The total of native bee species in European nations facing disappearance has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the total of threatened butterfly has almost doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating insects was disclosed by research studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly species threatened with extinction in Europe has risen from thirty-seven to 65 since the last study, carried out over a decade past. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economic systems – sustaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with dangers growing for butterfly types and essential non-managed bee species.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the persistent destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the danger of local extinctions.
Global warming is also shown to be a primary risk: 52% of all endangered butterfly species in Europe are threatened by the climate change crisis – about double the number as a decade ago.
Nearly ninety percent of plants that flower in Europe depend on insect pollination, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, native bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, famous for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the continent and the single type of this biological genus in Europe, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the research category nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they have to climb upward as their environments become hotter but ultimately exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by extreme drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global heating is causing the forest boundary to move north by tens of metres each year, with bushes invading marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinating insects is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is declining quickly across Europe because of all these reasons,” stated Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to halt the drop in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. It is hoped they can get the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating species which won’t reduce crop yields – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to confront this danger. In collaboration with member states, the Commission of the European Union has established an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize execution and collaboration with member states to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the first European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another crucial group of pollinators. Issued in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly types in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
