Rationale
(Changed due to Same category and criteria)
An endemic taxon found in the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces in South Africa (EOO 27 300 km<sup>2</sup>). There are five locations. However, more subpopulations may be found in Swaziland, Mozambique and in under-surveyed areas in South Africa. It is suspected that there are more than 10. The host plant is used as traditional medicine and has been exterminated from some known localities where the taxon used to be found. There is a risk of continuous decline in the habitat of the remaining subpopulations as a result of further collecting of the host plant for traditional medicine and urban development. The taxon thus qualifies globally under the IUCN criteria as Least Concern.
Distribution
Endemic to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces in South Africa, from East London in the south and Durban to Ndumo in the north. Likely to occur in adjacent parts of Mozambique and Swaziland.
Decline
The foodplant has been removed from localities where the butterfly used to fly, such as at Burman Bush and a golf course in East London.
At least two subpopulations have been lost due to the extermination of the host plant.
Threats
The most significant threat to this taxon is over-utilisation of its host plant for traditional medicine throughout its range. In addition, most of the subpopulations are very near coastal areas where housing, commercial, tourist, and roads/railroad expansion is a threat to the taxon.
Conservation
The areas where the remaining subpopulations are need to be protected and managed, especially the host plant. There should also be a concerted effort to find more subpopulations.
[@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}
}
,@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}
}
,]
