Extinction threatens pollinating hoverfly species in Europe: IUCN

GENEVA: More than a third of hoverfly species -- key pollinators -- are threatened with extinction in Europe, largely due to intensive agriculture, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said on Tuesday.

There is more to the humble hoverfly than meets the eye.

Masters of the art of mimicry -- they masquerade as small wasps to avoid being eaten by birds -- hoverflies are critical for the planet's food security and farming systems.

The larvae eat sap-sucking aphids that damage many commercial crops, thus providing a chemical-free pest control service.

The winged adults are the second most significant pollinator group in the world after bees and often visit flowers at higher rates than bees.

Yet around 37 per cent of all hoverfly species in Europe are threatened with extinction, according to the IUCN's first continent-wide assessment.

Intensive agriculture, harmful pesticides, unsustainable commercial forestry, urban development and climate change are the main threats, says the report, which was funded by the European Commission.

IUCN Director General Bruno Oberle said there were solutions available, including protecting wetlands and ancient trees where the larvae of hoverflies and other insect species feed.

Planting field margins with wildflowers and restoring hedgerows are also beneficial to winged pollinators.

Climate change poses a particular threat, as it contributes to forest fires, which clear dead wood and old trees, forcing hoverflies and other species out.

"We urgently need to transform all sectors of our economies, and especially agriculture, to become nature-positive and sustainable," Oberle said.