After surveys found only dead oil beetles in 2022 and 2025, volunteers discovered larvae

After years of monitoring, a rare species of beetle has been discovered breeding in the Castlemartin Range in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

When surveys were conducted in 2022 and 2025, the team of researchers received little encouragement, as only dead adults of the species were found.

However, a report dated 28 October 2026 by Natural Resources Wales confirms that conservationists and volunteers have discovered larvae of the short-necked oil beetle, suggesting that the species is reproducing at the only place in Wales where it is currently known to survive.The Natural Resources Wales report further mentions that the finding does not guarantee the beetle's long-term survival, but the presence of the larvae does provide an indication that the species' life cycle is continuing at the site.