Insect thought extinct in Britain found in North Wales
A species of caddisfly thought to have been extinct in Britain since 2016 has been found during a survey at Cors Goch, Anglesey.
Natur am Byth, Wales’ flagship species recovery programme, carried out the work with RSPB and North Wales Wildlife Trust to record caddisfly species living on the wetland habitat.
Surveyors set light traps on the fens in July and August while looking for one of the programme’s target species, Limnephilus tauricus. Instead, they caught an even rarer species, Limnephilus pati.
Experts confirmed the identification, making Cors Goch one of only three places in Britain where the species has been recorded since it was presumed extinct in 2016. The others are Market Weston Fen in Suffolk and Eochar, South Uist, in Scotland.
The species needs clean, calcium-rich water to survive. These habitats are some of the most diverse in Britain but face threats from drying out and agricultural intensification.
Adults fly from spring to early August, while the larvae live in water among roots and dense vegetation.
Cors Goch is also home to other target species of the programme including the Clubbed General Soldier Fly, Stratiomys chamaeleon, and the Dwarf Stonewort, Nitella tenuissima, which also depend on clean waters.
Clare Sampson, Natur am Byth project manager for RSPB, said:
“Anglesey is the only known place in Wales where you can find this unique caddisfly and it was a delight to find it at Cors Goch along with a number of other species that indicate clean water and a rich habitat.
“Caddisflies survive by being masters of disguise; the brown adults blend into the vegetation, while the larvae live inside cases that they camouflage with stems, sand and seeds. Discoveries like this prove that there are always exciting finds in nature, and they can be found right on your doorstep.
“This incredible discovery shows why consistent surveying is such an important element of conservation work. By gathering data on our most at risk species and their habitats we can focus our work where it’s needed most and ensure their survival now and into the future.”
Natur am Byth, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, works across Wales to improve habitats and reduce threats to 67 target species.
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