PAPILIONIDAE

FAMILY PAPILIONIDAE View in CoL

Genus Papilio Linnaeus, 1758 .

Papilio ophidicephalus entabeni van Son, 1939 Soutpansberg Emperor Swallowtail ; Soutpansberg Koningswaelstert

Bennie H. Coetzer

LC

Endemic

Vegetation types: FOz4 Northern Mistbelt Forest , SVcb21 Soutpansberg Mountain Bushveld , SVcb22 VhaVenda Miombo .

Assessment rationale: An endemic taxon from Limpopo province in South Africa (EOO 2 416 km 2). Listed nationally as rare in 2012 but new data collected over the past five years shows that this taxon has a wider occurrence along the Soutpansberg than was previously known. The taxon thus qualifies globally under the IUCN criteria as Least Concern.

Change in status from SABCA: The status has not changed from the previous assessment.

Threats: Housing developments along the eastern end of the mountain could have a small impact on subpopulations in that area, but this is not suspected to cause significant declines in the numbers of the population as a whole.

Conservation measures and research required: No conservation measures recommended.

Papilio ophidicephalus transvaalensis van Son, 1939 Transvaal Emperor Swallowtail ; Houtbos Koningswaelstert

Bennie H. Coetzer

LC Endemic

Type locality: Northern Transvaal , Entabeni, Zoutpansberg range .

Taxonomy: There are no notable issues.

Distribution: Endemic to Limpopo province in South Africa, occurring on the Blouberg and in the Soutpansberg Mountain range from Vivo in the west to Mphaphuli in the east.

Habitat: Forests on the Blouberg and Soutpansberg. From high altitude forests in the Entabeni area down to riverine forests in the eastern part of its range.

Type locality: North Transvaal , Woodbush, Pietersburg District .

Taxonomy: There are no notable issues.

Distribution: Endemic to Limpopo province in South Africa, from near Polokwane in the west to Ofcolaco in the east.

Habitat: Temperate forest in mountainous areas.

Vegetation types: FOz4 Northern Mistbelt Forest , Gm 23 Northern Escarpment Quartzite Sourveld , Gm 25 Woodbush Granite Grassland , Gm 26 Wolkberg Dolomite Grassland ,

SVcb26 Ohrigstad Mountain Bushveld, SVl8 Tzaneen Sour Bushveld.

Assessment rationale: Endemic to the Limpopo province Wolkberg Centre of Endemism in South Africa (EOO 1 032 km 2). There are a large number of subpopulations and there are no significant current threats. Many more subpopulations have been discovered and its range has extended since it was listed as rare in 2012. Thus the taxon qualifies globally under the IUCN criteria as Least Concern.

Change in status from SABCA: The status has not changed from the previous assessment.

Threats: Plantations could be extended as the area is widely used for pine plantations. At present no such developments are foreseen and if this occurs on a small scale it could have a small impact on subpopulations in that area.

Conservation measures and research required: No conservation measures recommended.

Papilio ophidicephalus zuluensis van Son, 1939

Zulu Emperor Swallowtail; Zoeloeland Koningswaelstert

Adrian J. Armstrong

LC

Rare – Restricted Range, Habitat Specialist

Endemic

Type locality: Zululand, Eshowe.

Taxonomy: There are no notable issues.

Distribution: Endemic to KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa, in parts of central Zululand, from Dlinza Forest in the south-east to Qudeni Forest in the north-west.

Habitat: Scarp and mistbelt forests to the north of the Thukela River Valley in central Zululand , KwaZulu-Natal province .

Vegetation types: FOz3 Southern Mistbelt Forest, FOz5 Scarp Forest, Gs 20 Moist Coast Hinterland Grassland , Gs 9 Midlands Mistbelt Grassland .

Assessment rationale: A range-restricted taxon endemic to central Zululand in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa (EOO 193 km 2). This taxon is known from three subpopulations occurring in isolated scarp forest patches. While there are no current threats, climate change, in particular higher ambient temperature in the western and central parts of the distribution of this taxon, is expected to have an impact on the population of this forest-specialist taxon through habitat alteration. Although the population is naturally fragmented, the expected decrease in habitat intactness and the impacts of climate change is likely to increase the fragmentation of the population. Decline in the taxon's EOO and AOO may occur in the next few decades, but the exact impact on the taxon cannot be determined owing to the ameliorating effects that microhabitat diversity might have. The taxon thus qualifies globally under the IUCN criteria as Least Concern and is nationally classified as Rare (Restricted Range and Habitat Specialist).

Change in status from SABCA: The status has not changed from the previous assessment.

Threats: Climate change and habitat fragmentation are expected to affect the population in the future. Over the next few decades, temperatures are expected to be much higher in the western and central parts of the taxon's distribution, causing habitat alteration. Habitat intactness is expected to decrease in the eastern and central parts of the taxon's extent of occurrence.

Conservation measures and research required: Encouraging the planting of host plants in gardens next to or near forests through awareness campaigns might assist in increasing the population. Research into its distribution, life history and ecology is needed.