The total of wild bee types in European nations experiencing disappearance has increased twofold in the last ten years, while the total of threatened butterfly types has close to doubled.
This pressing issue for essential pollinating insects was unveiled by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least 172 bee types out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The count of butterfly types facing extinction in European nations has increased from 37 to 65 since the previous assessment, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our well-being, our food systems and our economies – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The most recent European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with dangers mounting for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee types.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the continuing harm or degradation of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the threat of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterflies in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – about twofold the amount as a previous decade.
Up to 90% of plants that flower in Europe rely on pollination by animals, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, wild bee groups are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the continent and the sole species of this genus group in Europe, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific classification closest to extinction in the wild.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they need to move uphill as their habitats become warmer but eventually exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are endangered by extreme wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, climate change is causing the timberline to advance northwards by many meters each year, with underbrush encroaching on marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean Arctic deer can not anymore cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast in Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to turn around the decline in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are interested. It is hoped they can get the motivations that will support them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinating species which will not decrease food production – and might boost it – such as farmers establishing margins rich in flowers around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to tackle this threat. Along with participating nations, the EU Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and partnership with member states to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the pioneering European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional vital group of pollinators. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly species in European nations were threatened with extinction.
