Post by Liam Olds

Spent a fantastic week in beautiful surroundings conducting surveys as part of the Natur am Byth! project, searching for the Short-necked Oil Beetle (Meloe brevicollis) and the Greater Streaked Shieldbug (Odontoscelis fuliginosa) at Castlemartin Range SSSI, Pembrokeshire. While two days of surveys for the Short-necked Oil Beetle were unfortunately unsuccessful, the search for the Greater Streaked Shieldbug proved far more rewarding. Over three days, my colleague Christian Owen and I surveyed Linney Burrows and Brownslade Burrows, where the shieldbug was last recorded in 2003. We recorded an impressive 190 individuals (189 adults and one nymph): 100 at Linney Burrows and 90 at Brownslade Burrows. It's fair to say the species appears to be thriving on parts of this SSSI, which is particularly encouraging given that it is now restricted in the UK to the Castlemartin Peninsula in Pembrokeshire and a handful of sites in Kent. The surveys also highlighted the species' use of two distinct habitats: open sand blowouts where it is associated with Common Stork's-bill (Erodium cicutarium), and short, semi-fixed dune grassland rich in low-growing herbs, where it appeared to be closely associated with Wild Thyme (Thymus drucei). Interestingly, many individuals were found where Common Stork's-bill was absent, further proof that it is not the species' only larval food plant. A fantastic few days in the field and a great result for one of the UK's rarest shieldbug!