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Worcestershire

Bredon Hill National Nature Reserve has an outstanding dead-wood beetle fauna. Most of these species are associated with dead parts of ancient oaks Quercus, although other deciduous tree species are important. The Bredon Hill list includes the following Red Data Book species: Aeletes atomarius [RDB3], Acritus homoeopathicus [RDB3] (Histeridae); Stenichnus godarti [RDB3] (Scydmaenidae); Hypopycna rufula [RDBK], Rhopalocerina clavigera [RDBK] (Staphylinidae); Gnorimus nobilis [RDB2] (Scarabaeidae); Clambus pallidulus [RDBK] (Clambidae); Ampedus rufipennis [RDB2], Procraerus tibialis [RDB3], Violet Click Beetle Limoniscus violaceus [RDB1] (Elateridae); Aulonothroscus brevicollis [RDB3] (Throscidae); Eucnemis capucina [RDB1] (Eucnemidae); Globicornis nigripes [RDB1] (Dermestidae); Gastrallus immarginatus [RDB1] (Anobiidae) on Field Maple Acer campestre; Cryptophagus intermedius [RDBK] (Cryptophagidae); Orthoperus aequalis [RDBK] (Corylophidae); Prionychus melanarius [RDB2] (Tenebrionidae); Scraptia testacea [RDB3] (Scraptiidae); Mordellistena neuwaldeggiana [RDBK] (Mordellidae); Ischnomera cinerascens [RDB2] (Oedemeridae); and Gracilia minuta [RDB2] (Cerambycidae). N.B. The Violet Click Beetle Limoniscus violaceus is protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and may not be collected.

The National Trust property of Croome Park in south Worcestershire also holds an outstanding dead-wood beetle fauna. Eutheia formicetorum [RDB1] and Stenichnus godarti [RDB3] (Scydmaenidae) are found in beech Fagus heartrot. Species associated with oak Quercus heartrot include Ampedus cardinalis [RDB2] (Elateridae), Aulonothroscus brevicollis [RDB3] (Throscidae), Malthodes crassicornis [RDB3] (Cantharidae), Globicornis nigripes [RDB1], Trinodes hirtus [RDB3] (Dermestidae), Atomaria morio [RDBK] (Cryptophagidae) and Mordellistena neuwaldeggiana [RDBK] (Mordellidae). Mesosa nebulosa [RDB3] (Cerambycidae) and Tropideres sepicola [RDB3] (Anthribidae) may be found by beating oak boughs, while Ernoporus caucasicus [RDB1] (Scolytidae) is to be found under lime Tilia bark. Euryusa sinuata [RDB I] (Staphylinidae) has been found by sieving grass traps and rotten wood from ancient oak trees where ants are nesting.

At Bredon's Norton, malaise trapping in June has turned up the following rare leiodids: Leiodes flavescens [RDBI], Leiodes gyllenhali [RDBK], Colon dentipes [RDBK] and Sogda suturalis [RDBK], while Colon zebei [RDBK] was found on disturbed sandy soils at Beckford in July.

Near Pershore, the following Red Data Book species have been found: Gnorimus nobilis [RDB2] (Scarabaeidae); Selatosomus nigricornis [RDB3]; and Osphya bipunctata [RDB3] (Melandryidae).


County recorder: vacant

Further reading
JOHNSON, C. 1993. Saproxylic Coleoptera from Fraxinus in Worcestershire, including the re-discovery in Britain of Cryptophagus intermedius Bruce (Cryptophagidae). Coleopterist 1(2): 6.
LOTT, D.A. 1999. Riparian beetles on soft sediments by the River Teme, Worcestershire. Coleopterist 8(1): 7.
MENDEL, H. 1993. Limoniscus violaceus (Elateridae) Müller at Bredon Hill N.N.R., Worcestershire. Coleopterist 1(2): 5.
WHITEHEAD, P.F. 1996. The notable arboreal Coleoptera of Bredon Hill, Worcestershire, England. Coleopterist 5(2): 45.