The B in RSPB is commonly believed to stand for Birds....but here on Wallasea Island it also refers to Beetles! The oil that is our subject this week is the lovely Violet Oil Beetle (Meloe Violaceus), one of four surviving species of oil beetles in the UK.Staff and volunteers out for a walk on the island on a recent sunny morning were delighted to have to tiptoe through a rash of these beautiful, shiny creatures enjoying the sunshine in the grass of the seawalls.( see gallery pictures provided by volunteer Ian) As none of us are beetle experts pictures were taken and books rummaged through over a cup of tea back home. Further investigation on the internet ( how did we manage without it??) confirmed our find - and flagged up that this is a rare oil find, and one that fellow charity Buglife wanted to hear about.Buglife is co-ordinating a survey to find out where the remaining four species are, and protect those areas. Oil beetles can grow up to 3cm long and get their name from a toxic, oily substance they release from their leg joints to deter predators. The females dig burrows to lay their eggs and their larvae rely on nearby vegetation to complete their strange and rather gruesome life cycle. When the larvae hatch, they crawl up onto vegetation and hop onto passing mining bees. "The larva hitches a ride back to the bee's nest and eats the bee's eggs and its store of nectar and pollen," explained Andrew Whitehouse, Buglife's beetle expert."It's pretty nasty stuff, but that's the cycle of life. And it means they have this intimate link with wild bees, so they're a really good indicator of the health of our countryside." Gardeners concerned about the plight of our honey bees will be relieved to know that Oil beetles are associated with solitary bees. They have no impact on honeybees.If you would like to come and see what you can find on a walk round the Wild Coast Project we have just announced another two dates for our very popular Wallasea Wanders. (Details are on the wallasea events list) Volunteer guides will lead a small group of guests along the public footpath on the seawall, pointing out the birds to be seen on the day and talking about our exciting project.These walks book up quickly so book now!!If you know of other areas with oil beetles, Buglife would like to hear from you - so visit http://www.buglife.org.uk/getinvolved/surveys/Oil+Beetle+Hunt
I've gone wild on Wallasea!