Alarming Increase in Threatened Wild Bee Types Across European Nations
The total of wild bee types in Europe facing extinction has more than doubled in the last ten years, whereas the number of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This dire scenario for essential pollinating species was revealed by research studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least one hundred seventy-two bee types out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The count of butterflies at risk of extinction in the European continent has risen from over thirty-five to 65 since the last study, carried out 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.
In addition to their visual charm and cultural value, pollinating species like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our health, our food supplies and our economies – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said the IUCN director general. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal serious challenges, with dangers growing for butterfly species and vital native bee species.”
The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the risk of extinctions at local level.
Global warming is also revealed to be a primary risk: Over half of all at-risk butterfly types in Europe are imperilled by the climate change crisis – approximately twice as many as a ten years ago.
Up to 90% of blooming plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, wild bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many native plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee types, known for pollinating trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee unique to the European continent and the single type of this genus in the European continent, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the research category most akin to dying out in natural habitats.
Butterfly species that are solely present on high-altitude areas are especially at risk 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 Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of types unique to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by intense dry conditions and fires.
At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the timberline to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with bushes invading wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the ice to browse northern grasslands and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are facing extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The greatest living space for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout Europe because of all these factors,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to turn around the decrease in pollinating insects by the year 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are property owners who are engaged. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will assist them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of steps for pollinating species which will not lower agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as growers creating flower-rich margins around their farmland.
EU commissioner for environment, described the conservation status of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is needed to address this threat. Together with participating nations, the European Commission has put in place an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with member states to protect our pollinators,” she said.
The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies comes after the first European-wide assessment of hoverflies, another crucial pollinator group. Released in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in the European continent were threatened with extinction.
