Outcomes of the Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA)

Abstract

The Southern African Lepidoptera Conservation Assessment (SALCA) was a collaborative venture between the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa (LepSoc Africa), the Brenton Blue Trust (BBT) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and formed part of the National Biodiversity Assessment (NBA). SALCA was founded on the importance of Lepidoptera both ecologically and as biodiversity indicators and the proven expertise of the participants during the Southern African Butterfly Conservation Assessment (SABCA). The main outcomes of the SALCA project are presented and discussed here.The SALCA tool, a custom-designed interactive distribution database, enabled high quality data to be derived so that accurate conservation assessments could be produced in accordance with IUCN methodology. The Red Lists of SALCA and SABCA facilitated the first opportunity to calculate the Red List Index (RLI) for South African butterflies during the period from 2012–2018. Other metrics required for the NBA included protection level and threats analyses. A further outcome was the critical habitat mapping for butterflies, which formed part of a screening tool implemented by SANBI, to ensure that land use changes did not cause any further loss of butterfly biodiversity.A comprehensive distribution database was developed for South African moths, enabling data to be analysed so that moth species potentially threatened could be short-listed for further investigation.Geographical hotspots and ecosystems (vegetation types) containing butterflies of conservation concern are highlighted. The societal, economic and human wellbeing benefits of conserving Lepidoptera are identified. Responses by LepSoc Africa to the increasing pressures on South African Lepidoptera biodiversity, are also reported on and discussed. The significant outcomes of SABCA and SALCA are benchmarked against a well-known European butterfly atlasing and conservation assessment project.The 165 SALCA Red Lists and conservation assessments are presented at the end of this publication.

A contribution to the knowledge of the butterfly fauna of Maputo Special Reserve, Mozambique from African Natural History Research Trust expeditions (Papilionoidea)

“…A total of 2663 butterfly specimens, consisting of 163 nohara halali was previously known from the Chimanimani range in Zimbabwe, so its presence on the other side of the border could also be expected. The most southerly record of G. carmen capra was Shiwa N'gandu, in north-eastern Zambia, so this represents a significant south-easterly extension to its known range (Williams, 2020).…”

“…A total of 54 specimens (belonging to 24 species) were recorded at light, the majority of them being Hesperiidae. Zophopetes dysmephila, a species commonly seen flying after sunset (Williams, 2020) and Melanitis leda which often remain active after midnight (Larsen, 2005) were both unsurprisingly attracted to light.…”

A new locality for three threatened butterfly species in the Bewaarkloof Reserve of the Limpopo Province, South Africa

“…D. clara, the Wolkberg Widow (Fig. 3), was listed as Vulnerable by Henning et al (2009), Endangered by Mecenero et al (2013) and unchanged during SALCA (Mecenero et al, 2020). D. clara occurs in the vicinity of Haenertsburg, Serala and Lekgalameetse (Mecenero et al, 2013).…”

“…stevensoni, the Wolkberg Russet (Fig. 1), was listed as Vulnerable by Henning et al (2009), Endangered by Mecenero et al (2013), and Critically Endangered during SALCA (Mecenero et al 2020). Its extinction risk is therefore increasing.…”

“…O. regalis, the Royal Cupid (Fig. 2), is a distinctive butterfly species with a restricted range , but was listed as Endangered during SALCA (Mecenero et al, 2020). O. regalis flies on steep, grassy, south-facing slopes, similar in this respect to A. stevensoni.…”