The Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) project is improving the conservation fortunes of several of the UK's rarest insects.
Joined May 2017
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
27 Sep 2022
Sixty years on from Rachel Carson's #SilentSpring the problems with #pesticides have only worsened, with flying #insects down 60% & bird populations more than halved in just 17 years
Sign the petition to call for pesticide reduction targets now➡️petition.parliament.uk/petit…
@PAN_UK
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
27 Sep 2022
Some BIG news about a SMALL bee 🐝
As part of our work with @RareInverts6, we completed our first small scabious mining bee survey @HighlandWPark and found 70 bees and discovered important nest sites.
Find out more 👉bit.ly/SmallScabiousSurvey
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
16 Sep 2022
Next Saturday we're taking over Perth Concert Hall for the #BigPictureConference.
We can't wait to hear from our fantastic line-up of speakers, covering a wide range of rewilding topics in what will be a fascinating day.
There's still time to get tickets: scotlandbigpicture.com/confe…
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It's not just the Pine Hoverfly who finds sanctuary in deadwood homes. While looking for the hoverfly larvae, we often find other creatures.
Recently we've come across this beautiful social wasp nest inside a stump, plus a longhorn beetle larva & lots of newts!
ALT Social wasps nest, a brown papery ball hanging inside the stump hole
ALT A newt with a brown body and orange stripe down the back in a person's hands
ALT a close up of a longhorn beetle larva with flattened orange head, big dark jaws and a beige body
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Cracking little finds @RSPBScotland Abernethy y'day.
The local moth, Grey Birch Button, (📸Carl Allott) originally only known from birch woods in the Scottish Highlands. And the handsome Ash Black Slug, a specialist of old woodlands.
Diverse, old woodlands = magical species😍
ALT Grey Birch Button moth, small white moth with rounded shoulders and tufts
ALT Ash Grey Slug, large ash coloured slug with a pale stripe and black blotches
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A perk of Small Scabious Mining Bee surveys is delving into the world of parasitic bees 🧐
At SSMB nest aggregations we have found female Box-headed Blood Bee, Little Nomad Bee & Black-horned Nomad Bee.
Important records of under-recorded species & fascinating to witness 🙌
ALT Box-headed Blood Bee (Sphecodes monilicornis) seen exiting SSMB nest, Aviemore
ALT Little Nomad Bee seen at SSMB nest site at Highland Folk Museum
ALT Black-horned Nomad Bee at multi-species nest aggregation at Highland Folk Museum
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
5 Sep 2022
✨Join the Buglife Team✨
Would you like to help bees & other #pollinators along the #RiverTweed?
Do you have a passion for species-rich grassland management?
Enjoy working with local communities?
🦋Pollinators Along the Tweed🐝
👇
buglife.org.uk/job/pollinato…
#Conservation
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
4 Sep 2022
Meadows are great, don't get me wrong, but most were cut many weeks ago while lots of lives were still to be lived.
So here's to uncut places, messy places, places sheltering life long in to autumn, here's to gardens like mine! #Life @BumblebeeTrust @Buzz_dont_tweet @Love_plants
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Fantastic new sites found for Small Scabious Mining Bee recently by our brilliant partner organisations.
@CNPARangers Gillian Gibson has found the bee near Grantown while @rzss staff have found new sites @HighlandWPark & @RSPBScotland Insh Marshes
Well done #teambee 🙌🐝
ALT Small Scabious Mining Bee female (c) Gillian Gibson
ALT Alex from RZSS Highland Wildlife Park having just found the bee at Insh Marshes (c) Carl Allott
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
24 Aug 2022
Scalloped Hook-tip larva on birch in Glen Feshie this week.
Mini dragon? Pet dog?
Stylish whatever, both as a caterpillar and an adult moth. #MothsMatter
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
21 Aug 2022
Today, surveying for Broken-belted bumblebees & Small scabious mining bee w/ @RareInverts6 on Glenlivet Estate. Thanks @Markquiff for a fab site suggestion! Quite a few target bumblebee species spotted. Sadly, no Small scabious mining bee but could have been too cool & breezy.
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Check out this brilliant blog by RIC partner, @rzss's, @carlallott all about his work on the Small Scabious Mining Bee!
On-going studies like this help us to better understand the bee's ecology. With greater understanding we can effect more positive change 🙌
19 Aug 2022
Meet one of Scotland's rarest bees, the small scabious mining bee 🐝
We are conducting surveys @HighlandWPark to establish the population size & distance the bees travel around the park.
Our NEW BLOG talks more about our work with this tiny pollinator 👉 bit.ly/SmallScabiousMiningBe…
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A lovely variety of moths on Wildland Estate at the weekend, despite the Sturgeon moon!
Some really beautiful species in the mix, including Autumnal Rustic, Bordered Beauty & Green Carpet.
Moths giving us a design lesson in bold patterns & striking colours 😍 #lovemoths
ALT Autumnal Rustic moth
ALT Bordered Beauty moth
ALT Green Carpet moth
ALT A kaleidoscope of moths settled on a sheet
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A much needed analysis of insect anatomy happening here!
Next up we need a breakdown of bees, to include all the varied and wonderful bumblebees, cuckoo bees and solitary bees.
@RSPBScotland @BuglifeScotland @BC_Scotland @nature_scot @CNPnature @rzss
16 Aug 2022
Ever wondered which bee-moji is the most anatomically correct?
US TOO. Luckily, our conservation programme manager and invertebrate expert(ebrate) Dr Helen Taylor was on hand to tell us which one is the bees knees 🐝
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It's not too late to sign up to join us and @BumblebeeTrust this coming Sunday for a rare bee survey at Glenlivet.
Fingers crossed for Small Scabious Mining Bee and Broken-belted Bumblebee!
@RSPBScotland @CNPnature @rzss @nature_scot @BC_Scotland @BuglifeScotland
15 Aug 2022
Our events this week!
Wed 17th Aug - Intro to Bumblebee ID, Ballater: bit.ly/3Qlxw1E
Fri 19th Aug - Online Broken-belted bumblebee masterclass: bit.ly/3Pjp7KQ
Sun 21st Aug - Rare bees survey day with @RareInverts6, Glenlivet: bit.ly/3plExDI
@SCRAOnline
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Day 1 of a fascinating study of Small Scabious Mining Bee by @SRUC student, Kelly Powell, @HighlandFolk last week!
The project is studying the bees' nest locations across its Scottish sites. We hope the results will help us better understand the species' habitat needs 🙌
ALT A young woman with electrical equipment by a sunny dry slope
ALT A small bee with an orange abdomen, orange hair on the face and thorax and fluffy white hind legs
ALT A woman and man looking at a square quadrat over a devil's-bit scabious meadow with purple flowers
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
13 Aug 2022
Heath Rivulet in northwest Sutherland!
A second new Highland site in two weeks having spent years and years trying to rediscover it in historic East Lothian sites.
Worth keeping a lookout in rocky,heathy places with Eyebright.
#MothsMatter
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Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms retweeted
12 Aug 2022
A few quality moths in the garden trap & locally over the last couple of nights inc Dark-b Beauty, Scotch Flatbody (Exaeretia ciniflonella), Scotch Annulet & Cousin German in Upper Deeside, #Cairngorms, despite very low night time temps & a Sturgeon moon! #MothsMatter #TeamMoth
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A fascinating find on Wildland Estate yesterday, the bark bug, Aradus betulae!
There are very few bark bug species in the UK compared to continental Europe. This one is a northern specialist, found only in a few locations in northern Scotland 🏴
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