One of the World's 100 most threatened species found at Rutland Water
Willow Blister Fungus has been recorded in England for only the second time - the first was in 1876
It's been revealed one of the World's 100 most threatened species has been found at Rutland Water.
The Cryptomyces maximus also called the Willow Blister Fungus has been recorded in England for only the second time - the first was in 1876
It was previously known from just a handful of sites in Pembrokeshire. Its extreme rarity has led to its recognition as one of the world’s 100 most critically endangered species in the world.
The Rutland Water record was found by Senior Species and Recording Officer, Tim Sexton on a coppiced willow near Lagoon 2 during a bat box survey. A sample was taken to the volunteer training centre for formal identification and was found to be the Willow Blister Fungus (Cryptomyces maximus), which was later confirmed by a mycologist from Kew Gardens.
Tim Sexton from Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, tells us how rare the find is:
"It's very sporadic in it's nature so it can appear and then not appear for another 50 or 100 years.
"There's often the thought that these sorts of species are just under recorded rather than genuinely rare.
"However it's very obvious, easy to identify and there's been several searches across the UK for this species, and no other records have been found."
Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust have said:
"Despite recent records of Willow Blister Fungus in Scotland, there has been only one other confirmed sighting in England since 1876.
"Its presence at Rutland Water strengthens the case for protected nature reserves. The Nature Reserve at Rutland Water is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a Special Protection Area (SPA), and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, and demonstrates how conservation sites can play a crucial role in safeguarding biodiversity."