SANBI

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

A taxon with a restricted range endemic to the southern coastal region in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, with an EOO of 85 km<sup>2</sup> and AOO of 24 km<sup>2</sup>. There are three widely separated locations, which are severely fragmented and between 17-30 km apart, far greater than the average dispersal distance of the taxon of 1-2 km. The landscape between these locations is transformed by agricultural, industrial or urban developments. The subpopulations are either very small or declining in AOO and numbers of individuals, and the quality of the habitat is declining due to overgrazing by livestock, suppression of fires, and invasion by alien plants (see Threats section). It therefore qualifies as Endangered under criterion B.

Distribution

Endemic to the southern coastal region in the Western Cape Province in South Africa, between Albertinia in the west and Hartenbos in the east, south and north of the N2 highway.

Decline

Low intensity grazing by domestic livestock is beneficial, but under or over grazing can render the habitat unsuitable.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

There are three widely separated locations, which are severely fragmented and between 17-30 km apart, far greater than the average dispersal distance of the taxon of 1-2 km. The landscape between these locations is transformed by agricultural, industrial or urban developments. The subpopulations are either very small or declining in AOO and numbers of individuals.

Threats

Most of the subpopulations are threatened by human-related activities, including grazing by domestic livestock, suppression of natural fires, and encroachment of alien plants.

Conservation

An autecological study of this taxon is needed, to determine its life history and whether there is an associated host plant and ant. This should be followed by the development and implementation of an environmental plan, which would include protection of the habitat needed by the taxon as well as ongoing monitoring of the populations. The Hartenbosheuwels locality is owned by the Mossel Bay Municipality and could be made into a nature reserve.

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{895,
 author = {Edge, D.A.},
 journal = {Metamorphosis},
 number = {2.0},
 pages = {28--46},
 title = {Butterfly conservation in the southern Cape, South Africa.},
 volume = {16},
 year = {2005}
}
,@article{895,
 author = {Tite, G.E. & Dickson, C.G.C.},
 journal = {Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Entomology)},
 pages = {227–280, 5 pls, 2 maps},
 title = {The genus <i>Aloeides</i> and allied genera (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).},
 volume = {29},
 year = {1973}
}
,]

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Red List of South African Species