The number of wild bee varieties in Europe experiencing dying out has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the number of threatened butterfly has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating species was unveiled by research studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The total of butterfly types facing extinction in Europe has grown from 37 to 65 since the earlier research, performed over a decade past. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food chains and our economic systems – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal significant difficulties, with risks growing for butterfly types and crucial wild bee types.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent destruction or damage of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the danger of extinctions at local level.
Global warming is also shown to be a significant danger: Over half of all endangered butterflies in Europe are imperilled by the climate crisis – approximately twice as many as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of flowering plants in European nations depend on animal pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, recognized for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the continent and the only species of this genus group in the European continent, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific category closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to climate change as they must ascend higher as their environments become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by intense wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global warming is causing the timberline to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush taking over marsh and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can no longer cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating insects is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these elements,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to reverse the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are involved. We hope they can get the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease food production – and may enhance it – such as growers establishing flower-rich margins around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, characterized the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to address this risk. Along with member states, the EU Commission has put in place an EU-wide tracking system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize execution and cooperation with member countries to safeguard our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, an additional vital group of pollinators. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
