New And Notable

The EPPO Reporting Service, in the April 2007 issue of their newsletter (.pdf only, unfortunately, so no direct links!), noted the following new arrivals:

• The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is spreading in both the European and Far East parts of Russia. Russian ash trees are not amused...and neither are the people that planted them. The import of many Russian street trees in Russia from Canada is being eyed as one possible vector. There is more information here, if you can read Russian.
• Australia is reporting the first known instances of downy mildew (Plasmopara obducens) infecting Impatiens plants (Impatiens walleriana). Well, "busy lizzy" is an invasive in its own right, so I am not sure how I feel about that one. It cannot be good for the Aussie nursery industry though.
• Germany recently reported the discovery of three newly naturalized aquatic plants in that country: variable-leaved milfoil (Myriophyllum heterophyllum), hygrophila (Hygrophila polysperma), and lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus).

We also have two new aquatic invasive plant discoveries in the USA, courtesy of the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert System:

• Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) has been found in Montana, in the Noxon Reservoir and in the Cabinet Gorge Reservoir as well.
• Yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata) has been found in Nebraska, in a lake in Omaha.

New And Notable

Recent new arrivals in the USA, courtesy of the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert System:

• The brittle naiad, Najas minor, has been reported for the first time in South Dakota, in a lake it has probably been hanging around in since 2003.
• A Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was discovered in the Charles River in Massachusetts. Must have been checking out a free concert, as it was found near the Hatch Shell. The person who discovered it claims he saw more of them in 2006. Uh oh.
• Someone recorded the call of a Rio Grande chirping frog (Syrrhophus cystignathoides) in Louisiana. Normally this species is found only in Southern Texan and Northern Mexico. A range expansion perhaps?
• Puerto Rico has added yet another non-native aquatic plant to its flora: the white water lily (Nymphaea odorata).

New and Notable

Some interesting new arrivals in the USA, courtesy of the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert System:

• Congratulations to Georgia, the recipient of the Australian tubeworm Ficopomatus enigmaticus - only the second record of this species on the East Coast of the US (discovered May 2006).
• As of August 2006, Maine's got yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata) - a whole ton of it covering a pond in Rockport. I guess it's not that surprising since until this record, Maine was the only state in the Northeast US without this aquatic plant.
• Wyoming's got an established population of red-rim melania (Melanoides tuberculatus) in Grand Teton National Park (since June 2006). The mollusk was apparently introduced to the US via the aquarium industry.
• Finally, and as usual, Puerto Rico brings us some new country-level records from the aquarium world:
  • Leopard plecos (Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps) - pretty sure we used to have these in the family fish tank when I was growing up.
  • Chinese algae eaters (Gyrinocheilus aymonieri) - definitely had these, I remember they were jumpers too (used to find them dried up in the carpet - yech!)

New Arrivals

Sorry about the lack of posts, I've been really busy lately. Turns out invasive species have been busy lately too, in the US anyway:

• Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) in Arizona
• The Yellow anaconda has made an appearance in Florida (Eunectes notaeus) - Look out J.Lo!!!
• The bamboo worm (Clymenella torquata), a marine polychaete native to the east coast, has been found established in Washington state. It has previously been found in the UK as well.
• Washington also welcomed reed manna grass (Glyceria maxima). Well, not so much welcomed as targeted for attack later this year :-).
• The titan acorn barnacle (Megabalanus coccopoma) was discovered for the first time in North Carolina. It appears to be an established population. "Titan acorn"...isn't that an oxymoron?
• Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) was reported from a lake in Indiana where it has apparently been established for several years. I think that is by far the furthest inland we've seen that aquatic plant...yikes!

Puerto Rico has got it goin' on again too:

• Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
• Giant apple snail (Pomacea maculata) - first record anywhere in the US or its territories - go PR! You can find more info on the giant apple snail here.

New Arrivals is brought to you courtesy of the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert System.