Australian Non-Marine Invertebrates
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
A Review of the Conservation Status of Selected Australian Non-Marine Invertebrates Geoffrey M Clarke Fiona Spier-Ashcroft Contents Summary ...............................................................................................................................1 Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................2 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................3 2. Methods .............................................................................................................................4 2.1 Selection of taxa ............................................................................................................ 4 2.2 IUCN assessment and categorisation ............................................................................ 10 3. Conservation Status of Invertebrates .................................................................................. 12 3.1 Threats........................................................................................................................ 12 3.2. Invertebrates currently recognised as threatened .......................................................... 12 4. Species Synopses ............................................................................................................ 15 Adclarkia dawsonensis Boggomoss Snail............................................................................ 16 Aulacopris matthewsi Dung Beetle ...................................................................................... 21 Clarissa tasbates Flightless Sawfly ..................................................................................... 24 Cooloola species Cooloola Monsters .................................................................................. 27 Cooraboorama canberrae Canberra Raspy Cricket .............................................................. 31 Dinaphorura tooheyensis Toohey Forest Collembola............................................................ 34 Dirce aesiodora Pencil Pine Moth ....................................................................................... 38 Edwardsina gigantea Giant Torrent Midge........................................................................... 42 Euastacus armatus Murray Crayfish.................................................................................... 46 Euperipatoides rowelli Tallaganda Velvet Worm................................................................... 52 Hygrobia australasiae Water Beetle .................................................................................... 57 Idiosoma nigrum Shield-Backed Trapdoor Spider ................................................................ 60 Lasionectes exleyi Remipede ............................................................................................. 65 Lissotes latidens Broad-Toothed Stag Beetle ...................................................................... 70 Megascolides australis Gippsland Giant Earthworm ............................................................. 75 Nothomyrmecia macrops Dinosaur Ant ............................................................................... 81 Notopala sublineata sublineata & N. s. hanleyi River Snail.................................................... 86 Petalura species Giant Dragonfly........................................................................................ 90 Petasida ephippigera Leichhardt’s Grasshopper .................................................................. 95 Phyllodes imperialis southern subspecies Pink Underwing Moth........................................... 99 Reikoperla darlingtoni Mt. Donna Buang Wingless Stonefly ................................................ 103 Synemon plana Golden Sun Moth .................................................................................... 107 Taskiria otwayensis Caddis Fly......................................................................................... 113 Tenogogonus australiensis Water Strider .......................................................................... 117 Xylocopa aeratus Metallic Green Carpenter Bee ................................................................ 120 5. Appendix 1: Invertebrate species (excluding butterflies) currently listed as threatened under Commonwealth and State legislation ................................................................................... 124 6. Appendix 2: Invertebrate species currently listed as threatened on the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ............................................................................................................ 129 Summary This Review represents the first attempt to subdivided into research and management objectively assess the conservation status of a needs. selected suite of Australian non-marine 11. A list of relevant experts who provided invertebrates. information Australia is home to over 300,000 species of Each of the selected species has been objectively non-marine invertebrates of which over 80% are assessed against the 1994 IUCN Threatened endemic; the majority of which are not formally Species Criteria using the software package described. Any attempt to provide a detailed and RAMAS RedList®. As anticipated the majority of comprehensive overview of the conservation taxa were categorised as Critically Endangered status of such a large and diverse group is with the remaining as Data Deficient. This latter obviously impractical. category highlights many of the problems associated with assessment of invertebrate The approach we have taken is to select a suite of species, namely the lack of detailed and 25 species that are representative of the diversity comprehensive biological, ecological and of our invertebrate fauna, their geographic distribution data. distribution, different habitat requirements and associations and potential threats. THESE 25 Effective invertebrate conservation cannot rely SPECIES SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED AS on the conventional single species approach PRIORITY TAXA IN ANY SENSE. adopted for the conservation of our vertebrates and plants. The focus needs to change to a more For each selected species we provide information community and landscape scale approach with a on: primary emphasis on habitat conservation and threat abatement. However, for some faunal 1. General taxonomic status of the species, elements a single species emphasis may still have including an illustration merit. 2. Species survival status. This includes The aims of this Review are twofold. The first is information of current listing under State or to highlight that invertebrates are amenable to Commonwealth legislation, or on the 2000 conventional assessment of their conservation IUCN Red List of Threatened Species status. Although such assessment might be more (Hilton-Taylor 2000). Also included is the difficult than for better-known groups, such as IUCN categorisation determined by vertebrates, there is nothing intrinsically different application of the Ramas RedList software about them to prevent objective assessment. The program (Akçakaya and Ferson 1999). second and perhaps more important aim is to 3. Species distribution – a map of current draw attention to the conservation needs of the distribution is provided at the end of each largest and most diverse component of synopsis overlaid with Conservation and Australia’s biota. There is a general increase in Protected Areas shown in green. awareness of the uniqueness and importance of Australia’s invertebrates. This Review stresses 4. Habitat details that this fauna is just as worthy of conservation 5. Biological overview as our koalas, parrots and Wollemi Pine. 6. Significance – details of the biological, ecological, and scientific significance of the species which have contributed to its inclusion in the plan 7. Threats 8. Conservation objectives 9. Conservation actions already initiated for the taxon 10. Conservation actions required for long-term conservation of the species. This section is Page 1 Acknowledgments Many people have assisted in the preparation of Jonathan Majer – Curtin University of this Review. In particular we wish to thank Technology Sharyn Wragg for providing the wonderful Peter Mawson – Conservation and Land illustrations used within each Species Synopsis. Management, WA Dr John Vranjic (Environment Australia) is Archie McArthur – South Australian Museum thanked for comments on a draft version of the Jeff Meggs – Forestry Tasmania Plan and for suggesting the inclusion of Tables 1 John Merrick – Macquarie University and 2. The following are thanked for advice Ian Naumann – CSIRO Entomology and/or provision of data. Arturs Neboiss – Museum of Victoria Ebbe Nielsen – CSIRO Entomology Michael Bately – Macquarie University Winston Ponder - Australian Museum Kevin Bonham – University of Tasmania Heather Procter – Griffith University Andrew Burbidge – Conservation and Land Kim Pullen – CSIRO Entomology Management, WA Chris Reid – Australian Museum Jo Cardale – CSIRO Entomology David Rentz – CSIRO Entomology David Cartwright David Rowell – Australian National University Anne Connolly – ACT Parks & Conservation Don Sands – CSIRO Entomology Service Matthias Sanetra – Latrobe University Peter Cranston – CSIRO Entomology Steve Shattuck – CSIRO Entomology Ross Crozier – Latrobe University Rob Simson - Toohey Forest Protection Society