Over 4000 different species of beetles occur in Britain. Their huge diversity in form, behaviour and ecology make them a fascinating group to study and observe but also can make them seem daunting to beginners.
Find out about the lifestyle and varied forms of one of the UK’s most numerous and varied groups of invertebrates. The course will arm beginners with the underpinning knowledge of beetle biology, ecology, behaviour and basic collection methods to embark on their beetle journey.
Tutor: Chris Foster
Chris Foster got distracted by beetles while conducting bird surveys for his MSc project and later as a surveyor for the RSPB. Beetles subsequently became the focus of his PhD, which looked at the effects of landscape heterogeneity on the distribution of flower-visiting beetles, ground beetles and dung beetles.
Chris is currently a lecturer in Animal Ecology at the University of Reading, outside of work he runs the national Ground Beetle Recording Scheme.