Mottled grasshopper translocation to sand dunes in Essex, England

Summary

The mottled grasshopper (Myrmeleotettix maculatus), rare in Essex, England and dependent on short, dry turf with bare sandy ground, faced a long-term threat at its largest local population, the low-lying Colne Point shingle spit, from sea-level rise. In 2009, the Environment Agency translocated adults about 2.7 km to newly created sand dune flood defenses at Jaywick, built since 2008 through beach recharge and marram grass planting, choosing a receptor site with abundant bare sand behind a stabilizing breakwater. On 31 July and 3 August 2009, 40 adults (20 female, 20 male) were hand-netted at Colne Point, held briefly in ventilated containers, and released at Jaywick in batches to limit time in transit; a handful of damaged individuals were released back at the capture site instead. Stridulating males were heard at Jaywick within three weeks, confirming initial survival, and a June 2010 survey found seven adults, evidence that mating, egg-laying and overwintering had succeeded, though in low numbers suggesting weak first-year breeding success. By June 2011, roughly two years after release, 16 adults were recorded, indicating the small population was growing. Major difficulties included the absence of any UK precedent for grasshopper translocation, hot weather making capture slow and inefficient with sweep nets, and heavy public beach use posing a disturbance risk. The project rates itself Partially Successful, noting the population persisted for two generations but that too few individuals were moved initially, raising future inbreeding concerns.