Concerning Increase in Threatened Non-Managed Bee Species Across the European Continent

The total of wild bee varieties in Europe confronting disappearance has over doubled in the last ten years, whereas the count of at-risk butterfly has close to doubled.

This pressing issue for essential pollinators was unveiled by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least 172 bee species out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in Europe.

The number of butterflies at risk of extinction in European nations has grown from thirty-seven 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 beauty and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our well-being, our food systems and our economies – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” commented the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal significant difficulties, with dangers mounting for butterfly types and vital native bee types.”

The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the persistent harm or degradation of habitats caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the threat of local extinctions.

Global warming is also demonstrated to be a significant danger: Over half of all endangered butterfly species in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – approximately double the number as a previous decade.

Up to ninety percent of blooming plants in Europe require pollination by animals, as stated by the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many wild plants might be threatened too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”

Fifteen types of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, known for aiding tree pollination such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the sole species of this genus group in the European continent, is now evaluated as critically endangered – the scientific category most akin to disappearance in the wild.

Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain tops are especially at risk to global heating as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become more heated but eventually exhaust available space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of European endemics (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.

In the Mediterranean area, species such as the highly at-risk grayling of Karpathos are endangered by severe drought and wildfires.

Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is causing the timberline to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with underbrush taking over bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the ice to graze Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.

“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly throughout European nations because of all these elements,” said Martin Warren. “The encouraging aspect is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to turn around the drop in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can obtain the incentives that will help them on their way.”

As stated by Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinating species which will not lower food production – and might boost it – such as growers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.

Jessika Roswall, portrayed the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “critical”.

“Immediate and joint measures is necessary to tackle this threat. Along with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has established an EU-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with participating nations to preserve our pollinating species,” she said.

The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the first Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further crucial pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were at risk of extinction.