The total of wild bee species in European nations confronting disappearance has increased twofold in the last ten years, while the number of at-risk butterfly has close to doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least over 170 bee species out of over 1900 were facing extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly types at risk of extinction in European nations has grown from thirty-seven to 65 since the previous assessment, carried out a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food chains and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list assessments reveal significant difficulties, with threats mounting for butterflies and crucial native bee types.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the persistent harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the risk of local extinctions.
Global warming is also shown to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterfly types in the European continent are threatened by the climate emergency – approximately twice as many as a previous decade.
As many as 90% of blooming plants in Europe rely on animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee populations are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, known for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the only species of this genus group in Europe, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the research category most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global heating as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by intense dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Far North, global warming is causing the forest boundary to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no more cross the frozen water to browse Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly throughout the European continent because of all these reasons,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to reverse the drop in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are involved. We hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not lower food production – and may enhance it – such as growers developing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, described the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this danger. Together with member countries, the European Commission has implemented an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and partnership with member countries to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the initial EU-wide study on hoverflies, a further vital pollinator group. Released in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in Europe were threatened with extinction.
