The count of wild bee species in European nations confronting extinction has more than doubled in the last ten years, while the count of endangered butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for essential pollinators was revealed by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least 172 bee types out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The count of butterflies at risk of extinction in the European continent has increased from over thirty-five to 65 since the earlier research, conducted over a decade past. One type, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural value, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food systems and our economic systems – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with dangers mounting for butterfly species and crucial wild bee types.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the continuing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the danger of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also revealed to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly types in the European continent are threatened by the climate crisis – approximately twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Up to ninety percent of blooming plants in the European continent rely on animal pollination, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, native bee colonies are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, recognized for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the continent and the only species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the research category closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on mountain tops are especially at risk to climate change as they must ascend higher as their environments become more heated but in the end run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are threatened by intense drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global heating is causing the tree line to move north by many meters each year, with scrub encroaching on bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no more cross the frozen water to browse northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these elements,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to halt the decline in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are involved. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of steps for pollinating species which won’t reduce food production – and may enhance it – such as agricultural producers developing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, described the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to tackle this threat. Along with member states, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to concentrate on application and collaboration with member countries to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the first Europe-wide study on hoverflies, an additional vital pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly species in European nations were threatened with extinction.
