Hunt for 'fab four' of at-risk oil beetles

CONSERVATIONISTS are to launch a hunt today for a "fab four" quartet of oil beetles at risk of vanishing from the UK.

They have been hit by the loss of flower-rich habitats and reductions in wild bees, which they use as unwitting hosts for their young.

The four species are the black oil beetle, the violet oil beetle, the rugged oil beetle and the short-necked oil beetle. All but the rugged oil beetle are found in Scotland.

Coll in the Hebrides is one of only two places in the UK where the short-necked oil beetle has been found.