The total of non-managed bee types in European nations experiencing extinction has increased twofold over the past decade, while the count of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The total of butterfly types threatened with extinction in the European continent has increased from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the earlier research, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with dangers increasing for butterfly species and vital wild bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the persistent harm or degradation of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the danger of local extinctions.
Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly types in the European continent are imperilled by the climate crisis – roughly twice as many as a ten years ago.
Nearly 90% of flowering plants in Europe require insect pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee colonies are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, famous for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the mainland and the single type of this biological genus in the European continent, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the scientific classification nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they need to move uphill as their habitats become hotter but eventually run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global heating is causing the tree line to move north by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice to browse northern grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in the European continent because of all these elements,” stated Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to halt the decline in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are engaged. Let’s hope they can obtain the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not decrease agricultural output – and might boost it – such as growers establishing flower-rich margins around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, described the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the European Commission has put in place an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the pioneering Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Issued in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
