How Can We Save This Elusive Ground Beetle?

There isn’t much data available to the wider public on the Calathus lundbladi ground beetle. This elusiveness is in no small part due to the little bug’s position on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List, meaning animal conservation experts consider the species critically endangered and are actively engaging in conserving the species and its habitat. Let’s explore what we know about the Calathus lundbladi ground beetle and what we can do to save this fascinating little insect. (See what this creature looks like here.)

What Is the Calathus lundbladi Ground Beetle?

The Calathus lundbladi ground beetle is endemic to a small island archipelago called the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal. Experts have located two major populations in two locations on the island. The beetle’s full, known extant range on the island is estimated to be around 22 square miles, a very small area compared to the range of larger animals. However, its largest known range on the island has a rapidly decreasing population and experts think that it might already be extinct in this range. The smaller range on the east side of the island has not suffered major setbacks to its population that we know of.

The beetle primarily lives in forest regions, which could limit its ability to introduce itself other parts of the island. Additionally, the Calathus lundbladi ground beetle is not a migratory species. So, relocation would need to be intentional as the beetle may not move of its own volition. The overall lifespan of the beetles is about 1 year, during which the beetle is born, reaches maturity, and reproduces.

The IUCN last assessed the Calathus lundbladi ground beetle for its conservation status in mid-July of 2016. During that assessment, the organization found that the beetle’s population was low and decreasing quickly. They were unable to find an exact estimate of the remaining population of Calathus lundbladi. However, they were able to confirm that it was a low number, likely under 3,000 individuals as with many of the other animals on the red list. With the population of mature individuals decreasing without adequate replacement, the beetle will soon go extinct without human intervention to ameliorate the issues that the population face.

Threats to the Calathus lundbladi Ground Beetle

According to the IUCN, the Calathus lundbladi ground beetle faces three main setbacks when it comes to improving its population levels in its endemic range. The first issue it faces is habitat destruction due to the expanding agriculture sector on the island. Agriculture expansion can result in mass deforestation to flatten land for tilling. Habitats for the Calathus lunblad ground beetle also face destruction from climate change and severe weather. Climate change can alter the landscape and make it uninhabitable for many of the animals that make the area their home. Additionally, climate change can be devastating for various ecosystems that are more sensitive to changes in the weather or atmosphere. These can also cause severe habitat losses, especially for animals that rely on foliage which climate change can damage or kill quickly.

Finally, the species also faces threats from non-native or even invasive species and diseases that humans and other domestic animals have brought to the island with them. Many diseases can non-symptomatically inhabit human bodies without harming them. However, when humans then pass those diseases onto other species that can catch them, this event can devastate the population of animals that catch the disease as they have not evolved to fight it.

How You Can Help in Conserving the Species

While much of the hard work to conserve endangered species in the world requires work by experts with special tools and knowledge, there is also a lot that the average citizen can do to participate in the effort. The IUCN has already implemented an action recovery plan for the Calathus lundbladi ground beetle to improve the species’ survivability and population numbers. This plan includes systematic monitoring of the species to ensure the population size increases rather than decreases.

The best way for citizens to involve themselves in the conservation of the Calathus lundbladi ground beetle is through donation and education. Donating money to organizations like the IUCN allows them more funding to implement action plans to recover the species. However, individuals can get involved for free by involving themselves in educating the public. Making social media posts about causes can create ripples through the online blogosphere as more people become aware of the issue. While it may be difficult to educate about the beetle itself as little information is available to the public, helping people understand the efforts experts are making to preserve the species can spur them to take their own actions.

Another effect that may result from people getting involved in the effort is the potential introduction of national and international legislation, which can aid in the conservation of different species. At the moment, the IUCN is organizing education and awareness programs to educate the public, but the need for international legislation and trade controls has yet to be identified for this species. However, if it were discovered that legislation could be helpful, citizen involvement would be crucial for supporting the implementation of the laws.