VU

smalmeldetege

Piesma capitata

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Piesma capitata faces significant pressure from agricultural intensification and habitat conversion throughout its limited range. The species' specialized feeding requirements on specific plant hosts make it particularly vulnerable to changes in vegetation composition caused by modern farming practices and herbicide use. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the distribution and phenology of its host plants, potentially disrupting critical breeding and feeding cycles.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits dry grasslands, agricultural margins, and semi-natural areas with specific host plants from the Chenopodiaceae family. It requires areas with sparse vegetation cover and is typically found in disturbed or edge habitats where its preferred food plants naturally occur.

TERRESTRIAL· major

Threatened in Austria

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
VU

Large Tree-chernes

Dendrochernes cyrneus

Unknown
VU

Olive Skipper

Pyrgus serratulae

Unknown
SandoldenborreCR

Sandoldenborre

Hoplia graminicola

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is smalmeldetege classified as Vulnerable?
smalmeldetege is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Piesma capitata faces significant pressure from agricultural intensification and habitat conversion throughout its limited range. The species' specialized feeding requirements on specific plant hosts make it particularly vulnerable to changes in vegetation composition caused by modern farming practices and herbicide use. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the distribution and phenology of its host plants, potentially disrupting critical breeding and feeding cycles.
Where does smalmeldetege live?
smalmeldetege occurs in Austria, China, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, and Finland (plus 12 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 smalmeldetege?
The main threats to smalmeldetege 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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