Two rare types of beetle have been found in the Highlands and Aberdeenshire for the first time in decades.
The water scavenger beetle, Cryptopleurum subtile, was found at RSPB Scotland’s Abernethy nature reserve after being collected during a survey of woody debris along the River Nethy.
A whirligig beetle, Gyrinus paykulli, was also found at the RSPB’s Loch of Strathbeg nature reserve near Aberdeen.
The whirligig occurs mainly in lochs and spends a lot of time in reeds and other plants on the edges of the water.
They have two pairs of eyes because they live on the water’s surface – one set facing up and another facing down.
Whirligigs also gather in groups called flotillas which perform a special “dance” when disturbed, whizzing around at high speed.
It appears to be the most northern record of this particular beetle in Scotland with previous discoveries being made in Fife and Perthshire, the most recent noted in 1999.
The water scavenger at Abernethy also appears to be the most northern ever record of its kind in Scotland, and is only the second record for the country, with the first found in a cut pile of grass in Melrose in 1969
Both beetles were unearthed by Genevieve Dalley, trainee ecologist at RSPB Scotland. She said: “These beetles may not have been noticed very often in Scotland before as they are part of an under-recorded group of animals and, superficially, look very similar to other species. However, when you get a closer look and start learning about their lifestyle they are unique and brilliant creatures.
“These discoveries really show the importance of habitats which are sometimes undervalued, such as woody dams in rivers. There are less than 20 records of Cryptopleurum subtile in the UK and it is a species very little at all is known about, so information like this is crucial to building a picture of their needs on reserves and pinpointing important habitats to safeguard.”