SANBI

Rationale

This is a range-restricted endemic species in the Western Cape Province, South Africa (EOO 0.147 km2, AOO 4 km2). There is one location. Intensive searches for this taxon along the Paardepoort mountain range, where it was discovered, and on neighbouring mountains has not revealed any other localities. The habitat at the type locality is threatened by encroaching alien trees. The taxon thus qualifies globally under the IUCN criteria as Critically Endangered under criterion B. For the previous assessment there were no significant threats and it would have been Least Concern. However, since then the threats have escalated rapidly. The intensified threats now qualify this species as Critically Endangered and thus the change in status is genuine.

Distribution

Endemic to the Western Cape Province in South Africa, from the Paardepoort mountain range north of Herold, inland of George.

Decline

Invasion by alien trees hakea (Hakea sericea) and pine (Pinus pinaster) is threatening the mountain top habitat of this taxon. One can project that the area, extent and quality of the habitat will decline if nothing is done.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

There is no information currently available

Threats

The mountain top where this taxon is found is threatened by invasion of Hakea sericea and Pinus pinaster. There is no really effective biological control for hakea so manual removal is required, which will be very costly. A LepSoc Africa volunteer has been keeping the area where the subpopulation occurs clear of hakea but the pines are too large for a single person to cut down (a chainsaw is needed).

Conservation

The alien trees along this whole mountain range (Hakea and Pines) need to be eradicated. This would be a very costly exercise, so at present the limited goal is to keep the area around the extant subpopulation (c. 15 ha) clear of aliens. There is no really effective biological control for Hakea, so manual removal is required. The custodian of this species has been keeping the area around where the butterfly occurs clear of Hakea, but the pines are too large for a single person to cut down (a chainsaw is needed).

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{882,
 address = {Cape Town, South Africa},
 author = {Woodhall, S.E.},
 publisher = {Struik},
 title = {Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa.},
 year = {2005}
}
,@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}
}
,@article{21749,
 author = {Heath, A. & Pringle, E.L.},
 journal = {Metamorphosis},
 pages = {90--151},
 title = {A review of the southern African genus <i>Thestor<i> Hübner (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Miletinae)},
 volume = {15},
 year = {2004}
}
,@article{161321281,
 author = {Henning, S.F. & Henning, G.A.},
 journal = {Metamorphosis},
 pages = {85--87},
 title = {A description of a new species of <i>Thestor</i> Hubner (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from the Western Cape Province, South Africa.},
 volume = {8},
 year = {1997}
}
,]

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