Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Vanessa Couldridge Corinna Bazelet
Contributors: Anja Danielczak
Reviewers: Axel Hochkirch

Rationale

Bullacris intermedia is endemic to the south-eastern coastal regions of South Africa, between Port Elizabeth and Port Shepstone. Despite the species being known from a relatively small number of collected specimens, it is assessed as Least Concern (LC) based on the the species being fairly widespread. Preliminary genetic analyses indicate that it is very closely related to B. unicolor, and further research is thus needed to confirm its taxonomic status.

Distribution

Bullacris intermedia is endemic to South Africa. It is found along the coastline, primarily in the Eastern Cape Province, but also extends marginally into KwaZulu-Natal. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is ca 37,000 km².

Population trend

Trend

Bullacris intermedia emerges seasonally, and has been observed from September to March. The population size and trend is unknown. Very few individuals of Bullacris intermedia have ever been collected.

Threats

Potential threats to this species include the effects of climate change leading to droughts and loss of habitat due to this change in rainwater.

Uses and trade

This species is not utilised.

Conservation

There are no conservation actions for Bullacris intermedia, and it is unknown whether it occurs in protected areas. It is morphologically very similar to B. membracioides, with which it may be confused, and, to a lesser extent, with B. unicolor (Dirsh 1965). However, preliminary molecular analyses indicate that B. intermedia is genetically very closely related to B. unicolor (Gordon 2017). Further studies are therefore needed to determine the taxonomic status of B. intermedia. Furthermore, there is a need for research into its ecology, threats and population trend.

References 

[@electronic{2573,
 address = {www.iucnredlist.org},
 author = {IUCN},
 title = {The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2018-1},
 year = {2018}
}
,@electronic{15431178,
 address = { http://Orthoptera.SpeciesFile.org},
 author = {Eades, D.C., Otte, D., Cigliano, M.M. and Braun, H.},
 title = {Orthoptera Species File. Version 5.0/5.0},
 year = {2014}
}
,@article{100946558,
 author = {Dirsh, V.M.},
 journal = {Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology },
 pages = {325--396},
 title = {Revision of the family Pneumoridae (Orthoptera: Acridoidea)},
 volume = {15.0},
 year = {1965}
}
,@phdthesis{100946558,
 author = {Gordon, M.L.},
 school = {University of the Western Cape},
 title = {An acoustic, genetic and morphological review of the genus Bullacris (Orthoptera; Pneumoridae)},
 year = {2017}
}
,]
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