Red Longhorn Beetle at Afan Argoed

Continuing on the longhorn theme Dave Carrington wrote: 'Hi Barry - on a rare trip away from the coastline, Becky and I visited Afon Argoed Country Park for a walk today. On the 'Orange Trail' (SS8195) we came across two or three of these longhorns. I didn't have my camera so had to make do with taking this picture with my phone. It appears to be Stictoleptura rubra Red Longhorn Beetle. It's not a species that I'm familiar with but the old British Wildlife id article from 2007 suggests this is a species only found in eastern England. Presumably they have spread west?'

They have colonised South Wales, although locally I only know of four other records, these being:
2001 Dinefwr (VC44), S.A. Day (det. I.K. Morgan)
28.viii.2001, Pencoed (VC41), S. Warmingham (det. D. Clements)

13.vii.2004, Swansea (VC41), B. Stewart 

11.viii.2007, Maesteg (VC41), M. Hnatiuk
 So seemingly still a scarce species. Good that you had more than one, suggesting an established population.