Worcestershire Record No. 5 Nov 1998 p. 3

RECORDS FOR BIODIVERSITY PRIORITY SPECIES

By Bronwen Bruce, Biodiversity Plan Officer, based at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust

Following the publication of the Worcestershire Red Data Book in December 1998 the Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plan will be out at the start of the New Year. All counties have to take into consideration national BAP lists for species highlighted as a 'priority' for nature conservation/the biodiversity process in the UK. According to the Worcestershire Red Data Book the following priority species are presently found in Worcestershire (table 1) or could be found in Worcestershire (table 2).

The Biodiversity process would benefit from any further records on the species listed and particularly any records on those shown in table 2.

(Note: when these lists were originally published they were swapped around. The lists presented here are correct.)

 
FUNGI Boletus satanus devil's bolete Nationally vulnerable beech woodland
STONEWORT Tolypella intricata tassel stonewort Endangered alkaline pools
COLEOPTERA Gnorimus nobilis noble chafer Vulnerable orchards, old timber
COLEOPTERA Limoniscus violaceus violet click beetle Endangered veteran Trees
COLEOPTERA Lucanus cervus stag beetle Nationally notable-Nb dead, partially rotted wood
LEPIDOPTERA-BUTTERFLY Argynnis adippe high brown fritillary National high priority woodlands
LEPIDOPTERA-BUTTERFLY Boloria euphrosyne pearl-bordered fritillary National high priority woodland/scrub with bracken
LEPIDOPTERA-MOTH Minoa murinata drab looper Nationally notable-Nb older woodlands on spurge
LEPIDOPTERA-MOTH Pechipogo strigilata common fan-foot Nationally notable-Nb woodland
LEPIDOPTERA-MOTH Polia bombycina pale shinning brown Locally notable calcareous open ground
LEPIDOPTERA-MOTH Rheumaptera hasta argent and sable Nationally notable-Nb coppiced and young birch woodlands
CRUSTACEAN Autropotamobius pallipes freshwater white-clawed crayfish Globally threatened clean, shingle streams
MOLLUSC Margaritifera margaritifera a freshwater pearl mussel Rare fast-flowing soft-water rivers
MOLLUSC Pisidium tenuilineatum freshwater pea muscle Rare canals/rivers
MOLLUSC Pseudanodonata complanata depressed river muscle Rare rivers
AMPHIBIAN Triturus cristatus great crested newt Nationally important ponds and surrounding vegetation
FISH Alosa alosa allis shad Nationally important rivers
FISH Alosa fallax twaite shad Nationally important rivers
BIRD Acrocephalus palustris marsh warbler High concern wet scrub/rough grassland
BIRD Alauda arvensis skylark High concern open countryside
BIRD Carduelis cannabina linnet High concern scrub/hedges/weedy fields
BIRD Coturnix coturnix quail High concern farmland
BIRD Emberiza schoeniclus reed bunting High concern wet areas/farmland
BIRD Miliaria calandra corn bunting High concern open farmland
BIRD Muscicapa striata spotted flycatcher High concern woodland, parkland, gardens
BIRD Passer montanus tree sparrow High concern throughout county
BIRD Perdix perdix grey partridge High concern farmland
BIRD Pyrrhula pyrrhula bullfinch High concern throughout county
BIRD Streptopelia turtur turtle dove High concern farmland, scrub
BIRD Turdus philomelos song thrush High concern throughout county
MAMMAL Arvicola terrestris water vole Red Data Book wetlands
MAMMAL Myotis bechsteinii Bechstein's bat Red Data Book woodlands
MAMMAL Lepus europaeus brown hare Red Data Book farmland
MAMMAL Lutra lutra european otter Red Data Book rivers and other wetlands
MAMMAL Muscardinus avellanarius dormouse Red Data Book woodland, scrub, hedgerows
MAMMAL Pipistrellus pipistrellus Pipistrelle bat Red Data Book woodland and urban
VASCULAR PLANTS Alisma gramineum ribbon-leaved water plantain Critically endangered shallow water in pools
VASCULAR PLANTS Arabis glabra tower mustard Vulnerable on dry sandy soils
VASCULAR PLANTS Centaurea cyanus cornflower Endangered arable land
VASCULAR PLANTS Dianthus armeria Deptford pink Vulnerable dry pastures
VASCULAR PLANTS Fumaria purpurea purple rampling-fumitory Nationally scarce arable land/hedge banks
VASCULAR PLANTS Gentianella anglica early gentian Nationally scarce limestone grassland
VASCULAR PLANTS Scandix pecten-veneris shepherd's needle Nationally scarce arable land
Table 1: Priority species presently found in Worcestershire


Group Scientific name Common name RDB Status Habitat
FUNGI Hygrocybe calyotriformis pink meadow cap Nationally Vulnerable unimproved grasslands
FUNGI Hygrocybe spadicea date-coloured waxcap Nationally Vulnerable calcareous grassland
HYMENOPTERA Bombus distinguendus great yellow bumblebee Nationally notable Nb herb-rich grasslands
HYMENOPTERA Bombus humilis brown-banded bumblebee Locally notable herb-rich grasslands
HYMENOPTERA Bombus ruderatus large garden bumblebee Nationally notable Nb herb-rich grasslands
HYMENOPTERA Bombus subterraneus short-haired bumblebee Nationally notable Na herb-rich grasslands
HYMENOPTERA Bombus sylvarum shrill carder bee Nationally notable-Nb herb-rich rough grasslands
ORTHOPTERA Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa mole cricket Endangered water meadows and wet heathland.
COLEOPTERA Byctiscus populi a leaf-rolling weavil Rare associated with poplars and aspen
COLEOPTERA Cicindela sylvatica heath tiger beetle Nationally notable Na sandy soil in heathland or conifers
COLEOPTERA Donica bicolora a reed beetle Vulnerable associated with branched bur-reed
LEPIDOPTERA-MOTH Cosmia diffinis white-spotted pinion Nationally notable-Nb large trees, particularly elms
LEPIDOPTERA-MOTH Hypena rostralis buttoned snout Nationally notable-Nb on hops
LEPIDOPTERA-MOTH Trichopteryx polycommata barred toothed stripe Nationally Notable-Na on wild privet
DIPTERA Asilus crabronformis hornet robber fly Notable on herbivore dung in grasslands
MOLLUSC Segmentina nitida shinning ram's-horn snail Endangered small weedy ponds/drainage ditches
MOLLUSC Vertigo moulinsiana Desmoulin's whorl snail Rare calcareous wetlands
VASCULAR PLANTS Mentha pulegium Pennyroyal Vulnerable ephemeral pools
Table 2: Priority species not presently found in Worcestershire

Whilst some groups such as birds and vascular plants are pretty well covered others, most notably the Hymenoptera, are not. Most Hymenoptera RDB records are from the Devil's Spittleful and Hartlebury Common nature reserves: the rest of the county is seriously under-represented. The bee species listed have not been seen since 1979, most records are probably from the 1950s. All bumble bees (Bombus) have declined in this time, but it is possible that important populations of the bee species listed in table 1 may be found within the county and it is particularly important to note any records of these and other national RDB bee species.

The Hornet Robber Fly has been seen recently in 1996 but only ever at this one site and not since. This is included as it could occur in other suitable sites in the north-west of the county but may be over-looked. The Devil's Bolete has not been seen since the turn of the century but is still included in table 1 as the fruiting body does not appear every year, therefore it is a fungus species which could be over-looked. Other species such as the white-spotted pinion moth that favours large elm trees and pennyroyal, last seen in a pool at Castlemorton Common, are probably extinct, but you never can tell if someone will find a species, sometimes in a habitat you'd least expect it.

 
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