European regional assessment: Near Threatened (NT)
EU 27 regional assessment: Near Threatened (NT)

In Europe, Melitta aegyptiaca is restricted to the Canary Islands. It is assessed as Near Threatened (B2b(ii,iii)) in Europe in view of the restricted area of occupancy (AOO = 228 km²) and continuing decline in the AOO of the species, as well as the quality of the habitat. Populations of Tenerife has not been seen since the 1990’s despite the intensive sampling campaigns, and just two localities are known from Gran Canaria where it is considered rare. The populations of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote islands are stable, although there is no detailed information about the population size and trend.

In Europe, the species occurs in the eastern and central islands of Canary Islands (Warncke 1973, Michez and Eardley 2007). Three of the four subspecies described by Warncke (1973) are recorded in Europe: M. aegyptiaca clusia (in Tenerife), M. aegyptiaca maroccana (in Gran Canaria) and M. aegyptiaca canariensis (in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura).

Melitta aegyptiaca is mainly distributed in northern Africa (Morocco and Egypt).

There is scare information available on the population abundance of this species. The current population trend of this species is unknown.

Melitta aegyptiaca clusia is recorded from Tenerife. This subspecies might be locally extinct in the Canary islands (Carlos Ruiz, unpublished data). There are some records in coastal areas of Tenerife between the 1930s and 50s, since then there has just been one isolated record in 1990 and it has not been found any more in the island, even though it is the island that concentrates more sampling effort both with research projects and citizen science.

Melitta aegyptiaca maroccana is recorded from Gran Canaria. It is rare but there is no information about the population trend there.

Melitta aegyptiaca canariensis is recorded from Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. It is relatively common and probably stable in Lanzarote, and probably also in Fuerteventura (but there is lower sampling effort there).

Melitta aegyptiaca lives in coastal Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, probably associated with sandy areas. The species was recorded on various plants: Asteraceae (Asteriscus sericeus, Glebionis coronaria, Launaea arborescens, Reichardia tingitana); Brassicaceae (Cakile maritima); Fabaceae (Lotus glaucus, Lotus lancerottensis, Lotus leptophyllus, Ononis hebecarpa); Resedaceae (Reseda lancerotae); Caryophyllaceae, Spergularia sp.) (La Roche, 1992). Females of M. aegyptiaca forage mainly on pollen on Fabaceae (most of the record on Lotus lancerottensis) but they are overall regarded as a generalist species (Michez et al. 2008, Dellicour et al. 2014).

As the subspecies Melitta aegyptiaca clusia seems more threatened in Tenerife, the threats seem to affect island populations differently. It could be related to more intense habitat degradation in the central islands, or climate-change. The incidences of wildfires on the Canary Islands is projected to increase as a result of climate change, and this will likely put pressure on the habitat of this species, causing declines to the extent and quality of the habitat (Carillo et al. 2022).

This species is not utilised.

There appear to be no direct conservation measures in place, and it is not known if the species is present within any protected areas. Further studies are needed into the abundance and threats to this species.