Rare insects to be boosted by RSPB breeding programmes

TWO endangered insect species are to be bred and released into nature reserves in an attempt to boost their numbers.

RSPB Scotland hopes the move will rejuvenate ailing populations of threatened species of moth and hoverfly. It hopes the project will match the success of similar schemes to reintroduce threatened birds, such as white-tailed eagles and red kites, to parts of the Scottish countryside.

The charity's head of conservation policy, Lloyd Austin, said: "The B in our name stands for birds, and we stand up for birds wherever we can, but our work covers all kinds of wildlife."

The first species, the dark-bordered beauty moth, is known to exist in only three locations, two of them in Scotland and one in England. The moth favours the shelter of regenerating aspen trees and heathland at sites in Deeside and Strathspey. RSPB Scotland is establishing a captive-breeding programme, with the aim of releasing moths at one of the society's Strathspey reserves.

And the charity said its work with Scottish Natural Heritage to reintroduce the pine hoverfly to its Abernethy reserve next year is well advanced.