White-mantled Wainscot (Archanara neurica)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - moth > Moth |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Archanara neurica |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Hübner, [1808]) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | (not listed) |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | GB Red List (Fox et al. 2019): NT (based on rarity); no long-term trend data available. Restricted distribution at reedbeds in Suffolk and at one site in Norfolk. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | An inhabitant of the drier parts of reed beds which could be adversely affected by management for other reed bed species and by rising sea levels. |
| 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: | Requires a particular stage of reed bed succession. Untargeted management is more likely to be harmful than beneficial. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Medium-high |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Evidence of some range expansion in recent years, possibly related to climate change. Reedbeds elsewhere on the east coast may become suitable in time, providing they are managed appropriately. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: The moth requires dry reedbed habitat. Advise land managers at known sites that dry reedbed areas should be protected, rather than being 'restored' for species that require wetter conditions.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites:
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: The moth requires dry reedbed habitat, which is prone to invasion by trees. Prevent conversion of drier parts of reedbeds to woodland through periodic scrub clearance and restore areas where this has already occurred.
Action targets: 7. Best approach adopted at appropriate scales
Action type: Habitat management
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.