Insects
The Tansy Beetle
The river Ouse in York is special. It provides the only home in the UK for the Tansy Beetle. This green, shimmering insect, lives on Rawcliffe Meadows - a nature park looked after by volunteers.
Rawcliffe Meadows, a long strip, next to York's river Ouse, sits between a beck and a grassy flood bank. On it there are almost two hundred different types of wildflowers and grasses.
Amongst this green breathing space there are wetlands, grasslands and copses, which provide homes to many different birds and mammals, including a number of nationally rare species, such as the green, shimmering, Tansy Beetle.
Mick Phythian is one of the Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows. Here he explains a little more about this tiny rare creature.
The Tansy is an attractive bright green leaf beetle, with a coppery sheen. The wing cases were so admired by Victorians that they were used as sequins. It received its name because the favoured habitat is on riverbanks on Tansy (tanacetum vulgare) plants.
Its range is currently restricted to 26 kilometres of the banks of the River Ouse around York and Selby. It was once quite widespread throughout Britain, but environmental factors (possibly due to introduced plants that have replaced the tansy plant) have contributed to a sharp decline in population.
A recovery programme is underway. The Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows early on identified the site as an important one for the beetle and have since initiated a project called Grow More Tansy to establish increasing numbers of plants of local provenance and hopefully thus increase numbers of the beetle.
Research has been going on at the University of York to discover more about the beetle but we believe that little is still understood about it. The Friends actively monitor the beetle throughout May, June and July when the beetle briefly appears, mates and disappears again!
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The Click Beetle
All ten species in this group are associated with dead wood habitats on veteran trees in old deciduous woodlands and parklands. Some are restricted to single sites and/or host species, while others are more widespread and are found on a range of trees.
Five species occur at Windsor Forest and Great Park only:
Gnorimus variabilis (Scarabaeidae).
A chafer developing mainly in veteran oaks, but occasionally in beech and elm, with extensive red-rot in trunks, stumps and main branches where the larvae develop for two or three years before emerging as adults in the summer. There are 19th and early 20th century records for the London area but this species is now confined to Windsor.
Lacon querceus (Elateridae).
A click beetle that develops in dry red-rotten oak wood in veteran trunks and fallen boughs.
Ampedus nigerrimus (Elateridae).
A click beetle that develops in veteran oaks with extensive red rot and will occur in fallen or standing timber.
Ampedus ruficeps (Elateridae).
A click beetle that develops in red-rotted cavities in branches and trunks of veteran oaks.
Dryophthorus corticalis (Dryophthoridae).
A wood-boring weevil living in the red-rot of standing and fallen oak trees, possibly in association with the brown wood ant, Lasius brunneus.
A further four species occur at Windsor Forest and Great Park and a small number of other nationally or internationally important sites for the invertebrate fauna associated with veteran trees:
Megapenthes lugens (Elateridae).
A click beetle living in decaying wood, mainly of elm, with a possible record for beech. It is restricted to Windsor, Epping Forest and the New Forest, although there are 19th century records for Surrey, Norfolk and Middlesex.
Ampedus rufipennis (Elateridae).
A click beetle that lives in decaying wood and under bark of veteran individuals of a range of trees, including oak, elm, birch, ash and sycamore. It occurs at Windsor and several other important sites, including Moccas Park and Bredon Hill, as well as other sites in Surrey and Kent.
Elater ferrugineus (Elateridae).
A click beetle living in hollows in veteran oak, beech, grey poplar, willow, walnut, ash and elm, particularly where there have been animal nests and/or where there is lesser stag beetle Dorcus parallelipedus activity. It occurs now only at Windsor, Richmond Park in Surrey and the Icklingham Plain in Suffolk, although it formerly occurred in Cambridgeshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Berkshire, possibly Gloucestershire, and Glamorgan.
Eucnemis capucina (Eucnemidae).
A false click beetle developing in decaying wood and under bark of veteran beech, ash and field maple and restricted to Windsor, the New Forest, and Bredon Hill, Worcestershire and its immediate environs.
The final species, the 'Moccas Beetle' Hypebaeus flavipes (Melyridae),occurs only at Moccas Park, Herefordshire. It is a malachite, or false soldier beetle, associated with very ancient oak trees, the adults occurring on the foliage. The ecology of the early stages is unknown but they are likely to be predatory in decaying wood.
All of the species covered by this statement are classified as Endangered in Great Britain, except Ampedus rufipennis which is classified as Vulnerable. Hypebaeus flavipes is the only species to be given special protection under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. All species are internationally scarce or declining in all or parts of Europe.
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The Pearl-bordered Fritillary
The pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) is a Priority Species in Britain. Changes in woodland management in recent years have led to the decline of this once common species. It is now most common in Scotland and southern England.
Pearl-bordered fritillaries live in woodland clearings where trees have recently been cut down or coppiced, and where there are areas of grass, bracken and open scrub. They live in small populations, but these populations are linked and butterflies often fly between different colonies that are sharing a suitable habitat. The pearl-bordered fritillary depends on a mosaic of open areas for movement between colonies and for food.
Individual eggs are laid in the autumn on dead bracken or leaf litter near to grassy areas where violets are growing. The eggs develop over the winter and the caterpillars hatch in the spring. The adult butterfly flies between late April and July.
Both caterpillars and adult butterflies feed on common dog-violet and sometimes heath dog violet and marsh violet. Changes in woodland management over recent years have led to the decline of the species. Woodland practices such as coppicing and thinning are in decline, and many areas have been planted with conifers. Woodland rides and clearings have become increasingly shady and overgrown. Bracken habitats are no longer managed through grazing.
The pearl-bordered fritillary is most easily confused with the small pearl-bordered fritillary. It can be distinguished by two silver 'pearls' on the underside of the hind wing.
The Forestry Commission is working closely with Butterfly Conservation to make sure that open habitats in woods and forest are maintained. Suitable habitats are being created by coppicing and opening up woodland rides.
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The Chequered Skipper
In Scotland, the chequered skipper is primarily a species of woodland edge and scrub. It occurs in areas of lightly grazed or ungrazed grassland, scrub and marsh around open broadleaved woodland, on wet but well-aerated soils.
These areas are dominated by the larval foodplant, purple moor-grass. Nectaring occurs in glades with bluebells and bugle. Males defend territories, usually located in warm, sheltered areas. Females may move several kilometres and can be widely scattered towards the end of the flight period.
The chequered skipper is a boreal species that occurs across Europe, Asia and North America. It is declining in several European countries and is extinct in Denmark . It is endangered in some countries outside Europe (eg Japan). In England the chequered skipper was once fairly common in the East Midlands, but it became extinct there in the 1970s. The British populations are now restricted to about 50 sites in a small area of western Scotland. The known history of the species in Scotland is short as it was not documented here until 1942.
In Great Britain the chequered skipper is classified as Out of Danger. It is protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with respect to sale only.
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The Silver-washed Fritillary
The silver-washed fritillary (Argynnis paphia) is a Species of Conservation Concern in Britain. Changes in woodland management in recent years have led to the decline of this once common species. It was widespread across England and Wales, but is now found in southern and south-western England.
Silver-washed fritillaries live in sunny, sheltered clearings in broadleaf woodlands. They may also use overgrown hedgerows near woodlands. Silver-washed fritillaries form discrete colonies and rarely move from one woodland to another.
Individual eggs are laid on tree trunks in crevices and moss. The caterpillars hatch and hibernate over winter. In spring, they fall to the ground and feed on violets. The adult butterfly flies between June and August.
Caterpillars feed on common dog-violet growing in woodlands. Adult butterflies feed on the nectar of brambles.
Changes in woodland management over recent years have led to the decline of the species. The traditional practice of coppicing that maintained the open nature of many woodlands has declined. Active management of broadleafed woodland is being neglected, leading to them becoming shaded and dark.
The silver-washed fritillary is named after the silver streaks on the undersides of the wing. It has a rapid, swooping flight.
The Forestry Commission, working in partnership with Butterfly Conservation, is managing woods by actively coppicing areas to produce trees in different stages of growth. This provides a variety of habits and allows the food plants that this species depend on to flourish. Heavy thinning operations are creating gaps in the tree canopy and rides to allow butterflies to move freely and create further colonies.
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The Buttoned Snout Moth
Buttoned snout larvae feed on hop (Humulus lupulus), particularly plants sprawling across the ground. The adults hibernate in man-made shelters, outbuildings, etc and in caves.
This moth was formerly widespread throughout southern Britain north to Lincolnshire and South Wales. It has declined significantly and now occurs mainly in river valleys in south-east England, particularly the Thames basin, and on estuaries and other scattered sites around the coast of England.
The species has been reported from every country in Europe except Ireland. The range extends to the Lebanon, southern Russia and Iran.
In Great Britain this species is classified as Nationally Scarce.
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Stag Beetle
The Stag Beetle is nothing like as common as it used to be, but is still widespread in southern England, especially the Thames valley, north Essex, south Hampshire and West Sussex. It also occurs fairly frequently in the Severn valley and coastal areas of the south-west. Elsewhere in Britain it is extremely rare or even extinct.
This beetle is found throughout Europe, and East Asia as far as Japan, although it is rare or declining in some countries.
Stag Beetles face a range of threats.
The most obvious problem for Stag Beetles is a significant loss of habitat. Many woodlands were sold for development in the inter-War years; just think of all the suburbs built since the 1920's. The introduction of the Green Belt in 1947 did restrict suburban expansion but since then many of London's surviving open spaces have sadly been developed, including many woodlands. Development will continue to reduce Stag Beetle habitats, but increased awareness of their existence can help defend the Beetles against developers.
In addition to the loss of habitat, the removal of wood from woodland is also a problem. In previous decades dead or rotting wood, which is the Stag Beetle's food source, would have been 'tidied away'. Although some 'tidying up' still continues in woodlands and parks, managers are now much more aware of the need to retain dead wood as part of the woodland ecosystem. The Royal Parks' management plans for Richmond Park, and other Royal Parks, include the retention of suitable dead wood to help encourage Stag Beetles to settle.
Humans are, unfortunately, a direct threat to the Stag Beetle. Adult beetles are attracted to the warm surfaces of tarmac and pavements, making them particularly vulnerable to being crushed by traffic or feet. Stag Beetles have a fearsome appearance and sometimes people kill them because they look 'dangerous'. We need more volunteers to help with research so that we can further understand these intriguing insects.
Changes in weather patterns also have an impact on our Lucanidae friends. Recent long dry summers seem to have resulted in more and more predators digging up and eating eggs or larvae. Predators such as cats, foxes, crows, kestrels and others may also have an adverse impact at the most vulnerable stage in the beetle's life cycle, when adults are seeking to mate and lay eggs. Though this is largely natural predation, it has been suggested that the rise in the numbers of magpies and carrion crows in the last decade may be having a significant impact on Stag Beetle populations.
The good news is that Stag Beetle protection is one of the priorities of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. Organisations like The Royal Parks are working hard with other groups to preserve the environment and habitats that the beetles need, so with your support we can help ensure the future will turn out well for these 'gentle giants'.