Acianthera malachantha

The greatest threat to this species is habitat destruction, which has already vastly reduced the area of suitable habitat within its range, as is evident on satellite images. For example, the Alto Parana Atlantic forests have been reduced to less than 3% of their original area due to agriculture and logging (da Silva and Casteleti 2003). As well as a reduction in area of habitat, threats include a reduction in the quality of the habitat edges, due to invasive species such as lianas. Most remnants of the Araucaria moist forests (of which 87% has been destroyed) are very fragmented, which exacerbates the edge-effect (WWF 2001).

Two of the specimens were found in national parks; however, there is very little protected land throughout the rest of this species' range. Even those populations within the parks are not fully protected; the State Park of Ibitipoca is one of the most visited conservation areas of Brazil (Menini Neto et al. 2007), which puts plants at risk from illegal picking as well habitat erosion due to the creation of unofficial paths. However, the mountain range of Ibitipoca has been labelled as a priority area for conserving the flora of Minas Gerais. It is necessary to increase the protection of these parks, as well as the number of protected areas, so to prevent any further conversion of the habitat. The genus Pleurothallis (of which Acianthera is a subgenus) is listed in Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The conservation status of this species has not previously been assessed.