Spangled Diving Beetle (Graphoderus zonatus)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Water beetle |
| Red List Status: | Critically Endangered (Not Relevant) [CR(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 zonatus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Hoppe, 1795) |
| 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: | Graphoderus zonatus is confined to Woolmer Forest (Hants) and has been the subject of long-standing conservation efforts. Its population status and ecology have been well-studied, e.g. Denton, J. 1995. The distribution and ecology of Graphoderus zonatus Hoppe in Britain. Latissimus 6: 12-13; Denton, J. 2007. Pupation site selection by Graphoderus zonatus (Hoppe). Latissimus 23: 1-3. It is a S41 and former UKBAP species. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Survival of this species in Britain will depend on ongoing conservation efforts at Woolmer Forest, including regular monitoring. |
| 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: | Graphoderus zonatus is confined to a single site in Britain. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 4. Autecology and pressures understood |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Combination - sufficient |
| Species Comments: | Regular monitoring has been undertaken at Woolmer Forest. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Collaborate with local stakeholders to agree future priority work. This species requires continuity of exposed, sandy-bedded water bodies which are low in nutrients and fish-free. Foster (2010) summarised monitoring and habitat management at Woolmer Forest to that date.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Advice & support
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Woolmer Forest, North Hampshire (SU73). Key contact is Jonty Denton.
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.