The total of native bee species in the European continent experiencing dying out has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, and the total of at-risk butterfly types has almost doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinating species was unveiled by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The total of butterfly types at risk of extinction in Europe has risen from over thirty-five to over sixty since the last study, performed 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with threats increasing for butterflies and vital non-managed bee varieties.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the ongoing harm or degradation of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about double the number as a decade ago.
As many as ninety percent of blooming plants in Europe rely on pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, native bee groups are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee types, recognized for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the continent and the single type of this biological genus in Europe, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific classification nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are only found on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they need to move uphill as their environments become hotter but ultimately run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, species such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by intense dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, climate change is resulting in the timberline to shift northward by many meters each year, with scrub encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the frozen water to graze Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly across European nations because of all these reasons,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are concerned 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 pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will support them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, described the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to address this threat. Together with member states, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and cooperation with member countries to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the initial Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further essential pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in European nations were at risk of extinction.
