The number of non-managed bee species in Europe confronting dying out has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, whereas the number of at-risk butterfly types has almost doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinators was unveiled by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of over 1900 were facing extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterflies threatened with extinction in European nations has grown from over thirty-five to 65 since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural importance, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats mounting for butterfly species and crucial non-managed bee species.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the continuing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the application of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the threat of local extinctions.
Global warming is also revealed to be a significant danger: 52% of all threatened butterfly types in the European continent are endangered by the climate crisis – approximately double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly 90% of flowering plants in the European continent depend on insect pollination, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, known for pollinating trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the mainland and the single type of this genus in Europe, is now assessed as critically endangered – the scientific classification most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global warming as they must ascend higher as their environments become warmer but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by extreme drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Far North, climate change is leading to the timberline to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can not anymore cross the ice to graze Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly in Europe because of all these elements,” remarked 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 understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to halt the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are involved. We hope they can receive the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinating species which won’t reduce agricultural output – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers establishing flower-rich margins around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to confront this danger. Along with member states, the EU Commission has put in place an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to concentrate on application and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the first EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another essential pollinator group. Published in 2022, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were at risk of extinction.
