The count of native bee varieties in the European continent experiencing disappearance has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the total of threatened butterfly types has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating species was revealed by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least 172 bee types out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in Europe has grown from thirty-seven to over sixty since the earlier research, performed over a decade past. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinators like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our health, our food supplies and our economies – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with dangers increasing for butterfly types and vital wild bee types.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the persistent damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the threat of local extinctions.
Global warming is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: 52% of all endangered butterflies in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a decade ago.
As many as ninety percent of blooming plants in Europe require pollination by animals, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, wild bee populations are in sharp decrease and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, 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 continent and the only species of this biological genus in Europe, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific category closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain peaks are especially at risk to global warming as they need to move uphill as their environments become more heated but in the end have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are threatened by severe drought and wildfires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global heating is causing the timberline to advance northwards by many meters each year, with underbrush invading marsh and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly across European nations because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to halt the drop in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can get the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and might boost it – such as growers creating margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, characterized the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Immediate and joint measures is needed to tackle this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the European Commission has put in place an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to focus on execution and cooperation with member states to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering Europe-wide study on hoverflies, another crucial pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
