Beetlemania hits Ashburton

A remarkable discovery in Ashburton Lakes has brought new hope for the critically endangered Canterbury knobbled weevil beetle, with John Evans finding 41 weevils on a speargrass plant, confirming their identity and establishing a new population 80km away from the previously known location near Tekapo. The find, described as a “game changer” by DOC senior science advisor Tara Murray, highlights the vulnerability of both populations to threats like fire and poor growing conditions for their sole habitat, the speargrass plant, emphasizing the ongoing protection needed for the species under the Wildlife Act.

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