Adriatic marbled bush-cricket (Zeuneriana marmorata) : a national action plan for Slovenia 2016-2022

The Adriatic Marbled Bush-Cricket, Zeuneriana marmorata, is a rare bush-cricket species, which is found in a few wetlands in north-eastern Italy (Friuli Venezia Giulia) and Slovenia. For several decades, Z. marmorata was presumed to be extinct, until it was rediscovered. Considering the history of land use and periodically high groundwater level, it is likely that Z. marmorata was formerly more widespread in the Ljubljana marsh. Currently, it is confined to a small area of extensively used sedge meadows, between Ig and Skofljica. If the wet meadows of the Ljubljana marsh are not immediately preserved from conservation into cornfields or intensive grassland management, the Adriatic Marbled Bush-Cricket will disappear from the area. Therefore, a conservation strategy for the species has been developed in cooperation with the major stakeholders.