Colophon, Gray, 1832

Hayward, Thea Eldred Carlo Meloro Clarke Scholtz Declan Murphy Katie Fincken Matt, 2016, Does size matter for horny beetles? A geometric morphometric analysis of interspecific and intersexual size and shape variation in Colophon haughtoni Barnard, 1929, and C. kawaii Mizukami, 1997 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae), Organisms Diversity & Evolution 16 (4), pp. 821-833 : 821

Colophon conservation

Colophon beetles are a research and conservation priority. Locally endemic species are especially vulnerable to extinction ( Van Dyke 2008; Pizzo et al. 2011), and the restriction of Colophon species to the Western Cape mountain peaks makes them particularly vulnerable to global warming ( Parmesan et al. 1999; Switala et al. 2015). Construction projects are damaging and reducing the already limited habitats of some populations ( Geertsema and Owen 2007), and all Colophon species are threatened by illegal collection, with single specimens being sold for up to US $15,000 on the black market ( Beeton 1997; Melisch and Schütz 2000). Colophon is an important flagship taxon for campaigns against illegal insect trade ( New 2009), and all species are listed on CITES Appendix III ( CITES 2015). The genus was added to the South African ToPS list in 2007 and species are also categorised from vulnerable to critically endangered on the IUCN Red List ( IUCN 2015). However, these assessments need updating ( IUCN 2015) and the effective management and conservation of Colophon is impaired by the paucity of knowledge on their natural history ( New 2009; Roets et al. 2013).