Alarming Surge in At-Risk Wild Bee Varieties In Europe

The number of native bee varieties in European nations experiencing dying out has increased twofold over the past decade, and the total of threatened butterfly has close to doubled.

This dire scenario for crucial pollinating insects was revealed by research studies for the red list of threatened species, which found that at least over 170 bee types out of over 1900 were facing extinction in European nations.

The total of butterflies threatened with extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to 65 since the last study, conducted a decade and a half ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.

Apart from their beauty and cultural significance, pollinating species like bees along with butterflies are essential supports for our physical condition, our food systems and our economies – sustaining the fruits, veggies and seeds that sustain us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The most recent European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with risks mounting for butterfly species and crucial native bee species.”

The factors of the swift recent drops are the persistent damage or destruction of living environments caused by farming intensification and deserted farmland, wetland drainage, livestock overgrazing, and the application of pesticides and fertilisers including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the danger of local extinctions.

Climate change is also revealed to be a major threat: Over half of all at-risk butterfly types in Europe are threatened by the climate change crisis – roughly twice as many as a ten years ago.

Up to nine out of ten of blooming plants in European nations depend on insect pollination, according to Dr Denis Michez. “Sadly, native bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by managed bee colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees die out, many native plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and attractive orchid varieties are just a few examples.”

Fifteen species of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of crops such as peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee types, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the European continent and the single type of this genus group in the European continent, is now assessed as severely threatened – the scientific category nearest to extinction in the wild.

Butterfly types that are solely present on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they have to climb upward as their habitats become warmer but ultimately have no room left. In Spain’s southern region, the Nevada grayling and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of European endemics (solely present in Europe) at risk of extinction.

In the Mediterranean region, types such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme dry conditions and fires.

Meanwhile, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the timberline to move north by tens of metres each year, with scrub invading bog and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no longer cross the frozen water to graze Arctic grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight types of butterflies are threatened with extinction in this area, including the fritillary of Freyja and the Arctic ringlet.

“The biggest living space for all these pollinating species is grassland rich in flowers and that is declining quickly in Europe because of all these factors,” 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 European Union nature restoration law, all member states have to halt the decline in pollinating species by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are involved. It is hoped they can obtain the incentives that will assist them on their way.”

According to the coordinator, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of measures for pollinators which will not decrease food production – and could improve it – such as farmers establishing bloom-filled edges around their farmland.

EU commissioner for environment, described the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “dire”.

“Urgent and collective action is needed to address this danger. In collaboration with member countries, the European Commission has put in place an EU-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will assist in monitoring our development. Now, we need to focus on implementation and partnership with member states to protect our pollinating insects,” she said.

The issuance of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the initial Europe-wide assessment of hoverflies, another crucial pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it revealed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly types in Europe were facing extinction.