The number of non-managed bee species in Europe confronting extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, whereas the number of at-risk butterfly has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinators was unveiled by research studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least over 170 bee species out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in the European continent.
The count of butterfly species threatened with extinction in the European continent has increased from 37 to sixty-five since the last study, performed over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food chains and our economic systems – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with threats mounting for butterfly species and essential non-managed bee varieties.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also shown to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterflies in Europe are endangered by the climate emergency – about double the number as a ten years ago.
As many as 90% of plants that flower in European nations require pollination by animals, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, native bee populations are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many native plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, famous for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the single type of this genus in European nations, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific classification closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, species such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are threatened by extreme dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is causing the timberline to move north by dozens of meters each year, with scrub invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can no longer cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly across European nations 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 understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to turn around the decline in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are engaged. We hope they can receive the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce crop yields – and might boost it – such as farmers developing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this risk. Along with member states, the EU Commission has put in place an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and cooperation with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the first European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further vital group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in the European continent were at risk of extinction.
