The endangered short-necked oil beetle, long thought gone from Britain, was rediscovered recently by an entomologist at a site in southern county of Devon.
Marking the first time the beetle species has been found alive in Britain since 1948, amateur entomologist Bob Heckford recently found the insects on the remote grasslands site owned by the National Trust, The Independent reported.
Experts said that the steep slope of the site likely helped the beetle species, Meloe brevicollis, survive the massive agricultural movement that had nearly wiped it out since World War II.
"It's likely that this population of the short-necked oil beetle has survived because they inhabit an area of land that has avoided the intensive farming methods of surrounding arable land," said David Bullock, a nature conservationist with the National Trust.
"It's great that this oil beetle, with its fascinating lifestyle, has survived against all the odds and is back in business on the south Devon coast," he added.
In response to the discovery, the National Trust is working with the tenant farmer to ensure the beetles' safety.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
Related stories:
Robotic cameras join search for 'Holy Grail of bird-watching'
In the bayous of eastern Arkansas, amidst ancient trees both living and dead that provide nourishment to creatures of the swamp, hangs a high-tech sentinel patiently waiting to capture video of an ivory-billed woodpecker -- an elusive bird once thought to be extinct.
Novel fungus helps beetles to digest hard wood
A little known fungus tucked away in the gut of Asian longhorned beetles helps the insect munch through the hardest of woods according to a team of entomologists and biochemists. Researchers say the discovery could lead to innovative methods of controlling the invasive pest, and potentially offer more efficient ways of breaking down plant biomass for generating biofuels.
Species extinction threat underestimated due to math glitch, says study
Extinction risks for natural populations of endangered species are likely being underestimated by as much as 100-fold because of a mathematical "misdiagnosis," according to a new study led by a University of Colorado at Boulder researcher.
Tree-killing fungus officially named by scientists
The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) today announced that an SRS scientist and other researchers have officially named the fungus responsible for killing redbay and other trees in the coastal plains of northeastern Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
New research could lead to no scent, no sex for the Japanese beetle
No scent. No sex. If a male Japanese beetle is unable to detect the sex pheromone released by a female, he won't be able to locate her and reproduce.
Enzyme Discovery Could Lead to No Scent, No Sex for Japanese Beetle
If a male Japanese beetle is unable to detect the sex pheromone released by a female, he won't be able to locate her and reproduce. UC Davis researchers have discovered how a key enzyme interacts with those pheromones in the beetle's sophisticated olfactory system, a finding that may lead to important applications for controlling this damaging, invasive pest.
Scientists announce top 10 new species, issue SOS
The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of taxonomists – scientists responsible for species exploration and classification – today announce the top 10 new species described in 2007.
Oregano oil works as well as synthetic insecticides to tackle common beetle pest
New research in the
Society of Chemical Industry’s Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that oregano oil works as well as synthetic insecticides to combat infestation by a common beetle, Rhizoppertha dominica, found in stored cereals.