Nebrioporus depressus subsp. depressus
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - beetle (Coleoptera) > Water beetle |
| 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: | Nebrioporus depressus |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Fabricius, 1775) |
| 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: | Nebrioporus depressus is likely to qualify as Vulnerable or Endangered in an English (as opposed to GB) context. It is restricted to oligotrophic lakes in NW England but is at risk from eutrophication, with losses from sites such as Talkin Tarn. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Taxonomic uncertainty demands species-specific research. Targeted monitoring is also required. |
| 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: | Rare habitat specialist |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 1. Taxonomy established |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | General measures to prevent and reverse eutrophication in Cumbrian lakes should benefit this taxon but monitoring is important to track its response. Its survival in England is therefore threatened by anthropogenic drivers not its inherent rarity. It is a northern taxon which may also be threatened by climate change. 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: Conduct genetic studies to elucidate the taxonomic status of Cumbrian populations. The relationship between N. depressus and N.elegans remains not fully understood.
Action targets: 1. Taxonomy established
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: Not applicable
High priority sites: Cumbria. Records have been mapped in Atlas 1 (Foster et al, 2016).
Comments: As pointed out by Foster et al (2016), "This complex is clearly a candidate for detailed DNA analyses as part of a reappraisal of the problem of whether these taxa constitute individual species". A better understanding is essential to inform the conservation status of these taxa. I would therefore prioritise genetic studies, then monitoring of known sites in Cumbria.
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Monitor the presence of N. depressus in Cumbrian lakes at regular (e.g. 5 yearly) intervals. Consider management implications of monitoring results.
Action targets: 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: Unknown
High priority sites: Records have been mapped in Atlas 1 (Foster et al, 2016).
Comments: Repeat at 5 yearly intervals
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.