Evaluating predictors of Ptunarra Brown Butterfly Oreixenica ptunarra abundance on a conservation reserve to refine future monitoring

Grasslands are globally threatened ecosystems and provide habitat for multiple threatened species. For this reason, grassland management must employ strategies which can protect multiple species of conservation significance. We reviewed surveillance monitoring data collected on a private conservation reserve in Tasmania between 2014 and 2021 for the endangered Ptunarra Brown Butterfly (Oreixenica ptunarra) to identify the landscape scale predictors of abundance. The data suggested that elevation (lower), time since fire (longer) and highland grassy sedgeland and subalpine Diplarrena latifolia rushland habitats were preferred. These data provide information on how to target future monitoring of this species more effectively. Conservation management on this reserve needs to develop strategies that account for the ecological requirements of other threatened species in the reserve, which may have different and possibly conflicting management requirements.

Automated summary

Grasslands, globally threatened ecosystems, require conservation strategies to protect multiple endangered species living within them. Surveillance monitoring data on the endangered Ptunarra Brown Butterfly in Tasmania indicated preferences for lower elevation, longer time since fire, and specific habitat types. This information can guide more effective monitoring and conservation efforts for this species in the future, while also highlighting the need to consider the ecological requirements of other threatened species in the reserve.