New listing of the threatened status of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates

Introduction

DOC seeks submissions about any changes in status of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrate taxa to inform a revision of the lists for these groups in the NZ Threat Classification System. Consultation closed: 30 November 2013.

Consultation closes 30 November 2013

This is a call for submissions about any changes in status of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrate taxa, to inform a revision of the lists for these groups in the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

Related documents:

The current list giving the status of all taxa is here:

More explanation can be found in the published papers from the last listing cycle: (Stringer & Hitchmough 20124 and references listed therein).

Background information

In 2002 the Department of Conservation developed a new system for classifying organisms according to their risk of extinction (Molloy et al. 20025).

This system allows the classification of conservation status/risk of extinction of all organisms known to occur in a wild state in New Zealand. Endemics, non-endemic natives, migrants, vagrants, and introduced and naturalised species are all included, as are taxa which have not been formally described.

This is not a priority-setting system in the way that the listing of Molloy & Davis (19926, 19947) was, so does not include information on taxonomic distinctiveness, or on human values. It is a resource for priority setting, among other functions, rather than a priority list in itself. Two lists of threatened taxa assessed by these criteria were published (Hitchmough 20022, Hitchmough et al. 20071).

During the course of these listings, opportunities for improvements to the system itself were identified, and as a result a new manual with changed categories and criteria and more explicit procedures has been published (Townsend et al. 20083). These revised criteria were used to generate lists of threatened taxa between 2008-2011 - see Summary of changes (PDF, 745K).

To provide the most accurate information, the list is to be fully reviewed and updated every three years. The time has come to undertake this process again for terrestrial invertebrates and we now wish to gather data to begin the reclassification of taxa under the new criteria. We would be very grateful for any submissions providing information on terrestrial invertebrate species, subspecies, etc. that you consider to be threatened or at risk, or very poorly known but seldom encountered and possibly threatened.

Expert panels will meet to review the classification of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates, on the basis of information supplied. 

How to make a submission

Please note that submissions are intended to provide information to the panel, not to lobby for a particular outcome.

Or complete the questionnaire (Word, 40K) or (PDF, 40K) and email or fax to:

Rod Hitchmough
Scientific Officer (Species)
Terrestrial Conservation Unit
Department of Conservation
P O Box 10-420
Wellington 6143
Email: threatstatus@doc.govt.nz
Ph: +64 4 471 3249
Fax: +64 4 381 3057

1Hitchmough R, Bull L, Cromarty P 2007. New Zealand Threat Classification System lists 2005. Wellington, Department of Conservation.

2Hitchmough R 2002. New Zealand Threat Classification System lists. Wellington, Department of Conservation.

3Townsend AJ, de Lange PJ, Duffy CAJ, Miskelly CM, Molloy J, Norton DA 2008. New Zealand Threat Classification System manual. Wellington, Department of Conservation.

4Stringer, I, Hitchmough, R 2012: Assessing the conservation status of New Zealand's native terrestrial invertebrates, New Zealand Entomologist, 35:2, 77-84.

5Molloy J, Bell B, Clout M, de Lange P, Gibbs G, Given D, Norton DA, Smith N, Stephens T 2002. Classifying species according to threat of extinction. A system for New Zealand. Threatened Species Occasional Publication 22. Wellington, Department of Conservation.

6Molloy J, Davis A. 1992. Setting Priorities for the Conservation of New Zealand’s Threatened Plants and Animals. Department of Conservation,Wellington. 44 p.

7Molloy J, Davis A, Tisdall C. 1994. Setting Priorities for the Conservation of New Zealand’s Threatened Plants and Animals. 2nd ed. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 64 p.

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