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
Principally a southern species in Europe, and in Britain it is confined to the south-west including Devon, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, as well as Cornwall.
Regional Distribution
Given the considerable extent of cliff-top vegetation in Cornwall it is probably fairly
widespread here, and restoration of coastal grazing regimes will be favouring its
conservation by reducing the extent of scrub.
Habitat & Ecology
All British records are from cliff-tops, particularly dry grasslands with flowering Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare . The adults are readily found by their habit of resting on the flower-head. They may form very localised populations in areas of suitable habitat.
Threats
Loss of cliff grassland through lack of grazing leading to coarsening and scrub invasion. Where there is heavy public pressure, the erosion of cliff-top vegetation may be damaging.
Conservation
Light to moderate grazing levels are optimal, in order to maintain a varied grassland structure. Where grazing is relatively heavy, a period of no grazing during the main flowering period of Ox-eye Daisy would be beneficial. Cattle or ponies are preferable to sheep, as sheep will eat flowers preferentially. Many of the known localities are within SSSI and include many National Trust properties.
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.