Discover colourful and striking British beetles, including a particularly vibrant ladybird, magnificent stag beetle, impressive wasp mimic and rare rainbow-coloured beetle. Find out what beetles eat and get help with UK beetle identification.

Around 40% of the UK's insects species are beetles. Around 1,000 of these live in woodlands and forests, and around 2,000 can be found in London – including the incredible stag beetle, which is the largest beetle in Britain. And did you know the world’s largest beetle measures over 15cm in length?

UK beetles don’t come much more rare than this one. In fact, it was first seen in the Scottish Highlands last year! While it has been seen more commonly elsewhere this was the first time in a number of years it was found in the UK.

Find out about nine of the rarest species in the UK right now, and what we are doing to help save these precious creatures. 1. Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) With its signature russet brown fur, bushy tail and large ear tufts, the red squirrel is one of the UK’s rarest mammals.

The heaths and moors of England and Wales are home to a sizeable population of rare beetles known as minotaur beetles. You might get lucky and encounter one of these beetles in the spring or fall, but you’re more likely to find the entrance to one of its caves if you keep an eye out for a hole that’s one centimeter wide and is near ...