CREATURES that lurk in the undergrowth - from the slimiest slug to the loveliest ladybird - are to be celebrated in a new project being launched by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership.

Cold-blooded and Spineless will see a £500,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant invested into bringing these creatures to the fore through research, education and monitoring.

Invertebrates – which includes insects, molluscs, arachnids, crustaceans and myriapods – make up 96 per cent of all animals on the planet and play a huge part in keeping the Earth’s ecosystem healthy. Between them they are responsible for the productivity of soils, the pollination of plants and help with organic waste recycling. They can also be vital indicators of the climate and water quality.

Samantha Tranter, Cold-blooded and Spineless Officer at the AONB Partnership, said: “These small but perfectly formed creatures are definitely misunderstood. Lots of people squirm at the thought of a beetle, or panic if a moth gets too close, but they shouldn’t.

“There’s over 24,000 species of insect in the British Isles and some of them, such as the iridescent bloody-nosed beetle or the spectacularly pink elephant hawk moth are the best looking creatures I’ve ever encountered.”

The five-year project is being officially launched by Cllr Eddie Tomlinson, chair of the AONB Partnership, as part of a bio-hunt that is taking place at Harehope Quarry in Frosterley on March 20. Wildlife lovers are being asked to turn up in force to count the range of creatures that are emerging in the North Pennines spring.

To find out more about Cold-blooded and Spineless contact Samantha Tranter on 01388 528801 or email samantha@northpenninesaonb.org.uk