SANBI

Rationale

This low density, secretive, rare butterfly is almost entirely restricted to the Maputaland area of northern KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa and in southern Mozambique (EOO 12 390 km<sup>2</sup>). Its EOO could be larger because there is suitable habitat in Mozambique that remains unsurveyed. However, there are currently 13 known locations. The Mtunzini location is under threat from dune mining for titanium. The Makathini Flats location is under threat from slash-and-burn agriculture, and human encroachment. The same can be said for one of the Manguzi Forest colonies where it has been seen several times in recent years but it is in a part of the forest that has been severely affected by human encroachment in the last 20 years. The Maputaland subpopulations face a possible future threat of insecticide spraying (deltamethrin to control Tsetse Fly) but this is unlikely to occur in the near future so has not been used to calculate the number of locations. The Mozambican location is a single-specimen record. It was collected in 1971 and the area it was collected in is attractive to tourism developers. The whole population is subject to severe fluctuations as a result of cyclical droughts that appear to be worsening. This taxon therefore qualifies as Vulnerable under criterion B. The EOO has increased to 12 390 km<sup>2</sup> since the previous assessment due to the presence of a hitherto unrecorded Mozambique population. This is still within the Vulnerable threshold. Even though the locations are not severely fragmented, there is continuing decline in the extent and suitability of habitat at several of the locations. Also, the butterfly’s appearance fluctuates greatly, possibly as a result of droughts. Despite there being measurable changes in the level of threat since the previous assessment, this in itself was not enough to result a change in Red List category. The threats were however not taken into account during the previous assessment and this species should've been assessed as Vulnerable then too. Thus the change in status from Least Concern to Vulnerable is non-genuine.

Distribution

Found in KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa and in Mozambique, from Mtunzini in the south to Praia do Bilene in the north, as well as inland to the Makhathini Flats and the Usutu Gorge in Zululand.

Decline

Some colonies, such as the one at the northern edge of the southern lobe of Manguzi Forest, and the one on Nibela Peninsula near False Bay, have been observed regularly over the past three to five years. However others, such as the one on the western shore of False Bay, and the ones on the Makathini Flats, have not been seen for several years. The False Bay colony is in an area that has been subjected to extreme drought in recent years. The Makathini Flats colony is in an area where small scale farming, rural housing and bush clearance has been occurring for at least 30 years. The same can be said for the colonies outside Tembe Elephant Park.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

The subpopulations are made up of small colonies that inhabit fragmented stands of forest. The butterfly is sedentary and is not likely to disperse readily from one subpopulation to another. They are fluctuating, possibly as a result of cyclical droughts, and some are declining.

Threats

This is a seldom-seen taxon that inhabits thick woodland and forests in the Maputaland area and the coastal forests south to Mtunzini. The Mtunzini subpopulation is under threat from the effects of nearby titanium mining. Several of the Maputaland subpopulations are in protected areas, but those outside, such as the Makathini Flats colonies, and those adjacent to Tembe Elephant Park, are under threat from human encroachment, wood gathering and clearance for grazing and agriculture. The Manguzi subpopulation is under the same threats. All Maputaland subpopulations are subject to the threat of insecticide spraying to reduce tsetse fly populations to a size that can be eradicated using sterile male release. The proposed insecticide, deltamethrin, is non-specific and likely to cause serious harm to all butterfly species endemic or near-endemic to Maputaland. The Mozambique subpopulation is in an area popular for tourist development. Mozambique is unstable politically so there is a risk of war and civil unrest.

Conservation

The forest habitats that this taxon inhabits in KwaZulu-Natal Province have been declining since the 1940’s. Where it occurs in these habitats, it is persisting, but its range is gradually shrinking due to the pressure from human populations and fluctuations due to temperature extremes. Long term security management of forests is needed, as well as measures to prevent uncontrolled use of insecticides in Maputaland. The colony at Mtunzini needs protection from pollution and urbanisation that may result from the increase in titanium mining activity there. People need to be informed about the presence of this species and why it is worthy of protection.

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{882,
 address = {Cape Town},
 author = {Pringle, E.L., Henning, G.A. & Ball, J.B. (eds)},
 publisher = {Struik-Winchester},
 title = {Pennington's Butterflies of southern Africa.},
 year = {1994}
}
,@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}
}
,@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}
}
,@book{10844,
 address = {Halfway House},
 author = {Williams, M.C.},
 publisher = {Southern Book Publishers},
 title = {Butterflies of Southern Africa: A Field Guide.},
 year = {1994}
}
,]

How to cite this assessment

See the partners page

Send feedback about this assessment to SANBI

Red List of South African Species