The count of native bee types in the European continent facing extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, whereas the number of endangered butterfly has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating species was revealed by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The count of butterflies threatened with extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the last study, carried out 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our well-being, our food systems and our economies – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The latest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with dangers growing for butterfly types and crucial native bee species.”
The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the threat of extinctions at local level.
Global heating is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in Europe are imperilled by the climate change crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Up to 90% of blooming plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee populations are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced 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 handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the mainland and the single type of this genus in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the research category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are solely present on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they need to move uphill as their habitats become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by intense drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the forest boundary to move north by dozens of meters each year, with scrub taking over bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can no longer cross the ice to browse northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are at risk of extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly across European nations because of all these reasons,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many citizens care now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to turn around the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are engaged. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which won’t reduce food production – and may enhance it – such as farmers developing flower-rich margins around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to address this risk. In collaboration with member states, the EU Commission has established an EU-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and partnership with member countries to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, a further essential pollinator group. Issued in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
