Red List of South African Species

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Vulnerable (VU)
Assessors: Michael Samways
Contributors: Viola Clausnitzer
Facilitators: Dewidine Van Der Colff
Reviewers: Domitilla Raimondo

Rationale

Although this species is only known from a few localities, it is considered Least Concern globally, since the localities cover a large area (Pemba Island in north-east Tanzania to KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa). Habitat (coastal swamp forest) is available in-between these areas, however the species is difficult to find and recently there has been limited collecting in the entire region. In South Africa, this species has seen an extraordinary change in distribution. Prior to 2000, it had not been recorded in the country, but following the massive floods of that year, it suddenly appeared in iSimangaliso Wetlands Park, where it rapidly became the dominant zygopteran species at Mfabeni swamp in 2001, having bred up considerably. Then with the drought arriving in 2004, it completely disappeared from the area by August 2006. It has not been recorded again in the country (Samways 2008, 2010). This species has extreme fluctuations in available habitat which is driven by climatic conditions. It is only known from one location covering an area of less than 5 km2, the area of occupancy (AOO) is thus less than 5 km2. It could arrive again in future, very wet years from core populations present farther north, making recolonization possible. This species qualifies as Critically Endangered, however because this is a national assessment at the regional scale, a regional adjustment is made and it is down listed twice (migration from other populations and Least Concern status of those populations) and it is assessed as Vulnerable B2ab(ii)c(ii).

Distribution

This species is present from north-east Tanzania (Pemba Island) to Mozambique, Zimbabwe and south to South Africa (Kwa-Zulu Natal). Though only a few records are available, this species is most likely more common throughout its range. It has not been recorded in South Africa since August 2006.

Population trend

Trend

It was not recorded as present in South Africa prior to 2000, and disappeared from the country sometime prior to August 2006. This species experiences extreme fluctuations in population due to climatic conditions, driving available habitat.

Threats

The main threats facing this species are deforestation and water pollution, but the extent of this is currently unknown. In South Africa, it is mostly prone to loss of its watery habitat rather than forest due to its great susceptibility to dry phases in El Niño Southern Oscillation events.

Conservation

Gazetting the remaining coastal forest areas, reforestation along streams and in swampy areas.

References 

[@electronic{13257,
 address = {http://www.pugetsound.edu/academics/academic-resources/slater-museum/biodiversity-resources/dragonflies/world-odonata-list2/},
 author = {Schorr, M. and Paulson, D.},
 publisher = {Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound},
 title = {World Odonata List},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{49416876,
 author = {Dijkstra, K.-D.B.},
 journal = {International Journal of Odonatology},
 number = {2},
 pages = {137--170},
 title = {The name-bearing types of Odonata held in the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe, with systematic notes on Afrotropical taxa. Part 2: Zygoptera and descriptions of new species held in the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe},
 volume = {10},
 year = {2007}
}
,]
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