Smallest beetle in Europe discovered at Rutland Water

A microscopic beetle has been discovered at a nature reserve.

The smallest beetle in Europe, measuring just 0.4mm in length, has been discovered at Rutland Water.

It is only the third time this species has been recorded in Britain and the first time it has been found outside of East Anglia.

The discovery was made by senior species and recording officer, Tim Sexton, following a fungi foray as part of the UK Fungus Day celebrations at the beginning of October.

The tiny beetle, Baranowskiella ehnstromi, is a member of the feather-wing beetle family and feeds predominantly on the spores of the bracket fungus Phellinus conchatus – a species which itself is scarce in Britain.

A total of 134 species of fungi were identified at Rutland Water during the forays with the list including a handful of new additions to the county.

While researching the fungus, Tim found a journal article mentioning that the smallest beetle in Europe feeds almost exclusively on Phellinus conchatus, so returned to the tree to collect a sample which he looked at under a microscope.

Several of the diminutive beetles could be seen crawling over the surface of the fungus pores.

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