A NATURE enthusiast has warned residents to preserve Dorset's beaches to protect the home of an incredibly rare insect.

Author and photographer Steve Trewhella monitors the population of the scaly cricket, which was discovered on Chesil Beach in the 1940s.

The beach is one of only three locations on the British mainland where the insects can be found.

The crickets live beneath the shingle on Chesil Beach and come to the top of the pebbles at night in order to forage for organic material they can eat such as seaweed, driftwood and animal carcasses.

Steve is urging members of the public to be aware of the importance of the ecosystem for creatures such as the scaly cricket, which is endemic to shingle beaches.

He said: "Like so many rare species, we are in danger of losing it before we even learn about it.

"A very important thing is the removal of organic debris.

"They only live in that habitat, so by removing driftwood or seaweed, you are taking their habitat away.

"Plastic pollution building up in the sea is a worry and Chesil is a terrible place for plastic litter.

"All of this waste we are creating will have a negative effect on this small, vulnerable ecosystem."

Steve further warned that damage to the habitat of the scaly cricket could have a knock-on effect on other wildlife in the area.

He said: "They are an essential component of the beach and there are other animals that will predate them.

"They do have a role to play, like anything else."

Steve described the cricket as a "jewel in the crown" of the county and said it was "another thing to make Dorset a special place".

He said that he and his wife, who have co-authored a book on beachcombing, will continue to monitor the population of the scaly crickets throughout the summer, when they are expected to become more abundant.

They catch the crickets using pitfall traps, with a rather unusual foodstuff as bait.

"They seem to like Cornish pasties and stuff that smells," said Steve.

"I am interested to see what they do because you look at Chesil Beach and think nothing could live there.

"It is a very secretive life cycle they have.

"I think beaches are neglected, but there is a whole universe buried under that shingle where all sorts of animals live and thrive."