The Guardian has an entertaining story today about the number of bugs in Britain's soil. Apparently they've doubled in number in the past decade.

Or not, if you read the web edition. It sheepishly admits that the headline in the paper was wrong. Actually the increase has been only 47 per cent, as the original story's subhead made clear.

Well, at least someone noticed. And was honest enough to record that the change had been made on the online story. No marks for maths, but a few for honesty.

For the record, nobody seems to know why there are more bugs, but fewer species of bug, in the soil. There are worms (pictured), mites, ticks, springtails, and countless others. But inevitably global warming gets a look-in. Rising temperatures help well-adapted creatures to flourish, but sees off the marginal ones, the story suggests.

Here's the (original) Guardian headline.