The count of non-managed bee varieties in Europe experiencing disappearance has over doubled in the last ten years, while the count of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for crucial pollinators was revealed by research studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least over 170 bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in European nations.
The number of butterflies at risk of extinction in Europe has increased from over thirty-five to over sixty since the previous assessment, carried out 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinators like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our physical condition, our food systems and our economies – supporting the fruits, veggies and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with dangers mounting for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing damage or destruction of habitats caused by farming intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat greatly increases the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: 52% of all at-risk butterfly species in European nations are endangered by the climate crisis – about twofold the amount as a previous decade.
As many as ninety percent of plants that flower in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, wild bee populations are in drastic decline and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which meadows rich in flowers and beautiful orchid species are just a handful of illustrations.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in pollinating peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the continent and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to climate change as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately have no room left. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, types such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by severe drought and wildfires.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is leading to the forest boundary to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush taking over bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can no more cross the ice to graze Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this area, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.
“The biggest environment for all these pollinators is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly across European nations because of all these factors,” said Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member states have to reverse the drop in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are engaged. It is hoped they can obtain the incentives that will assist them on their way.”
According to the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of action for pollinating species which won’t reduce food production – and could improve it – such as growers creating bloom-filled edges around their cultivated areas.
Jessika Roswall, characterized the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to address this risk. Together with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize execution and collaboration with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the first EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinator group. Published in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
