Threatened Species and threatened ecological communities
Advice to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) on Amendments to the list of Threatened Species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
Aulacopris matthewsi (Flightless Dung Beetle)
Aulacopris matthewsi (Flightless Dung Beetle) has been found at a limited number of sites within a single area (trapped at three sites over a linear distance of c. 2 km) on the eastern ridges of Mt Sorrow, Cape Tribulation North Queensland. All sites occur within Daintree National Park.
The Flightless Dung Beetle is not listed under the EPBC Act, nor is it listed as threatened under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act.
TSSC judges the species not to be eligible for listing under the EPBC Act. The justification against the criteria is as follows:
There is no evidence that the Flightless Dung Beetle has undergone or is likely to undergo in the immediate future a very severe reduction in numbers.
There is no information on the population size of the Flightless Dung Beetle. Current figures are known from the 44 specimens trapped at one site and one specimen taken at each of two other sites. The species maybe relatively common at these sites. There is no history of range contraction, or predicted loss, of individual populations. The Flightless Dung Beetle occurs in a wilderness area of Daintree National Park where there has been no logging, no road construction and no other disturbance except for occasional foot traverses by bushwalkers. Currently, there are no perceived threats, other than its very localised distribution.
Therefore, the species is not eligible for listing under this criterion.
There is no evidence that the geographic distribution of the Flightless Dung Beetle is precarious for the survival of the species, despite its very restricted distribution. The main vulnerability of the Flightless Dung Beetle would appear to be the possibility of random catastrophic events which can have great impacts on a population found with a very restricted distribution.
Information collected so far indicates that the Flightless Dung Beetle has a natural extent of occurrence and area of occupancy of <10 km2 within the Daintree National Park. There is no evidence that there has been any change in range in the past, and none is predicted in the future. There are no known threats other than its restricted range.
Therefore, the species is not eligible for listing under this criterion.
There is no information on the population size of the Flightless Dung Beetle, except that 44 specimens were trapped at one site and one specimen was taken at each of two other sites, and the species maybe relatively common at these sites. It is suspected that its distribution, though restricted, is stable with no evidence of past or future declines.
Therefore, the species is not eligible for listing under this criterion.
There is no quantitative data available against this criterion.
Therefore, the species is not eligible for listing under this criterion.
There is no quantitative data available against this criterion.
Therefore, the species is not eligible for listing under this criterion.
Surveys show the Flightless Dung Beetle has a restricted distribution. There is no indication that the species has undergone any past fluctuations or declines in range, nor is there any reason to suspect it is likely to do so in the future. There is no information on the population size of the Flightless Dung Beetle, except that 44 specimens were trapped at one site and one specimen was taken at each of two other sites, and the species maybe relatively common at these sites. The species is found entirely within a wilderness area of a national park, and has no known threats other than possible vulnerability to random catastrophic events.
The species is not eligible for listing under the EPBC Act.
TSSC recommends that the species Aulacopris matthewsi (Flightless Dung Beetle) is not eligible for inclusion in the list referred to in section 178 of the EPBC Act.