The total of wild bee types in Europe facing extinction has increased twofold over the past decade, and the total of at-risk butterfly types has close to doubled.
This critical situation for vital pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were facing extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in European nations has grown from over thirty-five to 65 since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats growing for butterfly types and crucial wild bee species.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the persistent destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the threat of disappearances in specific areas.
Global warming is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: 52% of all endangered butterflies in the European continent are endangered by the climate crisis – approximately twice as many as a previous decade.
Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in Europe rely on pollination by animals, as stated by the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, wild bee groups are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the European continent and the single type of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as critically at risk – the research category most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are solely present on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but in the end exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of European endemics (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by intense wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is resulting in the forest boundary to move north by tens of metres each year, with bushes encroaching on bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly throughout European nations because of all these elements,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to halt the decrease in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are interested. It is hoped they can receive the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease food production – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the protection status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this risk. Together with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented 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 implementation and cooperation with member states to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the first Europe-wide study on hoverflies, an additional essential pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
