The count of wild bee species in Europe facing extinction has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the number of threatened butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinating species was unveiled by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least 172 bee species out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The number of butterflies at risk of extinction in the European continent has risen from thirty-seven to over sixty since the earlier research, conducted 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food systems and our financial structures – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal significant difficulties, with risks increasing for butterflies and essential wild bee types.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the ongoing harm or degradation of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of local extinctions.
Climate change is also shown to be a primary risk: Over half of all endangered butterfly species in the European continent are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about twofold the amount as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of plants that flower in Europe rely on pollination by animals, according to the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, wild bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many native plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the mainland and the sole species of this genus group in the European continent, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the scientific category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become warmer but in the end exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by severe wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, global warming is resulting in the timberline to move north by many meters each year, with underbrush taking over bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can not anymore cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly across Europe because of all these elements,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to turn around the decline in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are involved. It is hoped they can obtain the motivations that will help them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating species which won’t reduce crop yields – and might boost it – such as farmers creating margins rich in flowers around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this danger. Together with member countries, the EU Commission has implemented an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to focus on application and collaboration with member countries to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the initial European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were threatened with extinction.
