MAIISG

Assessment Rationale:

European regional assessment: listed as Endangered (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)), as this species has a very small area of occupancy with only four known sites. The extent of occurrence is also very small. Could be assessed either as Endangered under Criterion B or Vulnerable  under Criterion D2 - it is difficult to determine which because little information is available from which to infer population trend. Precautionarily assessed as Endangered, as there may be ongoing declines in habitat extent and quality (since the sites for this species are not in protected areas), but better information is needed to confirm this.

EU 27 regional assessment: listed as Endangered (B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii)), as this species has a very small area of occupancy with only four known sites. The extent of occurrence is also very small. Could be assessed either as Endangered under Criterion B or Vulnerable under Criterion D2 - it is difficult to determine which because little information is available from which to infer population trend. Precautionarily assessed as Endangered, as there may be ongoing declines in habitat extent and quality (since the sites for this species are not in protected areas), but better information is needed to confirm this.

Geographic Range:

This species is only found in the Portuguese archipelago, the Azores, in the Atlantic Ocean. Only four localities (on three islands) are reported by Gonzáles Peña et al. (2007). According to Base de dados da Biodiversidade dos Açores (2009) it is present in the islands Pico, Saõ Miguel, Santa Maria and it records the species from twelve 0.5x0.5 km grids, eight of them on Santa Maria island. The grids are situated near coast and in medium altitudes. It is a relict species.

Population:

There is little information available on the abundance of this species.

Habitat and Ecology

This is an obligate saproxylic species. It is found in deadwood of Laurus azorica, Vitis vinifera and Ilex in montane laurisilva forests. No details are available on size of deadwood required or on open-ness of the habitat.

Major Threat(s):

No information available. There may be ongoing declines in habitat extent and quality (since the sites for this species are not in protected areas), but better information is needed to confirm this.

Conservation Actions

No specific conservation measures for this species are known. It is not thought to occur in any protected areas. Research on threats and population trends are urgently needed to better inform a future reassessment of this species' status.