One centimeter long, this orthoptera is “very representative of the fauna which finds refuge in the Grande Cariçaie”, explains the director of the association, Michel Baudraz in the latest issue of its bi-annual publication l'Echo des Roseaux. “It is discreet, unspectacular, present in large numbers even though it is considered in danger of extinction throughout Switzerland.”
A true camouflage ace, the Mudflat Tetrix (Tetrix ceperoi) lives in muddy areas around bodies of water. “It is an emblematic inhabitant of pioneer sites: environments recently disturbed by natural events (floods, landslides, etc.), by animals (trampling of wild boars) or by man (passage of machines)”, specifies the publication.
Sustainable habitat
Systematic monitoring of the species was carried out during the periods 2019-2020 and 2021-2023. “The percentage of stations occupied by the Mud Flat Tetrix compared to the same stations surveyed in 2019-2020 was 102% in 2021, 50% in 2022 (year following the exceptional flood of summer 2021) and 117% in 2023 , suggesting an increase in populations,” this report indicates.
The future prospects look promising for this insect. Although the main habitats that it colonizes are not created voluntarily, their sustainability seems to be ensured thanks to the usual maintenance measures in force in the marshes, points out the association.
“While this little locust is struggling elsewhere in Europe, its encouraging development on the southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel underlines even more the importance of the Grande Cariçaie for its conservation at the national level,” welcomes the association. Monitoring of the Mudflat Tetrix will continue in the future, with the species being classified as a priority in the nature reserve.
