SITA Trust makes a B-Line to save rare beetle

One of the world’s most endangered insect species, the Tansy Beetle, has been given a helping hand along the road to survival by a grant of £25,000 from SITA Trust.

This project is run by Buglife, as part of the national B-Lines initiative, which aims to address the loss of wildflower-rich grasslands, to benefit bumblebees, butterflies and moths and in particular, the rare Tansy Beetle which is only found at one location in the UK – along 30 kilometres of the River Ouse near York.

It is known locally as the Jewel of York and it feeds on the tansy plant, whose habitat is itself being overrun in some areas by invasive plants like Himalayan Balsam.

This project aims to clear Himalayan Balsam from 11 sites along the Ouse, plant new tansy and provide protection to prevent grazing cattle from eating it – thereby leaving it available to the beetles.