THE quest for the noble chafer, a rare and endangered beetle, is receiving special attention in the Welsh borders.

It's all thanks to a professional survey funded by Defra's Sustainable Development Fund in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The survey, organised by the Gwent Orchards Project, will see a professional bug specialist inspect orchards within the Welsh Wye valley AONB for signs of this elusive beetle. Specifically, the surveyor will be searching for fruit trees full of rotting wood – the favourite habitat of noble chafer grubs.

The bright green iridescent beetle makes its home in old orchards, but as those habitats have nearly disappeared over the past 50 years, populations are struggling to survive.

There are no recent Welsh records for the noble chafer, but there are signs of life immediately over the border in neighbouring Gloucestershire.

Conservationists are hoping that the beetle may be settling down in the wildlife-friendly orchards on the Monmouthshire side of the Wye Valley AONB.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to conduct these surveys, targeted at finding one of Britain's rarest beetles," says Alice Rees, Gwent Orchards Project Officer.

"Many orchards in the county are a perfect habitat for this beetle. It's just a case of whether it has managed to get here or not."

The Gwent Orchards Project, developed by the Gwent Wildlife Trust to preserve and protect local orchard heritage, is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Countryside Council for Wales and the Wye Valley AONB SDF.