Ophonus puncticollis
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 puncticollis |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Paykull, 1798) |
| 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 south and northeast England and the coast of south Wales. It is only known with certainty from fewer than ten locations in England in the post-1980 period. Records at four new English locations since the publication of the last status review in 2016 suggests that this species is probably overlooked and may not be declining. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | A very localised species with earlier evidence of a decline, an updated status review is necessary. |
| 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: | Yes |
| Justification: | Broader habitat measures capable of increasing the availability of suitably dry stony or gravelly calcareous soils might benefit this species, especially if located near existing or until recently occupied locations. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Found on dry stony or gravelly calcareous soils, often in semi-shaded situations |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: In recognition of its very localised distribution (fewer than 10 locations post-1980) it is necessary to update the status of this species using existing opportunistic survey/monitoring data.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Rodbourough Common, Glos., Rothamstead Wisley, Surrey and Devil's Dyke, Cambs., with more recent records reported in Kent.
Comments: If significant declines are detected then consider need for autecological study and follow up management.
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 dry stony or gravelly calcareous soils with some shade. The reviews should help identify the management requirements of optimal habitats, as well as 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.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Rodbourough Common, Glos., Rothamstead Wisley, Surrey and Devil's Dyke, Cambs., with more recent records reported in Kent.
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Depending on the results of the autecological study and site management reviews restore suitable substrates and habitat conditions found on dry stony or gravelly calcareous soils with some shade. This might require the establishment of new areas of open ground by vegetation control, some mechanical soil stripping and measures to reduce sources of eutrophication.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Rodborough Common, Glos., Rothamstead Wisley, Surrey and Devil's Dyke, Cambs., with more recent records reported in Kent.
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.