Rare beetle find shows species is 'on the move'

New sightings of one of the UK's rarest beetles shows the species is on the move, scientists say.

The great silver water beetle - which is usually found on the Somerset Levels and in the east of England - was spotted in two places in Gloucestershire - far further to the west of the country than usual.

Citizen scientists Gordon Kirk and Bill Watkins made the discoveries during routine moth monitoring in the Severn Vale and Beachley respectively.

Tina Bouttle, from Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records, said: "The great silver water beetle's conservation status is listed as near threatened. These are both significant records as it shows this species is on the move."

Despite looking black on land, when the beetle is in water where it predominantly lives, it holds a film of air against its belly which gives it the silvery sheen it is named after.

Bouttle said it was not yet known why the beetles were moving - although the team did have theories.

"We think that it's moving around the country looking for new wetlands as wetlands currently are suffering from pollution and habitat destruction.

"Or they just might be doing really well where they are and needing to find new places to move into," she explained.

Citizen scientists are members of the public who aid with scientific discoveries by - for example - monitoring wildlife around them and sending photos to scientific organisations to help identify them.

The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) promotes the importance of such volunteers.

"Citizen science drives so much of conservation and by reporting sightings to your local wildlife trust, environmental record centres or organisations like PTES, people across the country are helping to protect and better understand our wildlife," its conservation research and strategy officer David Wembridge said.

Members of the public are being encouraged by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to become citizen scientists and submit beetle sightings to help track the biodiversity of the county.

"The majority of this year's records would have come from citizen scientists, so this shows you do not need to a professional ecologist to help towards the understanding of this species.

"Each record is a piece in the puzzle to understanding the movement of this species into Gloucestershire and beyond," Bouttle added.

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