Scarce and Threatened Beetle

This is the stunning Chrysolina sanguinolenta, a beetle which has become very rare in Sussex but it now seems that it is breeding on one of our allotment sites! It was first spotted at Craven Vale Allotments in 2016, and recently many more of them have been seen there, it looks like there is a colony breeding there.

According to the Natural History Museum this species is scarce and threatened.

As allotmenteers we know how much bio-diversity is to be found on allotments and how important they are for the wider environment. Most plot holders are now growing with this in mind, and the BHAF encourage people to stop using pesticides, insecticides and herbicides and to grow as organically as they can. If we do, then perhaps we’ll see many more rare species popping up on our plots!

Thanks to Graeme Lyons, who identified the beetle, for the pictures. Here is his Blog from 2016 when he first found it.

http://analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/the-thin-red-line.html

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