The total of native bee varieties in Europe facing disappearance has increased twofold over the past decade, while the total of threatened butterfly types has almost doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating insects was unveiled by research studies for the IUCN red list, which established that at least 172 bee types out of 1,928 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The total of butterfly species facing extinction in European nations has grown from over thirty-five to sixty-five since the last study, performed 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food systems and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with risks growing for butterfly types and vital native bee types.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing destruction or damage of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators significantly raises the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Global heating is also revealed to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all threatened butterfly types in European nations are imperilled by the climate crisis – approximately twice as many as a decade ago.
As many as 90% of flowering plants in the European continent require pollination by animals, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by domesticated hives,” he said. “If wild bees die out, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
Fifteen species of bumblebees, which have an essential part in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, famous for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee found only in the continent and the sole species of this genus in the European continent, is now classified as critically endangered – the scientific classification closest to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are solely present on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they need to move uphill as their habitats become more heated but in the end have no room left. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.
In the Mediterranean region, species such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by extreme wildfires and drought.
Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global warming is causing the forest boundary to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with bushes taking over marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.
“The biggest habitat for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly throughout Europe because of all these factors,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to reverse the decrease in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are engaged. We hope they can get the incentives that will support them on their way.”
As per the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinators which will not decrease agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as agricultural producers creating margins rich in flowers around their farmland.
Jessika Roswall, portrayed the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “critical”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to address this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to prioritize implementation and collaboration with member countries to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the pioneering Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, another essential group of pollinators. Published in 2022, it revealed that 37% of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
