The count of native bee types in Europe experiencing disappearance has increased twofold during the previous ten-year period, and the count of at-risk butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinators was revealed by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of 1,928 were facing extinction in the European continent.
The total of butterfly species threatened with extinction in the European continent has grown from 37 to 65 since the earlier research, performed 14 years ago. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are essential supports for our health, our food systems and our financial structures – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with risks growing for butterfly species and crucial native bee varieties.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the ongoing damage or destruction of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.
Global warming is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterflies in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – approximately twice as many as a ten years ago.
Up to 90% of flowering plants in the European continent require insect pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Sadly, non-managed bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If native bees die out, many native plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, famous for pollinating trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the sole species of this genus group in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the research category most akin to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, varieties such as the critically endangered grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, global warming is leading to the forest boundary to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with bushes taking over bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the ice to feed on northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly throughout the European continent because of all these factors,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to reverse the decrease in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are interested. We hope they can get the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which will not lower food production – and could improve it – such as growers developing flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is needed to confront this danger. Together with member states, the European Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and partnership with member states to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the first Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another vital pollinating insect category. Issued in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were at risk of extinction.
