Scarce Vapourer (Orgyia recens)
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: | Orgyia recens |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Hübner, [1819]) |
| 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): EN; no long-term trend data available. Suffered severe historical declines and now reduced to around 11 ten km squares in England. Not present elsewhere in GB. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | The larvae feed on a range of woody and herbaceous plants and the reasons for its decline are entirely unknown. There is a need for bespoke surveys to determine where extant populations are and for urgent research into the reasons for decline and possibilities for recovery. |
| 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: | On the basis of current knowledge there is no evidence that these factors would benefit this species. |
Species Assessment
| Current step on the Species Recovery Curve (SRC): | 1. Taxonomy established |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Unknown |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Both the current distribution and the reasons for decline are poorly understood so the potential for recovery cannot be determined at this time. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Bespoke survey required in order to determine current status across range.
Action targets: 2. Biological status assessment exists
Action type: Status survey/review
Duration: 6-10 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: Norfolk Broads, Humberhead Levels, North Norfolk coast
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Undertake research into species ecology, dispersal ability, reasons for decline.
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: Norfolk Broads, Humberhead Levels
Comments: Most likely to require a PhD student focussed on this species.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Protect larval foodplants such as bramble at occupied sites from inappropriate cutting / clearance.
Action targets: 5. Remedial action identified
Action type: Habitat management
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: National
High priority sites: Norfolk Broads, Humberhead Levels
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.