PEOPLE across Gloucestershire are being urged to join in the hunt for a rare beetle which was thought to be extinct in the county - until recently.

The noble chafer is a shiny, green beetle, about two centimetres n length, which, according to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, could be surviving in secret clusters in the county.

"It's a bit of a forgotten species," said Rosie Cliffe, conservation manager at the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. "Knowing where they are and in what numbers is critical to halting and reversing their decline, and maybe reviving this forgotten but very beautiful species."

The noble chafer has been rare in Britain for over a century. Its habitat is mainly dead or decaying fruit trees, where it takes two years for the larvae to develop. One of the main reasons for its decline is the tidying up of dead wood and fallen trees as traditional orchards are grubbed out or modernised.

The metallic green insects are most likely to be spotted in June and July. GWT is appealing for beetle spotters of all ages to help conduct a mini-survey and forms are available 01452 383333.