Worrying Rise in Threatened Native Bee Varieties Across European Nations

The count of non-managed bee types in the European continent confronting disappearance has more than doubled in the last ten years, and the total of threatened butterfly species has nearly doubled.

This dire scenario for essential pollinators was unveiled by scientific assessments for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least over 170 bee varieties out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.

The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to over sixty since the last study, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.

In addition to their visual charm and cultural significance, pollinating insects like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food supplies and our economic systems – maintaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that feed us,” stated the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterfly types and vital wild bee varieties.”

The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the persistent destruction or damage of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and abandoned land, wetland drainage, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The division of habitat friendly to pollinators greatly increases the risk of local extinctions.

Global warming is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all endangered butterfly types in Europe are threatened by the climate emergency – about twofold the amount as a previous decade.

Nearly 90% of plants that flower in Europe rely on animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, native bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If native bees die out, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”

Fifteen types of bumblebee species, which perform a vital function in fertilizing crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, recognized for pollinating trees such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the continent and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically endangered – the research category most akin to dying out in natural habitats.

Butterfly types that are exclusively located on mountain peaks are highly susceptible to global warming as they must ascend higher as their environments become hotter but in the end run out of space. In Spain’s southern region, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among more than 40% of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) threatened with extinction.

In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling butterfly are imperilled by intense dry conditions and fires.

At the same time, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the timberline to advance northwards by many meters each year, with bushes invading bog and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean caribou can not anymore cross the frozen water to graze Arctic meadows and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.

“The largest habitat for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is declining quickly throughout Europe because of all these reasons,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly 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 pollinating species by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are engaged. We hope they can receive the encouragements that will support them on their way.”

As per Martin Warren, there is “easy opportunities” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease agricultural output – and could improve it – such as farmers establishing margins rich in flowers around their cultivated areas.

EU commissioner for environment, characterized the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.

“Urgent and collective action is necessary to confront this risk. In collaboration with member states, the European Commission has implemented an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to focus on execution and partnership with participating nations to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.

The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies follows the initial EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional essential group of pollinators. Released in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly species in the European continent were facing extinction.