Red List of South African Species

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Endangered (EN)
B2ab(iii)
Assessors: Corinna Bazelet Piotr Naskrecki
Reviewers: Axel Hochkirch Luc Willemse

Rationale

The Seedpod Shieldback (Thoracistus semeniphagus) is Endangered under criterion B2 because it has a small area of occupancy (8 km2), a small number of locations (2), and is expected to experience a decline in extent of suitable habitat. This species has a disjunct distribution at present, but may be two separate species. It is not known to occur within any protected areas, and its grassland habitats are highly suitable for cultivation. Its highly restricted and disjunct distribution means that even a small disturbance can have a detrimental effect on the survival of the species as a whole. The most likely threats to the species are change in microclimate or distribution of the species' food plants as a result of climate change, agricultural cultivation with exotic tree plantations or annual crops, or increased grazing by wildlife or livestock. Due to its small body size and low motility, this species cannot be expected to shift its range in response to changes in its habitat. 

Distribution

The Seedpod Shieldback has been collected from only two localities in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces, South Africa. Further investigation may elucidate that these two localities possess two different species rather than one species with a disjunct distribution (Rentz 1988).

Population trend

Trend

No information on population sizes or trends is available.

Threats

Due to its severely restricted distribution, the Seedpod Shieldback is particularly prone to any changes in its habitat. The most likely disturbances are over-grazing by livestock, agricultural cultivation with exotic timber or non-timber crops, and climate change-associated variation in weather patterns which can affect the distribution of this species’ food plant and microhabitat conditions. Likely threats include droughts, floods, wildfires, and extreme temperature fluctuations. 

Uses and trade

This species is not utilized.

Conservation

No specific conservation measures are in place for this species and it is not known to occur within any protected areas.

References 

[@electronic{58124,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{20659659,
 author = {Rentz, D.C.F.},
 journal = {Invertebrate Taxonomy},
 pages = {223--335},
 title = {The shield-backed katydids of southern Africa: their taxonomy, ecology and relationships to the faunas of Australia and South America (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Tettigoniinae)},
 volume = {2.0},
 year = {1988}
}
,]
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