The number of wild bee species in the European continent confronting dying out has over doubled over the past decade, while the count of at-risk butterfly types has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinators was disclosed by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least 172 bee types out of 1,928 were facing extinction in European nations.
The count of butterflies facing extinction in European nations has increased from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the earlier research, performed 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our physical condition, our food chains and our economic systems – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with dangers growing for butterfly species and essential non-managed bee types.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the continuing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat significantly raises the risk of local extinctions.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly species in European nations are endangered by the climate emergency – about double the number as a ten years ago.
As many as nine out of ten of flowering plants in European nations depend on animal pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee colonies are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which have an essential part in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, known for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the continent and the single type of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific category most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to climate change as they have to climb upward as their habitats become warmer but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of European endemics (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling are endangered by intense wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global heating is causing the tree line to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with bushes taking over marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice sheets to graze Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout European nations because of all these elements,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are engaged. Let’s hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers creating margins rich in flowers around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to tackle this danger. Along with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and cooperation with participating nations to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the initial Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another essential pollinator group. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in the European continent were facing extinction.
