Concerning Increase in At-Risk Native Bee Varieties Across European Nations

The number of non-managed bee types in the European continent facing dying out has more than doubled in the last ten years, whereas the count of threatened butterfly has close to doubled.

This critical situation for essential pollinators was disclosed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in Europe.

The number of butterflies facing extinction in the European continent has risen from 37 to over sixty since the last study, performed over a decade past. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.

In addition to their visual charm and cultural value, pollinators like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our well-being, our food supplies and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with threats mounting for butterflies and vital non-managed bee types.”

The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by farming intensification and land abandonment, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the threat of disappearances in specific areas.

Global heating is also demonstrated to be a primary risk: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly types in European nations are threatened by the climate change crisis – about twice as many as a decade ago.

As many as 90% of plants that flower in European nations require animal pollination, as stated by Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, non-managed bee groups are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”

Fifteen types of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee species found only in the mainland and the single type of this biological genus in the European continent, is now classified as severely threatened – the scientific category closest to extinction in the wild.

Butterflies that are only found on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to climate change as they need to move uphill as their habitats become warmer but eventually run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of European endemics (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.

In the Mediterranean region, varieties such as the critically endangered grayling of Karpathos are imperilled by intense drought and wildfires.

In the meantime, in the Arctic region, climate change is causing the forest boundary to shift northward by many meters each year, with bushes taking over marsh and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to graze Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are threatened with extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.

“The largest living space for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is vanishing rapidly in Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are concerned 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 twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are engaged. We hope they can obtain the encouragements that will support them on their way.”

As stated by Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of steps for pollinators which will not lower crop yields – and could improve it – such as farmers establishing flower-rich margins around their cultivated areas.

EU commissioner for environment, characterized the protection status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.

“Prompt and unified steps is needed to address this threat. Along with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has established an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to prioritize application and cooperation with member countries to protect our pollinating species,” she said.

The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the pioneering EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, a further vital pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly types in European nations were threatened with extinction.