Ragwort flea beetle
21st March 2008, Friday
Ragwort, Senecio jacobaea, is being dug up at Rye Harbour to enable organic grazing of the fields along the new sea defence. The most obvious insect associated with this poisonous plant is the Ragwort Flea Beetle Longitarsus jacobaeae, a 2.5mm long flea beetle that has swollen hind legs that enable it to jump. It has been used as biological control of Ragwort, but it doesn’t seem to have a big impact here!