The distribution and conservation of termites (Isoptera) and butterflies (Lepidoptera) in South Africa

Abstract

In order to conserve maximum biological diversity and maintain entire ecosystems, the conservation of insect groups must be considered. Termites (Isoptera) and butterflies (Lepidoptera) were selected as study groups because of their well known taxonomy and as information on their distribution is more readily available than many other invertebrate groups. Accurate distribution data sets were compiled for the South African region and generalised to 15' X 15' grid cells. The conservation value of the two groups was determined by evaluating existing conservation practices. This thesis describes alternative methodologies for the preservation of these two taxa, using complementary based iterative conservation area selection procedures. Existing reserve networks appear insufficient. The conservation strategy for termites must include production landscapes while threatened habitats for butterflies should receive the highest conservation priority. A sensitivity analysis was used to determine the spatial implications of utilising a poorly surveyed taxon. Perturbation of the well documented butterfly data set revealed that conservation area spatial configurations are compromised when less than 50% of the species are recorded in the input data set. The correlation between species richness and higher-taxon richness (genus and subfamilies) and the representation of species in higher taxon complementarity conservation networks was determined. There is a strong positive correlation between species and higher taxon richness but species are poorly represented in networks generated at higher taxonomic levels. The conservation\ area selection procedure adopted is strongly influenced by the taxon in question, their taxon-specific conservation requirements and the quality of the input data set.