The number of non-managed bee types in Europe confronting extinction has increased twofold in the last ten years, and the total of endangered butterfly types has almost doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of 1,928 were facing extinction in the European continent.
The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in European nations has increased from 37 to sixty-five since the previous assessment, carried out over a decade past. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our health, our food chains and our economies – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with threats growing for butterflies and crucial non-managed bee varieties.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing damage or destruction of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the danger of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a significant danger: Over half of all endangered butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate change crisis – approximately double the number as a decade ago.
Nearly nine out of ten of plants that flower in the European continent require pollination by animals, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Sadly, native bee populations are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many native plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the mainland and the single type of this biological genus in Europe, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific classification closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on mountain tops are especially at risk to global heating as they need to move uphill as their environments become hotter but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, species such as the critically endangered grayling of Karpathos are threatened by severe wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to move north by dozens of meters each year, with scrub encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no more cross the frozen water to browse Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout the European continent because of all these elements,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can receive the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not lower food production – and may enhance it – such as farmers creating bloom-filled edges around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to address this threat. Along with member countries, the EU Commission has established an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to concentrate on application and partnership with member countries to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the pioneering Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital pollinator group. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were facing extinction.
