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 widespread across southern and eastern Britain, but with very few recent
records.
Regional Distribution
Known from one old record on north coast: Newquay, 1880, E.D. Marquand.
Habitat & Ecology
Favours sparsely-vegetated ground on dry freely-draining calcareous soils and presumably a species of wind-blown shelly sand vegetation; probably feeds mainly on seeds.
Threats
Development of sand dune systems and coastal cliff lands for recreation; coarsening of vegetation through lack of grazing and/or trampling, with consequent loss of open sandy areas; coastal protection works.
Conservation
Much of the more sensitive coastline is now protected by SSSI designations. This species is listed on the UK BAP Priority Species list (2007).
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.