I went with Emby to assess the damage done to heather at the north end of Raasay last week, which turns out to be quite extensive. This year’s attack turns the heather a foxy red colour; plants attacked earlier are just dead:
Heather Beetle Damage on Eilean Tigh
We also found a large colony of the solitary bee Common Colletes (Colletes succinctus) that thrives on heather – another good reason to maintain a healthy heather population in the area.
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