Dinothenarus pubescens
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Rove beetle (macrostaph) |
| Red List Status: | Near Threatened (Not Relevant) [NT(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: | Dinothenarus pubescens |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (De Geer, 1774) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Boyce, 2022 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | It has shown a very significant decline since 1980, from 64 to 13 hectads. This species is associated with patch habitats, especially herbivore dung and is likely threatened by the use of veterinary chemicals. Given the seriousness of its decline research to elucidate its conservation ecology is required. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | This species is associated with a wide range of patch habitats, particularly herbivore dung but also including carrion, fungi, sap runs and moss. Occurs in a range of open and wooded habitats and so is not apparently dependent on a particular habitat or management regime. |
| 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 is associated with a wide range of patch habitats iand occurs in a range of open and wooded habitats and so is not apparently dependent on a particular habitat or management regime. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 4. Autecology and pressures understood |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | One of a suite of patch habitat associated rove beetles that have experienced significant declines in recent decades. The species is not apparently dependent on any particular habitat, region or management as long as suitable patch resources are provided. The most significant factor in these declines is likely to be the widespread use of veterinary chemicals such as Avermectins to treat livestock, making dung toxic to dependent invertebrates. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Work with landowners/managers to prevent use of veterinary chemicals that pass out in animal dung on known sites and surroundings.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Pressure mitigation
Duration: 1 year
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 20 sites
High priority sites: Catcott Heath, South Somerset (vc6); New Forest, South Hampshire (vc11); Brandy Hole Copse, West Sussex (vc13); Holkham NNR, West Norfolk (vc28); Swift’s Hill, East Gloucestershire (vc33); Upton Warren, Worcestershire (vc37); Combes Valley, Staffordshire (vc39); Llanymynech, Shropshire (vc40); Huddersfield area and Royston, South-west Yorkshire (vc63); Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood, South Northumberland (vc67); Keskadale Oaks, Cumberland (vc70)
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Carry out autecological research to better understand the conservation requirements of this species.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 20 sites
High priority sites: Catcott Heath, South Somerset (vc6); New Forest, South Hampshire (vc11); Brandy Hole Copse, West Sussex (vc13); Holkham NNR, West Norfolk (vc28); Swift’s Hill, East Gloucestershire (vc33); Upton Warren, Worcestershire (vc37); Combes Valley, Staffordshire (vc39); Llanymynech, Shropshire (vc40); Huddersfield area and Royston, South-west Yorkshire (vc63); Billsmoor Park and Grasslees Wood, South Northumberland (vc67); Keskadale Oaks, Cumberland (vc70)
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.