First sighting of great silver water beetle in Dorset for 200 years
Wren Franklin, a masters student at Bournemouth University, found two great silver water beetles in Blackmore Vale.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.One of Britain’s largest species of beetle has been found in Dorset, more than 200 years since its last recorded sighting in the county.
Wren Franklin, a masters student at Bournemouth University, found two of the great silver water beetles (hydrophilus piceus) while surveying animal and plant life in ponds in Blackmore Vale, north Dorset, as part of research for his biodiversity conservation course.
When he checked with Dorset’s county recorder for beetles, he found the only other recorded sighting in the county was in 1821, by one of Britain’s most influential entomologists, JC Dale.
Mr Franklin said: “It was a really exciting discovery, as soon as I found them I knew I’d come across something special.
“Great silver water beetles are often found in the Somerset levels, so this begs the question, have they been hiding undetected in the Blackmore Vale for two centuries or have they recolonised recently whilst looking for new habitats.
“We’ll never know, but it is great to find them using newly created wetland habitat.”
The beetle is the heaviest beetle in the UK and can grow to five centimetres long, but Mr Franklin described it as a “gentle giant” because it mostly scavenges plant material for food rather than as an aggressive predator.
Mr Franklin said he hoped the discovery would help raise awareness of the threats to biodiversity.
He said: “People know about the threats faced by big animals in other parts of the world, but there are also loads of fascinating species in our own neighbourhoods which are equally imperilled.”