RESIDENTS in Petersfield are being asked to be on the look-out for rare species of beetle that have made their home in the town.
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Roads underwater as isolated flooding reported around Herald & Post areaA survey conducted last year revealed that Petersfield is home to the stag beetle and the rarer lesser stag beetle, with colonies found in Winchester Road, Bell Hill and Reservoir Lane.
At this time of year the adults can be seen flying, usually at dusk. But these rare beetles are under threat from cars, cats and people.
Stag beetles are the largest of the British beetles, up to two inches long, and males can be identified by their large horns, which the smaller females lack.
Both species are black or slightly brown in colour.
The beetles eat rotting wood and pose no threat to humans. Residents who encounter one of these insects are asked to place it on an old stump or log. They are also asked to report the sighting to The PeopleÕs Trust for endangered Species, 15 Cloisters House, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG.