Hunt is on for rare insect (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Hunt is on for rare insect

PEOPLE are being urged to join the hunt for a rare beetle in the run up to National Wildlife Week (June 1-9).

The Noble Chafer beetle was thought to be extinct until recently and has been found in Westbury-on-Severn and Longhope.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust want communities around the county including the Cotswolds to keep an eye out for further habitats in an effort to compile more information for conservation purposes.

Rosie Cliffe, conservation manager for the trust, said: "It's a bit of a forgotten species. It was a big surprise to find a couple of small clusters recently in the Forest of Dean.

"This means the Noble Chafer could be surviving in any number of places around the county, but we won't know unless we look.

"Its about two to three centimetres in length with shiny, metallic-looking green body."

The Noble Chafer has been rare in Britain for over a century. Its habitat is mainly dead or decaying fruit trees, where it takes two years for the larvae to develop.

One of the main reasons for its decline is the tidying up of dead wood and fallen trees as traditional orchards are modernised, or grubbed out (destroyed) to make more profitable use of the land.

"When it becomes an adult, the male beetle mates with the female and the male dies. The female then lays her eggs and the cycle starts all over again," added Miss Cliffe.

The rare insect can be spotted in June, July and possibly in August, when they might be seen flying around or feeding on nectar from open flowers.

"Knowing where they are and in what numbers is critical to halting and reversing their decline, and maybe reviving this forgotten but very beautiful species in Gloucestershire," said Miss Cliffe.

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is appealing for beetle-spotters of all ages to help conduct a mini-survey for the Noble Chafer throughout the summer months.

Survey forms are available from the trust by calling 01452 383333. These include instructions and guidelines about what to look for and how to record the details properly.

Landowners with fruit trees or traditional orchards are also being urged to contact the trust for on-site advice about creating Noble Chafer-friendly habitats.