The count of non-managed bee species in the European continent facing extinction has over doubled in the last ten years, and the total of endangered butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for essential pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least 172 bee types out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterflies at risk of extinction in European nations has increased from thirty-seven to over sixty since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food systems and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with risks increasing for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the persistent destruction or damage of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the danger of local extinctions.
Global warming is also revealed to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterflies in the European continent are threatened by the climate crisis – roughly double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly 90% of blooming plants in European nations rely on animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee colonies are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties 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 bee species, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the European continent and the sole species of this genus group in Europe, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific classification most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are solely present on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but eventually exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by severe dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the forest boundary to move north by tens of metres each year, with scrub encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice sheets to browse northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in Europe because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to halt the drop in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which won’t reduce agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as farmers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, characterized the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to tackle this threat. Together with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to focus on execution and collaboration with member countries to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the first European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were facing extinction.
