Rediscovery of the threatened Stoffberg Widow butterfly, Dingana fraterna: The value of citizen scientists for African conservation

Abstract

The Stoffberg Widow, Dingana fraterna (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae), was only known from a single highly localised population near Stoffberg, South Africa. This butterfly is univoltine, with historical records indicating that adults fly for approximately 10 days in early October. It was last seen in 2002 and was Red-Listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). The cause of the extirpation of the type population was inappropriate burning of its habitat during the adult flight period. A new colony was recently discovered in October 2014 at a site 46 km N of the type locality by citizen scientists from the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa. This study clearly highlights that developing countries, which are often limited in resources, can benefit hugely from the contributions of citizen scientists to conservation initiatives.