Distribution, population size and conservational status of the regionally endangered Large Banded Grasshopper (Arcyptera fusca) in Hungary (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Abstract

Summary The abandonment of grasslands is a major threat to the local biodiversity of these habitats. Secondary succession may have a negative effect on species richness, especially in mountain meadows. The Large Banded Grasshopper, Arcyptera fusca (Pallas, 1773) is a typical example throughout Europe. According to former publications and our field survey of 2021, the extant number of populations of this species in Hungary has decreased from 31 to eight in the last decades. Based on the population size estimation carried out in 2021, some of the recent populations of A. fusca in Hungary count only dozens of adult specimens, while the largest ones consist of several hundreds. Their habitats cover ca. 40 hectares in all, in the North Hungarian Mountains. According to the IUCN guidelines, A. fusca should be considered endangered (EN) in Hungary. Our results show that active conservational measures with long term monitoring are important, and necessary to preserve this species together with its biodiversity-rich mountainous habitats in Hungary.