Saturday, 20 December 2014

Most northerly records of beetles made in Scotland

20 December 2014 Last updated at 01:24

Two rare beetles have been recorded at their most northerly locations, according to RSPB Scotland.

A water scavenger beetle called cryptopleurum subtile was identified in a survey of woody debris along the River Nethy near Aviemore.

The second beetle, a whirligig called gyrinus paykulli, was found at the RSPB's Loch of Strathbeg reserve near Aberdeen.

The insects had previously been found further south in Scotland.

It is only the second Scottish record of the water scavenger beetle. The first was recorded in Melrose in 1969.

There are fewer than 20 records of cryptopleurum subtile in the UK.

Gyrinus paykulli have two pairs of eyes because they live on the surface of water. One set faces up and the other down.

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