Erichsonius ytenensis
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Rove beetle (macrostaph) |
| Red List Status: | Vulnerable (Not Relevant) [VU(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: | Erichsonius ytenensis |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Sharp, 1913) |
| 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: | Associated with lowland acid-mire, a relatively rare habitat. Most pre-80 records are from the New Forest (South Hampshire, vc11), with single sites in South Devon (vc3), East Sussex (vc14) and Berkshire (vc22). The only recent records are from Crockford Bottom in the New Forest and Folly Bog (Surrey, vc17). Suitable management of remaining sites is critical. Good management of nearby sites may allow some recovery. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Populations at known sites appear stable but they may require different management from other invertebrate species associated with lowland acid mires, apparently preferring lightly-grazed mires. Current high grazing intensity in the New Forest and at Folly Bog are likely to be detrimental to this species. Targeted survey to confirm its status elsewhere is desirable. |
| 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: | The species is very limited in distribution and is associated with a rare habitat that cannot be easily or quickly re-created. It is unlikely to benefit from actions in the wider landscape. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Combination or other (detail in comments) |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Recovery potential likely to be low due to dependency on a habitat that takes centuries to millennia to develop. Increases in population may be possible on known sites and potentially suitable nearby areas but there is limited opportunity for wider recovery due to extensive loss of lowland acid mire habitats from much of England. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Targeted survey of current, historic and nearby potential sites to assess current distribution and elucidate exact habitat requirements.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: New Forest SSSI, Folley Bog SSSI
Comments: Survey in the New Forest in particular could be combined with survey for other priority invertebrates - e.g. the rove beetles Stenus longitarsis and Acylocphorus glaberrimus.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Autecological study of populations identified by action 1 to better understand ecological requirements of this species.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: New Forest SSSI, Folley Bog SSSI
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Reduce grazing pressure on known sites - at least in some sections - to create suitable habitat conditions.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: New Forest SSSI, Folley Bog SSSI
Comments: Potential cost associated with installing mechanisms to reduce grazing pressure. Use of No fence collar system is recommended to avoid having to install extensive fencing.
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.