The count of native bee varieties in the European continent confronting dying out has more than doubled in the last ten years, and the count of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinators was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterflies facing extinction in Europe has risen from thirty-seven to over sixty since the last study, conducted a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our health, our food chains and our financial structures – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with risks increasing for butterfly types and essential native bee varieties.”
The causes of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the threat of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also shown to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterfly types in the European continent are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in European nations require animal pollination, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, non-managed bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many native plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the continent and the only species of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as severely threatened – the research category nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are solely present on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global warming as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but in the end exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Far North, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with bushes invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the frozen water to feed on Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in the European continent because of all these factors,” stated Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to reverse the drop in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are involved. We hope they can get the incentives that will support them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinating species which will not decrease food production – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers creating bloom-filled edges around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to confront this threat. Together with participating nations, the EU Commission has implemented an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to focus on implementation and cooperation with participating nations to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the pioneering Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional essential group of pollinators. Issued in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
