bushes invading bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice to graze Arctic grasslands and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in Europe because of all these factors,” remarked Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to reverse the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are involved. Let’s hope they can receive the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not lower agricultural output – and might boost it – such as farmers creating margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to tackle this threat. Together with participating nations, the EU Commission has put in place an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize execution and partnership with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the pioneering European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly types in the European continent were facing extinction.
