Cornish Biodiversity Network - Supporting Wildlife Recording
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
Widespread but very local in southern England, with probably more records from Cornwall than any English county.
Regional Distribution
Known from a scatter of localities in both vice counties, with recent records from near
Saltash, Tresco, The Lizard, and Clahar Bridge, Lizard. Also recorded at St. Columb Major in 2005 and near St. Mawgan, both by Ian Hoare (2005), near Gweek by John Owen and reported from Porthcothan (Shirt, 1987).
Habitat & Ecology
Feeds on Water Figwort Scrophularia auriculata and Balm-leaved Figwort Scrophularia scorodonia .
Threats
The Figworts are dependent on disturbance to create suitable germination grounds;
natural flood-scouring in the case of Water Figwort, and natural erosion through cliff
falls, wind-scouring etc. with Balm-leaved Figwort. Threats come from attempts to control natural erosion.
Conservation
Allow natural riverine and coastal processes to continue uninterrupted.
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.