Alarming Increase in Threatened Non-Managed Bee Types In Europe
The total of non-managed bee types in the European continent confronting disappearance has more than doubled over the past decade, and the number of threatened butterfly types has almost doubled.
This critical situation for essential pollinating insects was disclosed by scientific assessments for the IUCN red list, which determined that at least over 170 bee varieties out of over 1900 were at risk of extinction in Europe.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction in the European continent has grown from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the previous assessment, performed a decade and a half ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.
In addition to their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food chains and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” stated the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal serious challenges, with threats growing for butterflies and vital native bee varieties.”
The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the continuing harm or degradation of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the risk of extinctions at local level.
Climate change is also shown to be a primary risk: Over half of all at-risk butterflies in the European continent are imperilled by the climate crisis – approximately twice as many as a previous decade.
As many as ninety percent of flowering plants in Europe require animal pollination, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, non-managed bee colonies are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If wild bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a couple of instances.”
15 varieties of bumblebees, which perform a vital function in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee types, known for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the continent and the single type of this genus in the European continent, is now assessed as critically endangered – the research category closest to disappearance in the wild.
Butterflies that are only found on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to climate change as they must ascend higher as their environments become warmer but eventually have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (only found in Europe) facing extinction.
In the Mediterranean, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by severe wildfires and drought.
At the same time, in the Far North, global warming is resulting in the timberline to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading wetlands and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can no more cross the frozen water to graze northern grasslands and keep them open. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.
“The largest environment for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast across the European continent because of all these elements,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to halt the decrease in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. We hope they can receive the encouragements that will help them on their way.”
According to Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease crop yields – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers developing bloom-filled edges around their fields.
EU commissioner for environment, described the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.
“Prompt and unified steps is necessary to tackle this threat. In collaboration with member countries, the European Commission has implemented an European Union-wide observation system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our development. Now, we need to prioritize execution and cooperation with member countries to preserve our pollinators,” she said.
The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies is subsequent to the pioneering EU-wide study on hoverflies, a further crucial pollinating insect category. Released in 2022, it showed that 37% of all hoverfly species in Europe were facing extinction.
