Life on the Edge after dark! – Mediterranean Oil Beetle survey volunteer task

Join the Life on the Edge team out on the coast this autumn to look for the elusive Mediterranean Oil Beetle (Meloe mediterraneus).

These rarer, mostly nocturnal cousins of the Black Oil Beetle (Meloe proscarabaeus) were thought to be extinct in the UK until their rediscovery in South Devon in 2012, after not being seen for over 100 years! Named for the oil they secrete from their leg joints, the life cycle of these beetles is interconnected with solitary mining bee species also found along our coastline. Surveying the coast and finding their presence is therefore not only good news for the beetles, but it also indicates the ability of the area to support these other important insects. Your survey results will help us target management actions to protect and grow their populations.

We will be going out on six surveys this November and December, kicking off with a training survey run by John Walters, the ecologist who rediscovered the beetle’s presence in the UK. Then join us on this and as many surveys as you can and develop your survey skills, experience the coastline by night, and help discover and protect new populations of this fascinating species! You can find out more about Oil beetles on our YouTube channel.

This opportunity is open to anyone who has an interest in nature and our coastline or who just fancies getting out and exploring our amazing coastline by moonlight! – An experience not to be missed!

Pre-booking is essential. For more information, visit the Life on the Edge website, and to book your place, email [email protected].

Life on the Edge is a partnership project that sees Buglife working alongside South Devon National Landscape (project lead), as well as other partner organisations including the National Trust, Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust and the South West Coast Path Association. The project aims to restore viable populations of some of the UK’s rarest invertebrates and plants living along the South Devon coast.