The total of wild bee types in Europe facing extinction has more than doubled in the last ten years, and the total of at-risk butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinators was unveiled by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least 172 bee species out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The count of butterfly species at risk of extinction in European nations has risen from 37 to 65 since the last study, performed 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our health, our food chains and our economies – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with risks growing for butterfly types and vital non-managed bee types.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the threat of local extinctions.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterflies in the European continent are endangered by the climate crisis – about twice as many as a ten years ago.
As many as ninety percent of blooming plants in European nations depend on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, native bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many native plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, known for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the European continent and the only species of this genus in Europe, is now classified as severely threatened – the research category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are solely present on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but in the end run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of European endemics (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are threatened by extreme wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the tree line to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush encroaching on marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can not anymore cross the frozen water to feed on northern grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest living space for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is vanishing rapidly in Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people care 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 property owners who are engaged. We hope they can receive the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinating insects which will not decrease crop yields – and might boost it – such as growers creating bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to tackle this risk. Together with member countries, the European Commission has put in place an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with participating nations to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the first European-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional essential pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were at risk of extinction.
