Beetlemania - scarce bug recorded
June 4:
WWT Arundel grounds warden Terry Clements kicked off beetlemania among staff on June 4 when he found a Greater Silver Water Beetle in the Icelandic Pen near the feeders. These endangered beetles are mainly found in the Somerset Levels. This is the first one ever found onsite at Arundel and the third ever recorded in West Sussex.
Penny Green, Manager of Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre confirmed the beetle is extremely rare in West Sussex. “There are only two recorded sightings of this beetle in West Sussex, one at Chichester Canal in 1990 and one at Ifield Pond in Crawley in 1978”!
Great silver water beetles (Hydrophilus piceus) are enormous aquatic insects that can measure up to 5 cm (2 inches) long. Air bubbles cling to the underside of this large beetle when it goes underwater, giving it a silvery appearance and allowing it to breathe.
The great silver water beetle was found in the pen at Arundel Wetland Centre, keeping company with rare sea ducks like the endangered scaly sided-merganser. WWT Arundel aviculture warden Sam Halpin said.” I’m surprised the large beetle survived in the exhibit with the hungry sea ducks that like to eat arthropods.” The Great Silver Water beetle itself is a vegetarian.
