The total of non-managed bee varieties in European nations facing extinction has more than doubled in the last ten years, while the number of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This pressing issue for essential pollinators was unveiled by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least 172 bee types out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The total of butterfly species facing extinction in Europe has risen from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the previous assessment, carried out over a decade past. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with dangers mounting for butterfly species and vital native bee types.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing damage or destruction of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the danger of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a significant danger: 52% of all threatened butterfly species in Europe are endangered by the climate crisis – about double the number as a ten years ago.
Nearly nine out of ten of flowering plants in Europe require pollination by animals, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee populations are in drastic decline and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many native plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the sole species of this genus group in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are solely present on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global heating as they need to move uphill as their environments become more heated but ultimately have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of European endemics (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by severe wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic region, global warming is resulting in the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub taking over marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the frozen water to browse Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly in European nations because of all these reasons,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to reverse the drop in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are involved. Let’s hope they can obtain the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease agricultural output – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers establishing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is necessary to confront this risk. Along with participating nations, the European Commission has put in place an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and cooperation with member states to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinator group. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were facing extinction.
