The total of wild bee varieties in Europe facing dying out has over doubled in the last ten years, and the count of threatened butterfly types has close to doubled.
This pressing issue for crucial pollinating insects was disclosed by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least over 170 bee species out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The total of butterfly types facing extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to 65 since the previous assessment, carried out a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our health, our food chains and our economic systems – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list assessments reveal significant difficulties, with threats mounting for butterflies and essential native bee types.”
The factors of the quick recent decreases are the persistent damage or destruction of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of pollinator-friendly habitat substantially boosts the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterflies in the European continent are endangered by the climate crisis – roughly twice as many as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of flowering plants in the European continent require insect pollination, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If wild bees vanish, many wild plants might be at risk too – of which meadows rich in flowers and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type exclusive to the mainland and the sole species of this genus in Europe, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific classification closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they must ascend higher as their habitats become more heated but ultimately exhaust available space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among more than 40% of European endemics (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, varieties such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are threatened by extreme wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to advance northwards by many meters each year, with scrub encroaching on marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can no more cross the frozen water to feed on Arctic grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast in the European continent because of all these elements,” stated Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many individuals are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to reverse the decline in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are engaged. It is hoped they can receive the motivations that will assist them on their way.”
As stated by Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinating insects which will not lower food production – and might boost it – such as farmers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to address this danger. Together with participating nations, the European Commission has put in place an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to prioritize application and collaboration with participating nations to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the initial EU-wide study on hoverflies, a further vital group of pollinators. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in Europe were at risk of extinction.
