The count of wild bee types in Europe facing extinction has increased twofold in the last ten years, while the count of at-risk butterfly species has almost doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The total of butterfly species facing extinction in European nations has risen from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our well-being, our food systems and our economic systems – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with risks growing for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee types.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the continuing destruction or damage of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the danger of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in Europe are endangered by the climate emergency – about double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly nine out of ten of blooming plants in the European continent require insect pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, non-managed bee groups are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the continent and the sole species of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as severely threatened – the research category closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are solely present on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to climate change as they have to climb upward as their habitats become warmer but ultimately have no room left. In southern Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of European endemics (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by extreme wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is leading to the tree line to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with scrub taking over marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice sheets to graze northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest living space for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast in the European continent because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to turn around the decline in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are engaged. It is hoped they can obtain the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and may enhance it – such as agricultural producers creating bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the European Commission has implemented an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to prioritize application and collaboration with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the pioneering European-wide study on hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly types in Europe were threatened with extinction.
