Assessment Rationale:

Listed as Data Deficient as there is little or no information available on the population size, trends, habitat and threats to the species. Research should be conducted in order to determine the status of this species.

Geographic Range:

This species is endemic to the Canary Islands (Rasmont 2014), where it occurs in La Palma, La Gomera, Tenerife and Gran Canaria (Hohmann et al. 1993).

Population:

There is no information available for the population size and trend of this species. It is very rare, as are the rest of the Melecta species.

Habitat and Ecology

There is no information available on the habitat of this species, although it has been recorded in altitudes up to 2,300 m asl (Hohmann et al. 1993) and it can be assumed to occur on Mediterranean-type shrublands.

The species is probably kleptoparasite, as other species of the genus Melecta. The host plants include the families Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Cistaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Oxalidaceae and Rubiaceae (Hohmann et al. 1993).

It has been recorded from October to June (Hohmann et al. 1993).

Major Threat(s):

Conservation Actions

The species is not listed in any National Red Lists or Red Data Books. There are no conservation actions in place for this species, and it is unknown whether its distribution overlaps with any protected areas throughout its range. Further research should be conducted to determine the population size and trends, habitat and threats to the species.