The total of non-managed bee species in European nations experiencing disappearance has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, whereas the count of at-risk butterfly has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinating species was unveiled by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least over 170 bee varieties out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The count of butterflies threatened with extinction in Europe has grown from 37 to sixty-five since the last study, conducted 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our well-being, our food chains and our economies – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with dangers growing for butterflies and crucial wild bee species.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also revealed to be a major threat: 52% of all endangered butterfly species in Europe are threatened by the climate crisis – about double the number as a ten years ago.
Up to ninety percent of plants that flower in Europe require pollination by animals, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee groups are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the single type of this genus group in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific classification most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain tops are especially at risk to climate change as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become warmer but eventually have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are threatened by extreme drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the timberline to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice to graze northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest habitat for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast in European nations because of all these elements,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to turn around the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can receive the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinating insects which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as farmers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to confront this threat. Along 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 aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to focus on implementation and cooperation with participating nations to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering European-wide assessment of hoverflies, another vital pollinator group. Published in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in European nations were at risk of extinction.
