Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2009, Page 120

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PLANT GALLS AND GALL MIDGES OF THE FAROE ISLANDS IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
The fauna is characterized by isolation of
the islands and has due to its remote
location in the North Atlantic Ocean many
sea birds and marine animals, as well as
various invertebrates and fishes. All terre-
strial animals have been introduced by man.
Originally there were no wild animals at all,
not even toads (Amphibia) or reptiles. This
shortage of animals is probably due to the
isolation and the lack of natural habitats.
Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus), mouse (Mus
musculus) have been introduced to the
islands by man fairly recently from wrecked
ships and hares (Lepus timidus) was intro-
duced deliberately. The wild life is pre-
dominated by birds: 227 species occur on
Faroe Islands, most of them are migratory
birds or stray guests and 68 bird species nest
and breed there. Number of insects is
relatively low in comparison with numbers
in continental Europe but it is increasing in
recent years owing to research works of
many entomologists.
The Natural History Museum in Tórs-
havn, founded in 1955, has an important role
for development of natural sciences and
research in Faroe Islands. Investigations of
research workers of the Zoology Depart-
ment are mainly concerned with the zoology
of the sea. For the past ten years the main
subjects of investigation have been whales
and animals on the sea-fioor (marine
benthic fauna) in the waters surrounding the
Faroe Islands.
Faroe Islands are not too often a desti-
nation of field trips or investigations of
research workers from foreign countries. As
far as we know, nobody collected galls here
and we did not find any reference in the
literature on this topic.
Material and methods
During our stay we went each day for a walk
on the hill-side over Tórshavn at altitudes
about 100-200 m a.s.l. and searched forgalls
on various wild plants growing in grasses and
along numerous brooks. We visited also a
small park in Tórshavn and a small botanical
garden which is a part of the Faroese Mu-
seum of Natural History. We observed trees
and shrubs grown in private gardens in the
town and in the cemetery where we found
some very old specimens of trees (maple,
yew). Although we took great pains to find
some plant galls, the catch was very poor.
Immediately after our arrival in Tórshavn
we exposed three small dishes filled with
water and with a drop of detergent to catch
flying insects. We placed dishes among
grasses just outside the window of our hotel
room. They were situated at the level of our
window and it was possible to control their
content easily directly from our room.
Identification of galls is based on Buhr
(1964-1965), Houard (1908-1909) and Red-
fern et al. (2002); identification of larvae on
Móhn (1955). Nomenclature of gall midge
species is based on Skuhravá (1986, 1989)
and Gagne (2004), nomenclature of erio-
phyid mites on Amrine and Stasny (1994),
nomenclature of host plants on Tutin et al.
(1964-1980). The occurrence of organisms
causing galls and organisms associated with
galls is compared with their occurrence in
other parts of Europe where faunal investi-
gations have been carried out at more than
1800 localities (Skuhravá, 1987,1991,1994a,
1994b, 1997, Skuhravá and Skuhravy, 1998).