The number of wild bee species in European nations facing dying out has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the count of endangered butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in Europe.
The total of butterflies facing extinction in Europe has increased from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. One type, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural value, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food systems and our economies – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with threats increasing for butterflies and essential non-managed bee species.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the continuing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterfly types in Europe are endangered by the climate crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Up to 90% of plants that flower in Europe require animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the mainland and the only species of this genus in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the research category most akin to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are solely present on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global warming 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 European endemics (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are endangered by severe wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global warming is resulting in the forest boundary to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with underbrush encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice sheets to feed on northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest environment for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast in European nations because of all these factors,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to reverse the drop in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can receive the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinating species which won’t reduce agricultural output – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers creating flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to address this threat. Together with member countries, the European Commission has implemented an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and partnership with member states to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the pioneering European-wide study on hoverflies, an additional crucial pollinating insect category. Issued in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were facing extinction.
