Alien Invasion?

[Garden Carpet]

Climate change brings butterfly invasion - Britain - Times Online

This article makes interesting reading. Some of the 'invaders' are already here.
jaki

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Garden Carpet

Climate change brings butterfly invasion - Britain - Times Online

This article makes interesting reading. Some of the 'invaders' are already here.
jaki

Yes I can see why this is causing consternation for the well being of our native species.

[badgerwatcher]

Hello, girls. Shall I put the kettle on?
Does this mean that the natural predators for these moths and butterflies will not be here, so we may get epidemic proportions of invasion, or will the increased numbers of birds because of warmer winters help to control this?

[Garden Carpet]

Originally Posted by badgerwatcher

Hello, girls. Shall I put the kettle on?
Does this mean that the natural predators for these moths and butterflies will not be here, so we may get epidemic proportions of invasion, or will the increased numbers of birds because of warmer winters help to control this?

Please BW... black with sweetener please.

One question. I assume that most of the predators of butterflies etc have predators... if they are moving this way because of climate changes are their predators not likely to follow?
jaki

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by badgerwatcher

Hello, girls. Shall I put the kettle on?
Does this mean that the natural predators for these moths and butterflies will not be here, so we may get epidemic proportions of invasion, or will the increased numbers of birds because of warmer winters help to control this?

Tea like creosote, blip of milk, no sugar please.

To be honest with you, I've not seen birds taking butterflies, only the caterpillars. Now I suppose they do eat the adults but I think we might have more of a problem if they bred here and the caterpillars caused havoc. Not sure really. I'd like one of our entomologists theories on this.
I suppose the food chain could be disrupted if a migrant species coped with our climate and started munching their way through green plants that should be munched by ours!

[Fritillary]

I see other news saying the horrid things will happen in futur.

Every time I see these sort of news I ask to myself: native species are in danger because of the invaders or because of intensive industrialisation, destruction of habitats and usage of insecticides, etc etc...?

For me invaders are a consequence. Invaders are going to occupy the niches of native species that are dissapearing because of the human activities.

All these sort of news always give the worst catasthrophic scenarios (death illness, etc etc) however never they talk about the origins neither what to do to reduce the dissparition of species.

And they finish the article with :
"The possible consequences . . . require immediate attention.” Yes but... what???

[badgerwatcher]

Presumeably, the butterflies themselves would do comparitively no damage, wheras caterpillars could desimate, so visiting is not a problem unless they breed here! And butterflies on plants, even visiting ones, is surely a good thing?

[smartie]

It's interesting but all a bit vague, isn't it? (I've brought my own tea with me, by the way ) I'm afraid I don't take the European Journal of Entomology - oversight, clearly - so I don't know if the research paper gives any idea of potential numbers or distribution. I'm not planning to surround all the lavenders and thymes in my garden with netting just yet, though. But I might Google for a rosemary beetle so I'll know it when (if) I see it.

[smartie]

So immediately I find a piece with a photograph by our very own P Mabbott. The beetle looks rather attractive, I think. They are apparently established in Norwich as well, the RHS tells me, so maybe they will decide to drift over here. I suspect I can spare a bit of my lavender to them if they need it.

the Rosemary Beetle Chrysolina americana

Paul, if you are there, when is the time to look for it?

[mrs fish]

I see there is a colony of the rosemary beetle in Norfolk, they must be after the lavender that grows up there
I think we all saw the effects of the leaf mining moth last year on the horse chestnuts.
Something must eat these insects where they come from?


I like a blend of green and brown, milk, one sugar

[Paul mabbott]

The rosemary beetle is well established in most of England and Wales (ignore the current stuff on the web, whether by me or Andy Salisbury at RHS - it is well out of date.). I think a few of the northernmost counties of England haven't seen it and there has only been one report from Scotland (Edinburgh).
It is still most abundant in London (and surrounding areas, although surprisingly few in Essex) and Norfolk - as mentioned, the lavender fields are a great attractant.
In London (I'm not too sure about other parts of the country) it is active for most of the year as imago or larva although the larvae, in their later stages, are most obvious March-May.
Do not joke about 'sparing' a 'bit of lavender' - if/when this becomes established in your garden it won't be long before you have no lavender/rosemary to spare them - and then they start on your sage, thyme &c.... this is a seriously damaging beetle .....

Originally Posted by smartie

So immediately I find a piece with a photograph by our very own P Mabbott. The beetle looks rather attractive, I think. They are apparently established in Norwich as well, the RHS tells me, so maybe they will decide to drift over here. I suspect I can spare a bit of my lavender to them if they need it.

the Rosemary Beetle Chrysolina americana

Paul, if you are there, when is the time to look for it?

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

The rosemary beetle is well established in most of England and Wales (ignore the current stuff on the web, whether by me or Andy Salisbury at RHS - it is well out of date.). I think a few of the northernmost counties of England haven't seen it and there has only been one report from Scotland (Edinburgh).
It is still most abundant in London (and surrounding areas, although surprisingly few in Essex) and Norfolk - as mentioned, the lavender fields are a great attractant.
In London (I'm not too sure about other parts of the country) it is active for most of the year as imago or larva although the larvae, in their later stages, are most obvious March-May.
Do not joke about 'sparing' a 'bit of lavender' - if/when this becomes established in your garden it won't be long before you have no lavender/rosemary to spare them - and then they start on your sage, thyme &c.... this is a seriously damaging beetle .....

A couple of years ago I lost a Rosemary plant to this beetle- the beetle had been present for 3 years + eventually over 50 beetles on it. Though I occasionally found it on Lavender, no real damage was done + haven't had them on other labiate herbs. A second Rosemary was for some reason ignored.

[smartie]

Thanks, Paul, point taken. Clearly not to be trifled with. I'll look out for them, but perhaps with less innocent enthusiasm than before.

[Paul mabbott]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

A couple of years ago I lost a Rosemary plant to this beetle- the beetle had been present for 3 years + eventually over 50 beetles on it. Though I occasionally found it on Lavender, no real damage was done + haven't had them on other labiate herbs. A second Rosemary was for some reason ignored.

For all my horror stories, there are variations - sometimes a few plants are destroyed and others nearby ignored. The behaviour in UK seems different from that in its home range (the Mediterranean and Near/Middle East) where it has been plodding along eating the odd leaf or two for centuries. In UK it does seem to be more destructive, perhaps because of the absence of predators or because UK plants have less resistance than more southerly ones? It is possible that in a few years it may become less destructive. In between times, we would appreciate observations - to the RHS website or to me through the Essex Field Club site ..... there was a thread about this earlier with lots of links and information ....

[Paul mabbott]

Recent bad news that a rat has been found on the Galapagos - presumably coming with a load of tourists. Impossible to stop once international large-scale traffic occurs.
It can happen with larger animals:

'There was much joy to be had in the Westmorland Gazette with the news
that a wily possum had hitched a lift from Oz to the South Lakes Wild
Animal Park in Dalton-in-Furness, via Dover.

' "Pickles the Australian brush-tailed possum got a big 'G'day' from
staff at his new home," said the Gazette. "The mischievous marsupial
somehow sneaked into the crate when it left Australian shores last
month but managed to remain hidden for most of the journey."
Marvellous stuff - watch the super uber geil cute video of said
marsupial here (
The Westmorland Gazette: breaking,video and regional news for English Lake District, Cumbria, Lancs
).

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

I suppose the food chain could be disrupted if a migrant species coped with our climate and started munching their way through green plants that should be munched by ours!

The way I see it is that our climate is changing and there will be a readjustment in our wildlife because of that and we're going to have to learn to live wth it. I think there are still ways, if we choose to adopt them, in which we can minimise the change but I don't think we can stop it happening altogether.

As a consequence we're going to lose some species and gain others but this has always been the case. Things like Collared Dove, Little Egret, Cetti's Warbler have all spread and become established and accepted here. Speckled Wood butterflies have been spreading north with a warming climate for many years and I'm sure there are lots of other examples. Perhaps we should just embrace these changes, revel in the new wildlife and make sure that we all keep our own records of what's happening so that future generations, looking back at turbulent times with the benefit of hindsight, can shake their heads and wonder at the folly of our generation.

[Wild-Woman]

I wonder what species will land on our shores this year, if we get the summer and high temperatures being predicted at the moment.

I was in France (North) when a migration of Painted Lady butterflies flew northwards to Britain. It was strange sitting on the beach watching them fly out across the sea. I remember, it was an extremely hot day when I witnessed it, no wind, just their own flight power and determination to find nectar.

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

I wonder what species will land on our shores this year, if we get the summer and high temperatures being predicted at the moment.

I was in France (North) when a migration of Painted Lady butterflies flew northwards to Britain. It was strange sitting on the beach watching them fly out across the sea. I remember, it was an extremely hot day when I witnessed it, no wind, just their own flight power and determination to find nectar.

Sounds like an amazing sight.

It's so hard to believe how something as delicate looking as a butterfly can undertake long migrations. I suppose the huge distances covered by Monarch Butterflies in the Americas stand out as the extreme example.

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

Sounds like an amazing sight.

It's so hard to believe how something as delicate looking as a butterfly can undertake long migrations. I suppose the huge distances covered by Monarch Butterflies in the Americas stand out as the extreme example.

It was. Funny though, while I was gazing skywards, squinting into the sun, not a lot of others noticed. They were busy playing volleyball, sunbathing and swimming. I must be different! (I like to think I'm in tune with nature).

[Paul mabbott]

Anyone in the area might be interested in this:

Derby Natural History Society will be hosting an unusual and interesting
talk this coming Friday:

AN ILLUSTRATED TALK

Alien Invaders in Derbyshire
by
Paul Bratby, Plant Health & Seeds Inspector for DEFRA in Nottingham ...who
will give an overview of his work in quarantining non indigenous plant pests
and diseases, describe some that have been found in Derbyshire and warn of
others that are heading our way!

Evergreen Hall, Cornhill, Allestree

Friday 11th January at 7.15pm

New members, guests and visitors are welcome

Admission for non-members £1 (or 50p concession).


WEBSITE: www.dnhs.org.uk registered by www.othellotech.net

[Stewy]

Just read about Zebra mussels.

Mussels | Mussel-ing in | Invasion of British waterways | The Sun |HomePage|News

[naturelover]

did anyone read about the koi carp on the page about the zebra mussles.?

[Stewy]

Originally Posted by naturelover

did anyone read about the koi carp on the page about the zebra mussles.?

Yeah, well done to the fire brigade, what I don't understand is why he didn't cut the power to the pump though?

[Fritillary]

Paul M wrote:
"In UK it does seem to be more destructive, perhaps because of the absence of predators or because UK plants have less resistance than more southerly ones? It is possible that in a few years it may become less destructive."


There are lot of theories about what makes a species invasive. However, in most of cases, it is caused by human disturbance. I think that in most of cases, invasive species are not a cause, but a consequence of a damaged ecosystem. IF a natural community has changed too much to support native permanent species, other ones (native and exotic colonisers) will arrive to fill the new niches.

I think that the stronger danger for native species in UK is not the climatic change, but the destruction of habitats by humans. Unfortunately human population in UK is growing too fast and english people is changing their way of living very fast too. The traditional gardens for example, are being transformed in parkings. So all these insects that could live in these gardens are reducing dramatically their populations in the last years.

Other aspect, gardens were more ecologic 100 and 50 years ago than the ones of today because they had more native species. Nowaday, with modern marketing and transport communication, you can have gardens full of exotics and use strong insecticides, which also could repercute in the native fauna and flora.

However all these things are never spoken in TV. It is sad that all the problems are being explained by climatic change.