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A protection status, a conservation strategy…

For the reasons mentioned above, the Crau Plain Grasshopper has been classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Global Red List (Hochkirch and Tatin 2016), on the European Red List (Hochkirch et al. 2016), as well as on the national (Sardet and Defaut 2004) and regional (Bence 2018) red lists. The species is protected in France. In 2014, it was the first insect to benefit from a conservation strategy based on the IUCN methodology (Hochkirch et al. 2014). Actions developed within the framework of this strategy have led to a better understanding of the biology of the species and the threats it faces, to the launch of a breeding programme and to improved monitoring of sub-populations.

Until the LIFE project

The progress in knowledge of the species and the threats, the development of optimised monitoring methods, the study of the impact of grazing, and the constant improvement of breeding methods for the Crau Plain Grasshopper acquired since 2014 constitute a solid basis for starting a new phase of conservation. This new stage, aiming to increase the numbers and distribution of the species, in order to improve its conservation status and save it from extinction, is the goal of the LIFE SOS Crau Grasshopper project which started in 2021.