In Search of the Tansy Beetle
The Tansy Beetle Action Group, Species Recovery Trust and St Nicks Environment Centre are working together on a survey along the riverbank to monitor tansy beetles (inset) and other pollinators on tansy plants. The banks of the River Ouse, north of York, provide the perfect environment for the tansy plant (with yellow flowers in photo) to grow and the right habitat for the very rare beetle, which spends its entire life cycle on the plant. For safety reasons, this spring we fenced off the bank and bridle path from the grazing horses and there was concern over how this would affect the plants. They apear to be thriving and there also seem to be a good number of beetles evident. We will find out later in the year how their numbers are doing.