A rare species of ‘skin eating beetle’ has been found on an island in the Bristol Channel.
The Dermestes Undulatus beetle, whcih was last sighted in the UK in 2020, has been found on Flat Holm Island in the estuary.
The find is believed to be one of the last strongholds for the species in the UK. The tiny beetles feed on the skin, fur and bones of dead animals and could have been carried to the island by gulls carrying the remains of dead creatures.
Flat Holm is pictured here in the far distance from Brean Down alongside Steep Holm in the Bristol Channel.
Sarah Morgan, Flat Holm’s community engagement officer, said: “It’s not for the squeamish, but these tiny beetles feed on the skin, fur and bones of dead animals – Dermestes literally means skin eater.”
“It’s a preference that makes them a bit of a pain in museum collections, but incredibly useful in forensic science to help determine how long a body has been in situ.”
“Exactly how the beetle made it out to the island is a bit of a mystery, given that they appear to be completely absent from the mainland now, but it’s possible they were brought by gulls carrying scavenged remains.”
It was a team from the South East Wales Biodiversity Records Centre who discovered the beetles, along with rare species including a Scarlet Berry Truffle, microscopic cup fungi, tiny moths who live in bracken stems, and a Burnished Brass Moth.
Dermestes beetles are not generally harmful to humans and will only eat dead material.
They were found in a ‘bioblitz’ of the island as part of the Flat Holm – A Walk Through Time project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Flat Holm is a haven for nature.
The island is considered to be a part of Wales while Steep Holm, the smaller island closer to Brean Down, is part of England.
Pictured: Steep Holm & Flat Holm from Brean Down; Flat Holm island from the east with its lighthouse and Victorian barracks
