Bog Hoverfly (Eristalis cryptarum) Female © Steven Falk

Buglife backed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to give a brighter future for Dartmoor’s threatened invertebrates

Moor Invertebrates is an exciting new Buglife project on Dartmoor, made possible thanks to initial support* from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery Players, Moor Invertebrates will help to give a brighter future to eight threatened invertebrate species found across Dartmoor National Park. Moor Invertebrates will engage local communities and visitors, inspiring a love of Dartmoor’s special bugs and helping to connect people with the wonderful invertebrates living right on their doorsteps.

Thanks to players of the National Lottery, development funding of £64,079 has been awarded by the Heritage Fund to help Buglife to progress their plans to apply for a full National Lottery grant.

Dartmoor National Park is a place of folklore, myths, and legends of beasts, but it is also home to real life minibeast marvels such as the Blue Ground Beetle (Carbus intricatus) with its iridescent sheen, and the Lichen Running Spider (Philodromus margaritatus) which can hide in plain sight, as masters of camouflage.

Parts of Dartmoor National Park have been designated as an Important Invertebrate Area (IIA), as they support several rare invertebrates at risk of extinction in the UK. For many species, such as the Blue Ground Beetle, Dartmoor is a national stronghold, and in some cases, such as that of the Bog Hoverfly (Eristalis cryptarum) it is the last remaining place in the UK where the species can be found. This funding is an essential part in supporting the recovery of these species so they can survive and thrive.

Moor Invertebrates will work to better understand the distribution of these eight species in order to inform practical conservation work, whilst also working with landowners to provide advice and undertake extensive conservation work to improve vital habitats across the National Park.

Laura Krusin, Buglife Conservation Officer explained “Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, local communities will be able to get involved in this exciting project through survey training, bug hunts, creative workshops, and more. The project will deliver events such as insect identification workshops to increase the knowledge of local people and help them feel more connected to the rare invertebrate species on their doorstep; helping to inspire the next generation of entomologists. Visit the Buglife website to find our events and information on how you can join in. You could help protect our threatened invertebrates, and also learn new skills whilst doing it”.

This project will result in populations of invertebrates thriving in beautiful meadows, woodlands, and mires across the National Park, with local communities and visitors feeling more connected to the natural landscape and the invertebrates that call it home.