The Maputo Agile Grasshopper is found in a small area of Maputo (Mozambique) and KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). A record from Zimbabwe is uncertain. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is ca 9,000 km² and a continuing decline in the number of mature individuals is inferred from an observed continuing decline in the extent and quality of habitat. It is unknown whether the population shows any extreme fluctuations or whether it is severely fragmented. As the species has abbreviated wings, it is probably sensitive to habitat fragmentation. The number of locations (based upon the threats of agricultural land use and plantation of exotic trees) is between ten and twenty. As the species nearly meets the thresholds of criterion B1 it is assessed as Near Threatened (NT).
Distribution
The Maputo Agile Grasshopper (Amplyphymus adspersus) is found in Maputo Province, Mozambique and the adjacent part of South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). There is also a record from Zimbabwe (Dirsh 1956) which is here treated as uncertain, as it is far away from the rest of the known localities. The estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) is ca 9,000 km².
Population data is lacking for this species. A continuing decline in the number of mature individuals is inferred from the ongoing loss of habitat caused by plantations of exotic trees and conversion into farmland.
Threats
Human population density within the range of this species is quite high so that it is likely that the population of this species is negatively affected by human land use, particularly by conversion of natural habitat into farmland. About 7% of forests have been lost from 2000 to 2016 (Hansen et al. 2013), but it is unlikely that forest loss has major negative effects on the species as most related species are affiliated with open habitats. In the South African part of its range, plantations of exotic trees (mainly Eucalyptus) are the major threat to the species.
Uses and trade
The species is not utilised.
Conservation
No specific conservation action is in place for the species. Even thought it has not been documented from protected areas, it may occur in Sileza Nature Reserve (South Africa) or Maputo Special Reserve (Mozambique). More research is needed to clarify its distribution, habitat requirements, threats and population trend.
[@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}
}
,@electronic{116114418,
address = {http://www.earthenginepartners.appspot.com/science-2013-global-forest},
author = {Hansen, M.C., Potapov, P.V., Moore, R., Hancher, M., Turubanova, S.A., Tyukavina, A., Thau, D., Stehman, S.V., Goetz, S.J., Loveland, T.R., Kommareddy, A., Egorov, A., Chini, L., Justice, C.O. and Townshend, J.R.G.},
publisher = {University of Maryland},
title = {High-Resolution Global Maps of 21st-Century Forest Cover Change},
year = {2013}
}
,@inbook{116114418,
address = {Lund},
author = {Brinck and Rudebeck },
booktitle = {Orthoptera Acridoidea},
editor = {Dirsh, V.M.},
pages = {121--272},
title = {South African Animal Life; Results of the Lund University Expedition in 1950-1951},
year = {1956}
}
,]
