Dorset Tineid Moth (Eudarcia richardsoni)
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: | Eudarcia richardsoni |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Walsingham, 1900) |
| 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: | Only known from scree slopes on the Isle of Portland and a restricted area of the Purbeck coast. Low numbers of larvae are recorded and the habitat is threatened by succession and invasive species. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Occupies an unusual habitat and would only be assisted by targeted management. |
| 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 would not benefit from untargeted management |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 4. Autecology and pressures understood |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Relict or natural rarity |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Structured - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | The habitat utilised by this species is very rare and the moth will only ever be able to occupy a small number of sites but within those sites there is potential for significant habitat restoration. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Scrub and invasive non-native plant removal on scree slopes and surrounding areas to reduce the risk of rapid reinvasion.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Isle of Portland
Comments: A major project took place to control cotoneaster invasion but much more needs to be done. Other invasive non-native species were not controlled and nor was native scrub so considerable problems remain and are increasing again.
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.