Very Rare Crucifix ground beetle rediscovered at Wicken Fen
May 2008. The Crucifix Ground beetle, one of the rarest beetles in the UK, has been rediscovered at the National Trust's Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire after an absence of more than 50 years.The Crucifix Ground Beetle, known as Panagaeus cruxmajor, is listed as an Endangered Species in the UK's Red Data Book and is a priority for conservation in the UK BAP (the Government's Biodiversity Action Plan).
Only 3 UK locations
Before the discovery at Wicken Fen the beetle was thought to survive at only three places in the UK, and at one of those it had not been seen for ten years. The eye-catching orange and black Crucifix Ground Beetle was last recorded at Wicken Fen in 1951, despite regular and widespread searches by experts.
Popular with collectors
The rare Crucifix Ground Beetle was considered a great prize by Victorian entomologists. Charles Darwin, a very keen collector of beetles, found the species ‘near Cambridge' when he was a Cambridge University under-graduate in the 1820s. The beetle was found at Wicken Fen many times in the early part of the twentieth
The Crucifix Ground Beetle
- The Crucifix Ground Beetle, 8-10mm in length, is largely black and very bristly. In shape, it has a characteristic bug-eyed appearance and a broad thorax. The English name was inspired by the large red spots on the wing cases which extend over the margins, giving the appearance of a black cross against a red background. We know very little about the life of the crucifix ground beetle. It is nocturnal in its activities, like most ground beetles, and seems to like sheltering under pieces of driftwood or discarded plastic sheets during the day. This beetle is a predatory species that probably feeds mainly on semi-aquatic snails, but its principal prey isn't known for certain.
Century but records became increasingly sparse, until the last one was found on the Sedge Fen at Wicken Fen in 1951.
Stuart Warrington, the National Trust Nature Conservation Advisor who discovered the beetle said: "This beetle is the rarest species I have ever seen and in the insect world it is perhaps the equivalent of a Bittern for ornithologists. To say that I was surprised and excited to have found it during one of my regular surveys at Wicken Fen is an under-statement."
Beetle expert, Tony Drane, who has been visiting Wicken Fen for over 30 years, said: "It is fantastic that this rare species has been re-discovered at Wicken Fen. It has probably never been away but has survived undetected in low numbers in the Fen alongside Wicken Lode. This is one of a number of rare species in decline across the UK which survive at Wicken Fen, showing the importance of this nature reserve and why it is important to make the reserve larger."
Wicken FenWicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of the most important nature reserves in Britain, as it is one of just four surviving fragments of the once extensive fenland that stretched from Cambridge to the Wash. The National Trust has been looking after Wicken Fen since 1899, when it bought its first 2 acres. In 1999 the National Trust launched its 100 year Wicken Vision to acquire more land for the benefit of wildlife and improve access for visitors.
Because of the close proximity to Cambridge University and as the fen is famous for its rare insects and plants, Wicken Fen has developed into one of the best studied nature reserves in Britain. The reserve is known to support a staggering 7,000 species, which includes 1,800 flies and 1,400 beetles and 1,000 species of moths.
