A rare find in the meadows

It’s quite remarkable what turns up in our meadows especially when we have experts with trained eyes to spot the small stuff.

This little chap has the extremely cool name of Greensocks Peacock Beetle (Elaphrus riparius). It will take some
finding as it is only 7mm long and as with most ground beetles prefers shaded areas if out during the day.

Ground beetles are carnivorous and will eat other insects as their prey.

They aren’t especially rare, but insect numbers are plummeting national and globally, so little havens like our meadows help these species to maintain a presence in the area so that they have a chance to thrive again if conditions improve.