Concerning Rise in Threatened Native Bee Varieties Across European Nations

The number of non-managed bee varieties in Europe confronting extinction has more than doubled in the last ten years, whereas the total of threatened butterfly types has almost doubled.

This dire scenario for crucial pollinating species was disclosed by scientific studies for the red list of threatened species, which determined that at least over 170 bee types out of 1,928 were threatened with extinction in Europe.

The count of butterfly species at risk of extinction in the European continent has increased from 37 to 65 since the last study, conducted 14 years ago. A single species, the Madeiran large white butterfly (Pieris wollastoni) has now been classified as extinct.

In addition to their visual charm and cultural importance, pollinators like bees and butterfly species are crucial elements for our well-being, our food supplies and our economies – sustaining the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” stated Grethel Aguilar. “The newest European red list assessments reveal major obstacles, with dangers increasing for butterfly species and crucial native bee varieties.”

The causes of the quick recent decreases are the ongoing destruction or damage of living environments caused by farming intensification and abandoned land, wetland drainage, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of habitat friendly to pollinators significantly raises the risk of extinctions at local level.

Global heating is also revealed to be a significant danger: 52% of all threatened butterfly species in the European continent are endangered by the climate crisis – roughly twofold the amount as a decade ago.

As many as nine out of ten of blooming plants in Europe require insect pollination, according to the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Unfortunately, native bee colonies are in severe drop and cannot readily be substituted by managed colonies,” he said. “If native bees vanish, many native plants might be in danger as well – of which flower-rich meadows and beautiful orchid species are just a few examples.”

Fifteen types of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of legumes like peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 species of cellophane bee species, recognized for fertilizing trees such as willows along with red maples, are now classified as threatened. Simpanurgus phyllopodus, a mining bee type unique to the mainland and the sole species of this genus in the European continent, is now assessed as critically endangered – the scientific classification closest to dying out in natural habitats.

Butterfly species that are solely present on mountain peaks are especially at risk to climate change as they have to climb upward as their environments become more heated but ultimately run out of space. In the southern part of Spain, the Nevada grayling butterfly and the Andalusian anomalous blue are among over forty percent of European endemics (only found in Europe) threatened with extinction.

In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the highly at-risk Karpathos grayling are endangered by severe wildfires and drought.

Meanwhile, in the Arctic region, global heating is resulting in the tree line to advance northwards by tens of metres each year, with scrub encroaching on bog and tundra. Hotter climates also mean reindeer can no longer cross the ice to feed on northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight butterfly species are at risk of extinction in this region, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet.

“The largest habitat for all these pollinators is bloom-filled grassy areas and that is disappearing very fast throughout European nations because of all these reasons,” said one of the lead coordinators of the butterflies assessment. “The good news is that so many citizens are concerned now and there’s a lot more consciousness. Under the EU’s nature restoration regulation, all member countries have to reverse the decrease in pollinators by 2030, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are land holders who are interested. Let’s hope they can obtain the motivations that will support them on their way.”

According to the coordinator, there is “readily achievable actions” in terms of action for pollinators which won’t reduce agricultural output – and might boost it – such as farmers developing margins rich in flowers around their farmland.

EU commissioner for environment, characterized the protection status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.

“Urgent and collective action is required to address this danger. In collaboration with participating nations, the EU Commission has put in place an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating insects based on the EU nature restoration regulation, which will help to track our advancement. Now, we need to concentrate on execution and collaboration with member states to preserve our pollinators,” she said.

The publication of the evaluations of bees along with butterflies is subsequent to the initial EU-wide evaluation of hoverflies, an additional vital pollinator group. Issued in 2022, it showed that over one-third of all hoverfly types in Europe were at risk of extinction.