The count of wild bee varieties in the European continent confronting dying out has more than doubled in the last ten years, while the number of at-risk butterfly has almost doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinators was unveiled by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least over 170 bee varieties out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly types facing extinction in the European continent has increased from over thirty-five to 65 since the earlier research, performed 14 years ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our well-being, our food systems and our financial structures – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with risks mounting for butterfly types and vital non-managed bee types.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the persistent destruction or damage of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterfly species in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – approximately double the number as a decade ago.
Nearly 90% of flowering plants in European nations rely on animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many wild plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, known for aiding tree pollination such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the mainland and the single type of this biological genus in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific classification closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to climate change as they must ascend higher as their habitats become more heated but eventually exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are threatened by severe wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global warming is causing the timberline to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to browse Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest living space for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly throughout European nations because of all these reasons,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, 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 property owners who are involved. We hope they can get the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease food production – and might boost it – such as farmers creating bloom-filled edges around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to confront this danger. In collaboration with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to focus on application and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the initial EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital pollinator group. Published in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were at risk of extinction.
