Stonefly Faces Extinction After Victorian Government Made “Incredibly Disappointing” Decision, Group Says

The Victorian government's decision may result in the extinction of a highly endangered stonefly, which can outlive most other insects.

The Mount Donna Buang Wingless Stonefly, which lives on a mountain about an hour and a half from Melbourne, is a fascinating tiny insect. 

Disappointing Decision

In March 2023, the Victorian National Parks Authority (VNPA) sought for a critical habitat decision under state environmental legislation aimed at protecting threatened species.

However, the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action (DECCA) denied the application last week, despite the fact that the state government's own scientists supported the VNPA study.

Instead, the government defied its own scientists, who argued in favor of the additional protection measure, according to the association.

The decision would have provided long-term protection for the stonefly, which has a remarkable lifespan of more than two years, according to the association.

"This is an incredibly disappointing decision by the State's environment Department to reject advice from its own scientific advisors and the solid scientific basis of the critical habitat application," said VNPA Parks and Nature Campaigner Jordan Crook.

Houseflies can survive for up to 25 days, but many insects only live for a year or less.

The stonefly lives in a narrow area prone to serious risks like as climate change, fire, water pollution, and visitors, necessitating careful management.

The stonefly is one of only two wingless species known in Australia.

It has a lengthy life span of around three years and can survive streams drying out during the summer by burrowing into the substrate where moisture is preserved, making it a popular scientific subject.

Read Also: Consequences of Climate Change: Insects at Glacier National Park Now at Risk

Faces Extinction

Experts believe that stonefly faced extinction as a result of the decision, which contradicted decades of scientific research indicating that it had dropped by 80% despite being protected in a national park, according to the group.

The Mount Donna Buang Wingless Stonefly developed over millions of years to not need its wings and shed them for a quiet life near cool and clear freshwater streams running after snow melt and from rainforest gullies.

It sheds them to live near streams on a mountain about an hour and a half from Melbourne, drills down into stream borders during the summer, and sometimes lives in tree bark.

Crook argues that critical habitat determination for the wingless stonefly would have launched a procedure to offer this extraordinary organism the extra care and effort required to safeguard it from extinction.

The stonefly is one of Victoria's 500 highly endangered species.

"It's time the Victorian government stepped up and used all of the tools available, like critical habitat determinations, to protect the growing list of threatened species," Crook said.

While rejecting the proposal, the government did reveal long-awaited numbers showing that Victoria had 500 severely endangered and 2000 vulnerable species.

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