Rare fungus found at Rutland Water

Thursday, 13 February 2025 09:55

One of the world's most threatened species has been found at Rutland Water Nature Reserve, the only recorded sighting in over a hundred years in England.

The Willow Blister fungus was discovered during a bat box survey on some coppiced willow at Egleton. The discovery highlights the importance of protected areas, such as the reserve, which is an area of special scientific interest. Senior Species and Recording Officer Tim Sexton from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust found it.

"So this is a type of fungus called the Willow Blister fungus, or Cryptomyces maximus, its scientific name. And in 2012, the IUCN and the Zoological Society for London produced a list of the 100 most threatened species on Earth. And that's all species, so not just fungi. And this species of fungus was the only native British species that's represented on this list. At the time, it was only found in just one site in Pembrokeshire. It's since been found on a particular site up in Scotland, but there's only one other record in England since 1876 of this species. So I guarantee it is the rarest thing you've probably ever seen in your life, but it sits on a list alongside things like woolly spider monkey, spoon billed sandpiper that some people may have heard of, incredibly threatened species, and then this fungus which for some reason found its way to Rutland Water."