Thanks to Peter Hunt for sending in these marvellous images of a beetle I didn’t know about before now. In his own words:
“It may be of interest to your readers to see The Cliff Tiger Beetle, Cylindera germanica, that is found along the south west coast of the Isle of Wight, on our crumbling cliffs.
In July I came across this beetle as it scurries around after prey. It has a formidable pair of jaws and tends to pursue its quarry on foot rather than taking flight. A magnificent beast and a rare one in the UK too.”
It’s perhaps no surprise I’ve not heard of it, as apparently it has only been found in Dorset and on the Isle of Wight since 1970. Peter has blogged about it on his own excellent site, with more local wonders.