Taking stock after 6 years—The first results of an ongoing project to establish new populations of a regionally endangered grasshopper

Abstract Species richness and abundance of insects in Europe are declining. Orthopterans are among the most endangered insects here, requiring active conservation interventions. We present the results of a conservation programme started in 2018 to establish new populations of Arcyptera fusca , an endangered grasshopper in Hungary. A. fusca individuals were translocated to five mountain meadows from nearby source populations in two mountain ranges, in some cases with repeated translocations of smaller numbers (30–50 individuals, a total of 341) between 2018 and 2024. The size of the new populations was estimated yearly by transect method. By 2024, a new, growing population exists in Bükk and another one in Börzsöny Mts. These are considered successful translocations. At two other sites, the success is questionable, where the population is small, but it is not yet possible to determine a trend. At the fifth site, the first translocation attempt in 2023 was unsuccessful and was repeated in 2024 with a larger amount of individuals. Our results indicate that in the short term in the case of small source populations of insects, the translocation of small numbers of individuals can be successful when applying repeated translocations to compensate for its disadvantages. However, even small‐scale negative changes affecting their key microhabitats can have a serious impact on these small populations. The importance of regular monitoring and targeted habitat management is paramount to adaptively respond to any such problems that may occur.