THE BUGBYTES NEWS FROM BUGLIFE

Buglife Logo saving the small things that run the planet View this email in your browser Dear John Welcome to the December edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes! Keeping you up to date with invertebrate news, interesting snippets of information and so much more. This month we’re taking a look at some recent news stories, project updates, upcoming events, and inviting you to join us in completing One Million Steps. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing interest and support of our work during 2025, and wish you happy and healthy 2026! The Winter Edition of The Buzz is here! This issue of our magazine for Community Members is a beetle extravaganza! Jam-packed with: 🪲 articles showcasing various Buglife beetle-y projects; 🎉 project celebrations; 📰 news highlights from the last six months; 😍 fantastic Community offers ➡️ and so much more! If you would like to receive our bi-annual magazine for Community Members please head on over to our website and hit that Become a Member button. We've got The Buzz, have you? Small sites, big losses: why changes to planning in England matter Earlier this month the Government announced major planning reform proposals that will continue the regressive narrative of pitting nature against growth, and hints at more green lighting of developments without proper assessments to come. 📝 Join us in our latest blog, from Buglife Programmes Manager, Jamie, "Small sites, big losses: why changes to planning in England matter" as he explores the changes to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and the very real impacts these changes could have on our natural world. Read the Blog Swanscombe © Daniel Greenwood We’ve signed the petition to Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage – join us! Communities across Scotland are struggling with sewage-polluted rivers and beaches. Last year, there were over 24,000 sewage spills in Scotland. Because of poor monitoring of sewer overflows, we don’t know the true extent of the spills – or what’s in them. Now, we’re joining forces with the Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage campaign to clean water a priority in the 2026 Holyrood election. Join us by signing the petition to call on all Scottish parties to tackle sewage pollution and protect our right to safe water: 🔍 100% monitoring of sewer overflows 💧 better standards for water quality & sewage ⚖️ accountability for polluters 🌱 targets for sustainable infrastructure Clean Up Scotland’s Sewage Browse our Bug Directory Did you know that we have almost 200 invertebrate species profiles on our website, and counting? Let’s meet one of the species! Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) © Christophe Quintin CC BY-NC 2.0 Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) © Christophe Quintin CC BY-NC 2.0 Male and female Winter Moths (Operophtera brumata) are quite different in appearance. Male Winter moths look as you would expect a moth to look, whereas females are totally flightless with tiny dark-striped wings. This means they are easily distinguished from each other, but if you saw a female by herself you may be forgiven for mistaking her for another species altogether! 🪲 Which bug would you like to see added to the directory next, there's plenty to choose from! Browse the Bug Directory Exciting opportunities for the Buglife Community! The New Year will see us starting our first One Million Steps 2026 challenge and we’re inviting you to join us! Walk, jog, run, hop or dance your way to a million steps in 100 days. That's 500 miles or the distance from London to Zurich, Switzerland BUT it's just the 10,000 average a day; or, if you need another comparator or two: 🗺️ Brighton to Inverness, Scotland; 🚶‍♀️ More than 18 marathons. It really is something to be proud of and to add a bit more incentive you could help us save the small things that run the planet by taking part and asking others to sponsor you! Go solo or sign up with friends to support each other to that finish line! Take the first of One Million Steps… Giveaway details: As a thankyou to you, our supporters, we have a small number of FREE entries remaining to help you along your way. Just sign up via the One Million Steps website and enter the code buglife50 when asked for payment details. Get in there quick to avoid disappointment - registration closes Monday 5 January 2026! We’re excited to announce a new partnership between Buglife and My Charity Aid, an innovative initiative that helps raise vital funds for our cause. If you have a mortgage that’s coming to the end of its current term, or you’re thinking about switching to a better deal, this is a fantastic opportunity to obtain free advice. How It Works: Simply visit mycharityaid.uk and securely provide My Charity Aid with a summary of your mortgage information. Find out more ✅ Free Mortgage Review: My Charity Aid, through our partnership with Eden Associates, offers a completely free review of your current mortgage, comparing your existing lender’s rates with options across the whole of the market. ✅ Expert Advice: Their experienced advisors will guide you through your options, ensuring you make the best choice for your circumstances. ✅ Support Our Charity: For every completed mortgage that goes through My Charity Aid, 20% of the revenue paid by the lender goes directly to Buglife, helping us save the small things that run the planet. Surveying for the Maerdy Monster Millipede Recently Buglife Cymru Coal Spoil Connections Conservation Assistant, Ash, put pen to paper (or should that be fingertips to keyboard?) and wrote a blog about her experience of surveying for the Maerdy Monster (Turdulisoma cf helenreadae). 🚂 The Maerdy Monster was first discovered at Maerdy Colliery in Wales by Christian Owen in December 2016. It’s a relatively small millipede at around 12mm in length which was named after the Maerdy Monster locomotive, used at Maerdy Colliery, when it was an active coal mine. Find out more about this fascinating little millipede and the work being done to improve both knowledge and awareness of it and many other species. Read the blog Maerdy Monster (Turdulisoma cf helenreadae) © Liam Olds Maerdy Monster (Turdulisoma cf helenreadae) © Liam Olds The Buglife Cymru, Coal Spoil Connections funded project has now reached its conclusion, but what a project it's been! This Buglife partnership project aimed to better understand the value of coal spoil sites for biodiversity and engage members of the public on the importance of these sites and the benefits that they can bring both people and wildlife, and we're pretty sure lots of those boxes have been ticked. 🔎 Over the last 18 months there have been surveys, work parties, volunteer events, guided walks, collaborations with local artists, entertainers, community groups, schools, lots of cupcakes and they've even published a book! Now, as our final piece of this project, we would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on what the project has meant to you. 🐝 Did you join the Coal Spoil Connections team for an event? 📝 Have you worked with the team to carry out site surveys, or complete management plans? 🗣️ Maybe you've just seen our posts from the team on socials and learnt more about these fascinating sites and the creatures that call them home. 👍 Have you been inspired to visit? Let us know by completing the short questionnaire put together for us by project evaluator Catrin Evans Consultancy. Coal Spoil Connections Questionnaire Once you’ve shared your views, why not check out the beautiful legacy video, created for the project by the very talented Rodrigo Miguez. Upcoming events Wednesday 7 January ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) Tuesday 13 January ~ Understanding a Bee’s Buzz: Biology to Robotics with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 14 January ~ Wildlife Gardening Virtual Symposium 2026 with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 14 January ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) Saturday 17 January ~ Scrub Management with Life on the Edge (Salcombe, Devon) Tuesday 20 January ~ Biological Recording 101 with The Biological Recording Company (London) Wednesday 21 January ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) Wednesday 21 January ~ Invertebrate Study Day with The Biological Recording Company (Natural History Museum, London) Tuesday 27 January ~ An ‘Alien’ in Antarctica with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 28 January ~ Walk the Wick! (Canvey Wick, Essex) Thursday 29 January ~ Entographica – Insect-inspired Art Exhibition from the Entographic Collective (Bath, Somerset) Thursday 29 January ~ Hay Meadow Restoration with The Biological Recording Company (online) Please do remember that our website Events Page is being updated all the time so, to keep up to date with both current and future Buglife events, as well as events from partners and supporters, be sure to visit regularly. Advanced Notice ~ A date for your diary We are currently working on plans for our Virtual Members' Event 2026; an opportunity to learn more about current projects, future plans and meet some of the Buglife Team. Join the Buglife Member Community What’s the buzz? New data suggest that insect life continues to decline, despite a hot summer Did you catch Buglife Scotland and Northern Ireland Manager, Rebecca, talking Bugs Matter with BBC Radio 5 live's Laura McGhie earlier this month? Listen or listen again (skip to 3:09:47 - listening time approximately 10 minutes). The troubling extent of insect declines has been highlighted once again by the results of the 2025 Bugs Matter citizen science survey. The latest data show that the number of flying insects sampled on vehicle number plates across the UK has fallen by a staggering 59% in just 5 years. Read the story… Listen Now A buzz of hope: will you help our amazing pollinators? Buglife is encouraging everyone to play their part in celebrating pollinators and helping to connect pollinator-friendly habitats across the nation. In the face of growing threats to wildlife from habitat loss, fragmentation, climate change and chemicals, Buglife is calling on people across the UK to do their bit by creating pollinator-friendly habitats and adding these to the local B-Lines network. Every piece of land can help, no matter the size – from balcony herb garden or sprawling meadows. Common Carder Bee in flight © Claire Pumfrey Read the story… For all our latest news please visit our website News Pages. Buglife shop The Buglife Shop is open for all your invertebrate needs, offering more ethical options and ways for you to support bugs. Whether you’re looking for clothing, insurance, home accessories or gifts for a loved one; there’s something for everyone! a shopping bag with a picture of a firefly on it a packet of native wildflower seeds Visit the Buglife shop Shop News: 🎉 We're delighted to launch our Bug E-Adoptions! Available to purchase for yourself or as a gift to the bug enthusiast in your life, from just £15. 🖍️ Each virtual adoption pack includes a downloadable certificate, featuring original artwork by the amazing Alexandre Marrigues of Nera Studio, and a factsheet on your adopted species. Currently you can choose from: 🪸 Christmas Tree Worm (Spirobranchus giganteus); 🦋 Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae); 🧚‍♀️ Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum); 🪲 Common Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca); 🐝 Hairy-footed Flower Bee (Anthophora plumipes); 🕷️ Zebra Jumping Spider (Salticus scenicus). Head on over to our shop to find out more and adopt a new friend, either for yourself or a loved one. Adopt a Bug Don't forget you can stay up to date with the work of the Buglife team via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube! Thank you for your continued interest in and support of our work; together we can save the small things that run the planet! The Buglife Team Join the Buglife Member Community P.S. Please note that we are in the process of transitioning to new processes and systems, hopefully this will be without “computer bugs”. Your patience and understanding are hugely appreciated during this move. Facebook icon Instagram icon LinkedIn icon YouTube icon Website icon Buglife Logo Copyright © 2025 Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have previously opted in via our website, or kindly given us permission to contact you following becoming a Member, signing a campaign or donating to an appeal. Thank you. Our mailing address is: Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust Allia Future Business Centre London Road Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 8AN United Kingdom Company No. 4132695 | Registered Charity No. 1092293 | Scottish Charity No.SC040004 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe