Alarming Surge in Threatened Non-Managed Bee Varieties In European Nations

The count of native bee varieties in European nations facing dying out has increased twofold in the last ten years, while the number of at-risk butterfly species has almost doubled.

This dire scenario for essential pollinating species was disclosed by scientific assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee species out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in Europe.

The total of butterfly species facing extinction in Europe has increased from thirty-seven to sixty-five since the earlier research, carried out a decade and a half ago. A single species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been declared extinct.

In addition to their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food supplies and our economic systems – maintaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” said Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent assessments of the European red list reveal significant difficulties, with dangers mounting for butterfly types and essential wild bee species.”

The reasons of the rapid recent declines are the persistent harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the utilization of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators greatly increases the risk of local extinctions.

Climate change is also revealed to be a significant danger: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate change crisis – approximately twofold the amount as a previous decade.

As many as nine out of ten of plants that flower in European nations require animal pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, wild bee colonies are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many wild plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”

15 varieties of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, known for fertilizing trees such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the continent and the single type of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the scientific classification most akin to dying out in natural habitats.

Butterflies that are only found on mountain tops are particularly vulnerable to global warming as they must ascend higher as their habitats become warmer but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among above 40 percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.

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

In the meantime, in the Far North, global heating is leading to the tree line to advance northwards by many meters each year, with underbrush taking over wetlands and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can not anymore cross the frozen water to browse northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.

“The largest living space for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast across Europe because of all these factors,” remarked a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens care now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to turn around the decrease in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are involved. Let’s hope they can get the encouragements that will support them on their way.”

As stated by the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of measures for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and could improve it – such as agricultural producers developing flower-rich margins around their fields.

Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.

“Immediate and joint measures is needed to confront this danger. In collaboration with member states, the European Commission has established an EU-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our development. Now, we need to prioritize execution and cooperation with member states to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.

The issuance of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the pioneering European-wide assessment of hoverflies, an additional crucial pollinator group. Published in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in European nations were facing extinction.