Concerning Surge in Threatened Non-Managed Bee Species Across the European Continent

The count of native bee types in European nations confronting disappearance has increased twofold in the last ten years, and the count of endangered butterfly types has close to doubled.

This dire scenario for essential pollinators was revealed by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which determined that at least 172 bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were threatened with extinction in the European continent.

The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in Europe has risen from 37 to over sixty since the previous assessment, performed 14 years ago. One species, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.

“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our health, our food supplies and our economic systems – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN director general. “The newest assessments of the European red list reveal major obstacles, with threats growing for butterflies and vital wild bee varieties.”

The factors of the rapid recent declines are the continuing destruction or damage of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and deserted farmland, draining of wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the utilization of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The breaking up of environments suitable for pollinators significantly raises the danger of local extinctions.

Global warming is also shown to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterfly types in Europe are imperilled by the climate emergency – about double the number as a ten years ago.

As many as nine out of ten of blooming plants in Europe require insect pollination, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, wild bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a few examples.”

15 varieties of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bees, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows and red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the mainland and the sole species of this biological genus in European nations, is now evaluated as severely threatened – the research category nearest to dying out in natural habitats.

Butterfly species that are exclusively located on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change as they must ascend higher as their environments become warmer but in the end run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among above 40 percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) at risk of extinction.

In the Mediterranean region, species such as the critically endangered grayling of Karpathos are threatened by extreme wildfires and drought.

Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global warming is causing the forest boundary to shift northward by dozens of meters each year, with underbrush invading marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean reindeer can no longer cross the frozen water to feed on Arctic grasslands and prevent them from overgrowing. 8 butterfly varieties are at risk of extinction in this region, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.

“The greatest environment for all these pollinating species is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is vanishing rapidly in the European continent because of all these reasons,” said Martin Warren. “The positive thing is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all member countries have to halt the drop in pollinators by the year 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are property owners who are interested. We hope they can receive the motivations that will support them on their way.”

According to Martin Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and may enhance it – such as farmers developing flower-rich margins around their fields.

the EU’s environment commissioner, portrayed the preservation condition of native bees, butterflies and additional pollinators as “severe”.

“Urgent and collective action is necessary to address this threat. In collaboration with member states, the Commission of the European Union has implemented an Europe-wide tracking system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration law, which will aid in following our advancement. Now, we need to focus on application and partnership with participating nations to protect our pollinators,” she said.

The release of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the first Europe-wide study on hoverflies, an additional essential group of pollinators. Issued in 2022, it revealed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in Europe were threatened with extinction.