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

The count of non-managed bee varieties in European nations facing disappearance has increased twofold in the last ten years, and the total of at-risk butterfly has close to doubled.

This pressing issue for essential pollinating species was unveiled by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which established that at least 172 bee varieties out of over 1900 were facing extinction in Europe.

The number of butterfly types facing extinction in the European continent has risen from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the earlier research, performed 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.

Apart from their beauty and cultural value, pollinators like bees and butterflies are essential supports for our health, our food systems and our economies – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The newest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with threats increasing for butterfly types and vital native bee varieties.”

The reasons of the swift recent drops are the persistent destruction or damage of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the threat of local extinctions.

Climate change is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all threatened butterfly types in the European continent are imperilled by the climate crisis – approximately twofold the amount as a ten years ago.

As many as ninety percent of flowering plants in Europe depend on insect pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, native bee groups are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many wild plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a handful of illustrations.”

15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bees, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the continent and the only species of this genus in the European continent, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the scientific classification closest to extinction in the wild.

Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to climate change as they must ascend higher as their environments become warmer but eventually 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 (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.

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

In the meantime, in the Arctic region, climate change is causing the timberline to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with underbrush invading marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean caribou can no more cross the frozen water to browse Arctic meadows and maintain them clear. 8 butterfly varieties are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.

“The greatest habitat for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast in the European continent because of all these reasons,” remarked Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all participating nations have to halt the decline in pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are engaged. It is hoped they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”

As per Warren, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinating species which won’t reduce agricultural output – and may enhance it – such as farmers establishing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.

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

“Prompt and unified steps is needed to tackle this danger. Along with member states, the European Commission has put in place an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to focus on application and cooperation with participating nations to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.

The release of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the first European-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinating insect category. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that 37% of all hoverfly species in European nations were at risk of extinction.