•Small remnant reserves are vital for the conservation of large animals and entire ecosystems. They also make it easier to combat environmental threats such as fire and invasive weeds. However, some areas of Australia, particularly agricultural regions, do not have the land to support large remnant reserves. In Western Victoria, remnant reserves sometimes cover as little as 100 hectares. These small reserves are often undervalued and overlooked. However, recent research has shown that these remnant areas may be critical for the survival of smaller plant and animal species.
A recent study looked closely at grasshoppers in Western Victoria. The researchers discovered a previously undescribed species in the Keyacris genus, including the threatened Key’s matchstick species.
The new species, named Lake Bungunnia Murray Mallee matchstick (Keyacris bungunnia), is found in the area where an ancient megadrome (Lake Bungunnia) once existed, and is likely to be living on the shores of this lake. The unique to Australia scavenger beetles are found in many habitats in the country, including deserts, mulga thickets, eucalyptus forests and grasslands. Although not considered harmful, these local beetles are a natural part of Australia’s landscapes and support food webs by providing food.
These insects do not have wings until they reach adulthood, and they usually do not move far from where they were born. They can slowly spread over generations in areas with a stable habitat. Studies show that one species travelled 2,200 kilometres across the northern Tasmania to Victoria, while another travelled from Kalgoorlie to Broken Hill, crossing the Nullarbor Plain.
As landscapes become increasingly fragmented, environmental threats such as fire or overgrazing can wipe out entire populations. This is particularly dangerous for species such as the Murray Mallee matchstick, which has no wings and is unable to migrate to other places.
The Eltham copper butterfly (Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida), one of the sites where the largest known population of Murray Mallee matchstick was found, may indicate a high-quality habitat. Many of these insects are poorly studied, and yet they play a critical role in our local ecosystems, even though they are not as well known as bees and butterflies.
However, these valuable remnant reserves often face problems such as poorly managed, covered with weeds or littered with rubbish. Yet, protecting these areas for endangered animals does not have to be expensive or complicated. Rubbish beetles can survive even in small suitable habitat fragments, as long as there are food plants available. For example, in several revegetated sites near Melbourne, introduced populations of the Larapuna rubbish beetle (Vandiemenella viatica) have exploded. Most recently, scientists have successfully introduced the endangered Key’s matchstick rubbish beetle to the Euroa arboretum in north-eastern Victoria.
