The count of non-managed bee species in European nations facing disappearance has over doubled over the past decade, and the count of endangered butterfly species has almost doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterflies threatened with extinction in European nations has risen from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the previous assessment, performed a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with threats growing for butterflies and essential native bee varieties.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the continuing destruction or damage of habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators significantly raises the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: 52% of all endangered butterflies in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – approximately twice as many as a previous decade.
Up to 90% of flowering plants in Europe rely on insect pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, wild bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, known for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type unique to the continent and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now assessed as critically endangered – the research category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to global heating as they need to move uphill as their habitats become hotter but in the end have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, varieties such as the critically endangered grayling of Karpathos are threatened by extreme drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is resulting in the forest boundary to move north by tens of metres each year, with bushes invading marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no more cross the ice to browse northern grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly throughout the European continent because of all these elements,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are engaged. We hope they can receive the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which won’t reduce crop yields – and might boost it – such as growers creating bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to confront this threat. Together with member states, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to prioritize execution and partnership with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the initial European-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional essential pollinating insect category. Issued in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in European nations were at risk of extinction.
