Malesian Butterflies
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Malesian Butterflies
Pachliopta mariae (Semper, 1878)

CONSERVATION

IUCN Redlist category
Least Concern (IUCN 2020)

Rationale for redlist categorization
Pachliopta mariae has been assessed as Least Concern. In a previous status assessment of the world's swallowtails in 1985, this species was thought to be neither rare nor threatened (Collins and Morris 1985). More recently, the species is still considered common across a number of islands of the Philippines, resulting in an estimated extent of occurrence of over 300,000 km2. Habitat loss may be a threat to this species and conservation actions may be required to ensure remaining forest cover stays intact for the benefit of this species and other biodiversity of the islands. (IUCN 2020)

Threat category
Species mortality,Ecosystem conversion (IUCN 2020)

Cause of stress
Intentional use (species is the target),Agro-industry farming,Housing & urban areas (IUCN 2020)

Described Threats
The biggest threat facing this species is likely to be deforestation of the Philippine rainforest. The population of the Philippines is set to rise from 19 million in 1940 to a projected 111.7 million in 2020 and this is leading to forest clearance. Between 1977 and 1990, forest coverage in Luzon had decreased by around 48%, with 45% of it turning into paddy fields for the cultivation of rice (Geospatial World 2009). Deforestation continues at a worrying rate and even protected areas are not safe from urbanisation to fit the constantly growing population (WWF 2018d). The lack of strong political support for forest protection and reforestation in the Philippines means that reform is not occurring, while there is also some resistance against conservation efforts (Tacio 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 the subspecies A. m. mariae can be found for sale on the website 'InsectDesigns' for AU$9.02 (October 2018). However, further trade information for this species is unavailable. (IUCN 2020)

Kind of conservation needed
Site/area protection,Site/area management (IUCN 2020)

Applied conservation actions
In a previous status assessment of the world's swallowtails in 1985, this species was not thought to be threatened (Collins and Morris 1985). There are currently over 200 protected areas in the Philippines, with 35 of these currently classified as National Parks (as reported by the DENR). Seven National Parks are found in central-east and south-east Luzon, two in Leyte and one in Cebu, all regions where this species is found and its host plant - still unknown - likely grows. There is also the Rajah Sikatana Protected Landscape in Bohol. These conservation sites are likely important for the survival of this species, however the political situation in the Philippines means complete protection of these habitats is not achieved. It is argued that the DENR, in charge of protected area management, has limited political influence and has hostile relations with local communities (Nepal 1995). It may therefore be beneficial to decentralise protected areas to achieve better site management. More research into the population status and to this species is very important as a first step towards future conservation planning, as currently its exact localities are unknown. (IUCN 2020)

REFERENCES

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