Rare short-necked oil beetle found breeding in Wales again

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 1 Nov, 19:56 · Archive

The short-necked oil beetle, driven to extinction in Britain by habitat loss, has been found breeding in Wales for the first time in nearly 60 years.

Natural Resources Wales has confirmed that the short-necked oil beetle has been found breeding in Wales for the first time in nearly 60 years. Larvae of the nationally rare insect were discovered at Castlemartin range in Pembrokeshire during surveys carried out in 2026, suggesting that hatchlings from a larger group of immature beetles had thrived. Previous surveys in 2022 and 2025 had found only dead adult specimens, leaving conservationists concerned about whether the species could maintain a viable presence at the site.

The beetle's common name comes from its compact body shape and its defensive mechanism: when threatened, adults secrete an oily yellow-orange substance from their knee joints. Its survival depends on solitary bees and thick vegetation. Newly hatched larvae have hook-like feet to latch onto passing bees and hitch rides to their nests, where they feed on pollen until ready to emerge as adults. Only about one in 10,000 larvae reach maturity, and the species has a lifespan of roughly a year.

The short-necked oil beetle was driven to the brink of extinction in Britain during the 20th century due to habitat loss. Only a handful of sites in the UK are suitable for the species. The beetle was rediscovered in Devon in 2006, and populations have since been found in the Hebrides and on Salisbury Plain. Castlemartin Range remains the sole site in Wales where the species has been recorded.

How it is being reported

• Rare creature rediscovered in Wales after nearly 60 years as conservationists hail 'remarkable' findConservationists have confirmed that the Short-Necked Oil Beetle has been found breeding in Wales for the first time in nearly six decades, following a determined three-year search at Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire. Natural Resources Wales announced that this year's survey found larvae of the nationally rare insect across a small part of the site, suggesting that hatchlings from a larger group of immature beetles survived. The breakthrough comes after significant concern for the species' future in Wales. Surveys in 2022 and 2025 found only dead adult specimens, leaving researchers…GB News · 1 Nov, 19:38
• Rare short-necked oil beetle rediscovered in Wales after nearly 60 yearsSpecies’ name comes from stubby shape and ability to secrete an oily substance from its knee joints when alarmed A rare beetle has been rediscovered in Wales after nearly 60 years, conservationists have said. The short-necked oil beetle, driven to the brink of extinction in Britain due to habitat loss over the course of the 20th century, has been found at Castlemartin range in Pembrokeshire, according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Continue reading...The Guardian · 1 Nov, 10:40

In this story: Wales · Castlemartin range · Pembrokeshire · Natural Resources Wales · Devon · Hebrides · Salisbury Plain

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