The total of wild bee types in the European continent confronting extinction has over doubled in the last ten years, and the number of threatened butterfly has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinating insects was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least over 170 bee species out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in European nations has grown from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the previous assessment, conducted a decade and a half ago. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with threats increasing for butterflies and vital native bee species.”
The causes of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterflies in European nations are threatened by the climate change crisis – about twice as many as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of plants that flower in European nations rely on pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, famous for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the European continent and the single type of this genus group in Europe, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific classification nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to global warming as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become more heated but ultimately run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are threatened by severe dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Far North, global heating is resulting in the timberline to move north by tens of metres each year, with underbrush encroaching on bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly throughout Europe because of all these reasons,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to halt the drop in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are involved. Let’s hope they can obtain the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinators which won’t reduce crop yields – and may enhance it – such as farmers creating margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, characterized the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is needed to tackle this threat. Together with participating nations, the European Commission has implemented an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize application and cooperation with member states to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the pioneering EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, another vital pollinator group. Released in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly types in European nations were facing extinction.
