The number of native bee species in the European continent confronting dying out has increased twofold in the last ten years, and the total of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinators was revealed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which found that at least 172 bee types out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterflies at risk of extinction in European nations has increased from 37 to sixty-five since the last study, carried out a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural significance, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with dangers growing for butterfly types and crucial wild bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the application of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are threatened by the climate change crisis – approximately double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly ninety percent of plants that flower in the European continent depend on insect pollination, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee populations are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the only species of this genus group in Europe, is now classified as critically endangered – the research category nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become more heated but ultimately have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, varieties such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by intense drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the tree line to move north by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast across European nations because of all these factors,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to reverse the decrease in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are involved. It is hoped they can obtain the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of steps for pollinating insects which will not decrease food production – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to confront this danger. In collaboration with member states, the Commission of the European Union has established an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to prioritize execution and collaboration with member countries to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the initial European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional essential pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
