Alarming Surge in Threatened Wild Bee Varieties Across the European Continent
The number of non-managed bee species in Europe facing disappearance has more than doubled over the past decade, and the number of threatened butterfly species has close to doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating insects was revealed by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in the European continent has grown from 37 to over sixty since the last study, performed a decade and a half ago. One species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our well-being, our food systems and our financial structures – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with threats mounting for butterfly species and vital native bee varieties.”
The causes of the rapid recent declines are the ongoing harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat significantly raises the risk of disappearances in specific areas.
Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: 52% of all endangered butterflies in European nations are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about twice as many as a decade ago.
Nearly 90% of blooming plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be threatened too – of which meadows rich in flowers and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”
15 varieties of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, famous for fertilizing trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the European continent and the only species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are solely present on mountain tops are especially at risk to global warming as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become more heated but eventually run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling 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 area, species such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are endangered by intense wildfires and drought.
In the meantime, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is causing the forest boundary to move north by many meters each year, with bushes taking over wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the ice to feed on Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating species is grassland rich in flowers and that is disappearing very fast in European nations because of all these reasons,” stated one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The positive thing is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to reverse the decline in pollinating insects by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are involved. It is hoped they can receive the incentives that will support them on their way.”
As stated by the coordinator, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of action for pollinators which will not lower agricultural output – and could improve it – such as farmers establishing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.
the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “dire”.
“Urgent and collective action is necessary to tackle this risk. In collaboration with participating nations, the EU Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on implementation and collaboration with member countries to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.
The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the first Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, another essential pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in the European continent were facing extinction.