A recent evaluation published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) reveals alarming trends in pollinator conservation across Europe. Nearly 100 new wild bee species have been designated as threatened, raising the total number of European wild bee species under threat of extinction to around 10%. The number of threatened European butterfly species has also risen sharply, increasing by 76% over the past decade.
The updated IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessments, funded by the European Commission, re-evaluate the conservation status of several major species groups for the first time since the early and mid-2010s, including bees, butterflies, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, freshwater fishes and molluscs, as well as beetles, dragonflies and damselflies.
According to the data, habitat loss remains the most significant threat to wild bees and butterflies, with agricultural expansion, pesticide use, nitrogen pollution, and site abandonment all contributing. Climate change has also emerged as a growing threat, with prolonged heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires damaging critical habitats in the southern and alpine regions.
The research emphasises the importance of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies in Europe's biodiversity, food security, and ecosystem resilience. Their sustained decline could have far-reaching consequences for both wild plant species and agricultural output.
These new evaluations provide essential data to inform the implementation of the EU's New Deal for Pollinators and support progress toward the Nature Restoration Regulation's aims, emphasising the importance of urgent, coordinated conservation action throughout Europe.
Find out more in this press release.
