American 'stowaway' beetle found in Guernsey

The beetle has been placed in quarantine with a selection of greens that it would eat in the wild, said the GSPCA

A beetle is thought to have travelled thousands of miles from the United States of America to Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, in a toy box.

A local family found the beetle in a box containing a playhouse.

The North American native short-winged blister beetle has been dubbed Angus by Guernsey Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA).

It has been placed in quarantine with a "selection of greens" that it would eat in the wild, said the GSPCA.

The playhouse box containing the insect measuring about 0.75in (2cm) long came from Pennsylvania - a journey of more than 3,500 miles (5,600km), said the GSPCA.

Manager Steve Byrne said: "In the last year we have had snakes to lizards arrive illegally, well by accident in travellers' cases here in Guernsey which have been able to be rehomed but we've never had this type of beetle before.

"We believe it is male as he keeps leaving oily spots which the males do to deter predators.

"We have informed the States vets to see what we can do for the beetle."