Latest news with #SpeciesontheEdge
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
Daily Record
07-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Dumfries and Galloway residents urged to listen out for rare Scottish amphibian
The Solway Coast is the only place where the natterjack toad can be found in Scotland. Dumfries and Galloway residents are being asked if they've heard the iconic call of a rare creature. The Solway Coast is the only place where the natterjack toad can be found in Scotland, having once been so abundant that Powfoot villagers said it sounded 'as though it were in the tropics' during the spring and summer. But the population has declined dramatically in recent years, mainly due to the loss or damage of its natural habitat. Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and Species on the Edge are now asking for anyone who thinks they might have heard the croaking of a natterjack toad in recent years to help shape conservation efforts. Species on the Edge Solway Coast project officer, Liam Templeton, said: 'The natterjack toad is an incredibly rare and charismatic species that we are fortunate enough to have associated with our Scottish Solway Coast. It is beloved by the communities with whom it shares its surroundings, and its disappearance from the Solway coast would be a tragic loss to the cultural identity of these places. 'Those communities now have an opportunity to play an important role in helping to inform efforts to conserve the species, and I'm committed to using my role to empower them with the skills and confidence to make meaningful contributions to species recovery.' Natterjack toads can be distinguished from the common toad by the distinctive yellow stripe along its back. It produces a loud rasping call that can be heard as far away as one kilometre. The mating call of males can be heard during breeding season, which can run from April until July. The natterjack toad is known to thrive in dynamic and changeable habitats such as sand dunes and saltmarsh or merse, many of which are threatened by natural processes such as sea level rise and coastal erosion. The species is also thought to have been negatively impacted by agricultural intensification, forestry activity and urbanisation. The toads tend to lay their spawn in shallow, temporary water bodies that usually either dry up by later summer or are filled with sea water during spring high tides. As a result, their habitat is very susceptible to fluctuations in local weather patterns such as prolonged periods of drought or severe winter storms. Anyone who thinks they have heard the toad should send the date, time and location – and if possible an audio recording – to sote@
