Invasive Species Weblog

Friday, May 07, 2004

Busy Beetles

Well, it took about 2 weeks from the time the Asian lilies in my yard resprouted for the lily leaf beetles (Lilioceris lilii) to show up. I don't care for Asian lilies, and these are just leftover in pots from the previous owner, but I have been watching them carefully since I saw the damage the beetles inflicted last year. There were two pairs on the plants today (one on top of the other), and one all alone. All five are dead now, but I'm sure there will be more as the season progresses. Adult lily leaf beetles emerge from the ground in the spring to mate, and while they are not as disgusting to look at as their feces-covered larvae, they also cause leaf damage. You can see last July's ISW entry about the beetles by clicking here.

Jennifer Forman Orth 2:46 PM | 0 comments |

Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Tangled Bank #2

Behold! The second issue of The Tangled Bank, a "Carnival of the Vanities" for us geeky science types.

Borneo Chela features this entry about the mass emergence of 17-year cicadas that will occur in the U.S. this spring and summer (Insert "Ick!" or "Cool!" here, depending on your level of geekiness).
From the Fried Man comes this post about how diatoms, plus a little help from man, may save your SUVs. A new study in Antarctica shows that seeding the southern ocean with iron ("iron fertilization") produces huge algal blooms that suck carbon dioxide in from the atmosphere. Much of the resulting carbon ends up hundreds of meters below the surface, meaning that this may be a practical way to reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide and fight the greenhouse effect.
10,000 Birds submits Bird Squawk, Baby Talk, a n intriguing review of studies that show similarities between the way that human babies and some songbird chicks learn to vocalize.
A little neurobiology lesson from Pharyngula: This post describes growth cones and some of the machinery involved in growth and steering of neurons. Be sure to check out the cool animated .gif!
The Sixth International indulges in some Saturday lizard blogging, featuring the beautiful lizards of Formentera.
From Feathers of Hope comes this post about an encounter with a barred owl in a surprising location.
syaffolee has an interesting blog post about how fabricated data was exposed following its discovery in an article published in the journal Cell.
And now for something completely different: submitted for your approval from Ratty's Ghost, "The Giant Rat," a fictional tale (tail?) written from a rat's point of view.

If you missed out on getting your blog post into this issue, #3 will be hosted by 10,000 Birds on May 19th. Submit your posts and descriptions to host@tangledbank.net.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:44 AM | 0 comments |

Tuesday, May 04, 2004

Tropical Scotland?

Peach-faced lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis), native to East Africa, are breeding in the wilds of Scotland, according to this article at scotsman.com. The birds, known in the town of Dunbar since at least 2001, are assumed to be former pets that were released by their owners into the wild. Arizona also has established populations of this species - check out this site for detailed information along with adorable photos of lovebirds on saguaro.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:47 PM | 0 comments |

Monday, May 03, 2004

"...worse than an oil spill, because we can clean that up"

The Mozambique tilapia (Tilapia mossambica) may be catch-of-the-day in many restaurants, but on the island of Palau, it's poisson-non-grata. As reported by Channel NewsAsia, officials have eradicated almost 30,000 of them, out of concern for the likelihood of their escape into the natural environment. Tilapia are considered invasive in many parts of the world, and are thought to be a major threat to Palau's native fish populations. Looks like Palau's poison of choice is rotenone...couldn't they just have had an island-wide fish fry?

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:45 AM | 0 comments |

Sunday, May 02, 2004

Snakehead Update

Now that a second northern snakehead (Channa argus) fish has been found in Maryland, lawmakers are taking steps to ban the species...again. As reported by The Baltimore Sun, legislation was already enacted last year, after the first snakehead was found, giving Maryland's Department of Natural Resources the power to outlaw the species. The DNR never enacted the ban, because the federal government put the northern snakehead on the list of Injurious Wildlife Species under the Lacey Act, and it is already illegal in Maryland to dump fish in waterways. Unfortunately, the Lacey Act only covers importation into the U.S. and interstate transport, meaning that there is nothing to stop local businesses and individuals from breeding and selling snakeheads. Meanwhile, WJLA is reporting that Pine Lake has now been completely drained, with no other snakeheads found. Non-snakehead fish were redistributed to neighboring ponds.

Labels: snakehead

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:45 PM | 0 comments |

Saturday, May 01, 2004

Heavy Breeding

It was over a year ago since the first ISW post about the veiled chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) in Maui. Unfortunately, KPUA AM 670 is now reporting that Hawaiian wildlife officials have found more than 100 of the reptiles, indicating that they have established at least one breeding population. Veiled chameleons have no natural enemies in Hawaii, and commonly include birds and other lizards as part of their diets. Though people often keep them as pets, they have never been legal to import into Hawaii.

Jennifer Forman Orth 10:38 PM | 0 comments |

Friday, April 30, 2004

Whirling Chervils

The wild chervil (Anthriscus sylvestris) has resprouted in Vermont , and researchers are keeping a close eye on some of the plants by setting up experimental plots. As reported by The Herald, the scientists have been studying the species for several years, and have already learned important lessons that will be used to develop better management techniques. For example, though wild chervil was thought to be a biennial, individuals often survive for several years, meaning that continued cutting or mowing is needed to prevent their spread. Bonus points to The Herald for using the plant's scientific name.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:46 PM | 0 comments |

Thursday, April 29, 2004

Toadally Gross

I came across this item today while searching for coin purses: I was looking for something a little classier, but I have to admit I was intrigued by the thought of a cane toad coin purse. Turns out that Pete's Bizarre Bazaar has a whole line of cane toad (Bufo marinus) leather products, from cell phone cases to baseball caps. The company is based in Australia, which has had great difficulty controlling burgeoning populations of the toads since their intentional introduction in the 1930's.

Jennifer Forman Orth 1:55 AM | 0 comments |

Wednesday, April 28, 2004

Snakehead Surprise

No, it's not a new recipe...according to this report from the Washington Post, a fisherman caught a northern snakehead (Channa argus) in Pine Lake, located in a park in Wheaton, Maryland. The fish was about 18 inches long. No word yet about whether it was part of a breeding population of snakeheads, or just a lone release. Within the past two years, snakeheads have also been found in Wisconsin, and of course, Crofton Pond, also in Maryland.

Update: See the actual snakehead that was caught, brought to you by Yahoo! News and the AP.

Updated map of snakehead spread in the U.S. (fresh as of 5-16-2004!):

Make your own maps at World 66

Labels: snakehead

Jennifer Forman Orth 4:43 PM | |

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Not-So-Sudden oak death

Canada seems to be coming a little late to the sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum) party, but they're making up for lost time. As reported by the UBC Botanical Garden weblog, the British Columbia Landscape and Nursery Association is doing more than quarantining potentially infected plants: they're actually recalling any camellia plants purchased since September 2003. People that have camellias are being asked to call a number and arrange to have someone come to get the plants. In exchange they will receive an "appreciation package."

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:59 PM | 0 comments |

Monday, April 26, 2004

Snails Snatched

Snails donated to the Wisconsin school system were seized by the Federal government recently, after they were discovered to be giant African land snails (Achatina fulica), according to this report at Yahoo! News. The snails were being used in classrooms at schools in at least three different Wisconsin cities. Giant African land snails are illegal in the U.S., due to their ability to spread meningitis and to become invasive in warmer climates. The last time they were discovered in the wild, in 1966 in the state of Florida, it took ten years to eradicate them.

Labels: mollusks, snails

Jennifer Forman Orth 8:59 PM | 0 comments |

Sunday, April 25, 2004

Fungo Americano

Discovery News recently posted a very interesting article about new research into the loss of stone pines (Pinus pinea) in Italy. The pine trees have been subject to attack by Heterobasidion annosum, a fungus from North America. The fungus is suspected to have been introduced in shipments of military goods sent to U.S. soldiers staying at the Castelporziano estate during World War II. Symptoms were not noticed until the 1980s, and even though the infected trees were removed, the disease continues to spread.

Thanks to a member of the ALIENS-L listserver for posting a link to the story, and bonus points to Discovery News for using scientific names.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:36 PM | 0 comments |

Saturday, April 24, 2004

Invasion of Indiana

The emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis) has been spotted for the first time in Indiana. According to this article from the Indianapolis Star, the beetle was found at a campground in Steuben County, and was first misidentified as another wood-boring beetle. Jamestown Township is now under quarantine (.pdf), meaning that no ash trees or lumber (or firewood of any tree species) can be taken from the town. On a potential positive note, Indiana's birds are probably psyched. If you live in Indiana and you think you've spotted an emerald ash borer, contact your Department of Natural Resources.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:12 PM | 0 comments |

Friday, April 23, 2004

Pruning Bush

Here's what our fearless leader was up to today (as reported by Reuters): President Bush with pruning shears in Florida - Reuters

In a successful stab at a photo op, President Bush traveled to Florida, where he took time out from fundraising and speaking about the importance of protecting wetlands to help his brother Jeb remove invasive plants from the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. I did some digging, and it appears Bush may have been attacking melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia) plants, among other invasives found at the reserve.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:34 PM | 0 comments |

Thursday, April 22, 2004

From Bugs to Birds

There's an interesting article from the Detroit Free Press about a potential positive impact of the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) invasion in Michigan. Researchers have noted a rise in the populations of some bird species following the increased abundance of ash borer beetle larvae, which can be a food source for the birds.

Jennifer Forman Orth 10:23 PM | 0 comments |

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

The Tangled Bank

"It's April 21st, and everybody knows today is Earth Day, Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday to whoever's being born." Apparently someone decided Earth Day is April 22nd this year, but that's okay, since I'm posting this so late most of you are probably reading it on Thursday. In celebration of Earth Day (and obscure Dramarama references), here's something a little different: I've taken on hosting responsibilities for The Tangled Bank, a bi-weekly showcase of the best science weblog entries. If you publish a science blog and would like to submit one of your posts, head to the website and check it out. You can also check out the first edition at Pharyngula.

Jennifer Forman Orth 10:45 PM | 0 comments |

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

Arizona Triple Play

Invasive species articles in local newspapers are now an everyday occurrence. But this one from the Eastern Arizona Courier caught my eye because it mentions three invasive plants I've never heard of before. The first is the Sahara mustard plant (Brassica tournefortii), a species whose dried biomass increases the susceptibility of an area to fire. The second species is sweet resinbush (Euryops subcarnosus), a shrub intentionally introduced to Arizona as livestock forage and erosion control. Last but not least is camelthorn (Alhagi maurorum), a spiny legume that has been known to puncture tires.

Jennifer Forman Orth 9:37 PM | 0 comments |

Monday, April 19, 2004

New in the Literature

Recently published journal articles:

"A Review of Feral Cat Eradication on Islands" by Manuel Nogales, Aurelio Martin, Bernie R. Tershy, C. Josh Donlan, Dick Veitch, Nestor Puerta, Bill Wood, and Jesus Alonso. Conseration Biology. 18(2), pp. 310+. .
"A Risk-Assessment System for Screening Out Invasive Pest Plants from Hawaii and Other Pacific Islands." by Curtis C. Daehler, Julie S. Denslow, Shahin Ansari, and Huang-Chi Kuo. Conservation Biology. 18(2), pp. 360+.
"Climatic Suitability, Life-History Traits, Introduction Effort, and the Establishment and Spread of Introduced Mammals in Australia." by David M. Forsyth, Richard P. Duncan, Mary Bomford, and Goeff Moore. Conservation Biology. 18(2), pp. 557+.
"A Risk-Assessment System for Screening Out Invasive Pest Plants from Hawaii and Other Pacific Islands." by Curtis C. Daehler, Julie S. Denslow, Shahin Ansari, and Huang-Chi Kuo. Conservation Biology. 18(2), pp. 360+.
"An Allee effect at the front of a plant invasion: Spartina in a Pacific estuary." by Heather G. Davis, Caz M. Taylor, Janie C. Civille and Donald R. Strong. Journal of Ecology. 92(2), pp. 321+.
"Rapid Evolution of an Invasive Plant." by John L. Maron, Montserrat Vilà, Riccardo Bommarco, Sarah Elmendorf, and Paul Beardsley. Ecological Monographs. 74(2), pp. 261-280. (about St. John's wort, Hypericum perforatum)
"INDIRECT EFFECTS OF AN INTRODUCED UNGULATE ON POLLINATION AND PLANT REPRODUCTION." by Phillip Cassey, Tim M. Blackburn, Gareth J. Russell, Kate E. Jones and Julie L. Lockwood. Global Change Biology. 10(4), pp. 417+.
"Influences on the transport and establishment of exotic bird species: an analysis of the parrots (Psittaciformes) of the world." by John L. Maron, Montserrat Vilà, Riccardo Bommarco, Sarah Elmendorf, and Paul Beardsley. Ecological Monographs. 74(2), pp. 261-280.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:55 PM | 0 comments |

Sunday, April 18, 2004

Spotted Shrimp

Earlier this month, Hawai'i saw its first case of white-spot syndrome (also known as White Spot Syndrome Baculovirus Complex, or WSBV), a virus that affects shrimp. According to this report from the Honolulu Advertiser, a shrimp farm on Kaua'i is now under quarantine after a sample they sent to a lab came back positive for the virus. While known in Asia, Central and South America, and the Philippines, this is the first time the disease has occurred in Hawai'i.

Jennifer Forman Orth 10:45 PM | 0 comments |

Saturday, April 17, 2004

Controversy Sods On

There's an interesting article in the current issue of the LA City Beat about sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum). It addresses issues such as what plant species are really susceptible to the fungus, whether fighting the spread of SOD is just a pork barrel for California and the USDA, and why more people aren't turning to Agri-Fos (.pdf), a phosphonite fungicide that can kill Phytophthora species. Bonus points for the morbidly funny graphic of a tree with skulls hanging from it. Click here for previous ISW posts about sudden oak death.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:55 PM | 0 comments |

Friday, April 16, 2004

Weevils Wobble

When you go through all the trouble of importing non-native insects into your state as a biological control, you want to be sure they're doing their job. That's why researchers were relieved to discover what's been behind the decline in effectiveness of two South American weevil species that were introduced to control burgeoning populations of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in Florida. According to this report in Agricultural Research magazine, the culprit is a strain of microsporidia that is infecting the weevils (Neochetina eichhorniae and N. bruchi), causing loss of life and a major decrease in reproductive rates. Now that scientists know what's killing the weevils, they are looking into ways to control the microsporidia, including cold treatments and drugs. Microsporidia themselves are sometimes employed as biocontrol agents.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:52 PM | 0 comments |

Thursday, April 15, 2004

Infected Blog

Sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum) is threatening to take over this blog! The discovery of the fungus in California nurseries and subsequent bans and quarantines of California nursery stock across the U.S. has been the subject of several ISW posts over the past couple of weeks. As I mentioned in Monday's post, articles in the L.A. Times indicated that the USDA was poised to override the strict quarantines imposed by some states. Now this article from Yahoo! Finance sheds more light on the situation. The bulk of the article is about what the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers (CANGC) wants the USDA to do, i.e. let them sell plants that are not known to carry the fungus or that are fungus-free. In reality, all that the USDA has done so far is implement their own restrictions (.pdf) on the movement of potentially infected plants, including stock from nurseries outside the 12 quarantined California counties. Bonus points to Yahoo! Finance for using SOD's scientific name, but they lose them all for the bizarre absence of the common name "sudden oak death."

Jennifer Forman Orth 6:10 PM | 0 comments |

Wednesday, April 14, 2004

Mass Invaders!

I cordially invite all of you to visit the new Mass Invaders website. Developed in conjunction with an invasive plants poster given to teachers at the MEES conference this past March, the site is chock full of information about 12 species that many of you are likely to recognize, even if you're not from New England. Be sure to check out the photo gallery for each species, and click on the "About" link for information about how teachers can get their own copy of the poster.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:59 PM | |

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Happy Birthday, Blog!

The Invasive Species Weblog is 2 years old today. The biggest change since I began blogging (way back in 2002 :-) is that rather than hunting for information to post, I now spend my time choosing between 5-10 invasive species stories that hit the news on a daily basis. It is great to see the increase in invasive species coverage in the media, and also the better general availability of online news sources.

Jennifer Forman Orth 1:29 PM | 0 comments |

Monday, April 12, 2004

Sudden Oak Death Update

Oregon and Indiana have quarantined plants grown in California that could be carrying sudden oak death fungus (Phytophthora ramorum). This brings the total number of states restricting imports to at least 12 13 since the disease was discovered in two California nurseries one month ago (Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, plus the 4 listed here).

Update to the Update: Seems California is not happy about all those states quarantining California nursery stock, especially with the spring planting season about to burst into full bloom. I have been waiting for this to break in the general media, but for some reason only the L.A. Times is reporting on it (sorry, free registration required). One story from March 31st describes the negotiations between the USDA and Florida regarding that state's strict quarantine of potentially-infected plants. Now this story from April 10th describes an impending ruling by the USDA that will supersede all state rulings regarding the transport of plant species susceptible to sudden oak death. I will post a link to the new USDA regulations, which are expected to be less strict than those imposed by several states, as soon as I can find them online.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:55 PM | 0 comments |

Sunday, April 11, 2004

REEF-er Madness

The Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF :-) recently posted this report (.pdf) about the aquarium trade pathway on their website. There are actually many reasons to check out the main REEF website as well, especially the "Exotic Species Sighting Program." Anyone can sign up to report non-native marine fish species spotted during diving or scuba expeditions, and entries are recorded in a database which the general public can query.

Thanks to a member of the ALIENS-L listserver for posting a link to the report.

Jennifer Forman Orth 11:17 PM | 0 comments |