Overview

• At least 172 of 1,928 assessed wild bee species now face extinction in Europe, up from 77 in 2014, according to the latest IUCN European Red List.
• Threatened European butterfly species have risen to 65 since 2010, with the Madeiran large white declared extinct and climate change affecting 52% of those at risk.
• Assessments cite habitat loss from intensive farming and forestry, land abandonment, fertilisers and pesticides, plus fragmented landscapes, as principal drivers.
• Vulnerable groups include 15 bumblebee species and 14 cellophane bee species now listed as threatened, with the mining bee Simpanurgus phyllopodus classed as critically endangered.
• The European Commission has launched an EU-wide pollinator monitoring system under the nature restoration law, as officials urge targeted measures such as flower-rich field margins to meet the 2030 goal.