Voglio sapere a riguardo di…

43488

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 150 / Monday, August 9, 2021 / Proposed Rules
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with PROPOSALS1

on the internet. Specimens of Harris mimic swallowtail are routinely advertised online ranging from $1,000 to $2,200 U.S. dollars USD, indicating that illegal collection and trade may be occurring and demand for this butterfly is high. Harris mimic swallowtail is not currently on the IUCN Red list, although it was identified as a threatened or extinct subspecies in the family Papilionidae in the 1994 IUCN Red List.
The subspecies is not included in the Appendices to CITES. It is also not regulated on the annexes to European Union Wildlife Trade Regulations.
In the October 10, 2019, CNOR, Harris mimic swallowtail was assigned an LPN of 3. After reevaluating the threats to this subspecies, we have determined that no change in the LPN
is warranted. Harris mimic swallowtail is a subspecies that is not within a monotypic genus. Threats are high in magnitude and imminent because the butterfly only occurs in a few small, fragmented colonies, habitat loss and degradation is ongoing, and the potential for catastrophic events such as fire remains. Additionally, although the subspecies is protected by Brazilian law and several of the colonies are located within protected areas, the high price advertised online for specimens indicates that there is demand for the subspecies, likely from illegal collection. Despite the conservation measures in place, the species continues to face stressors e.g., habitat loss and destruction, and illegal collection and trade. Therefore, an LPN of 3 remains valid for this subspecies to reflect imminent threats of high magnitude.
Jamaican Kite Swallowtail Jamaican kite swallowtail Protographium marcellinus, syn.
Eurytides marcellinus is a small bluegreen and black butterfly endemic to Jamaica. This butterfly is regarded as Jamaicas most endangered butterfly.
The species occurs in three limestone forest habitats containing dense stands of its only known larval host plant, Oxandra lanceolata, known as black lancewood or West Indian lancewood, and these stands are rare. There are five known sites that support colonies of the Jamaican kite swallowtail, although there is no known estimate of population size. Two of the sites may be recently extirpated, one is thought to be tenuous, and two are viable with strong numbers in some years.
Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation are considered the primary factors affecting the Jamaican kite swallowtail. Historical habitat loss and destruction occurred when forests were cleared for agriculture and timber
VerDate Sep<11>2014

16:39 Aug 06, 2021

Jkt 253001

extraction. Only 8 percent of the total land area of Jamaica is natural forest with minimal human disturbance. More recent habitat destruction is occurring primarily from sapling cutting for yam sticks, fish pots, or charcoal. Charcoalmaking also carries the risk of fire, which may destroy pupae in the leaf litter. Additionally, mining for limestone that is used for roadbuilding and bauxite production that is an important economic activity pose threats to remaining forested tracts. The two strongest subpopulations occur in protected areas, although habitat destruction within these areas continues. Additionally, Jamaicas Forest Act of 1996 and Forest Regulations Act of 2001 have increased the power of Jamaican authorities to protect the species habitat; the Jamaican kite swallowtail is included in Jamaicas National Strategy and Action Plan on Biological Diversity. This strategy established specific plans for protecting sites that support two subpopulations of the swallowtail, but, to date, they have not been initiated due to funding and capacity constraints.
Illegal collection and trade of the species may be occurring. Three specimens of the Jamaican kite swallowtail were noted for sale on the internet as recently as 2017, for as much as $120 USD, and one specimen sold in 2015 for $178 USD. Specimens of the Homerus swallowtail Papilio homerus, another rare Jamaican butterfly have also been illegally traded, indicating that there is a market for Jamaican butterflies despite heavy fines under the Jamaican Wildlife Protection Act.
Predation from native predators, including spiders, the Jamaican tody Todus todus, and praying mantis Mantis religiosa, may be adversely affecting the Jamaican kite swallowtail, especially in the smaller subpopulations. In years where large numbers of spiders were observed, very few Jamaican kite swallowtail larvae survived. Additionally, this species may be at greater risk of extinction due to natural events such as hurricanes, and small fragmented subpopulations are generally at greater risk of extinction from habitat loss, predation, and stochastic environmental events.
Since 1985, the Jamaican kite swallowtail has been categorized on IUCNs Red List as vulnerable, but the assessment is marked as needs updating. This species is not included in the Appendices to CITES or the European Union Wildlife Trade Regulations, although some level of illegal trade is likely occurring.
In the October 10, 2019, CNOR, the Jamaican kite swallowtail was assigned
PO 00000

Frm 00060

Fmt 4702

Sfmt 4702

an LPN of 2. After reevaluating the factors affecting the Jamaican kite swallowtail, we have determined that no change in LPN is warranted because the threats are high in magnitude and imminent. The Jamaican kite swallowtail does not represent a monotypic genus. The Jamaican kite swallowtail is known from only five small subpopulations, and as few as two of these subpopulations may presently be viable. Although Jamaica has taken regulatory steps to preserve native swallowtail habitat, plans for conservation of vital areas for the butterfly have not been implemented.
Thus, an LPN of 2 remains valid for this species to reflect imminent threats of high magnitude.
Kaiser-i-Hind Swallowtail Kaiser-i-Hind swallowtail Teinopalpus imperialis is a green, black, and orange swallowtail butterfly that is large, ornate, and native to the Himalayan regions of Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. The species occurs in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and other mountainous regions at altitudes of 1,5003,050 m 4,921
10,000 ft above sea level, in undisturbed primary broad-leaved evergreen forests or montane deciduous forests. Although it has a relatively large range, it is restricted to higher elevations and occurs only locally within this range, and populations are described as being very local and never abundant. Even early accounts of the species described it as being a very rare occurrence. Larval host plants are limited to Magnolia and Daphne species, and in some regions the Kaiseri-Hind swallowtail is strictly monophagous, only using a single species of Magnolia as a host plant.
Habitat destruction negatively affects this species, which prefers undisturbed, high-altitude forests. In China and India, the Kaiser-i-Hind swallowtail populations are affected by habitat modification and destruction due to commercial and illegal logging, as well as clearing for agriculture in India. In Nepal, the species is affected by habitat disturbance and destruction resulting from mining, wood collection for use as fuel, deforestation, collection of fodders and fiber plants, forest fires, invasion of bamboo species into the oak forests, agriculture, and grazing animals. In Vietnam, the forest habitat is reportedly declining. Comprehensive information on the rate of degradation of Himalayan forests containing the Kaiser-i-Hind swallowtail is not available, but habitat loss is consistently reported as one of the primary ongoing threats to the
E:FRFM09AUP1.SGM

09AUP1