'Under threat' beetle found in woodland in Devon and Cornwall
A beetle which is scarce in the UK is found in woodlands in Devon and Cornwall.
The violet oil beetle, which is described as being under threat in the UK, has been found in woodlands in Devon and Cornwall.
The Woodland Trust said the beetles had been found in Bovey Valley Woods, south east of Dartmoor, and at Lavethan Wood, near Bodmin.
The beetles require wildflower rich habitats such as grassland, heathland and woodland edges to survive.
Hatched beetle larvae climb on to flowers and attach themselves to solitary mining bees that come looking for pollen. The beetles are taken back to the bee's nest and eat the bee’s eggs and pollen before developing into an adult.