The number of wild bee species in Europe experiencing extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, while the count of threatened butterfly has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinators was disclosed by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in European nations.
The count of butterflies at risk of extinction in the European continent has grown from thirty-seven to 65 since the earlier research, carried out over a decade past. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our health, our food systems and our economies – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with threats growing for butterfly species and vital native bee species.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the persistent harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the danger of local extinctions.
Global heating is also revealed to be a primary risk: 52% of all threatened butterfly species in Europe are imperilled by the climate emergency – about double the number as a ten years ago.
Up to nine out of ten of plants that flower in Europe require animal pollination, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, native bee populations are in drastic decline and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native 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 couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, recognized for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the mainland and the single type of this biological genus in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to global heating as they must ascend higher as their habitats become hotter but eventually have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of European endemics (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by extreme wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the timberline to move north by dozens of meters each year, with bushes invading wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice sheets to graze Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout the European continent because of all these elements,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news 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 halt the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are involved. It is hoped they can receive the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinators which will not lower crop yields – and could improve it – such as growers developing flower-rich margins around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this risk. In collaboration with member states, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to concentrate on application and cooperation with member states to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The release of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the first EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further crucial group of pollinators. Issued in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were at risk of extinction.
