This is a range-restricted endemic from the Western Cape Province of South Africa (EOO 81 km<sup>2</sup>, AOO 24 km<sup>2</sup>). There are five locations. There has been past loss of habitat to agriculture and there is ongoing slow loss of habitat to further agricultural expansion. There is also ongoing decline in habitat quality as a result of invasion by alien plants. The taxon thus qualifies globally under the IUCN criteria as Endangered under criterion B. Previously assessed as Vulnerable (D2) but now assessed as Endangered (B1 & B2). There has been past loss of habitat to agriculture and there is ongoing slow loss of habitat to further agricultural expansion. There is also ongoing decline in habitat quality as a result of invasion by alien plants. These threats were also present during the previous assessment and thus the threats were wrongly interpreted as future potential threats during the previous assessment. Due to better quality data used for the current assessment, the EOO has declined from EOO from 200 km<sup>2</sup> to 81 km<sup>2</sup> but the number of locations are five, within the Endangered threshold. The change in status from Vulnerable to Endangered is not genuine because the threats should have been considered as current threats instead of future potential threats for the first assessment, which would have made it Endangered too.
Distribution
Endemic to the Western Cape Province in South Africa, on upper slopes of the inselberg of the Piketberg mountain.
A forestry plantation has diminished and fragmented one of the main subpopulations and its presence will continue to have a negative impact. Increased fire frequency and invasive alien vegetation are also current threats and future threats.
Conservation
No further plantation forestry should be allowed where this taxon presently occurs. Invasive alien vegetation needs to be removed from the mountain as it increases fire frequency and intensity. Any further agricultural development near the few remaining colonies needs to be carefully considered because of its possible deleterious effects on 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}
}
,@book{882,
address = {Cape Town, South Africa},
author = {Woodhall, S.E.},
publisher = {Struik},
title = {Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa.},
year = {2005}
}
,]
