The count of wild bee species in European nations experiencing extinction has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the number of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This pressing issue for vital pollinating species was unveiled by scientific studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of over 1900 were facing extinction in the European continent.
The total of butterfly types facing extinction in European nations has grown from over thirty-five to over sixty since the earlier research, conducted 14 years ago. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our well-being, our food chains and our economic systems – sustaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with threats increasing for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee types.”
The factors of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the threat of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a primary risk: Over half of all at-risk butterflies in the European continent are imperilled by the climate emergency – approximately twofold the amount as a previous decade.
Up to ninety percent of plants that flower in the European continent require animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, wild bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, known for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the continent and the only species of this genus group in Europe, is now assessed as critically endangered – the scientific category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are solely present on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to global heating as they must ascend higher as their environments become more heated but ultimately have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by severe dry conditions and fires.
In the meantime, in the Far North, climate change is resulting in the timberline to advance northwards by many meters each year, with scrub invading wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can no more cross the frozen water to browse Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating insects is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is declining quickly across Europe because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to reverse the decrease in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are interested. We hope they can obtain the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinating species which will not decrease agricultural output – and could improve it – such as farmers establishing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, characterized the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to confront this threat. Along with member countries, the European Commission has established an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with participating nations to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the first European-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further crucial pollinator group. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in the European continent were facing extinction.
