Search starts for rare – and unseen – beetle

Birk Crag, near Harrogate, and the Isle of Wight are the last known remaining habitats in the whole of Britain for the rare Chestnut Click Beetle.

But experts say the beetle has now not been seen in Yorkshire for the past two years and are urging volunteers to help to confirm the highly endangered species still exists in the region.

Duncan Sivell, bio-diversity action manager at the Invertebrate Conversation Trust, said: "We are hoping that they are still here and everything is fine.

"The past couple of years we have drawn a blank, although this could be down to the weather. They are a very rare and distinctive species that are part of our national heritage but the fact that they have declined so much indicates something is not going well."

The beetle, which used to be found across the country, was first discovered in Harrogate in the 1980s by a local conservationist.

It is an orangey brown colour, about eight to 10 millimetres long and is most commonly found between April and May.

The segment behind its head is covered in golden hairs and it has large feathered antennae which resemble a stag's antlers.

The survey will be held on Saturday May 1 at Birk Crag.

The group is meeting at the Harrogate Arms, Crag Lane, Beckwithshaw, at 1pm before heading out on the hunt.