New wings for endangered butterfly

A CRITICALLY endangered butterfly, the Wolkberg Zulu, finally has a chance at survival after a conservation servitude was established in Limpopo to protect it.

A century since its discovery in 1925, the Alaena margaritaceaa butterfly, which only occurs on two sites at high altitude within the Wolkberg mountain range, is assured of protection. Experts say that the tiny butterfly which is only 26mm across, feeds on hard rock lichens that are impossible to separate from the rock.

Etienne Terblanche who heads up the Haenertsburg Wolkberg Zulu Conservation Servitude Committee says the idea for the servitude came from the Lepidopterists’ Society’s Dr Dave Edge in 2021.

“It is the landowner, Gustav van Veijeren, to whom we are most grateful for this hopeful development. “As of today, there is a much better chance for future generations to enjoy and research this courageous little creature and its patch of critically endangered vegetation known as Woodbush Granite Grassland,” said Terblanche.

He said they were over the moon and hoped that more landowners would follow Van Veijeren’s “pioneering and big-hearted footsteps” and there were few countries with as many

threatened and endemic species as South Africa and the amazing diversity of life made the job of conservationists exciting and challenging.

“The formal protection of these unique and isolated habitats for these incredible species are the building blocks towards securing our natural heritage and the life-giving ecosystem services that are provided by these intact landscapes,” Terblanche said.

Ian Little of the Endangered Wildlife Trust said they were proud to be custodians of South Africa’s “unique and beautiful wildlife assets”.