Alarming Increase in At-Risk Native Bee Types Across the European Continent

The count of wild bee types in European nations facing disappearance has increased twofold during the previous ten-year period, whereas the number of at-risk butterfly types has nearly doubled.

This dire scenario for vital pollinators was unveiled by scientific studies 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 at risk of extinction in the European continent.

The count of butterfly types threatened with extinction in European nations has increased from over thirty-five to over sixty since the previous assessment, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.

“Beyond their aesthetic appeal and cultural value, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our health, our food supplies and our economies – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that nourish us,” said the IUCN director general. “The latest European red list assessments reveal serious challenges, with threats increasing for butterfly types and vital wild bee types.”

The reasons of the quick recent decreases are the continuing damage or destruction of living environments caused by intensive agriculture and land abandonment, draining wetlands, excessive grazing by animals, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid chemicals. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators substantially boosts the threat of disappearances in specific areas.

Climate change is also revealed to be a primary risk: Over half of all endangered butterflies in European nations are imperilled by the climate change crisis – about twofold the amount as a previous decade.

Nearly 90% of blooming plants in Europe depend on pollination by animals, as per Dr Denis Michez. “Regrettably, non-managed bee groups are in drastic decline and cannot be easily replaced by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees disappear, many wild plants might be at risk too – of which flower-rich meadows and lovely orchid types are just a couple of instances.”

15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in fertilizing peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee types, recognized for pollinating trees such as willows and red maples, are now listed as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type found only in the European continent and the only species of this genus group in Europe, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific classification most akin to extinction in the wild.

Butterfly species that are exclusively located on mountain tops are especially at risk to global heating as they have to climb upward as their habitats become more heated but in the end run out of space. In southern Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among above 40 percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) at risk of extinction.

In the Mediterranean, species such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling butterfly are endangered by severe wildfires and drought.

Meanwhile, in the Far North, climate change is causing the timberline to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with scrub taking over marsh and tundra. Warmer conditions also mean reindeer can no more cross the ice to graze northern grasslands and maintain them clear. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.

“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating species is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast throughout European nations because of all these factors,” said a lead coordinator for the butterfly assessment. “The positive thing is that so many individuals are concerned now and there’s a lot more awareness. Under the European Union nature restoration law, all participating nations have to reverse the decrease in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to initiate measures. There are landowners who are interested. It is hoped they can receive the motivations that will support them on their way.”

As stated by Warren, there is “low-hanging fruit” in terms of steps for pollinating species which won’t reduce crop yields – and could improve it – such as growers creating margins rich in flowers around their farmland.

the EU’s environment commissioner, characterized the preservation condition of wild bees, butterflies and other pollinators as “severe”.

“Urgent and collective action is required to tackle this danger. Along with participating nations, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an Europe-wide observation system for pollinating species based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will assist in monitoring our progress. Now, we need to focus on application and cooperation with member countries to preserve our pollinating insects,” she said.

The publication of the assessments on bees and butterflies follows the first Europe-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinator group. Published in 2022, it showed that thirty-seven percent of all hoverfly species in the European continent were threatened with extinction.