The total of non-managed bee species in Europe facing dying out has over doubled in the last ten years, while the count of threatened butterfly has close to doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least over 170 bee varieties out of over 1900 were facing extinction in European nations.
The total of butterflies facing extinction in European nations has risen from 37 to sixty-five since the previous assessment, conducted 14 years ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with threats mounting for butterfly types and vital wild bee species.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the continuing harm or degradation of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global warming is also revealed to be a significant danger: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in Europe are threatened by the climate emergency – approximately twice as many as a ten years ago.
Up to nine out of ten of flowering plants in the European continent require pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, non-managed bee populations are in sharp decrease and are not easily replaceable by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees disappear, many native plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, recognized for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the European continent and the single type of this biological genus in European nations, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific category most akin to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on mountain tops 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 the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of European endemics (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are threatened by extreme drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global warming is leading to the tree line to shift northward by many meters each year, with underbrush taking over wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to graze northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast across European nations because of all these factors,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “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 member countries have to turn around the drop in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can get the incentives that will support them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which won’t reduce food production – and could improve it – such as farmers creating margins rich in flowers around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, described the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to address this risk. In collaboration with participating nations, the EU Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and cooperation with participating nations to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the initial Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another crucial pollinator group. Released in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in Europe were threatened with extinction.
