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Rare black oil beetle returns to Kinver Edge heathland

Alex Murison Black Oil Beetle in the grassAlex Murison
A heathland restoration project has helped rare wildlife return to the National Trust’s Kinver Edge

A rare species of insect has returned to a heathland site for the first time in nine years, the National Trust has said.

The black oil beetle was spotted in a conservation site in Kinver Edge, Staffordshire, during efforts to restore wildlife in the area.

Four of the UK's native oil beetles are thought to be extinct, according to the BugLife charity.

The Trust has said the discovery is "regionally significant".

National Trust lead ranger Ewan Chapman said: "These insects make their home in sandy soils by digging nest burrows into bare earth, which is a key characteristic of heathland habitats.

"The discovery of the beetle is a good indicator that our work to restore the heath on Kinver Edge is really paying off."

Alex Murison Black Oil Beetle on soilAlex Murison
The Black Oil Beetle makes its home in sandy soils by digging nest burrows into bare earth

Following the project, which began in 2014, the group says it now hopes to restore an area of conifer plantation on the Worcestershire side of Kinver Edge in Blakeshall Common.

Andy Perry, National Trust conservation advisor said: "Oil beetles have become rarer in the wider countryside as key habitats such as heathland and wildflower meadows have been lost.

"The discovery of black oil beetle at Kinver is testimony to the quality of habitat and health of wild bees at the site."

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