Latest news with #Buglife
Belfast Telegraph
20-05-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
More than 20 bee species face extinction in NI as crucial job role remains vacant since last year
That's according to a new report by conservation charity Buglife which highlighted the alarming extent of the problem which has been blamed on the absence of a bee inspectorate in the region. The warning comes on International World Bee Day and follows concerns expressed by the Ulster Beekeepers Association (UBKA) that the vital post has been vacant for too long. The last full-time bee inspector retired at the end of October 2024 and the part-time inspector role has been vacant since December 2024. The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) insists it 'is responding to recent reductions in inspectorate staff available for bee inspections' and confirmed a recruitment drive is under way. Co Down beekeeper Valentine Hodges — who has between 80 and 100 hives — described the situation as 'critical' and expressed anger and disappointment. 'We now are at a critical stage where, through lack of recruitment we have no bee inspectors,' she said. She added that if diseases are allowed to spread, it could have a domino effect on the food supply.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wanted: Evidence of rare oily-kneed beetles
Keen-eyed wildlife watchers are being asked to look out for a rare parasitic insect with an unusual lifecycle. The larvae of the Short-Necked Oil Beetles lurk among flowers waiting for a passing bee to carry them back to its nest, where they feed on all the pollen the bee has collected. The species' name comes from the stubby shape of the adult beetles and their habit of secreting an oily yellow-orange substance from their knee joints when alarmed. The organisation behind the appeal, Buglife, said Scottish populations of the insect have been found in flower-rich habitats in the Hebrides. There were no reports of Short-Necked Oil Beetles in the UK for almost 60 years after 1948 and habitat loss was blamed for bringing the species to the brink of extinction. They were rediscovered in Devon in 2006 and on the Isle of Coll in 2009. Since then in Scotland, populations have been found on Tiree, Islay, Barra and Uist. Short-Necked Oil Beetles are one of 37 species being prioritised for conservation efforts under the Species on the Edge programme led by government agency NatureScot. Map Other species on the list include birds such as the Arctic Tern and Curlew, as well as Daubenton's Bat, the Great Yellow Bumblebee and Scottish Primrose. Workshops have been held in Uist and Barra to help islanders identify the beetles. Sally Morris of Buglife Scotland, said: "We're looking to raise awareness of the species and find out a lot more about its needs, its ecology, abundance and distribution. "We have five species of oil beetle in the UK. "Three are found in Scotland and the Short-Necked Oil Beetle is the rarest." She said the species is vulnerable to extinction. The beetle's lifecycle relies on solitary bees, species which do not live in colonies and have nests tended by a single female. The beetle larvae are only a few millimetres long and have hook like feet to snag on to a passing bee to be carried back to the burrow where the bee has built its nest. Later, after feasting on the contents of the nest, the insects emerge as adults. Only about one in 10,000 larvae make it to adulthood. Ms Morris said: "Oil beetles need flower-rich habitat and sites with areas of bare ground for borrowing, both for the oil beetles themselves and for the solitary bees that they parasitize." More on this story Related internet links
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Wanted: Evidence of rare oily-kneed beetles
Wanted: Evidence of rare oily-kneed beetles 13 minutes ago Share Save Steven McKenzie BBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter Share Save Sally Morris Keen-eyed wildlife watchers are being asked to look out for a rare parasitic insect with an unusual lifecycle. The larvae of the Short-Necked Oil Beetles lurk among flowers waiting for a passing bee to carry them back to its nest, where they feed on all the pollen the bee has collected. The species' name comes from the stubby shape of the adult beetles and their habit of secreting an oily yellow-orange substance from their knee joints when alarmed. The organisation behind the appeal, Buglife, said Scottish populations of the insect have been found in flower-rich habitats in the Hebrides. There were no reports of Short-Necked Oil Beetles in the UK for almost 60 years after 1948 and habitat loss was blamed for bringing the species to the brink of extinction. They were rediscovered in Devon in 2006 and on the Isle of Coll in 2009. Since then in Scotland, populations have been found on Tiree, Islay, Barra and Uist. Short-Necked Oil Beetles are one of 37 species being prioritised for conservation efforts under the Species on the Edge programme led by government agency NatureScot. Other species on the list include birds such as the Arctic Tern and Curlew, as well as Daubenton's Bat, the Great Yellow Bumblebee and Scottish Primrose. Workshops have been held in Uist and Barra to help islanders identify the beetles. Sally Morris of Buglife Scotland, said: "We're looking to raise awareness of the species and find out a lot more about its needs, its ecology, abundance and distribution. "We have five species of oil beetle in the UK. "Three are found in Scotland and the Short-Necked Oil Beetle is the rarest." She said the species is vulnerable to extinction. Sally Morris Machair, coastal meadows in the Hebrides, offer prime habitat for oil beetles The beetle's lifecycle relies on solitary bees, species which do not live in colonies and have nests tended by a single female. The beetle larvae are only a few millimetres long and have hook like feet to snag on to a passing bee to be carried back to the burrow where the bee has built its nest. Later, after feasting on the contents of the nest, the insects emerge as adults. Only about one in 10,000 larvae make it to adulthood. Ms Morris said: "Oil beetles need flower-rich habitat and sites with areas of bare ground for borrowing, both for the oil beetles themselves and for the solitary bees that they parasitize."
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Kent Wildlife Trust's bug survey reveals 'alarming' decline
A survey tracking the "staggering" decline in insect numbers across the UK and Ireland has Bugs Matter survey, led by Kent Wildlife Trust and invertebrate charity Buglife, runs from 1 May to 30 September each year and sees "citizen scientists" record the number of bug splats on their vehicle number plates after a results from 2024 found the number of flying insect splats recorded across the UK had fallen by 63% since 2021. Ireland was not included in last year's survey but will take part this Lawrence Ball, from Kent Wildlife Trust, said the decline could perhaps be linked to "the extreme climate in the UK in recent years". Insects play a vital role in the ecosystem by pollinating crops, providing natural pest control, decomposing waste and underpinning food chains that support birds, mammals and other wildlife. Curve may flatten Dr Ball said: "Without insects, the planet's ecological systems would collapse so this huge decrease in insect splats over such a short time is really alarming."Bug splats declined 8% in 2024, following sharper drops of 44% in 2023 and 28% in Ball said the slowing rate of decline shows the curve may flatten or even reverse next than 25,000 journeys have been analysed as part of the survey since 2021.
Daily Tribune
02-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Tribune
UK scientists fear insect loss as car bug splats fall
A UK-wide decline in bug splats recorded on car number plates indicates an "alarming" fall in the number of flying insects, UK scientists said in a survey published yesterday. The 2024 Bugs Matter report revealed the numbers of flying insects found stuck to vehicle number plates had dropped by nearly 63 percent since 2021. Flying insects play a vital role in maintaining a healthy environment, as a food source for birds and other wildlife species, as well as acting as pollinators for crops and keeping pests under control. The survey, led by Kent Wildlife Trust and charity Buglife, relies on citizen scientists who log their journeys and record the number of insect splats found on the front number plate of their cars. Analysis of more than 25,000 journeys showed a sharp decline in splats across the UK between 2021 and 2024. This included a 44-percent drop between 2022 and 2023, slowing down to an eight percent decline from 2023 to 2024. "This huge decrease in insect splats over such a short time is really alarming," said Lawrence Ball, a conservation scientist at Kent Wildlife Trust. According to Ball, the decrease is a result of a general-long term decline in insect numbers compounded by a short-term decline which is "perhaps linked to the extreme climate in the UK in recent years". "Similar declining insect trends have been reported by many other scientific studies around the world," according to the survey report. Scientists say the decline is driven by human activity, including habitat loss, pesticide use, land and water pollution, and climate change. The latest data "suggests that the abundance of flying insects in our countryside has fallen again," said Andrew Whitehouse from Buglife. The report noted 60 percent fewer bug splats on average in urban areas, compared to the countryside, "highlighting the impact we have had on nature in our towns and cities". The Bugs Matter survey is based on the "windscreen phenomenon", an anecdotal observation that people are finding fewer insect splats on their windscreens compared to before.
