The count of native bee varieties in the European continent facing extinction has increased twofold over the past decade, and the number of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue 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 species out of 1,928 were facing extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly species facing extinction in Europe has risen from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the last study, carried out 14 years ago. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food supplies and our financial structures – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with risks mounting for butterflies and essential native bee types.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing harm or degradation of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the danger of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all threatened butterfly types in the European continent are imperilled by the climate emergency – approximately twofold the amount as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of blooming plants in European nations rely on insect pollination, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, wild bee populations are in sharp decrease and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many native plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, famous for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the mainland and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they have to climb upward as their environments become warmer but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by severe wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global warming is leading to the forest boundary to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with scrub encroaching on marsh and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can not anymore cross the ice sheets to browse northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest environment for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast in Europe because of all these factors,” remarked Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to reverse the drop in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are involved. It is hoped they can receive the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which won’t reduce agricultural output – and might boost it – such as farmers creating flower-rich margins around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, described the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to confront this risk. In collaboration with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has established an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and cooperation with member countries to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the pioneering EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional crucial pollinator group. Released in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
