Solas for Nature

25/07/2025

🔍 Did you know? Of the UK’s 26 recognised ladybird species, at least 16 have been spotted in Dumfries & Galloway! You might see the classic 7-spot, the sunshine-yellow 22-spot, or the pretty Cream-spot Ladybird.

🐞 But not all ladybirds are native, the invasive Harlequin Ladybird has now been recorded at several sites across the region.

Support our crowdfunder to restore land for nature across D&G: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

Image credit: Ivar Leidus

18/07/2025

🔎Did you know that the only place in Scotland where the rare Narrow-mouthed Whorl Snail (Vertigo angustior) has been found is right here in Dumfries and Galloway? This microscopic mollusc survives on the Almorness peninsula in Kirkcudbrightshire, highlighting just how important our local habitats are for biodiversity.

🐌 Help us protect unique species like this by supporting our crowdfunder to restore land for nature across D&G! https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

17/07/2025

🦋Where have all the butterflies gone?
Following the findings of the Big Butterfly Count 2024, Butterfly Conservation has declared a butterfly emergency. Now, more than ever, your help is urgently needed. By taking part in the Big Butterfly Count – a nationwide UK survey – you can play a vital role in checking the health of our environment, simply by counting butterflies.

Be part of this nationwide survey and help take the pulse of nature. Butterfly declines reveal the poor health of the environment. We need your sightings.

11/07/2025

🔎Did you know that Dumfries and Galloway is the only region in Scotland where the rare diving beetle Bidessus minutissimus has been recorded? Last seen near the River Nith in central Dumfries, this tiny water beetle is listed as a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, just one of several locally significant species found in our region.

🪲 Help us protect and restore vital habitats for insects and other wildlife across D&G, support our crowdfunder today! https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

📸 Source: L**h Borowiec

03/07/2025

🔎 Did you know that over 20 species of dragonfly have been recorded in Dumfries and Galloway, although only around 15 of these are known to breed regularly in the region?

These include the Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa) shown in the picture and Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella). The Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea) and Migrant Hawker (Aeshna mixta) are two recently colonised species that have also bred in recent years.

Support our crowdfunder to help us restore small scraps of land across Dumfries and Galloway to create vital habitats for biodiversity to flourish.

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

📸 British Dragonfly Society &G

29/06/2025

To round off our series we wanted to showcase the beautiful 🦋 butterflies on the move in Dumfries & Galloway! 🌿

There's an incredible diversity of butterflies across D&G, with 32 species recorded in the past decade alone!

From the Holly Blue at the edge of its northern range to the Scotch Argus near its southern limit, Dumfries & Galloway is a haven for butterfly lovers. 🦋

Summer migrants like the Painted Lady, Red Admiral, and Clouded Yellow add to the seasonal spectacle, though their numbers can change dramatically year to year. And new arrivals like the Essex Skipper, Comma, and Speckled Wood are starting to call D&G home.

💡 Back the Solas for Nature Crowdfunder to help support the small and often overlooked species that make our landscape so special. Help protect their habitats and fund vital recording work.

👉 Support here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

Image credit:

28/06/2025

🔎 Did you know that every single species of wild crickets and grasshoppers found in Scotland can be spotted right here in Dumfries & Galloway? That’s 9 incredible Orthoptera species calling our region home, from chirping grasshoppers to elusive bush-crickets, all thriving at the northern edge of their UK range.

With their striking saddle-shaped thoraxes, long antennae, and distinctive calls, these tiny creatures play a vital role in our ecosystems, yet often go unnoticed.

Help us shine a light on the small, the hidden, and the overlooked species that make D&G so special.

👉 Support the crowdfunder today and be part of protecting vital insect species across D&G:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

27/06/2025

🤓Did you know that Medicinal leeches, once nearly wiped out, were rediscovered in three ponds along the Solway coast back in 2023? - and they are capable of growing up to 20 cm and living for 20 years!

In Medieval times doctors were often called ‘leechs’ because they would prescribe Medicinal Leeches as a cure for many ailments. The medical connection may go back further though – the Gaelic word ‘lighiche’ means healer or physician.

Learn more about how Solas for Nature are supporting rare and almost extinct species across D&G: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

Buglife - The Invertebrate Conservation Trust

26/06/2025

🐞 Meet the Pot Beetle, though small and elusive, Pot Beetles play a role in our ecosystems by feeding on foliage and supporting biodiversity.

We’re helping create habitats for these rare creatures through wildflower and shrub planting around Dumfries. 🌱🪲

Have you ever seen one of these curious beetles?

Help support our work: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature



📸 Image credit: NatureScot

25/06/2025

Say hello to the Small Elephant Hawk-moth – a miniature marvel with vibrant pink and olive-green wings! Despite its exotic look, this beauty is right at home in the UK, found in gardens, grasslands, and woodland edges across much of Britain and Ireland. 🌿💗

Its caterpillar has a trunk-like nose (hence the name!) and pretends to be a snake to scare off predators. 🐍😄

🟢 Good news: This species is not currently at risk, and is considered widespread and stable. But like many pollinators, it benefits from wild flowers and healthy green spaces.

Help us to support species like this one by backing our crowdfunder: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

📸 Image Creadit: Bob Eade,

24/06/2025

🦋🐝 It's Insect Week, and we're celebrating some of Scotland’s most dazzling aerial acrobats — dragonflies! 🐉💨

Across the country, from Dumfriesshire to the Shetland Islands, 29 dragonfly species have been recorded. 23 of these breed here, and 3 are uniquely Scottish: the Northern Damselfly, Azure Hawker, and Northern Emerald. 🌿✨

Let’s protect the wild places they call home. 💚

Support our projects: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/solas-for-nature

Image credit: British Dragonfly Society