Status: 10/11/2022 3:32 p.m
After bees, hoverflies are the second most important pollinators in agriculture. However, hundreds of species are threatened with extinction. Climate change, pesticides and industrial agriculture bother them.
More than a third of the hoverfly species important as pollinators in Europe are threatened with extinction. In particular, climate change, intensive agriculture and pesticides and unsustainable forestry are the greatest dangers, the World Conservation Organization IUCN reported in an investigation for the EU Commission. The IUCN publishes the Red List of Threatened Species.
According to the report, of the 890 European hoverfly species, 314 already belong to one of the top three endangerment categories. After bees, insects are the second most important pollinator group and are therefore central to global food security. They get their name from their flight behaviour, they can remain almost in one place even in windy conditions. Some species imitate the appearance of wasps, for example, in order to scare off enemies. But they are harmless. Hoverfly larvae feed on pests, keeping them at bay.
IUCN: Reorganization of agriculture necessary
According to the IUCN experts, they only have a chance if, above all, agriculture is reorganized and made more sustainable. The hoverflies need wetlands, the larvae need forests with old and fallen trees. Flower strips with wildflowers and field hedges could also help.
The IUCN has kept the Red List since 1964. There are now more than 41,000 endangered animal and plant species on it. Examined species are divided into eight categories ranging from “data insufficient” to “extinct”. The “endangered” level is the fifth.