The total of native bee species in the European continent experiencing disappearance has increased twofold in the last ten years, whereas the count of endangered butterfly species has almost doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least over 170 bee types out of over 1900 were facing extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species facing extinction in the European continent has risen from 37 to 65 since the last study, carried out over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with risks mounting for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee varieties.”
The causes of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing damage or destruction of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all endangered butterflies in the European continent are endangered by the climate change crisis – roughly twice as many as a decade ago.
Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in Europe require insect pollination, according to the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, wild bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which have an essential part in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, known for aiding tree pollination such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the European continent and the single type of this genus group in Europe, is now classified as severely threatened – the research category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are especially at risk to global heating as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become more heated but eventually exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by extreme drought and wildfires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, climate change is causing the tree line to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush taking over wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the ice to graze Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in European nations because of all these reasons,” said Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many citizens care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to reverse the decrease in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are engaged. Let’s hope they can obtain the incentives that will help them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating species which will not lower agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as growers developing bloom-filled edges around their fields.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to tackle this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the European Commission has put in place an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and collaboration with member countries to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the initial European-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further crucial pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were at risk of extinction.
