Red List of South African Species

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Endangered (EN)
B1ab(iii)
Assessors: Corinna Bazelet Piotr Naskrecki
Reviewers: Axel Hochkirch Luc Willemse

Rationale

The Inflated Seedpod Shieldback (Thoracistus thyraeus) is Endangered under criterion B1 because it has has an estimated extent of occurrence of 500 km2, it has only been encountered at three locations in KwaZulu-Natal Province, and the area, extent and quality of its habitat are estimated to be in decline. Its highly restricted 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 timber or annual plants, 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 Inflated Seedpod Shieldback has only been collected from three locations in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Population trend

Trend

No information on population sizes or trends is available.

Threats

Due to its restricted distribution, the Inflated Seedpod Shieldback is particularly prone to any changes in its habitat. The most likely disturbances are over-grazing by livestock, cultivation with exotic timber and annual 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. Since this species has been found in road verges, it is expected to be resilient to changes as long as its grass food plant persists.

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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