The count of native bee types in the European continent facing extinction has more than doubled over the past decade, and the number of threatened butterfly species has almost doubled.
This pressing issue for essential pollinating insects was revealed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least over 170 bee species out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in the European continent.
The total of butterfly species at risk of extinction in the European continent has increased from over thirty-five to 65 since the earlier research, carried out a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economies – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with risks increasing for butterflies and essential non-managed bee types.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent damage or destruction of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also revealed to be a primary risk: Over half of all at-risk butterfly types in the European continent are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about double the number as a decade ago.
Nearly 90% of blooming plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, according to the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee groups are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types 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 fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species unique to the European continent and the only species of this genus group in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific classification nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they need to move uphill as their environments become more heated but eventually have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to move north by tens of metres each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice to feed on Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly in the European continent because of all these factors,” remarked Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member countries have to halt the decrease in pollinating species by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are engaged. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will support them on their way.”
According to Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not lower food production – and might boost it – such as farmers creating flower-rich margins around their fields.
Jessika Roswall, described the protection status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Immediate and joint measures is required to tackle this danger. Together with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to prioritize application and cooperation with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further vital group of pollinators. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly types in Europe were at risk of extinction.
