Ophonus cordatus
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Ground beetle |
| Red List Status: | Endangered (Not Relevant) [EN(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Ophonus cordatus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Duftschmid, 1812) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Telfer, 2016 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Restricted to England, this species was recorded from four localities during the 1980s, then only a single individual was recorded in the 1990s. It has not been seen in Britain since 1996 despite targeted search effort at least four of the five post-1980 localities. This species has declined in range throughout the 20th century and that decline appears to have continued into the post-1980 period. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Comprehensive targeted surveys are required to establish whether this species still persists in Britain. Follow-up habitat management and site protection required if any occupied locations remain. This highly localised species seems close to extinction and, given that it depends on the effective management of specific coastal habitats, it urgently requires targeted action. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | This species would not benefit from untargeted management |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Climate change |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - sufficient |
| Species Comments: | Found on dry sandy or stony soils in dunes and coastal cliffs. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Undertake a targeted survey of current and historical sites to provide an updated status review.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: The most recently occupied locations are at Portsdown in Hampshire, Bembridge Down on the Isle of Wight, Sandwich Bay in Kent and Beachy Head in East Sussex.
Comments: Linked to follow up work in actions 2 and 3 if there is evidence that any populations remain.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Review historical and current management at existing locations and undertake literature reviews to characterise the range of micro-habitats within which it is found, in particular relating to the openness and aspect of suitable sandy or stony substrates in coastal habitats including dunes. The reviews should help identify the management requirements of optimal coastal habitats, as well as identify the pressures which might result in further declines, including loss of open conditions to dense vegetation growth as a result of eutrophication and/or invasive plant species, and habitat loss resulting from coastal erosion.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Portsdown in Hampshire, Bembridge Down on the Isle of Wight, Sandwich Bay in Kent and Beachy Head in East Sussex
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Depending on the results of the autecological study and site management reviews restore suitable substrates and conditions on dunes and cliffs including vegetation control. This will require landscape scale strategic action such as beach recharge schemes and consideration of the needs of threatened invertebrates by coastal authorities when designing and implementing coastal management activities. These measures should help to restore dynamic coastal process which are necessary to maintain open conditions and suitable substrates.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Portsdown in Hampshire, Bembridge Down on the Isle of Wight, Sandwich Bay in Kent and Beachy Head in East Sussex
Comments:
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.