The number of wild bee varieties in the European continent experiencing extinction has increased twofold in the last ten years, whereas the total of endangered butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which established that at least 172 bee types out of 1,928 were facing extinction in European nations.
The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in Europe has increased from 37 to 65 since the last study, conducted a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural value, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food supplies and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with risks increasing for butterflies and essential wild bee types.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the threat of local extinctions.
Climate change is also shown to be a significant danger: Over half of all threatened butterflies in the European continent are endangered by the climate crisis – roughly twice as many as a previous decade.
Nearly ninety percent of flowering plants in the European continent depend on pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, non-managed bee populations are in drastic decline and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, recognized for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the continent and the only species of this biological genus in European nations, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the research category most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they have to climb upward as their habitats become warmer but eventually have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by severe drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global heating is leading to the tree line to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with bushes taking over bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can not anymore cross the frozen water to graze northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly in Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to turn around the decrease in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are engaged. It is hoped they can obtain the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinating insects which won’t reduce agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as growers establishing bloom-filled edges around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to confront this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the European Commission has implemented an EU-wide tracking system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to focus on implementation and cooperation with member states to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the initial EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it disclosed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
