CUMBRIAN gardeners are being called upon to create green spaces to halt the decline of an iconic insect.

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) want horticulturists' help to save the stag beetle.

At this time of year stag beetles are likely to be seen, as warmer evenings draw them above ground to find a mate and reproduce.

Stag beetles can reach up to 75mm in size, which makes them second largest of all UK beetles after the great diving beetle.

Typically, stag beetles live in Britain’s gardens, parks, woodland edges and traditional orchards.

Gardeners are encouraged to create a log pile and to leave dead wood alone as they provide the perfect habitat and also a food supply. Stag beetles also lay eggs in rotting wood.

Predators like magpies should be scared away and gardeners should be vigilant when mowing their lawns.

To find out more visit: www.ptes.org/stagbeetles

Laura Bower, Conservation Officer at PTES, said: “Sadly stag beetles are declining across Europe and they’re now extinct in some countries. Gardens are very important habitats, as stag beetle larvae rely on decaying wood in contact with soil to feed on.

"We hope to combat any further decline by asking the public to make their gardens more suitable for stag beetles.”

The public can also help by recording any stag beetle sightings in PTES’ annual Great Stag Hunt, which has been running for nearly 20 years. Last year saw more than 6,000 submitted records, the highest number since the survey began in 1998. Visit www.ptes.org/gsh to tell PTES about your sightings,

If you want to support PTES’ ongoing conservation work, you can donate £3 by texting ‘PTES17 £3’ to 70070.