One of the most rare invertebrates has been confirmed just over the border for the first time.
A recent sighting of the medicinal leech (hirudo medicinalis) in Dumfries and Galloway was verified by Buglife this month.
The sighting came from local naturalist, Bob Merritt, and follows unverified records from 2005 and 2008.
Buglife confirmed the presence of the Medicinal Leech in three ponds near Carrick Shore on the Solway coast, as part of the Scotland-wide conservation programme, Species on the Edge.
Buglife conservation director, Craig Macadam, said “Medicinal Leeches have an important place in our medical history but are now one of the rarest invertebrates in Scotland.
“The discovery of three new sites for this species in Dumfries and Galloway is incredibly important and gives us hope that further sites are discovered for this incredible species in the future.”
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