The number of non-managed bee types in the European continent experiencing extinction has more than doubled during the previous ten-year period, whereas the count of at-risk butterfly species has almost doubled.
This dire scenario for vital pollinating species was unveiled by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.
The number of butterfly types threatened with extinction in Europe has risen from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the last study, carried out a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.
“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food chains and our economies – supporting the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with threats growing for butterfly species and vital non-managed bee species.”
The causes of the swift recent drops are the continuing destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the danger of local extinctions.
Climate change is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterfly types in European nations are endangered by the climate emergency – approximately double the number as a decade ago.
Up to 90% of flowering plants in Europe rely on animal pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, native bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”
Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which have an essential part in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, recognized for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the European continent and the only species of this genus in the European continent, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific category nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterfly species that are exclusively located on mountain tops are highly susceptible to global warming as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become more heated but ultimately run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean area, types such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Far North, global warming is causing the tree line to move north by many meters each year, with scrub taking over wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no more cross the frozen water to browse Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly throughout European nations because of all these elements,” remarked Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many people care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to reverse the decline in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are engaged. We hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”
As per Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and may enhance it – such as farmers developing bloom-filled edges around their cultivated areas.
EU commissioner for environment, portrayed the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this danger. In collaboration with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an Europe-wide monitoring system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will assist in monitoring our advancement. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and collaboration with member states to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.
The issuance of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the initial European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in Europe were at risk of extinction.