Nurus brevis (a beetle) - endangered species listing

The Scientific Committee, established by the Threatened Species Conservation Act, has made a Final Determination to list the beetle Nurus brevis Motschulsky, 1865 as an ENDANGERED SPECIES on Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Act. Listing of endangered species is provided for by Part 2 of the Act.

NSW Scientific Committee - final determination

The Scientific Committee has found that:

1. Nurus brevis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) is a large (up to 5cm in length), predatory ground beetle. It is flightless, heavily built and black with metallic green reflections.

2. Nurus brevis appears to have been confined to heavily timbered areas east of the Great Dividing Range on the north coast of NSW, including the "Big Scrub". Prior to the clearing of the "Big Scrub" rainforest, Nurus brevis is thought to have been relatively common. There are many collection records of Nurus brevis from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

3. The biology of Nurus brevis has not yet been studied in detail, but it is known that the beetles live in burrows and that the females nurture the young at the bottom of the burrow.

4. Nurus brevis had not been collected for many years and was thought to be extinct until 1972, when Nurus brevis was re-discovered by G. Monteith at Rotary Park, Lismore. However, by the early 1990s this population had declined and latest data indicate that Nurus brevis is extinct in Rotary Park (G. Williams, G. Carruthers, pers. comms). This population formed the basis of a nomination of Rotary Park to the Register of the National Estate (Carruthers, 1993, Greenslade, 1994). There are now only two known populations of Nurus brevis, both of which are near Mallanganee and are very isolated (G. Monteith, C. Reid pers. comms).

5. The survival of this species is currently threatened by an extremely restricted distribution, clearing of rainforest remnants, removal of fallen timber and ground cover, and beetle collecting activities.

6. In view of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 above, the Scientific Committee is of the opinion that the numbers of Nurus brevis Motschulsky, 1865 have been reduced to such a critical level and its habitats have been so drastically reduced, that it is in immediate danger of extinction.

Proposed Gazettal date: 16/03/01
Exhibition period: 16/03/01 - 20/04/01

References 

Carruthers, G. (1993) - Nomination of Rotary Park, Lismore to the Register of the National Estate.

Greenslade, P. (1994) - Heritage listing of invertebrate sites. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 36 (1): 67 - 76.