The total of native bee types in the European continent facing extinction has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the count of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The total of butterfly species facing extinction in the European continent has increased from 37 to sixty-five since the last study, carried out over a decade past. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with risks growing for butterfly species and crucial native bee varieties.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing harm or degradation of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Global warming is also demonstrated to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are threatened by the climate emergency – about double the number as a previous decade.
As many as 90% of flowering plants in the European continent require insect pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, native bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many wild plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, known for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the continent and the single type of this genus group in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the research category nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become hotter but in the end exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are endangered by severe dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global warming is causing the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub taking over marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly in Europe because of all these elements,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to halt the drop in pollinating insects by the year 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are engaged. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will help them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinating insects which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing flower-rich margins around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to address this threat. Together with member states, the European Commission has put in place an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with participating nations to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the pioneering Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional essential group of pollinators. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in Europe were at risk of extinction.
