Pondweed Leafhopper (Erotettix cyane)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - true bug (Hemiptera) > Bug |
| Red List Status: | (Not Relevant) [(not listed)(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | Macrosteles cyane |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Erotettix cyane |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Boheman, 1845) |
| 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: | Confined to southern England (Sussex, Surrey, Kent, Dorset, Oxon). All populations very isolated - on small ponds and fens containing exclusive food plant (Potamogeton natans). Isolated new populations discovered since 2000, but 6 populations recorded pre-1960 have not been re-confirmed. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Susceptible to varying water levels - one population known to have been lost due to dessication of pond. Flight dispersal ability unknown, but likely to be minimal. Unlikely to colonise new sites by natural dispersal. |
| 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): | 3. National Monitoring Plan agreed and implemented |
| Recovery potential/expectation: | Low - Combination or other (detail in comments) |
| National Monitoring Resource: | Opportunistic - insufficient |
| Species Comments: | Recovery constrained by isolation of sites and unknown (but probably limited) dispersal ability. Limited number of known populations: 5 sites in Sussex; Newdigate Brickpits, Surrey; Broadwater Forest, Kent; Creech Heath, Dorset; Abingdon, Oxon. Important aspects of ecology unknown, including oviposition sites and overwintering locations, dispersal ability, sensitivity to water quality. |
Key Actions
Key Action 1
Proposed Action: Autecological research to establish life history features, especially: at what life history stage does the species overwinter?; where are eggs laid?; do adults/nymphs spend time under water?; to what extent is species dependent on water quality, pH etc in addition to presence of host plant?
Action targets: 4. Autecology and pressures understood
Action type: Scientific research
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Known locations
Comments:
Key Action 2
Proposed Action: Pond creation and/or restoration (including inoculation of new ponds with pondweed where necessary) in vicinity of known sites to facilitate natural dispersal and spreading of risk. 2 supplementary ponds to be dug at 3 sites and stocked with pondweed over next 5 years and monitored for success of plant establishment and spread.
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Habitat creation
Duration: 3-5 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Known locations
Comments: Potential suitable sites include: Newdigate Brick Pits (Surrey WT) which has 2 lakes and some smaller ponds; Broadwater Warren, Kent (RSPB) which has lake and some small ponds with further potential for pond creation as part of heathland restoration. Third site to be selected on the basis of updated information on status of species at known sites and in collaboration with local land owners/managers.
Key Action 3
Proposed Action: Trials of leafhopper establishment in recently dug new ponds created in the vicinity of 3 ponds where the species already occurs. This action follows and is dependent upon success of Key Action-2 (i.e. successful establishment of pondweed in newly-created ponds).
Action targets: 6. Recovery solutions trialled
Action type: Other (specify in comments)
Duration: 2 years
Scale of Implementation: ≤ 5 sites
High priority sites: Newdigate Brick Pits (Surrey WT); Broadwater Warren, Kent (RSPB); third site follows choice made in Key Action-2.
Comments: Two possible introduction methods: (i) translocation of nymphs/adults to suitable sites with existing reasonably-sized stable foodplant population; (ii) translocation of host plant material from sites with known population of leafhopper (on assumption that it contains eggs) to new sites. Neither method of translocation has been attempted before.
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.