Cornish Biodiversity Network  -  Supporting Wildlife Recording

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Cornish Red Data (2009)

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.

Harpalus melancholicus - A ground beetle



Range & Status

Formerly widespread across southern Britain, but most recently known from just one site in Pembrokeshire in 1992.

Regional Distribution

Discovered commonly at Whitesand Bay (Champion, 1897), it was re-discovered at

Sennen Beach by R.T. Bannister in 1964, when he described it as ' not common' . It has also been reported from near Fern Pit, Newquay in 1902 (Clark, 1906).

Habitat & Ecology

A sand dune speciality feeding mainly on seeds.

Threats

Development of sand dune systems for recreation; coarsening of vegetation through lack of grazing and/or trampling, with consequent loss of open sandy areas; coastal protection works.

Conservation

Protect all remaining undisturbed sand dune systems from inappropriate developments, and maintain or restore traditional grazing systems. This species is listed on the UK BAP Priority Species list (2007).

Source:

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.



Cornish Biodiversity Network. 2017.