The vulnerable Réunion endemic “Papillon la Pature” has been protected under CITES Appendix III. Alongside conservation efforts on the ground, preventing illegal or unsustainable trade in this way could provide new hope and prevent further decline of this beautiful short-tailed swallowtail.
The species has been extinct in the Seychelles since 1890 and, despite being protected by law in Réunion since 1979, it is seriously threatened by loss of its forest habitat and food plants there. Up until the 1950s the species was common, but the rapid advance of agriculture, particularly sugar cane plantations, caused huge reductions in its range. Deforestation continues on Réunion, the largest of the Mascarene islands.
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