ONE of the UK's rarest beetles has been discovered at Beachley, in one of the first two confirmed sightings of the species in Gloucestershire.

Local wildlife enthusiast Bill Watkins made the unusual discovery while carrying out routine moth monitoring, finding a great silver water beetle in his moth trap.

The sighting follows another discovery in the Severn Vale in March, when Gordon Kirk recorded the species during his own moth monitoring.

Together, the finds mark the first confirmed records of the great silver water beetle in Gloucestershire and suggest the insect could be expanding its range westwards.

The beetle, one of the largest in Britain, is extremely rare and has traditionally been found in areas including the Somerset Levels, East Anglia and southeast England.

Tina Bouttle, environmental records officer at Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records (GCER), said: “The great silver water beetle’s conservation status is listed as near threatened.”

She added: “These are both significant records as it shows this species is on the move having only previously been recorded on the Somerset Levels and in the east of England.”

Despite its name, the beetle appears black on land. Underwater, it carries a film of air against its belly, giving it a distinctive silvery sheen.

It lives in pools and ditches, occasionally surfacing to replenish the oxygen held around its body.

Although it spends much of its life underwater, the beetle is a strong flier and can be attracted to moth traps.

GCER, hosted by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, said the discoveries demonstrate the importance of public wildlife recording in tracking changes in species distribution.

The trust is encouraging residents to photograph unusual insects and submit sightings, even if they are unsure what they have found.

Wildlife records can be submitted online at the Gloucestershire Centre for Environmental Records website