UEL's Beetle Bump
The Invertebrate Conservation Trust and The University of East London (UEL) recently completed the creation of a new home for one of the UK’s most endangered invertebrates – the Streaked bombardier beetle (Brachinus sclopeta).In the UK, the Streaked bombardier beetle has only recently been found on a couple of ex-industrial sites called brownfields in the Thames Gateway, London. One of these brownfield sites, had already been destroyed.
Just days before their second home was due to be destroyed, fifteen Streaked bombardier beetles were rescued in an emergency operation. The beetles have now been re-homed on a new designer brownfield site at the University of East London’s Docklands Campus.
Buglife and UEL created a mock brownfield habitat usingover 60 tonnes of bricks, chalk and rubble, the brick was kindly donated by Wienerberger Ltd and the other material was funded by London Pleasure Gardens. London Wildlife Trust, UEL and Buglife volunteers helped with the habitat creation which included plug planting a range of native wildflowers rich in pollen and nectar for pollinating insects such as beetles, bees and butterflies.
The site will be monitored by BugLife and UEL to check the progress of the Streaked bombardier beetle.
Update: In September 2012, a survey carried out by a BugLife Intern identified a Streaked bombardier beetle. This is fantastic news as it shows that Beetlebump is a thriving successful habitat.
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