Endangered tansy beetle found on Woodwalton Fen nature reserve near Huntingdon - only the second site in the UK

A critically endangered beetle has been found living at the Woodwalton Fen National Nature Reserve near Huntingdon.
The once-common tansy beetle had been thought to be clinging on at a single site in the UK along the bank of the River Ouse in York.
But now the attractive iridescent green beetle with a coppery sheen has been found at Woodwalton where it was last recorded 40 years ago.
The beetle, which takes its name from the tansy plant it lives on, is critically endangered, not just in the UK, but across its worldwide range.
It is a conservation priority species in England which means that public bodies have a duty to protect it, together with it habitat.
Alan Bowley, senior reserve manager at Natural England, said: “This is such an exciting find.
“Woodwalton Fen is an isolated fragment of a one much larger wetland and so rare animals are always at risk of extinction, but this demonstrates how important these sites are for providing a refuge for these species to survive against the odds.”
He said: “There is only one other site in Britain where this beautiful creature is found and we will be working hard to try and ensure it can flourish here.

Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Huntingdon-St-Ives-St-Neots/Endangered-tansy-beetle-found-on-Woodwalton-Fen-nature-reserve-near-Huntingdon-only-the-second-site-in-the-UK-20140806160146.htm#ixzz3A0a97O2A