SANBI

Rationale

A range restricted endemic from the Blouberg mountain in Limpopo Province, South Africa (EOO & AOO 16 km<sup>2</sup>). This taxon was listed as Rare in 2013. However, the 2013 assessment was conducted using only a few old specimen records from the 1980’s and early 1990’s and without practical experience of the habitat where the taxa occurs. Recent surveys have revealed threats that were unknown in 2013, namely the unseasonal fires which the local people use to promote grassland growth and livestock grazing. While there are several locations for this butterfly on the Blouberg mountain, there is no control over these unseasonal fires and grazing. The taxon thus qualifies under the IUCN criteria as Vulnerable under criterion D. This taxon was previously assessed as Least Concern because no threats were believed to affect the population, based on records from the 1980s and early 1990s. In recent years, additional data became available, both from records collected in 2013 as well as from personal communication with botanists who work extensively on the mountain. The threat of aseasonal fires was discovered, which should have been taken into account for the first assessment as a future potential threat, having made it Vulnerable (D2) then too. Hence the change in status from Least Concern to Vulnerable is not genuine.

Distribution

Endemic to Limpopo Province in South Africa, on the southern and eastern slopes of the Blouberg.

Decline

During a visit in March 2013, clear signs of grazing and burning were evident on the main plateau where the taxon was seen. According to guides, locals drive their livestock onto the plateaus for grazing. This, together with burning of grasslands to encourage new growth of grass for grazing, could be devastating for this univoltine taxon if burning occurs at the wrong time of the year.

Habitat View more ecological information

Population trend

Trend

There is no information currently available.

Threats

The taxon is a grassland-forest ecotone specialist and is only known to occur on the Blouberg, Limpopo Province. Population numbers can be seriously affected by untimely fires during the flight period, and local people are known to burn grasslands on the mountain to promote grass growth for grazing. Therefore, while grazing by livestock may not be a major direct threat because the taxon normally occurs on rocky ridges, uncontrolled burning of grasslands during the flight period could be very serious.

Conservation

A monitoring system should be put in place to gain a better understanding of this taxon and its habitat requirements. It is recommended that the local community be made aware of this endemic taxon and of the effects that unseasonal fires and livestock grazing may have on its population.

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}
}
,@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}
}
,@electronic{168298998,
 author = {Coetzer, A.J.},
 publisher = {Lepidopterists' Society of Africa},
 title = {Exploring the Blouberg},
 year = {2014}
}
,]

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Red List of South African Species