Good News
A beetle absent from Wales for about 60 years has been rediscovered in Pembrokeshire
Surveyors found short-necked oil beetle larvae at Castlemartin Range after spotting adults there in 2025.
In short
~60 yrsthe beetle was absent from Wales
- Absent from Wales for about 60 years
- Larvae found at Castlemartin Range
- Adults spotted there in 2025
The find
Surveyors have found larvae of the short-necked oil beetle at Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire, Wales, after spotting adults there in 2025. The species had not been recorded in Wales for about 60 years, and habitat loss had pushed it to near extinction in the 20th century.
Why it matters
Finding larvae suggests the beetles are breeding at the site, not just passing through. It is a small but real sign that restoring habitat can bring back species thought lost.
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