Tiny young beetles have given conservation teams evidence that a rare species is breeding at a site in Wales, United Kingdom.
Inspectors found short-necked oil beetle larvae at Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire during checks this year. Larvae are the young stage before beetles become adults.
Surveys in 2022 and 2025 found only dead adults at the site.
Natural Resources Wales, the country’s environmental body, announced the finding a week ago. The work forms part of Natur am Byth, a programme helping threatened species recover.
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These beetles depend on a surprising form of transport. After hatching, the larvae climb onto flowers and attach themselves to visiting bees. The bees carry them back to their nests.
The beetles need places where solitary bees can live. Unlike honeybees, these bees do not form large colonies. Their nests provide the food that developing oil beetles need.
Suitable ground must offer several things close together: bare soil for eggs, plants for shelter and plenty of flowers.
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