CONSERVATION
IUCN Redlist category Least Concern (IUCN 2020)
Rationale for redlist categorization Pachliopta phlegon has been assessed as Least Concern. This species has a relatively restricted extent of occurrence of around 32,000 km2, there is no information available on a decline of the population and the species is likely to occur in numerous localities across the islands of the Philippines. As other species of Philippine butterfly, habitat loss is likely to pose a threat to this species in certain parts of its range. However, it is likely to occur in protected areas. Population monitoring is recommended to assess effectiveness of conservation measures and impact of threats. If extent of occurrence is found to be more restricted and populations unstable, then this species likely warrants uplisting to a higher extinction risk, likely Near Threatened. (IUCN 2020)
Threat category Ecosystem conversion|Ecosystem degradation (IUCN 2020)
Cause of stress Agro-industry farming,Housing & urban areas (IUCN 2020)
Described Threats Habitat loss is likely to be the main threat to this species. There are few protected areas in the region of Mindanao where this species may occur (WDPA 2016); one of which is the Mount Malindang Range Natural Park, and it is under threat of illegal forest products harvesting, and conversion of forest land to highland vegetable farming and settlements (Carandang et al. 2013). Land protection in the Philippines is reportedly hampered by political instability and potential violence of illegal loggers (The Star 2017). 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. Data from Global Forest Watch suggests that within the western Mindanao area where the species is distributed, more than 8% of forest cover was lost between 2001 and 2017 (Hansen et al. 2013). (IUCN 2020)
Commercial use There is no trade information available for this species. (IUCN 2020)
Kind of conservation needed Site/area protection (IUCN 2020)
Applied conservation actions In their 1985 status assessment of the world's swallowtails, Collins and Morris considered this species as not threatened (at the time, the distribution was considered to be much larger). Danielsen and Treadaway (2004) described this species as Vulnerable, due to it having a small extent of occurrence and having an inferred future threat that could drive it to a higher threat category. There are only few protected areas across its range, and locality records for these areas are scarce and Danielsen and Treadaway (2004) do not report this species to be found in any priority area for conservation. The continued protection of the land in national parks across the Philippines such as Basilan National Park, as well as in the Mount Malindang Range Natural Park is very important, especially if further research shows this species is present in these areas. At present very little about this butterfly is known. Population monitoring is recommended to assess effectiveness of conservation measures and impact of threats. (IUCN 2020)
REFERENCES
- Carandang, A.P., Bugayong, L.A., Dolom, P.C., Garcia, L.N.Villanueva, M.M.B. and Espiritu, N.O. 2013. Analysis of Key Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in the Philippines. In: Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (ed.). Manila.
- Hansen, M.C., Potapov, P.V., Moore, R., Hancher, M., Turubanova, S.A., Tyukavina, A., Thau, D., Stehman, S.V., Goetz, S.J., Loveland, T.R., Kommareddy, A,. Egorov, A., Chini, L., Justice, C.O. and Townshend, J.R.G. 2013. High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change. Science 342: 850-853.
- IUCN. 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 December 2020).
- The Star. 2017. Philippines a global hotspot for environmental murders. The Star: Asean Plus.
- WDPA. 2016. Database on Protected Areas. A database online managed by UNEP-WCMC/IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA). Available at: http://www.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/index.htm.