MAIISG

Assessment Rationale:

Parapetrobius azoricus is an endemic bristletail species, being known originally from the Formigas Islets (Mendes 1980), a group of small rock outrops located 37 Km SE of Santa Maria. The area above sea level of the islets is of 0.01 km². However, later the species was also found in the Lajes coastal area (Pico, Azores).  It has a relatively large extent of occurrence (EOO = 351  km²) and a relatively small area of occupancy (AOO = 24 km²). The species is rare and known from at two isolated subpopulations. The main threat will be habitat decline as a consequence of climate change (sea level rise). The species is assessed as Vulnerable (VU) with criteria D2 due to potential future threats namely climatic changes with alteration of environmental conditions in the coastal areas (sea level rise), geological events and changes in the management of the surrounding area at Lajes (Pico). As a consequence of these potential future threats the species is at threat becoming CR or EX in a short amount of time.

Geographic Range:

Parapetrobius azoricus is an endemic bristletail species, being known originally from the Formigas Islets (Mendes 1980), a group of small rock outcrops located 37 km SE of Santa Maria. The area above sea level of the islets is of 0.01 km². However, latter the species was also found in the Lajes coastal area (Pico, Azores) (Mendes et al. 2000). The extent of occurrence (EOO) is 351 km² and the maximum estimated area of occupancy (AOO) is 24 km².

Population:

The species is only known from two single subpopulations, that are not particularly abundant.

Habitat and Ecology

The species occurs only in a group of rocky islets and the coastal rocky area of Lajes (Pico). It is a detritivore species that feeds on algae and lives in the rocky supratidal zone.

Major Threat(s):

This species is limited to a small group of rocky offshore islets and the coastal area of Lajes in Pico island. The islets are subjected to severe weather, winter storms and large swells. Additionally, habitat will further decline as a consequence of climate change (sea level rise) (Ferreira et al. 2016).

Conservation Actions

The species is not protected by regional law. Its habitat is in a regionally protected area (Nature Reserve of Ilhéus das Formigas). Further research is needed into its ecology and life history in order to find extant specimens. It is necessary a monitoring plan for the invertebrate community in the habitat in order to contribute to the conservation of this species.