Le Cerf’s Grayling (English)

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 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:

Restricted to Sao Miguel, in the Azores. Its elevational range is 600-1,000 m. This is a European endemic species.

Regions:
Portugal - Azores

Extent of Occurrence (EOO):
(km²)

Area of Occupancy (AOO):
(km²)

Elevation Lower Limit:
600 (m)

Elevation Upper Limit:
1000 (m)

Biogeographic Realms:
Palearctic

Presence:
Extant

Origin:
Endemic Azores

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

Le Cerf's Grayling can be found in on grassy vegetation in small valleys and sheltered hollows. The butterflies are often observed on flowers where they come for nectar. Probably, the only foodplant is Festuca jubata. The species has one generation a year (Tolman and Lewington 2008). Habitats: mesophile grasslands (33%), agricultural land and artificial landscapes (33%), heath and scrub (33%).

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

Species

Hipparchia miguelensis (Le Cerf, 1935)