The number of wild bee species facing extinction in Europe has more than doubled over the past decade, while the number of endangered butterfly species has also doubled.
The alarming decline of these vital pollinators was revealed in new studies for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, which found that at least 172 out of 1,928 bee species are now at risk of extinction across Europe.
The number of butterfly species threatened with extinction has risen from 37 to 65 since the last major assessment 14 years ago. One species, the Madeiran large white (Pieris wollastoni), has now been declared extinct.
Without bees and butterflies (pollinators), many plant species would disappear, along with the organisms that depend on them.
“Beyond their beauty and cultural significance, pollinators such as bees and butterflies are essential to our health, food systems, and economies, sustaining the fruits, vegetables, and seeds that nourish us,” said IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar.
The main causes include the continuing destruction of ecosystems due to intensive agriculture, land abandonment, drought, overgrazing, and fertilizer use.
Climate change has also emerged as a major threat: 52% of all endangered butterfly species in Europe are now at risk because of the climate crisis—roughly twice as many as a decade ago.
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