The count of native bee varieties in European nations experiencing extinction has over doubled in the last ten years, and the number of at-risk butterfly has nearly doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating species was disclosed by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least 172 bee species out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in European nations.
The count of butterfly types facing extinction in the European continent has grown from thirty-seven to 65 since the earlier research, carried out over a decade past. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
Apart from their beauty and cultural value, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food chains and our financial structures – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that feed us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with threats increasing for butterflies and essential non-managed bee varieties.”
The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing damage or destruction of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Global heating is also shown to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all endangered butterflies in the European continent are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about twofold the amount as a ten years ago.
Nearly ninety percent of flowering plants in the European continent require animal pollination, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen types of bumblebees, which have an essential part in fertilizing legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species exclusive to the mainland and the only species of this biological genus in Europe, is now evaluated as critically at risk – the scientific classification closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global heating as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become more heated but ultimately exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, species such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by intense drought and wildfires.
In the meantime, in the Far North, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no more cross the ice to browse Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly throughout the European continent because of all these factors,” said Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many people are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to turn around the decrease in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can get the incentives that will help them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not lower crop yields – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers developing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to confront this threat. In collaboration with participating nations, the EU Commission has established an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on application and collaboration with member countries to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the initial EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in European nations were facing extinction.
