The total of non-managed bee species in European nations experiencing extinction has over doubled in the last ten years, whereas the total of endangered butterfly species has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinating insects was revealed by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least 172 bee varieties out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterflies facing extinction in Europe has increased from over thirty-five to over sixty since the last study, carried out 14 years ago. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food chains and our economic systems – sustaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with dangers increasing for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee types.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators significantly raises the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Global warming is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all threatened butterfly types in European nations are endangered by the climate emergency – approximately twice as many as a ten years ago.
As many as 90% of flowering plants in Europe require insect pollination, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, famous for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the continent and the sole species of this genus group in Europe, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific classification nearest to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global warming as they must ascend higher as their environments become more heated but in the end exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by severe wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the forest boundary to advance northwards by many meters each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can not anymore cross the ice to graze Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest living space for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly throughout the European continent because of all these reasons,” stated Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to turn around the decrease in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are engaged. We hope they can obtain the incentives that will help them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinating species which won’t reduce food production – and might boost it – such as growers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this risk. Along with member states, the EU Commission has implemented an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to concentrate on application and cooperation with participating nations to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the pioneering Europe-wide study on hoverflies, an additional crucial pollinator group. Published in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were at risk of extinction.
