Psammodius asper
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Scarab beetle or ally |
| 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: | Psammodius asper |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Fabricius, 1775) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Lane and Mann, 2016 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Only known from four English sites since 1990. Formerly more widespread at dune sites around the coast |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | At its extant dune sites it is likely to be secure where scrub control is practiced. However, it is likely to be a poor disperser so in order for it to recolonise its former sites it will need help in moving |
| 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: | Increased habitat mosaics in and around its known sites (open sandy areas- sand dunes) would be beneficial to Psammodius asper assuming they are within its dispersal range. For example scrub removal to create further open sandy areas would benefit the species |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Life history factor/s |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Psammodius asper can sometimes be found in good numbers at it's extant sites. It is saprophagous and possibly coprophagus (rabbit) so ought not be limited by habitat availability suggesting it is a poor disperser. It is largely nocturnal and may be under recorded. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Field study to determine best survey methods, breeding ecology and establish the dispersal characteristics of Psammodius asper to determine its likelihood of finding its former sites where suitable habitat remains.
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Formby, Lancashire (SD20), Risby Warren NR North Lincolnshire (SE91), Northam Burrows NR, North Devon (SS43), and Dungeness/Lydd, East Kent (TR01 and TR02).
Comments: Concurrent with action 2. Understanding ecology in relation to microhabitats and resources is vital to identify suitable habitat, as a basis for next action.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Survey by non-lethal methods at suitable formerly occupied sites to determine if it has been over-looked, especially those close to extant sites.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Targeted monitoring
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Previously (pre 1990) occupied sites should be sought from the Scarabidae Recording Scheme and Local Environmental Records Centres
Comments:
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: If population size allows and dispersal ability is proven to be poor, investigate translocation to unoccupied former sites.
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: (Re-)introduction
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 10 sites
High priority sites: Previously (pre 1990) occupied sites should be sought from the Scarabidae Recording Scheme and Local Environmental Records Centres. This action is dependent on the outcomes of previous actions.
Comments: Dependant on outcomes of actions 1 and 2
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.