•Small reserves are vital for the protection 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 reserves. In the agricultural areas of Western Victoria, agricultural areas sometimes cover as little as 100 hectares. These small reserves are often undervalued and overlooked. However, recent research shows that these remnant areas may be critical for the survival of smaller plant and animal species.
The new species, which lived in the area where an ancient megadrome (Lake Bungunnia) existed during the Pleistocene period, was named Lake Bungunnia Murray Mallee matchstick (Keyacris bungunnia). It is likely that the species lives on the shores of this lake. The unique to Australia dung beetles have around 250 closely related species, found in many habitats in Australia, including deserts, mulga scrublands, eucalyptus forests and grasslands. Although not considered a pest, these local beetles are a natural part of Australian landscapes and support food webs by providing food.
These insects, which do not have wings until they reach adulthood, usually do not move far from where they were born. They can slowly spread over generations in areas with a constant habitat. Research shows 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 overgrazing during fires or droughts can wipe out entire populations. This is particularly dangerous for species like 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 discovered, may actually 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 covered with rubbish. Yet, protecting these areas for endangered animals does not have to be expensive or complicated. Waste beetles can survive, even in small suitable habitat fragments, as long as there are food plants available. For example, introduced populations of the Larapuna waste beetle (Vandiemenella viatica) have exploded at several revegetated sites near Melbourne.
