MELOE BREVICOLLIS

A rare flightless beetle in Britain, thought to be close to extinction, has been found in abundance on a Hebridean island.

The short-necked oil beetle was thought to have disappeared completely until 2008, when scientific surveys uncovered two small populations in South Devon, and the Isle of Coll.

Researchers working for RSPB Scotland and charity Buglife have now found more than 150 of the threatened insects. This equates to a 400 per cent increase since the last count was made in 2010.

Scientists also identified two new sites on the island for the beetles, which rely on wild bees and their larvae to survive.

A spokesperson and natural recovery officer at RSPB Scotland, said:

… This was a beetle that was thought to be extinct for about 60 years… A small population was found in Devon and then, out of nowhere, about 20 individuals were discovered on Coll.

… To go back and find the species in such abundance now shows they are doing a lot better than we ever dreamt they could be.

The beetle – Latin name Meloe brevicollis – is named for the toxic oil secretions it produces when threatened.

A conservation officer at Buglife Scotland, said:

… The abundance of wildflowers in the machair and dunes of the island, combined with lots of warm, bare sand provide a near-perfect habitat for the solitary bees that the beetles depend on.