Wildlife October 2009

[Anthony Darby]

Gosh Hans. I didn't know these had been introduced into Mallorca? A far more environmentally friendly approach to the mosquito problem, perhaps?

[Maggi Young]

Are the Gambusia affinis not fresh water fish? I'm surprised there are enough areas of freshwater in Mallorca to sustain enough fish to help the "mozzie" problem.......somehow I always think of the islands as being rather "water poor", if you know what I mean. 

[Arykana]

sunbathing

[Hans A.]

Once Malaria was common in the area S' Albufera which has the largest marschland on Mallorca http://www.mallorcaweb.net/salbufera/ - if Gambusia had anything to do in resolving this problem I do not know, but I doubt this species caused any dramatic damages and might be an important source of food for Natrix maura, Emys orbicularis and a lot of birdspecies - on Mallorca did not exist any freshwaterfish before this one was introduced and no native amphibians in this habitat.
Other introduced animals may cause bigger problems.

[Anthony Darby]

Once Malaria was common in the area S' Albufera which has the largest marschland on Mallorca http://www.mallorcaweb.net/salbufera/ - if Gambusia had anything to do in resolving this problem I do not know, but I doubt this species caused any dramatic damages and might be an important source of food for Natrix maura, Emys orbicularis and a lot of birdspecies - on Mallorca did not exist any freshwaterfish before this one was introduced and no native amphibians in this habitat.
Other introduced animals may cause bigger problems.

Quite so Hans. This little fish can survive in tiny volumes of water, and with global warming, malaria may spread north. Aedes aegypti (the mosquito that carries yellow fever) is one of the few species with a distribution that is limited by the winter isotherms and if the northern hemisphere one moves north.....?!!!

Here is a glowworm larva crossing the sand near Son Baulo, Mallorca. It feeds on snails, which were plentiful elsewhere, seen here on Asphodelus microcarpus.

[mark smyth]

The Caucasus are on TV right now 9pm Sunday. A one hour programme on Sky channel 527

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Mark! 

[Anthony Darby]

Do you mean the Caucasus Mark?

[mark smyth]

Yes. I was over excited and in a hurry to let others know

[Anthony Darby]

Here are a couple of Death's head hawk (Acherontia atropos) larvae feeding on a large prickly solanaceae which had bright orange fruits.

[Paul T]

Very cool caterpillars, Anthony.  Fascinating to see the glowworm too.

[Ragged Robin]

I've seen glowing glowworms at night but never the real thing - very handsome in black - how does it actually produce 'the glow' Anthony? 

Your photos of Death's head hawk (Acherontia atropos) larvae feeding are great - were you looking for it or did the sunlight catch it and reveal it's perfect camouflage?

Seems you had a really interesting holiday in Mallorca

[Armin]

Anthony,
a quite rare moth / caterpillar  , at least valid for Germany. Interesting are the color variations of the caterpillar, from green, yellow to brown, sometimes with more or less markings.
In my youth I found the quite big Death's head hawk caterpillar feeding on potato (solanum tuberosum).
But this is already long time ago...

[Anthony Darby]

I've seen glowing glowworms at night but never the real thing - very handsome in black - how does it actually produce 'the glow' Anthony? 

Your photos of Death's head hawk (Acherontia atropos) larvae feeding are great - were you looking for it or did the sunlight catch it and reveal it's perfect camouflage?

Seems you had a really interesting holiday in Mallorca

Robin, it is a chemical reaction which produces a cold light. East of the Rhone you also get the related fireflies, where the male also flashes, and in flight. As there are only a couple of species of glowworm in Europe, they don't need a 'code' and just glow. In the tropics different species flash different patterns of light. There are even predatory mimics that attract prey by copying their flash-pattern.

[Paul T]

There is a glowworm grotto a couple of hours north of here in the Southern Highlands at Bundanoon.  I have no idea how widespread they are here in Aus, but I have been to see them at night before up at Bundanoon.  Very, very cool.