Handmaid
CR

Handmaid

Dysauxes ancilla

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysauxes_ancilla

Overview

Dysauxes ancilla, the handmaid, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1767 12th edition of Systema Naturae. It lives in southern and central Europe, through Turkey and Armenia, over the Ural Mountains and up to the Caucasus.

The Handmaid (Dysauxes ancilla) is critically endangered primarily due to severe habitat loss and fragmentation of its specialized grassland and heathland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in land management practices have dramatically reduced the availability of suitable breeding and foraging habitats. Climate change may further exacerbate these pressures by altering the distribution and phenology of host plants essential for larval development.

Threat summary

Other threatened species in Erebidae

Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

Unknown
Water ErmineVU

Water Ermine

Spilosoma urticae

Unknown
rosenryggat ordensflyVU

rosenryggat ordensfly

Catocala pacta

Unknown
Red-necked FootmanVU

Red-necked Footman

Atolmis rubricollis

Unknown

Threatened in Albania

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
Anthophore estivaleCR

Anthophore estivale

Anthophora aestivalis

Unknown
Adonis BlueVU

Adonis Blue

Lysandra bellargus

Unknown
VU

Anthribus fasciatus

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Handmaid classified as Critically Endangered?
Handmaid is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Handmaid (Dysauxes ancilla) is critically endangered primarily due to severe habitat loss and fragmentation of its specialized grassland and heathland ecosystems. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and changes in land management practices have dramatically reduced the availability of suitable breeding and foraging habitats. Climate change may further exacerbate these pressures by altering the distribution and phenology of host plants essential for larval development.
Where does Handmaid live?
Handmaid occurs in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, and Croatia (plus 23 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Handmaid?
The main threats to Handmaid are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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