The descriptive text, below the map, is from the Cornish Red Data Book (2009). The map on this web page depicts the organisms distribution and shows the records made pre-2000 and those made since.
Range & Status
Formerly widely recorded over Britain, but has only been reported from two vice-counties recently.
Regional Distribution
Found by R.T. Bannister under seaweed at Hayle in 1932 and at Lelant in 1934. It had only previously been found in Cornwall by J.H. Keys on the upper shore at Millbrook Creek. The Lelant locality may have been Porth Kidney Sands where S.M. Turk reported it in 1967 and 1968.
Habitat & Ecology
Coastal habitats, associated with dung, carrion and decaying organic material generally.
Threats
Coastal protection works and the abandonment of coastal rough pastures. The use of veterinary products such as avermectins which have insecticidal properties in the dung.
Conservation
Natural beach transitions should be protected wherever they still survive. Maintain rough grazing on coastal pastures.
I.J. Bennallick, S. Board, C.N. French, P.A. Gainey, C. Neil, R. Parslow, A. Spalding and P.E. Tompsett. eds. 2009. Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd Edition.Croceago Press.
The Cornish Red Data Book Project was led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders (CISFBR). The full text and species accounts (minus the maps) are available on the CISFBR website.