IUCN SSC Mid-Atlantic Island Invertebrates Specialist Group

Species

BackHipparchia maderensis (Bethune-Baker, 1891)

Hipparchia maderensis (Bethune-Baker, 1891)

  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Lepidoptera
  • Family: Nymphalidae
LC Least Concern
IUCN Red List Status:

Countries of Occurrence:
Portugal - Madeira

Archipelago(s):
Madeira

Assessor/s:
van Swaay, C., Wynhoff, I., Verovnik, R., Wiemers, M., López Munguira, M., Maes, D., Sasic, M., Verstrael, T., Warren, M. & Settele, J.

Reviewer/s:
Lewis, O. (Butterfly RLA) & Cuttelod, A. (IUCN Red List Unit)

Contributor/s:

Facilitators / Compilers/s:


Assessment Rationale:

Although this species occurs in a small extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO), it is not declining by more than 30% nor shows extreme fluctuations according to Russell et al. (2007). Therefore it is listed as Least Concern.

Geographic Range:

This butterfly species is restricted to the island of Madeira. This is a European endemic species.

Regions:
Portugal - Madeira
Extent of Occurrence (EOO):
(km2)
Area of Occupancy (AOO):
(km2)
Elevation Lower Limit:
(m)
Elevation Upper Limit:
(m)
Biogeographic Realms:
Palearctic
Presence:
Extant
Origin:
Endemic Madeira
Seasonality:
Resident

Population:

A local species, restricted to (semi-) natural areas. Declines in distribution or population size of 6-30% have been reported (data provided by the national partners of Butterfly Conservation Europe).

Habitat and Ecology

This species can be found in areas with herbaceous covering above 1,000 m and in areas of the Laurisilva where heath is predominant. Habitats: dry siliceous grasslands (20%), coniferous woodland (20%), mixed woodland (20%), broad-leaved evergreen woodland (20%), volcanic features (20%).

Major Threat(s):

Although this is a European endemic with a restricted range, this species is not believed to face major threats at the European level.

Conservation Actions

No specific conservation actions are needed at a European level. But since it has a restricted global range, its distribution and trend should be monitored closely, for example by a Butterfly Monitoring Scheme.