Chrysoritis thysbe whitei | SANBI Sensitive Species

Assessor: Dave Edge

Sensitive in 2010

Family

Lycaenidae

Exploitation extent

None - this species and its close relatives are not exploited, collected, traded or utilized in a targeted manner.

Population vulnerability

Population is vulnerable: size is <= 2500 mature individuals OR the number of known subpopulations is <= 5 OR range is <= 100km² OR species at risk of localised extinctions

Justification and references

A full conservation assessment of this taxon was done according to IUCN methodology and it was Red Listed as "Endangered". The results are published in:

MECENERO, S., BALL, J.B., EDGE, D.A., HAMER, M.L., HENNING, G.A., KRÜGER. M., PRINGLE, E.L., TERBLANCHE, R.F. & WILLIAMS, M.C. (eds) 2013. Conservation assessment of butterflies of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland: Red List and Atlas. Johannesburg & Cape Town: Saftronics (Pty.) Ltd. & Animal Demography Unit. 676 pp.

The red listing also appears on SANBI's Red List website:

http://speciesstatus.sanbi.org/assessment/last-assessment/879/

A recent (unpublished) conservation assessment has been done as part of the 2017 National Biodiversity Assessment project led by SANBI and a revised Red Listing of "Vulnerable" has been recommended.

Regeneration potential

This species has a slow population growth rate, or the growth rate varies depending on habitat, and there is a poor chance the wild populations will recover from exploitation OR a collector might feasibly harvest the entire extant population removing the chance of subsequent recruitment.