Green thistle beetles have been released in the Taneatua area to control the growth of thistles.
The small green beetles are biological control agents intended to eat Californian thistle, an aggressive pest plant that is well established in the Bay of Plenty.

Green Thistle Beetle from Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

'Control of the thistle costs our farmers millions of dollars each year in control and lost production through sprays, tractor time and loss of pasture alone.” says Environment BOP pest plant officer Des Pooley.
The beetles' larvae do most of the damage to the thistle.
'The larvae feed on the leaves and defoliate plants,” says Des, 'because the female beetle can lay as many as 1000 eggs in her lifetime.
'We expect there will often be all life stages of the insect present.”
The release of green thistle beetles is not a quick fix, says Des.
Its introduction will require ongoing and wider on-farm thistle control.
The beetle's release is approved by The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) after rigorous testing.
Sites where the beetle has been released will be monitored and when sufficient numbers have been established the beetle will be redistributed to other parts of the Bay of Plenty.