The number of native bee species in Europe confronting dying out has more than doubled over the past decade, and the total of threatened butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinating species was unveiled by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The count of butterflies facing extinction in European nations has grown from 37 to 65 since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinators like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our health, our food systems and our financial structures – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats increasing for butterfly types and vital non-managed bee species.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the risk of local extinctions.
Global warming is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterfly species in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – roughly double the number as a previous decade.
Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in the European continent require animal pollination, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, native bee groups are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bees, famous for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the continent and the only species of this genus group in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the research category most akin to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are only found on mountain peaks are especially at risk to global warming as they have to climb upward as their environments become warmer but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by extreme wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, climate change is resulting in the tree line to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush taking over wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice sheets to browse Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly across Europe because of all these elements,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinators which won’t reduce crop yields – and might boost it – such as growers creating flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.
“Prompt and unified steps is required to confront this danger. Together with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to focus on application and cooperation with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the first European-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further essential pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were facing extinction.
