The total of non-managed bee species in European nations experiencing dying out has more than doubled in the last ten years, while the number of at-risk butterfly has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinating insects was unveiled by research studies for the IUCN red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of 1,928 were facing extinction in European nations.
The number of butterfly species facing extinction in European nations has increased from over thirty-five to over sixty since the earlier research, carried out over a decade past. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with risks growing for butterfly types and vital wild bee species.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent damage or destruction of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the danger of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all threatened butterfly types in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a previous decade.
As many as nine out of ten of plants that flower in European nations require pollination by animals, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, wild bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with 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 biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific category most akin to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterflies that are solely present on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they have to climb upward as their environments become more heated but ultimately run out of space. In southern Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by extreme dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, climate change is leading to the timberline to move north by tens of metres each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the frozen water to feed on northern grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly across European nations because of all these factors,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to turn around the drop in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are interested. It is hoped they can obtain the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
As per Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating species which won’t reduce food production – and might boost it – such as farmers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, described the preservation condition of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is necessary to tackle this threat. Together with member states, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to prioritize execution and collaboration with member states to protect our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the initial EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, another essential pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were facing extinction.
