Alarming Surge in At-Risk Non-Managed Bee Types In Europe

The total of non-managed bee species in European nations experiencing disappearance has over doubled during the previous ten-year period, and the number of threatened butterfly has close to doubled.

This critical situation for vital pollinators was unveiled by research studies for the IUCN red list, which found that at least one hundred seventy-two bee varieties out of nearly two thousand were at risk of extinction in Europe.

The number of butterfly types facing extinction in European nations has risen from thirty-seven to over sixty since the earlier research, performed 14 years ago. One type, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.

“Beyond their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinating insects like bees along with butterflies are crucial elements for our physical condition, our food chains and our economies – sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” commented Grethel Aguilar. “The most recent European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with threats increasing for butterflies and vital wild bee species.”

The factors of the rapid recent declines are the persistent harm or degradation of natural habitats caused by intensive agriculture and deserted farmland, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the application of fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoid pesticides. The division of pollinator-friendly habitat significantly raises the risk of disappearances in specific areas.

Global heating is also revealed to be a major threat: Fifty-two percent of all at-risk butterflies in Europe are threatened by the climate crisis – about twice as many as a previous decade.

As many as 90% of blooming plants in Europe rely on animal pollination, as per the wild bee assessment’s lead coordinator. “Unfortunately, non-managed bee populations are in sharp decrease and cannot readily be substituted by domesticated hives,” he said. “If non-managed bees vanish, many non-cultivated plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”

Fifteen species of bumblebee types, which play a crucial role in pollinating legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and fourteen varieties of cellophane bee species, famous for aiding tree pollination such as willows along with red maples, are now categorized as at-risk. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee exclusive to the European continent and the only species of this biological genus in European nations, is now classified as critically at risk – the research category nearest to extinction in the wild.

Butterfly types that are only found on high-altitude areas are particularly vulnerable to global heating as they have to climb upward as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue butterfly are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (exclusive to Europe) facing extinction.

In the Mediterranean, types such as the critically endangered Karpathos grayling butterfly are threatened by extreme dry conditions and fires.

Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, climate change is resulting in the forest boundary to shift northward by tens of metres each year, with bushes taking over marsh and tundra. Higher temperatures also mean Arctic deer can no more cross the frozen water to feed on northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are facing extinction in this zone, including the fritillary of Freyja and the ringlet of the Arctic.

“The greatest habitat for all these pollinating insects is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast in Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The encouraging aspect is that so many citizens are aware now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to halt the decline in pollinating insects by 2030, and they are going to have to start doing something. There are landowners who are interested. Let’s hope they can get the motivations that will assist them on their way.”

As per the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinating species which will not decrease crop yields – and might boost it – such as agricultural producers developing bloom-filled edges around their fields.

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

“Immediate and joint measures is required to tackle this threat. In collaboration with member states, the EU Commission has established an European Union-wide observation system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration law, which will help to track our progress. Now, we need to focus on execution and partnership with participating nations to safeguard our pollinating species,” she said.

The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments comes after the initial EU-wide assessment of hoverflies, another vital pollinating insect category. Published in 2022, it disclosed that 37% of all hoverfly types in European nations were threatened with extinction.