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The importance of host plant-habitat substrate in the maintenance of a unique isolate of the Sandhill Rustic: disturbance, shingle matrix and bare ground indicators

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Abstract

The Sandhill Rustic moth Luperina nickerlii leechi is an isolate restricted to the beach of Loe Bar in Cornwall UK; it is a UK Priority taxon because of its unique status and small, declining population. The larval foodplant is Sand Couch-grass Elytrigia juncea; the larvae feed at first inside the stems and then on the rhizomes underground. The distribution of the moth and E. juncea were investigated in this study in relation to substrate conditions and other plants. E. juncea has an above-ground clumped distribution; near the sea the plants are linked by rhizomes, but away from the sea the apparent clumping is a probable historic record of previous connectivity where the rhizomes have disappeared. The adult moths were found to be associated with more vigorous E. juncea plants growing in sparsely vegetated, more disturbed ground near the sea, especially those plants with large rhizome systems along which later instar larvae can travel between plants. Emerging moths were associated with areas of extensive E. juncea surrounded by bare ground, where there was a substantial variation of shingle particles between 125 μm and 8 mm. The absence of vegetation and associated roots apart from E. juncea, and a coarse particle mix, may allow larvae to move through the shingle and the moths to push their way upwards from their subterranean pupae. We conclude that management should aim to create areas of bare ground with extensive patches of E. juncea growing in coarser shingle, with extensive underground connectivity and few other plants.

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Acknowledgments

The senior author would like to acknowledge the support of the National Trust, who own the site, permissions from Natural England and help in the field from Catriona Neil. We acknowledge the suggestions of unknown referees, whose contributions substantially improved this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, Scotland, UK

    Adrian Spalding & Mark Young

  2. Spalding Associates (Environmental Ltd), Norfolk House, 16-17 Lemon Street, Truro, TR1 2LS, Cornwall, UK

    Adrian Spalding

  3. Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK

    Roger L. H. Dennis

  4. Institute for Environment, Sustainability and Regeneration, Staffordshire University, Mellor Building, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 2DE, UK

    Roger L. H. Dennis

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  1. Adrian Spalding
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  2. Mark Young
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  3. Roger L. H. Dennis
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Correspondence to Adrian Spalding.

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Spalding, A., Young, M. & Dennis, R.L.H. The importance of host plant-habitat substrate in the maintenance of a unique isolate of the Sandhill Rustic: disturbance, shingle matrix and bare ground indicators. J Insect Conserv 16, 839–846 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-012-9470-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-012-9470-7

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