Dracula ligiae
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Dracula ligiae faces severe threats from deforestation and habitat conversion in Ecuador's cloud forests, where its epiphytic lifestyle makes it entirely dependent on mature forest canopy conditions. Mining activities and agricultural expansion have fragmented its already limited range, while climate change alters the precise humidity and temperature conditions this orchid requires for survival.
Habitat
This epiphytic orchid inhabits the humid cloud forests of Ecuador at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters, growing on moss-covered tree branches and trunks in areas with consistent moisture and filtered sunlight. It requires the specific microclimate conditions found in undisturbed montane forests with persistent cloud cover.