The count of native bee varieties in Europe facing dying out has increased twofold over the past decade, whereas the total of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinating species was unveiled by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least over 170 bee species out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The total of butterfly types at risk of extinction in Europe has increased from over thirty-five to over sixty since the previous assessment, conducted a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food systems and our economies – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with dangers growing for butterfly types and essential wild bee species.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the persistent harm or degradation of habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a major threat: 52% of all at-risk butterfly types in the European continent are threatened by the climate emergency – about double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly 90% of plants that flower in the European continent require animal pollination, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, native bee colonies are in sharp decrease and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, famous for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the European continent and the only species of this genus group in the European continent, is now assessed as severely threatened – the research category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are especially at risk to climate change as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become more heated but eventually have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by severe wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is causing the timberline to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with bushes encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can no longer cross the ice sheets to browse Arctic grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly across Europe because of all these factors,” 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 understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to reverse the drop in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. We hope they can receive the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinating species which will not lower crop yields – and may enhance it – such as agricultural producers creating bloom-filled edges around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this risk. In collaboration with participating nations, the European Commission has established an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize application and partnership with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the initial European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further crucial group of pollinators. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
