1 month ago
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An ‘astonishing’ infestation of beetles has transformed the Scottish coast, with billions of the dead insects lining the beaches.
The moorlands of Caithness, known for their purple heather, have seen an unprecedented population explosion of heather beetles (Lochmaea suturalis).
A volunteer beach cleaner recently came across a surreal scene at Sandside beach near Reay – a thick band of dark mass along the high tide line.
They initially thought it was shredded seaweed, until a closer inspection revealed a ‘carpet of beetles an inch thick extending the length of the beach’.
English (US)