The total of wild bee species in the European continent confronting extinction has increased twofold during the previous ten-year period, and the total of endangered butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinators was revealed by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The number of butterflies facing extinction in European nations has increased from over thirty-five to 65 since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with threats growing for butterflies and vital non-managed bee types.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing destruction or damage of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the threat of extinctions at local level.
Global warming is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly species in European nations are imperilled by the climate emergency – about twice as many as a ten years ago.
As many as 90% of blooming plants in European nations depend on pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many native plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which perform a vital function in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type unique to the European continent and the single type of this genus group in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the research category most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to climate change as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but in the end have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by severe dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic Circle, global heating is resulting in the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with underbrush taking over marsh and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest habitat for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly across European nations because of all these factors,” stated Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to reverse the decrease in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are interested. We hope they can get the incentives 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 food production – and could improve it – such as growers creating margins rich in flowers around their fields.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to address this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the EU Commission has implemented an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and cooperation with member countries to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The release of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the initial Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinating insect category. Issued in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
