Species Account for Sepedophilus testaceus

Essex Red Data List comment
Essex Post-1969 record

Species text
This rove beetle is widespread but very local in England and is most frequent in south-eastern England. It is found in woodland, parkland and on isolated trees. It appears to be associated with rotten and fungoid wood with records from decaying beech and decaying willow. It has also been found in the fungoid wood of sweet chestnut, elm, oak, ash, Populus, Salix and conifers, and in beech and oak leaf-litter. On the Continent, this beetle has also been found in rotten aspen and fungi. Threats include the loss of broad-leaved woodland and parkland and the removal of isolated trees such as those in old hedgerows. Habitat loss, in particular, may be through the felling of trees, removal of dead and fungus-infected wood from living trees and the destruction or removal of standing and fallen dead wood for reasons such as forest hygiene, aesthetic tidiness, public safety or for use as fire-wood. Trees, and fallen, standing and fungus-infected timber, especially with the bark attached, should be retained. The removal of dead timber from trees should be avoided. Gaps in the age structure of the tree population should be identified and the continuity of the appropriate habitat ensured by regeneration, suitable planting and possibly with pollarding (HYman & Parsons, 1994). References

Habitats

Recorded management for locations with Sepedophilus testaceus

Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Sepedophilus testaceus

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