The count of native bee species in Europe facing dying out has increased twofold over the past decade, whereas the count of at-risk butterfly types has almost doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinators was revealed by research studies for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least 172 bee species out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The total of butterfly types at risk of extinction in Europe has increased from 37 to sixty-five since the last study, conducted over a decade past. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our health, our food supplies and our financial structures – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with risks increasing for butterfly types and essential wild bee varieties.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the ongoing destruction or damage of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: 52% of all endangered butterfly species in Europe are imperilled by the climate crisis – roughly twice as many as a previous decade.
As many as nine out of ten of flowering plants in the European continent depend on animal pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, wild bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many native plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which have an essential part in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the European continent and the only species of this genus group in European nations, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the research category most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become warmer but in the end exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the critically endangered grayling of Karpathos are endangered by severe drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is causing the tree line to move north by many meters each year, with bushes taking over marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly across the European continent because of all these factors,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are involved. We hope they can receive the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinators which will not decrease agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as growers establishing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to tackle this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the EU Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on application and cooperation with member countries to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the initial Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, another essential pollinator group. Released in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were at risk of extinction.
