The number of native bee types in Europe experiencing dying out has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, while the count of at-risk butterfly types has nearly doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating species was revealed by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least 172 bee types out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The count of butterfly types facing extinction in the European continent has risen from over thirty-five to over sixty since the last study, conducted a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food supplies and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee species.”
The factors of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing destruction or damage of living environments caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the threat of disappearances in specific areas.
Global warming is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: 52% of all threatened butterfly types in the European continent are endangered by the climate emergency – about twice as many as a decade ago.
Up to 90% of flowering plants in European nations require pollination by animals, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, wild bee groups are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, famous for pollinating 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 genus in Europe, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific classification closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are only found on high-altitude areas are highly susceptible to climate change as they must ascend higher as their habitats become warmer but ultimately exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of types unique to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by intense drought and wildfires.
In the meantime, in the Arctic region, climate change is causing the tree line to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with bushes encroaching on wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to browse 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 butterfly.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast across European nations because of all these factors,” said Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to halt the drop in pollinating insects by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are property owners who are involved. We hope they can get the incentives that will help them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not decrease crop yields – and could improve it – such as growers establishing bloom-filled edges around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is needed to address this threat. In collaboration with member countries, the European Commission has established an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to focus on execution and cooperation with participating nations to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, another vital pollinator group. Published in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in Europe were threatened with extinction.
