Species Account for Philonthus punctus

Essex Red Data List comment
Essex Post-1969 record/s; VC18 1970-on record/s; VC19 1970-on record/s.

Species text
Philonthus punctus is a shiny black predatory rove beetle with very conspicuous punctuation. It has a very localised coastal distribution in Britain (West Kent and Essex only, formerly also South Devon and East Sussex), but has been found recently also in western Ireland. It is a riparian species that does not depend on saline conditions, but most British records are for coastal habitats. This is also something of an ?Essex beetle? as it appears to be more widespread in Essex than in Kent. It is usually associated with coastal marshes and also found at the edges of saltmarshes. This species has been found in litter, on mud amongst Sea Club-rush in drying, brackish ditches, on the banks of muddy dykes, and at the edges of brackish ditches and saline pools. Water levels should be maintained at levels allowing the seasonal drying out of shallower dykes and ditches (Hyman & Parsons 1994). References

Habitats

Recorded management for locations with Philonthus punctus

Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Philonthus punctus

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Interpretation of distribution maps