Sandhill Rustic (Cornish subsp.) (Luperina nickerlii subsp. leechi)
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: | Luperina nickerlii leechi |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | Goater, 1976 |
| 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): LC (all subspecies). Cornish subspecies is restricted to a single beach where habitat is dynamic, and is vulnerable to storms and sea level rise. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Limited options to manage habitat for this species, but requires status assessments & research into climate change vulnerability. |
| 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: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: The moth's very small area of breeding habitat is threatened by climate change impacts (expected sea level rise & increasing storm damage). Investigate the potential to mitigate for habitat loss by introducing the moth to other sites in Cornwall. Requires a scoping study to assess habitat at potential sites and to establish captive rearing methods.
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Loe Bar
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Requires annual monitoring (torchlight searches for adult moths) to maintain up to date information on the status of this vulnerable population.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: >10 years
Scale of Implementation: 1 site
High priority sites: Loe Bar
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.