IUCN Redlist category Least Concern (IUCN 2020)
Rationale for redlist categorization Losaria neptunus has been assessed as Least Concern. This species has a widespread distribution in southeastern Asia, from Myanmar to Indonesia and the Philippines and there is no evidence of a declining population. The extent of occurrence of this species is greater than 5 million km2. The species is likely to occur in a number of protected areas across this wide range, but given the presence of localised threats of habitat loss, population monitoring is recommended to assess the impact of conservation actions as well as threats on this species. (IUCN 2020)
Threat category Species mortality,Ecosystem conversion,Ecosystem degradation (IUCN 2020)
Cause of stress Intentional use (species is the target),Shifting agriculture,Unintentional effects: (large scale) [harvest] (IUCN 2020)
Described Threats Although this species is widely distributed, the areas where it is found all face large-scale deforestation, therefore the major threat to the survival of this species is habitat loss. Palm oil plantations particularly, as well as pulp plantations, illegal logging and forest fires are driving the rapid deforestation in Borneo, where the forest cover has reduced to only 50% (WWF 2018e). Myanmar supplies 70% of the world's teak supply, and the pressure on this industry means that teak forests are rapidly disappearing (Browne 2008). Sumatra also faces rapid deforestation, where rainforest is being replaced by palm and acacia plantations (Vidal 2013). Millions of hectares are protected in Sumatra, but the forest is fragmented and protected areas are surrounded by plantations, and illegal loggers work with impunity as corruption is rife in the government (Vidal 2013). Future projections suggest that in 20 years time only very small, highly fragmented areas of forest will remain in Sumatra (Vidal 2013). This species may also be affected by trade, however more research needs to be done to assess whether or not this has an impact on the species. (IUCN 2020)
Commercial use A specimen of this species can be found for sale on 'Bugmaniac' for €74.95 (October 2018), however further trade information is not available. (IUCN 2020)
Kind of conservation needed Resource & habitat protection,Site/area protection,National level (IUCN 2020)
Applied conservation actions In a previous status assessment of the world's swallowtails, this species was not thought to be threatened (Collins and Morris 1985). It is likely to occur in a number of protected areas across its wide range and has been recorded in Batu Apoi Forest Reserve in Brunei, north Borneo (Orr and Haeuser 1996), Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Itioka et al. 2009) and Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in eastern Sumatra (Dahelmi et al. 2009). A WWF report suggests that more protected areas in Borneo need to be created, as those that currently exist are too fragmented, and even more importantly deforestation in these areas must stop rather than accelerate as the current trends suggest they will (WWF 2018e). Initiatives such as the Heart of Borneo, which protects a 220,000 km2 area of rainforest, are very important too for conservation of the habitat of this and other forest species. Rainforest Trust Sumatra worked with a local partner, Yayasan Konservasi Ekosistem Hutan Sumatera (KEHUS), to create three protected areas that cover a total of 200,396 acres in Bukit Tigapuluh, where five specimens of this species were found (Dahelmi et al. 2009). KEHUS is now ensuring that law enforcement successfully protects these areas from illegal activities. In 2015, another environmental organisation, PT Alam Bukit Tigapuluh, was granted permission for an ecosystem restoration license covering a large portion of land in Bukit Tigapuluh. Population monitoring is recommended to assess the impact of conservation actions as well as threats on this species. (IUCN 2020)
REFERENCES
- Browne, P. 2008. Burma's disappearing teak forests. The Guardian.
- Collins, N.M. and Morris, M.G. 1985. Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World. The IUCN Red Data Book. IUCN, Gland and Cambridge.
- Dahelmi, Salmah, S. and Herwina, H. 2009. Survey of swallowtail butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) at Several National Parks of Sumatra. Universitas Andalas Padang.
- Itioka, T., Yamamoto, T., Tzuchiya, T., Okubo, T., Yago, M., Seki, Y., Ohshima, Y., Katsuyama, R., Chiba, H. and Yata, O. 2009. Butterflies collected in and around Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia in Borneo. Contributions from the Biological Laboratory, Kyoto University 30(1): 25-68.
- IUCN. 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 December 2020).
- Orr, A.G. and Haeuser, C.L. 1996. Temporal and spatial patterns of butterfly biodiversity in a lowland tropical rainforest. In: D.S. Edwards, W.E. Booth and S.C. Choy (eds), Tropical forest research - Current issues, Kluwer academic publishers.
- Vidal, J. 2013. The Sumatran rainforest will mostly disappear within 20 years. The Guardian.
- WWF. 2018e. Deforestation in Borneo and Sumatra. Available at: http://wwf.panda.org/our_work/forests/deforestation_fronts/deforestation_in_borneo_and_sumatra/. (Accessed: 26th September 2018).