The count of wild bee species in Europe facing disappearance has over doubled in the last ten years, and the number of threatened butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This dire scenario for crucial pollinators was revealed by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of over 1900 were facing extinction in Europe.
The count of butterfly types at risk of extinction in the European continent has increased from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food chains and our economic systems – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with dangers increasing for butterflies and essential native bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the continuing damage or destruction of habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the threat of disappearances in specific areas.
Global heating is also shown to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate emergency – roughly twice as many as a ten years ago.
Up to 90% of flowering plants in European nations require insect pollination, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, wild bee groups are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, famous for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the European continent and the only species of this genus group in European nations, is now assessed as critically endangered – the research category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but in the end exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are imperilled by severe dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global warming is leading to the timberline to move north by tens of metres each year, with bushes encroaching on marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can not anymore cross the ice sheets to browse Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly throughout European nations because of all these elements,” stated Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to turn around the decline in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are interested. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
According to 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 flower-rich margins around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, described the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Immediate and joint measures is necessary to confront this threat. Along with member countries, the European Commission has established an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to focus on application and collaboration with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The release of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the initial Europe-wide study on hoverflies, an additional crucial group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were facing extinction.
