The total of non-managed bee varieties in the European continent confronting extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, and the total of at-risk butterfly species has almost doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinators was unveiled by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of over 1900 were facing extinction in European nations.
The total of butterfly types facing extinction in European nations has grown from thirty-seven to 65 since the previous assessment, carried out a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our well-being, our food chains and our economies – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with dangers mounting for butterfly types and essential native bee varieties.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the persistent harm or degradation of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat significantly raises the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – about twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Nearly ninety percent of plants that flower in the European continent require pollination by animals, according to the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, wild bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee types, recognized for aiding tree pollination such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the single type of this genus in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific classification most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they have to climb upward as their habitats become more heated but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme drought and wildfires.
In the meantime, in the Far North, global warming is causing the tree line to shift northward by many meters each year, with bushes taking over marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to graze northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast throughout the European continent because of all these elements,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to halt the decline in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which will not decrease crop yields – and may enhance it – such as agricultural producers creating bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, described the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to address this threat. Along with participating nations, the European Commission has put in place an Europe-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to focus on execution and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the initial EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further crucial pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
