Two Capricorn Beetles, classified as extinct in the UK, have recently been re-homed at Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm after being discovered in timber.

Experts at the Butterfly Farm suspect that the beetles came in on the same batch of timber imported from Central Europe.

The wood had been infected with Beetle grubs then pupated and can now be seen within Farm's Minibeast Metropolis.

The Capricorn Beetle, also known as Cerambyx cerdo, is a long horned, woodboring beetle that has been extinct in the UK since the early 18th century, but can still be found in parts of Central Europe.

They are one of Europe's largest species and easily recognised by their exceptionally long antennae.

The butterfly farm soothes in stressful times

If strolling along the banks of the Avon was relaxing, our visit to the Stratford Butterfly Farm was positively cathartic.

On previous visits to town there had been too much crammed into the itinerary to fit in the butterfly farm.

And it was easy to think, OK its just butterflies.

But it's not.

It is the lifelong passion of international lepidopterist, Clive Farrell, who has established the UK's largest and most successful butterfly breeding and display attraction.

Walking through the farms tropical greenhouses that look to create the feel of the rainforest, one is surrounded by hundreds of free flying, multi-coloured butterflies.

Epic Tech Media have captured the butterflies in all their majestic glory in slow-motion : https://vimeo.com/224663348

There are over 250 tropical species of butterfly sourced from 20 different countries.

And the back story is equally as rewarding.

While some of the butterflies breed within the Butterfly Farm and distributed throughout the UK, the rest are imported from butterfly farmers in the tropics through conservation or village projects.

This breeding enables communities to earn a good living without causing damage to the environment and wildlife around them.

Ann and I were so enchanted that we took the walkthrough very slowly – and three times.

In doing so we were also transfixed by the Mexican leaf cutting ants passing on ropes above our heads.

These amazing little creatures work tirelessly and as a team to carry their leaves several times their size back to the nest where they rot cultivating the fungus the ants feed on.

The Stratford Butterfly Farm has shot to the top of our to-do list for future Stratford visits.

See also :

https://www.allwaystraveller.com/continents/europe/stratford-upon-avon-rewards-in-its-own-right

Useful links

​ www.butterflyfarm.co.uk