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 south-eastern Britain, but has become
increasingly scarce in recent years.
It was first reported in Cornwall from St. Merryn in 1925 (Blair, 1931), and subsequently found by R.T. Bannister at St. Buryan in 1927. Bannister found it again in 1933, by a stream at Poltesco on The Lizard, and it was re-discovered at Predannack and Lizard NNR by D.A. Sheppard in 1980-81. It was also found at Whitsand bay and Bude in 1940, and re-discovered at Tregantle by J. A. Owen in 1977.
Habitat & Ecology
A dry grassland species, especially where the soil is base-rich. It feeds mainly on seeds.
Agricultural improvement of the semi-natural grasslands of the Lizard peninsula and calcareous sand dune systems; abandonment of grazing, leading to coarsening and scrub development.
Much of the remaining undisturbed base-rich grasslands in Cornwall are now protected by The National Trust, Natural England or the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. 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.