South West Blue Ground Beetle Project

What did the project do?

Our South West Blue Ground Beetle project aimed to improve our understanding of the extent and health of populations of the beetle. Surveys were undertaken across a total of 18 sites within ancient woodland fragments in South Devon and Cornwall.

We worked in partnership with Dartmoor National Park Authority, The University of Exeter and local naturalist John Walters.

New populations discovered at known sites

Whilst no new sites for the Blue Ground Beetle were discovered over the three year project, the beetle was recorded at known locations, including new areas of woodlands at the known sites. On one survey, five males were found over a kilometre away from their known location. You can read about the initial findings in our news article about two new populations discovered on Dartmoor in 2022.

Deadwood and habitat assessments were carried out to increase our knowledge of the species habitat preferences. The surveys compared the deadwood resource at both Cornish and Devon sites with records, and at sites without specimens recorded. These have been done using a standardised methodology created in collaboration with University of Exeter.

Work continues

To date, approximately 190 records have been submitted to the Blue Ground Beetle Hunt and 12 of these were verified by a volunteer as being Blue Ground Beetle. The majority of confirmed Blue Ground Beetle records were from known locations on Dartmoor. However, one unusual record came from a new location in Wales which is being investigated further by Buglife Wales.

With a better understanding the ecology and locations of the Blue Ground Beetle, we can help conserve these populations for the future. Work continues with the Moor Invertebrates Project, aiming to secure the future of eight threatened invertebrate species within the Dartmoor Important Invertebrate Area and in Dartmoor National Park, which includes the Blue Ground Beetle. Led by Buglife, this project will work with landowners, organisations and local communities to ensure the long-term survival of these species in the UK.

More about the Blue Ground Beetle

The Blue Ground Beetle makes its home in damp, deciduous, often ancient, woodlands of oak and beech, usually living on south-facing slopes in areas with sparse ground vegetation and abundant veteran trees and dead wood. This beetle was thought to be extinct in the UK, until in 1994, when a population was discovered on a site on Dartmoor.

More populations were found around Dartmoor and mid Cornwall, but the beetle remained restricted to South West England until the discovery in 2012 of a population in South Wales. Please see our Welsh Blue Ground Beetle project page for more information on this incredible discovery.

Adult Blue Ground Beetles are mainly nocturnal and occur year-round, although they are most active and easiest to see from March until June. Both the adults and their larvae feed on slugs – most notably the Tree Slug (Limax marginatus) and the Ash-black Slug (Limax cinereoniger). Adults can be found during these months climbing on mossy tree trunks within the woodlands.

Can I still support the Blue Ground Beetle?

Yes! If you have ever seen what you think might be a Blue Ground Beetle whilst out walking, if you have a photo of it, no matter how long ago it was taken, we’d love it if you could share it with us through our Blue Ground Beetle Hunt.

Submit a Blue Ground Beetle sighting