The number of non-managed bee types in Europe facing dying out has over doubled over the past decade, whereas the count of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating insects was revealed by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least over 170 bee species out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The total of butterfly species threatened with extinction in the European continent has increased from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the last study, carried out 14 years ago. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food chains and our economic systems – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with risks increasing for butterfly types and vital non-managed bee species.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the continuing harm or degradation of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, livestock overgrazing, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of local extinctions.
Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: 52% of all threatened butterflies in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a previous decade.
Nearly ninety percent of flowering plants in the European continent rely on pollination by animals, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, wild bee colonies are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, known for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the continent and the only species of this genus group in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific classification most akin to extinction in the wild.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become hotter but in the end exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, varieties such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by severe drought and wildfires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global warming is resulting in the timberline to move north by dozens of meters each year, with bushes taking over bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean caribou can no more cross the frozen water to feed on northern grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.
“The largest living space 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,” stated a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to reverse the decrease in pollinating insects by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are engaged. It is hoped they can obtain the motivations that will help them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating insects which will not lower crop yields – and may enhance it – such as farmers establishing flower-rich margins around their fields.
the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this risk. In collaboration with participating nations, the EU Commission has implemented an EU-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to prioritize execution and partnership with participating nations to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments is subsequent to the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, an additional essential pollinating insect category. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in European nations were threatened with extinction.
