Concerning Rise in Threatened Native Bee Varieties Across European Nations

The total of non-managed bee types in European nations facing dying out has over doubled in the last ten years, whereas the total of endangered butterfly has almost doubled.

This dire scenario for crucial pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which established that at least over 170 bee types out of nearly two thousand were facing extinction in the European continent.

The count of butterfly types at risk of extinction in the European continent has risen from thirty-seven to over sixty since the previous assessment, performed a decade and a half ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.

“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our health, our food systems and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” commented the IUCN director general. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with threats growing for butterfly species and essential wild bee species.”

The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent destruction or damage of habitats caused by agricultural intensification and abandoned land, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the danger of extinctions at local level.

Climate change is also shown to be a significant danger: 52% of all endangered butterflies in European nations are imperilled by the climate change crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a previous decade.

Up to 90% of blooming plants in Europe require insect pollination, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Regrettably, non-managed bee groups are in sharp decrease and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”

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, known for pollinating trees such as willow trees and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type unique to the mainland and the single type of this genus group in European nations, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific classification most akin to extinction in the wild.

Butterfly species that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they need to move uphill as their living spaces become hotter but in the end exhaust available space. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.

In the Mediterranean, types such as the severely threatened grayling of Karpathos are threatened by intense wildfires and drought.

At the same time, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the timberline to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with scrub invading marsh and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice sheets to feed on Arctic meadows and prevent them from overgrowing. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary butterfly and the Arctic ringlet.

“The greatest environment for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly in Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many individuals care now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are land holders who are involved. We hope they can receive the motivations that will help them on their way.”

According to the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinating insects which will not lower food production – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers establishing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.

Jessika Roswall, described the conservation status of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.

“Prompt and unified steps is required to address this threat. Along with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an European Union-wide tracking system for pollinators based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to focus on application and partnership with member countries to preserve our pollinators,” she said.

The release of the assessments on bees and butterflies comes after the initial European-wide study on hoverflies, a further vital pollinating insect category. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were facing extinction.