The number of non-managed bee types in Europe experiencing disappearance has over doubled in the last ten years, while the count of endangered butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinators was unveiled by research studies for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least over 170 bee varieties out of 1,928 were facing extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly types facing extinction in Europe has grown from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal significant difficulties, with threats growing for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee species.”
The factors of the quick recent decreases are the continuing harm or degradation of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: Over half of all threatened butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate emergency – about twice as many as a previous decade.
Nearly 90% of flowering plants in the European continent depend on pollination by animals, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, wild bee populations are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild 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 species of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, famous for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the European continent and the only species of this genus in Europe, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the research category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to climate change as they must ascend higher as their environments become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of European endemics (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by extreme wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, climate change is leading to the timberline to move north by many meters each year, with underbrush invading bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can not anymore cross the ice sheets to feed on northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating species is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly in European nations because of all these elements,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to turn around the decrease in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are engaged. It is hoped they can receive the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which won’t reduce food production – and might boost it – such as growers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, described the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is necessary to address this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the EU Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and collaboration with participating nations to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the first EU-wide study on hoverflies, another essential pollinator group. Released in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were at risk of extinction.
