The number of wild bee types in Europe experiencing disappearance has over doubled in the last ten years, while the count of endangered butterfly species has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinating species was unveiled by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterfly types at risk of extinction in the European continent has increased from 37 to over sixty since the earlier research, conducted over a decade past. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural significance, pollinators like bees and butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food systems and our financial structures – maintaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with risks growing for butterfly types and crucial wild bee types.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the danger of local extinctions.
Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterfly types in European nations are endangered by the climate emergency – roughly twice as many as a previous decade.
Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in European nations rely on pollination by animals, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, native bee groups are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many native plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, famous for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the continent and the only species of this biological genus in Europe, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are exclusively located on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but eventually have no room left. In southern Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (solely present in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by extreme wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the timberline to advance northwards by many meters each year, with bushes taking over bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest environment for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly across European nations because of all these elements,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to turn around the decrease in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can get the encouragements that will support them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and may enhance it – such as farmers creating bloom-filled edges around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, characterized the protection status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.
“Immediate and joint measures is needed to confront this risk. In collaboration with member states, the EU Commission has established an EU-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to focus on application and partnership with member states to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the first European-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional crucial group of pollinators. Issued in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
