Common Tansy

For the last Wild Flower Week of the year. Many thanks to Miranda for hosting. 

The tansy along the River Ouse in York is the last remaining stronghold of the endangered Tansy Beetle. It is a beautiful irridescent jewell green leaf beetle - the Victorians used its shiny wing cases as sequins! It doesn’t travel far through its lifecycle, and despite the presence of wings, it rarely flies, so it must walk between the tansy plants. I have never seen one, I had a good look today but couldn't spot any.

There is a mural of one on the side of a building in York which I blipped back in 2021.