Latest news with #BuglifeScotland
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
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Scotsman
29-04-2025
- General
- Scotsman
The reasons behind 'significant' drop-off in insect splats on car windscreens in Scotland
The decrease in bug splats was biggest in Scotland out of the UK countries. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Bug experts have said an 'alarming' drop in insect splats on cars across Scotland in the past five years is indicative of insect declines across the country. Latest data from conservation groups shows the number of flying insects sampled on vehicle number plates across Scotland has fallen by a staggering 65 per cent since 2021. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Bug Matter survey is based on the ''windscreen phenomenon' - a term given to the anecdotal observation that people tend to find fewer insects squashed on the windscreens of their cars now, compared to in the past. Insect splats have shown a steep decline in Scotland in the last five years | Dan TP The losses are believed to be due to habitat loss, pollution, pesticide use and changes in climate. Results came from a network of volunteer citizen scientists who recorded insect splats on their vehicle number plates from more than 25,000 journeys across the UK since 2021. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While the sharpest fall across the UK was recorded in Scotland, England saw a 62 per cent drop, Wales 64 per cent and Northern Ireland was at 55 per cent. Conservationists, however, said the rate at which insect splats are declining has slowed in the past few years. The survey was carried out by Buglife Scotland in partnership with the Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dr Lawrence Ball, of KWT, said: "The results from the Bugs Matter survey are really concerning. 'We are probably detecting insect declines as they are happening, which reflect the enormous threats and loss of wildlife more broadly across the UK. These declines appear to be happening at an alarming rate and without concerted action to address them we face a stark future. Insects and pollinators are fundamental to the health of our environment and rural economies.' Those behind the study said more action needed to be taken to create 'more and bigger areas of habitats' and provide nature corridors for wildlife. Dr Ball added: 'This huge decrease in insect splats over such a short time is really alarming. After an initial increase in Scotland between 2021 and 2022 (+17 per cent) the number of splats decreased in 2023 (-61 per cent), but this rate has slowed in 2024 (-24 per cent). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's most likely that we are seeing the compounding effects of both a background rate of decline as well as a short-term cycle of decline, perhaps linked to the extreme climate in recent years. Continued support from citizen scientists is key to revealing the overall trend in insect numbers.' Rebecca Lewis, of Buglife Scotland, said: "The latest Bugs Matter data suggests that the abundance of flying insects in our countryside has fallen again. But we can turn the tide. We need more space for nature – so more habitats restored at scale, connected across whole landscapes. We need safer places for wildlife, which means reducing our use of pesticides and other pollution of land and freshwater.' This year's survey for insect splats launches on May 1 and will run until September 30.
