Close Up Detail of an Adult Oil Beetle (Meloe proscarabaeus) on a Woodland Floor Searching For a Nest Site in Soft Soil during Early Summer.

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This strange looking insect is an Oil beetle. Four of the British species are now extinct and the remaining four species are in decline. This is thought to be due to the current management of our countryside. Individuals can often be seen between March and June when they can be seen on footpaths near wildflower rich sites in search of bare compacted earth in which to dig their nest burrow.

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Size: 6000px × 4000px
Location: Great Torrington, Devon, England.
Photo credit: © John Insull / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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