Saving the small things that run the planetThe Violet Click Beetle (Limoniscus violaceous) is one of our most endangered insects, known from just three sites in the UK.
Quick Facts:
The Violet Click Beetle is known to breed in hollows of ancient decaying Ash (Fraxinus spp) and Beech (Fagus spp) trees. It is quite specific in its habitat requirements and breeds where the heartwood is undisturbed and has decayed into a black mulch. The species is thought to breed repeatedly in the same tree until it completely rots away, at which point it must source a new ancient Ash or Beech to continue its lifecycle.
This elusive species is incredibly difficult to find and monitor, which hinders efforts to conserve it and its habitats. This project will establish new monitoring methods for the habitats of Violet Click Beetle adults and larval habitats.
We are working in closely with Dr Deborah Harvey at Royal Holloway, University of London.
The project will trial new non-invasive methods for detecting both adult and larval habitats of Violet Click Beetles. The results will lay the foundations for a cost-effective and non-lethal approach to monitoring and assessing the status of Violet Click Beetle populations by helping us to establish the presence and abundance of the species in both the known habitats and sites where there is potential for them to be present.
With effective monitoring methods, we can inform conservation strategies more effectively and hopefully discover new populations of the Violet Click Beetle, to protect one of our most endangered insects for the future.
Volunteers are encouraged to contact the project officer to explore the possibility of assisting with the placing of lures and subsequent monitoring of the populations. Please email Conservation Officer, Paul Cawsey, at [email protected] if you would like to get involved.
The Violet Click Beetle (Species Recovery) Project is generously funded by Natural England.
