SANBI

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

An endemic taxon found in Gauteng Province, South Africa (EOO 4 597 km<sup>2</sup>). There are less than 1 500 individuals in the population with each of the six subpopulations having less than 250 individuals. There has been an intensification of threats due to continued urbanization. Inappropriate burning regimes and a decline in quality of habitat in and near residential areas has increased the threat. The population is severely fragmented. The taxon thus qualifies globally under the IUCN criteria as Endangered under criteria B and C.

Distribution

Endemic to Gauteng Province in South Africa, along and adjacent to the Witwatersrand and Suikerbosrand mountain ranges near Heidelberg eastwards to around Delmas.

Decline

The colonies at some previous localities have disappeared due to fire occurring at the wrong time of year or not at all, resulting in moribund vegetative material accumulating and preventing the foodplant from growing or driving the host ants away.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

Population declining and there are subpopulations under threat. Fires at the wrong time have destroyed localities as has agricultural development.

Threats

Despite the existence of subpopulations in three nature reserves, the threat of habitat modification due to environmental changes remains. The habitats have to be continually monitored with regard to an appropriate fire regime. Housing developments close to some of these habitats precludes natural burning systems. Two of the remaining subpopulations are close to Suikerbosrand Provincial Nature Reserve, where an inadequate fire regime poses the greatest current threat and urbanization a potential future threat. The subpopulation near Delmas is threatened by agricultural development and habitat alteration.

Conservation

Subpopulations occur in three protected areas, which are well monitored. Monitoring of subpopulation levels and habitat quality should continue. In addition, research to identify corridors to link subpopulations is required. One of the protected areas (Ruimsig Nature Reserve) was set aside by the local municipality to help with the conservation of this taxon.

References

[@book{772,
 address = {Johannesburg &Cape Town},
 author = {Mecenero, S., Ball, J.B., Edge, D.A., Hamer, M.L., Henning, G.A., Krüger, M., Pringle, E.L., Terblanche, R.F. & Williams, M.C. (eds)},
 publisher = {Saftronics (pty) Ltd and  Animal Demography Unit, University of Cape Town},
 title = {Conservation assessment of butterflies of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland: Red List and Atlas.},
 year = {2013}
}
,@book{772,
 address = {Pretoria},
 author = {Henning, G.A., Terblanche, R.F. & Ball, J.B. (eds)},
 publisher = {South African National Biodiversity Institute},
 title = {South African Red Data Book: butterflies. SANBI Biodiversity Series},
 year = {2009}
}
,@article{772,
 author = {SANBI},
 journal = {South African National Biodiversity Institute},
 pages = {0},
 title = { Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland [vector geospatial dataset] 2012. Available from the Biodiversity GIS website.},
 volume = {0},
 year = {2012}
}
,@book{890,
 address = {Pretoria},
 author = {Henning, S.F. & Henning, G.A.},
 publisher = {Council for Scientific and Industrial Research},
 title = {South Africa Red Data Book - Butterflies.},
 year = {1989}
}
,@article{890,
 author = {Mucina, L. & Rutherford, M.C. (eds)},
 journal = {Strelitzia},
 pages = {0},
 title = {The Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.},
 volume = {19},
 year = {2006}
}
,@book{893,
 author = {Williams, M.C.},
 publisher = {CD-ROM. Available from the author at mark.williams[at]up.ac.za.},
 title = {Butterflies and skippers of the Afrotropical Region.},
 year = {2016}
}
,]

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