Rock Bug

Here is the splendid Petrobius maritimus or Sea Bristletail. It's really a bigger cousin of the Silverfish you may be more familiar with. These were found holing up in a crack in that big lump of limestone on the way down from Flowers Brook to Steephill Cove. We were walking the coastal path between Ventnor and the Botanic Gardens on Sunday with Friends of Nature members (part of the Gift to Nature scheme - have a look at the website for details) and these fabulous things were one of the winter wildlife highlights.