FrogCutter

If you live in Venezuela, you can make extra money by hunting North American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). According to this article from The Boston Globe, you can earn 1000 bolivars (about 50 cents) per adult female, less money for males and tadpoles. The froggy roundup is part of an effort to reduce populations of the invasive bullfrogs, which have been observed to decimate biodiversity in the ponds where they take up residence. Read the detailed, well-written article for more about the history of this species in Venezuela (bonus points to the Globe for using the scientific name). For information about North American bullfrogs in Europe, see this site.

Thanks to members of the ALIENS-L listserver for posting a link to the article and the Euro-site.

Aussie Quarantine Officials Get the Boot

Incredibly observant quarantine officials in Australia discovered seeds from the invasive Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata) in the tongue of a work boot, according to this article from news.com.au. The pair of boots was examined during a routine cargo inspection of a shipment from East Timor, and was likely "contaminated" during some sort of field survey. The officials prevented Siam weed from entering the Northern Territory of Australia, where the species is not yet known. The fast-growing plant has already caused problems on a local level when it was found in Queensland, a state in northeastern Australia.

Has your potpourri been bugged?

Alerts have gone out in several states about batches of potpourri infested with adults and larvae of the non-native wood-boring beetle (Chlorophorus strobilicola). The beetles were first discovered last week in batches of scented pine cones being sold at a Target department store in North Carolina. The beetles have since been discovered in Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Georgia's Department of Agriculture is also on the lookout. The pinecones are being sold under several different names, and have been found at both Target and Walmart. Experts recommend that if you think you have purchased contaminated potpourri, you should either return it to the store where it was purchased, or double bag it before placing it in the trash. You can also call a toll-free help line at (888) 397-1517, but this may work only in Florida. There is currently very little information about this beetle species on the web, but I expect that will change over the next week or so. Update: The scented pinecone recall has gone national, and now covers potpourri sold at many different stores. You can read an article on the subject from Pest Control magazine, or view a FAQ from the USDA.

Thanks to a member of the Yahoo! group ma-eppc for posting the original alert.

A Wiki Good Time

Has a new species washed ashore in your town, but you have no idea what it is? Got a new weed in your garden that's not in your field guide? We're here to help. Post images and descriptions to the SpeciesID pages of our Wiki system; the administrator (me) is automatically notified when a page is updated, and will help you if you need to find someone to identify your species. The SpeciesID web will host your images and species descriptions, eliminating the need to send around those gigantic attachment-laden emails. Information about the species will be recorded for anyone in the world to see, a permanent yet evolving record where taxonomists can comment on the validity of an ID, or that someone can use if they think they've found the same species.

Anyone can register to use this Wiki-based system, and everyone is welcome to create new pages or add comments to any of the existing species pages. SpeciesID, maintained by the Morris lab, is still in beta. If you have any questions or comments, you can get help by clicking on the tiny "Send Feedback" link in the bottom right corner of every page.

For an example of the way the SpeciesID web works, see the StinkBugs page.

Hedgehogging

Plans to repeat the culling of West European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles) in spring 2004 has outraged animal rights activists, according to this article from The Herald UK. The Scottish group Advocates for Animals, currently protesting the eradication, apparently staged a "hedgehog rescue mission" to save the critters from a previous death threat. You can read a previous ISW post about this subject here. Update 12/17: You may also want to check out the Uist Wader Project page from the Scottish Natural Heritage Project, where you will find links to fact sheets about the hedgehog invasion and native wading birds, as well as links to commissioned reports on the topic.

Tipping the Scales

Questions about scale insects (Coccoidea)? Check out ScaleNet, a repository of information about the more than 7000 species of these plant pests. As reported by the ARS, Douglass and Gary Miller, creators of the site, are considered experts on the subject, and often consulted if species are found that are suspected to be invasive. You can also read the full article, recently published in the magazine Agricultural Research. There are currently at least 253 invasive scale insect species residing in the U.S.

Milestone 10,000!!!!

The Invasive Species Weblog reached a milestone on Monday: 10,000 hits! Thank you to the user at UC Davis who became the ISW 10,000 visitor, please treat yourself to some virtual confetti and party music!