Graphoderus cinereus
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Water beetle |
| 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: | Graphoderus cinereus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Foster, 2010 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Recorded from 12 hectads from 1980 onwards. The hypothetical model suggested by Foster et al (2016) is that the indigenous East Anglian population of the Fens and Broads declined as a result of drainage but new populations in SE England are the result of immigration from the Continent. This warrants genetic investigation. Modern hectad records outnumber historic sites with no recent records by 2:1. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Uncertainty due to evidence gap. East Anglian and Fenland populations may warrant conservation intervention in future, so genetic investigation of Broadland (e.g. Catfield Great Fen) population vs south-eastern populations should be encouraged. |
| 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 too rare and localised to benefit from generic measures. Within its range, guidance on pond management needs to take account of this species' requirements. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 2. Biological status assessment exists |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Ad hoc recording as part of GB water beetle recording scheme (Balfour-Browne Club/Aquatic Coleoptera Conservation Trust). |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Investigate the genetic relationship between populations of this species in Broadland vs coastal sites in South-east England.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: Unknown
High priority sites: Catfield Fen, Dungeness, Orford Ness.
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Determine population status and trend in England through a programme of survey work covering both known and potentially new sites.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
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.