Endangered and rare butterflies and moths of the Garden Route
Taxonomic knowledge is an important component of biodiversity conservation. However, expertise for specific groups, including invertebrates, is limited within SANParks. Various national and international institutions and organisations, including individuals in their personal capacity, who conduct research within national parks assist in filling this knowledge gap and greatly supplement our capacity.
The extent of occurrence of Aloeides thyra orientis, the Brenton Red Russet, has expanded significantly with a new population discovered near Knysna. This species is currently listed as Endangered (Photo: Herman Staude).
Dr Dave Edge, South African lepidopterist and conservation director of the Brenton Blue Trust, has been searching for and monitoring endangered and rare butterflies and moths in and around the Garden Route National Park (GRNP) since 2016. The study area not only includes the formally protected areas within the GRNP, but it also includes other priority natural areas, such as Critical Biodiversity Areas, Ecological Support Areas, Conservancies and conservation corridors, that provide connectivity within the broader landscape. The overarching aims of the monitoring are to determine the distribution and changes in Lepidoptera populations over time within the area, determine their threat status, and monitor and manage threatened and rare taxa. All the information gathered on Lepidoptera species assists us in identifying priority species and significantly contributes towards better conserving South Africa’s Lepidoptera biodiversity through the implementation of appropriate conservation management protocols.
Work conducted in South Africa’s national parks through external experts, assists us in understanding species diversity and assemblages. A case in point is monitoring done by South African lepidopterist, Dr Dave Edge, in the Garden Route area.
Photos: Justin Bode, Dave Edge, Hanna Edge and Fanie Rautenbach
This article was written by Dave Edge and Melanie de Mornay and originally published in the 2021/2022 Research Report.
