Posted on 03/19/2007 8:14:44 PM PDT by fishhound
A beetle thought to be extinct in the UK since the 1940s has been rediscovered in south Devon.
The short-necked oil beetle was found by an amateur entomologist during a wildlife survey on National Trust (NT) land between Bolt Head and Bolt Tail.
The beetles were last recorded at Chailey Common, Sussex in 1948.
Up to 40 of the insects, which survive by hitching rides on miner bees as larvae and then eating the bees' eggs, were found at the Devon site.
It's great that this oil beetle has survived against all the odds David Bullock, National Trust
The beetle, which gets its name from the highly toxic oil secretions it produces when threatened, is also known as Meloe brevicollis. he adult beetles, which live for about three months, lay up to 1,000 eggs in a burrow in soft or sandy soil and eggs hatch in the following spring.
Once they have hatched the young larvae crawl up on to vegetation, often lying in wait in flowers, for an unsuspecting mining bee to give them a lift to the bee's nest.
They then devour the bee's egg and also the protein rich pollen stores the bee intended to provide for its own larvae.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
As if colony collapse disorder wasn't enough. Poor bees.
Stu? Oh, wait. You said Beetle. Never mind.
Didn't know beetles had necks.
Bush's fault.
Yep, mighty excited about the beetle which destroys the bee which pollinates flowers,vegetables and that which is necessary for human survival.
Although, I do love the Beatles, which, by the way, was not their original name.
Well it's down to Ringo or Paul,which one ???
Pete Best? No....wait....he's a Beatle and that was only 40 some-odd years ago.
I thought Billy Preston was dead.
LMAO
They then devour the bee's egg and also the protein rich pollen stores the bee intended to provide for its own larvae.
I was going to say Pete Best.
But I thought Paul was dead.
Oh yeah,your right. I must be getting old,I forgot !!!
that's ok...
It's been a hard days night....
Strength through joy car. (KdF Wagen).
>.short necked oil beetle
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