NEWS FROM BUGLIFE

Buglife Logo saving the small things that run the planet View this email in your browser Dear John Welcome to the January edition of Buglife's e-newsletter, BugBytes and a Happy New Year to all our supporters! We are back, keeping you up to date with invertebrate news, interesting snippets of information and so much more for 2026. There’s a lot going on, so let’s buzz on over and take a look without delay! The first invites were distributed last week and we’re thrilled by the number of our Members who have already signed up to join us for our Virtual Members’ Event. Tuesday 10 February 2026 from 18:00-20:00 If you would like to join us to hear about our campaigns and advocacy work, our work overseas, have an opportunity to meet some of the Buglife team and ask questions it’s not too late. Become a Member of the Buglife Community and not only will you help save the small things that run the planet but you could also join us on the 10 February! Join the Buglife Member Community Riverkin, restoring our kinship with rivers Monday 2 February will see us celebrating World Wetlands Day. Each year World Wetlands Day has a different focus, this year's focus is cultural heritage, and we've got a delightful pair of blogs heading your way! 📝 As a warm up join us in our recent blog, from Buglife Cymru Natur am Byth Scarce Yellow Sally Conservation Officer, Sarah, "Riverkin, restoring our kinship with rivers" as she explores the concept of restoring our kinship with rivers. Read the Blog The myriad lives underwater (Mayfly larvae) ©️ Sarah Hawkes This blog is also available to read in Welsh, “Riverkin, yn adfer ein perthynas ag afonydd” if you would prefer. Darllenwch y blog Stand with us to protect Loch Ness Local community groups and national wildlife organisations have come together to protect one of Scotland’s most iconic lochs and landscapes. Loch Ness in the Highlands is known around the world for its beauty and legends, with its waters and surrounding habitats supporting a wealth of wildlife. However, proposals for a new Pumped Storage Hydro development would see the destruction of ancient woodland and harmful impacts to the freshwater ecology of Loch Ness - and wildlife groups are looking for help to cover the costs of much needed legal advice and expertise to challenge the scheme. ✅ We want The Scottish Government to have the best information available, that makes it clear that there are critical impacts on both the aquatic and terrestrial environment of Loch Ness. We want an informed decision to be made that acknowledges what is at stake, from the permeant destruction of ancient habitats to changes to the entire shoreline of the iconic Loch Ness. Will you stand with us to protect Loch Ness? Protect Loch Ness A view across Loch Kemp with the words Stand with us to protect Loch Ness overlaid Since the start of our CrowdJustice appeal we have not only reached our initial target, but we are just a few hundred pounds from surpassing our stretch target. With an amazing £7,428 raised so far it is testament to how strongly people all around the country feel about protecting the special wildlife and landscape in and around Loch Ness. We would like to thank every single one of you who has liked, shared and donated to our current CrowdJustice appeal to date; the more funds we can raise, the better prepared we will be for the imminent planning inquiry. 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! Blue Ground Beetle (Carabus intricatus) © Laura Larkin Earlier this month we brightened up #BlueMonday with the relaunch of our Blue Ground Beetle (Carabus intricatus) Citizen Science survey! Blue Ground Beetles are very rare “blue bugs” and are currently only known from 15 sites in the UK; in Cornwall, Devon and South Wales. Have you ever seen what you think might be a Blue Ground Beetle whilst out walking? If you have a photo of it, no matter how long ago it was taken, we’d love it if you could share it with us! We are particularly interested in receiving more sightings and records from Cornwall. ℹ️ Good to know: The Blue Ground Beetle is a distinctive species but can be easily confused with other species of both ground beetle and oil beetles, make sure you check out our hand ID guide on our Blue Ground Beetle Hunt web page. Join this fantastic Citizen Science survey and, who knows, you might help us discover new populations across Cornwall, Devon, Wales or even elsewhere! Join the hunt Which bug would you like to see added to the directory next, there's plenty to choose from! Vote for Buglife! We're delighted to share that "Coal Spoil Connections ~ the legacy" has been officially selected and is an entrant in the Charity Film Awards! ❓What does that mean? Voting is now open and the most voted for films are shortlisted and then reviewed by a panel of judges. Wouldn't it be a fantastic end to the Buglife Cymru Coal Spoil Connections project to win at the Smiley Charity Film Awards? ✅ So, head on over. Check out the film and make sure you click that Vote button! Vote for Buglife Voting closes extended Friday 6 February 2026 so get clicking! Upcoming events Monday 2 February ~ Entographica – Insect-inspired Art Exhibition from the Entographic Collective (Bath, Somerset) Wednesday 4 February ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) Wednesday 4 February ~ Invertebrate Study Day with The Biological Recording Company (Natural History Museum, London) Thursday 5 February ~ Subterranean Harvestmen with The Biological Recording Company (online) Saturday 7 February ~ Trees, Bogs and Fun! with Buglife Scotland (Cumbernauld, Scotland) Tuesday 10 February ~ Bookworms! preschool story time at Canvey Island Library (Canvey Island, Essex) Tuesday 10 February ~ Buglife Virtual Members’ Event (online) Wednesday 11 February ~ Walk the Wick! New Year 2026 (Canvey Wick, Essex) Thursday 17 February ~ Mapping the Beetle Tree of Life with The Biological Recording Company (online) Sunday 22 February ~ Bee Bank Building with Life on the Edge (Prawle Point, Devon) Wednesday 15 February ~ Walk the Wick! New Year 2026 (Canvey Wick, Essex) Thursday 26 February ~ Shades of Grey: Industrial Melanism in Spiders with The Biological Recording Company (online) Wednesday 4 March ~ The Bug Bunch! For Home Ed Families (Canvey Wick, Essex) 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. What’s the buzz? New Populations of Rare Beetle Discovered in South Devon One of the UK’s most elusive beetle species, the Mediterranean Oil Beetle (Meloe mediterraneus) has been found at two new sites in South Devon by the Life on the Edge partnership project. The two new populations – at Coleton Barton and Little Dartmouth on the South Devon Coast – were discovered by local volunteers and project trainees on a nighttime survey run by multi partner project Life on the Edge (LotE) led by South Devon National Landscape, made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Mediterranean Oil Beetle (Meloe mediterraneus) © John Walters Read the story… Exciting new bee discovery on the North Cornwall coast Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) © Paddy Saunders Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) © Paddy Saunders The Red Bartsia Bee (Melitta tricincta) was found at Godrevy by local entomologist Paddy Saunders and Nick Holden from the National Trust. This discovery is likely the direct result of conservation work undertaken by Buglife’s North Cornwall B-Lines project in 2022 where the Red Bartsia plant was introduced to the site from seed harvested from a nearby farm. Surveys undertaken by Buglife and the National Trust at Godrevy Farm, near Gwithian have led to the exciting discovery of the nationally scarce Red Bartsia Bee at the site. Previously this bee had only been known from one other site in Cornwall where the first Cornish record for the bee in 20 years was made back in 2022. Read the story… Across the bay to Godrevy Lighthouse © Will Hawkes A buzz of hope: will you help the Tweed’s 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. Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) © Charlotte Rankin Bilberry Bumblebee (Bombus monticola) © Charlotte Rankin 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: 🎉 Before Christmas we were delighted to launch our Bug E-Adoptions and they went down a storm! 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 Donate 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 © 2026 Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive Member communications electronically following becoming a Member. Thank you. 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