Alarming Rise in At-Risk Non-Managed Bee Species Across Europe

The number of non-managed bee species in the European continent confronting disappearance has more than doubled over the past decade, and the total of at-risk butterfly types has almost doubled.

This critical situation for vital pollinating insects was unveiled by scientific studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, which found that at least 172 bee types out of over 1900 were threatened with extinction in the European continent.

The total of butterfly species threatened with extinction in European nations has risen from over thirty-five to over sixty since the earlier research, carried out 14 years ago. One type, the large white of Madeira (Pieris wollastoni) has now been confirmed extinct.

Apart from their aesthetic appeal and cultural importance, pollinating species like bees and butterfly species are lifelines for our physical condition, our food supplies and our financial structures – supporting the produce, vegetables and seeds that sustain us,” said the IUCN’s director general. “The newest European red list evaluations reveal major obstacles, with risks growing for butterfly types and crucial non-managed bee types.”

The reasons of the swift recent drops are the ongoing destruction or damage of living environments caused by agricultural intensification and land abandonment, draining wetlands, overgrazing by livestock, and the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides including neonicotinoids. The fragmentation of environments suitable for pollinators substantially boosts the threat of local extinctions.

Global heating is also revealed to be a major threat: 52% of all at-risk butterfly species in European nations are threatened by the climate crisis – approximately double the number as a ten years ago.

Up to ninety percent of plants that flower in the European continent depend on pollination by animals, as per the lead coordinator of the wild bee assessment. “Regrettably, wild bee colonies are in severe drop and are not easily replaceable by managed colonies,” he said. “If non-managed bees disappear, many wild plants might be at risk too – of which bloom-filled grasslands and lovely orchid types are just a handful of illustrations.”

15 varieties of bumblebees, which play a crucial role in aiding the pollination of peas, beans, peanuts and clover, and 14 types of cellophane bee species, famous for pollinating trees 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 sole species of this genus group in European nations, is now assessed as critically at risk – the scientific category nearest to disappearance in the wild.

Butterflies that are only found on high-altitude areas are especially at risk to global heating as they must ascend higher as their living spaces become warmer but ultimately run out of space. In southern Spain, the grayling of Nevada and the anomalous blue of Andalusia are among over forty percent of species endemic to Europe (solely present in Europe) facing extinction.

In the Mediterranean, varieties such as the severely threatened Karpathos grayling are imperilled by extreme drought and wildfires.

In the meantime, in the Arctic Circle, global warming is leading to the timberline to advance northwards by dozens of meters each year, with scrub invading wetlands and tundra. Hotter climates also mean Arctic deer can not anymore cross the ice to feed on northern grasslands and keep them open. Eight types of butterflies are facing extinction in this zone, including Freyja’s fritillary and the Arctic ringlet butterfly.

“The biggest environment for all these pollinators is flower-rich grassland and that is disappearing very fast in Europe because of all these reasons,” remarked Martin Warren. “The good news is that so many people are concerned now and there’s a lot more understanding. Under the EU nature restoration legislation, all participating nations have to turn around the drop in pollinators by twenty-thirty, and they are going to have to begin taking action. There are landowners who are interested. We hope they can obtain the incentives that will support them on their way.”

As stated by 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 creating bloom-filled edges around their cultivated areas.

Jessika Roswall, portrayed the conservation status of non-managed bees, butterfly species and other pollinating insects as “critical”.

“Urgent and collective action is needed to tackle this risk. Together with member countries, the Commission of the European Union has put in place an European Union-wide monitoring system for pollinating species based on the European Union nature restoration legislation, which will aid in following our progress. Now, we need to concentrate on application and partnership with participating nations to safeguard our pollinating insects,” she said.

The publication of the bee and butterfly assessments follows the pioneering European-wide assessment of hoverflies, a further vital pollinating insect category. Published in twenty-twenty-two, it disclosed that over one-third of all hoverfly varieties in Europe were threatened with extinction.