A review of the status, distribution and habitat requirements of Vertigo moulinsiana in England

Recent recording indicates that Vertigo moulinsiana is not as rare as previously thought. Records are grouped by river catchment which emphasises a close association with rivers in calcareous or base-rich areas of England; the association with fens is less strong. Its widespread occurrence shows that it is not dependent upon ancient, undisturbed habitats but it does mainly occupy sites with unintensive management, as indicated by over half of the sites with records made since 1970 falling within 43 Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The snail is most often found on large species of Carex and Glyceria maxima, and less frequently on Phragmites, Phalaris and other large plants. England appears to support an important proportion of the European population; in recognition of this, five Special Areas of Conservation have been proposed for it.