[Taxacom] when is a common species critically endangered?

[Peter Rauch]

Stephen,  

You don't explain your rationale for using the criterion of "wild"/"cultivated", nor for what it means to be "endangered" (and are you using that term in some legal way, or simply to mean that the species is in a precarious state of survival), nor for why the mite is "in the wild regardless" (do you mean that the mite is found in the wild on the critically endangered species (which is also found there); or do you mean that the mite is "in the wild" as it is found on the cultivated specimens of the plant ?).

What does "just because its only host plant is ..." mean ?  I.e., what is the implication here ?

And, is it the mite, or the plant, which you refer to in the subject line as "a common species" ?

I think you need to explain.

Peter

At 15:34 12/06/26, Stephen Thorpe wrote:
>For plants, this is easy to answer: when it is critically endangered in the wild, but common in cultivation. More interesting is the case of an insect or mite, host specific to such a plant. I am debating this issue at the moment. A mite has been put on the "Nationally Critical" list just because its only host plant is on the "Nationally Critical" list. But I say this is wrong! The plant is common in cultivation, and the mite is also on cultivated plants! For animals, including mites, you can't make an "in the wild" vs. "in cultivation" distinction. Basically the mite is "in the wild" regardless of whether it is on wild or cultivated plants, in my view. What do others think?
> 
>Stephen