Level 2 short-range endemic invertebrate fauna survey for the Wonmunna Iron Ore Project Prepared for Wonmunna Iron Ore Ltd October 2014 Final report Level 2 short-range endemic invertebrate fauna survey for the Wonmunna Iron Ore Project Prepared for Wonmunna Iron Ore Ltd Level 2 short-range endemic invertebrate fauna survey for the Wonmunna Iron Ore Project Prepared for Wonmunna Iron Ore Ltd Final report Authors: Volker Framenau Reviewers: Karen Crews Date: 20 October 2014 Submitted to: Gay Bradley and Ray Gerrard (Piacentini & Son) Chain of authorship and review Name Task Version Date Volker W. Framenau Final submitted to client 2.3 (version 2012) 25 January 2012 K. Crews Editorial review 3.0 (update 2014) 30 July 2014 Volker W. Framenau Draft for client comments 3.1 30 July 2014 Volker W. Framenau Final submitted to client 3.2 20 October 2014 ©Phoenix Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd 2014 The use of this report is solely for the Client for the purpose in which it was prepared. Phoenix Environmental Sciences accepts no responsibility for use beyond this purpose. All rights are reserved and no part of this report may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of Phoenix Environmental Sciences or the Client. Phoenix Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd 1/511 Wanneroo Rd BALCATTA WA 6021 P: 08 9345 1608 F: 08 6313 0680 E: [email protected] Project code: 1049-WON-AR-SRE Phoenix Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd i Level 2 short-range endemic invertebrate fauna survey for the Wonmunna Iron Ore Project Prepared for Wonmunna Iron Ore Ltd Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... VI 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Scope of work and survey objectives ...................................................................................... 4 2 LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT .................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Commonwealth ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 State ........................................................................................................................................ 6 3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................ 6 3.1 Interim Biogeographic Regionalisation of Australia (IBRA) .................................................... 6 3.2 Land systems ........................................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Climate and weather ............................................................................................................. 11 3.4 Land use ................................................................................................................................ 12 3.5 Biological context .................................................................................................................. 12 3.5.1 Short-range endemic invertebrates .............................................................................. 12 3.5.2 Threatening processes .................................................................................................. 14 4 METHODS ...................................................................................................................................... 15 4.1 Desktop review and database searches ................................................................................ 15 4.2 Habitat assessment and site selection .................................................................................. 15 4.3 Survey methods .................................................................................................................... 15 4.3.1 Wet pitfall traps ............................................................................................................ 20 4.3.2 Foraging......................................................................................................................... 20 4.3.3 Litter/soil sieving ........................................................................................................... 20 4.4 taxonomy and nomenclature................................................................................................ 20 4.4.1 Morphological species identification ............................................................................ 20 4.4.2 Molecular species identification ................................................................................... 21 4.4.3 Nomenclature ............................................................................................................... 24 4.5 Statistical analyses ................................................................................................................ 25 4.6 Survey and laboratory personnel .......................................................................................... 26 5 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................................ 26 5.1 Desktop study ....................................................................................................................... 26 5.2 Survey results ........................................................................................................................ 31 5.2.1 Molecular identification of Antichiropus millipedes ..................................................... 31 5.2.2 Survey summary ............................................................................................................ 32 5.3 Survey effectiveness ............................................................................................................. 38 5.4 Araneae – Mygalomorphae (Trapdoor Spiders) ................................................................... 41 5.4.1 Family Actinopodidae (Mouse Spiders) ........................................................................ 43 5.4.2 Family Nemesiidae (Wishbone Spiders) ....................................................................... 44 5.5 Pseudoscorpiones (False scorpions or Pseudoscorpions) .................................................... 45 5.5.1 Family Garypidae .......................................................................................................... 45 5.6 Scorpiones (Scorpions) .......................................................................................................... 47 5.7 Chilopoda (Centipedes) ......................................................................................................... 48 Phoenix Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd ii Level 2 short-range endemic invertebrate fauna survey for the Wonmunna Iron Ore Project Prepared for Wonmunna Iron Ore Ltd 5.7.1 Geophilomorpha ........................................................................................................... 48 5.7.2 Scolopendromorpha ..................................................................................................... 49 5.8 Diplopoda (Millipedes) .......................................................................................................... 51 5.8.1 Polydesmida .................................................................................................................. 52 5.9 Isopoda (Slaters) ................................................................................................................... 53 5.9.1 Family Armadillidae....................................................................................................... 55 5.9.2 Family Philosciidae ........................................................................................................ 55 5.10 Eupulmonata (land snails) ..................................................................................................... 56 5.10.1 Succineidae (amber snails) ............................................................................................ 58 5.11 Survey limitations ................................................................................................................. 59 6 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................... 61 6.1 Recommendations for management .................................................................................... 62 6.1.1 Species-specific recommendations ............................................................................... 62 6.1.2 Site-specific recommendations ..................................................................................... 64 7 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................. 65 APPENDIX 1 SITE DESCRIPTIONS ....................................................................................................... 72 APPENDIX 2 DESKTOP REVIEW: SHORT-RANGE ENDEMIC INVERTEBRATES ..................................... 99 APPENDIX 3 NUMBER OF SPECIMENS OF SRE TARGET TAXA COLLECTED DURING SURVEY .......... 110 Phoenix Environmental