Archaeologia Islandica - 01.01.2010, Page 95

RECONSTRUCTING ASPECTS OF THE DAILY LIFE IN LATE 19TH AND EARLY
20TH-CENTURY ICELAND: ARCHAEOENTOMOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE
VATNSFÖRÐUR FARM, NW ICELAND
vegetation (Larsson & Gígja 1959, 14-18
& 32-42). Patrobus septentrionis prefers
wet grasslands and is abundant in culti-
vated fields in Iceland, even if it is not
truly synanthropic (Larsson & Gígja
1959, 29), while Trichocellus cognatus is
a predator that occurs in hayfields and
pastures (Gudleifsson 2005). Its pre-
ferred habitat seems to be both dry and
damp soils covered with sparse vegeta-
tion (Böcher 1988, 14).
Twelve diving beetles from the family
Dysticidae were identified. Amongst them
were eleven Hydroporus nigrita (Fig. 5),
which are found in varied types of
stagnant and shallow waters in Iceland
(Larsson & Gígja 1959, 48-50).
Two species of the rove beetles
identified at Vatnsfjörður belong in this
group. Omalium riparium is always
found on salt water coasts in seaweed or
carrion (Larsson & Gígja 1959, 61),
while Acidota crenata, is found in
moderately wet fields and grasslands in
Iceland (Larsson & Gígja 1959, 70-71).
The only species belonging to the
Byrrhidae family in this assemblage is
Figure 5. Head, pronotum and elytra of
Hydroporus nigrita found in S-505.
Byrrhus fasciatus, a moss-feeder able to
fly (Larson & Gígja 1959, 158). In
Greenland, this species can be found on
dry soils or river banks, in grasslands,
heaths and even on snow (Böcher 1988,
47). In Iceland, this species appears to
prefer living in mosses, in stony and/or
grassy areas (Larsson & Gígja 1959, 158).
Ladybirds (family Coccinellidae) are
normally associated with plants on which
they hunt their prey (Amett Jr. et al. 2002,
372). Nephus limonii, in this assemblage,
feeds on aphids and mites. In Greenland, it
is often found in association with a variety
of plant communities including birch and
hygrophilous vegetation and in dry heaths,
while in Iceland it prefers dry grasslands,
heaths and river banks (Böcher 1988,
51-52).
Members of the family Curculionidae,
commonly known as weevils, are
polyphagous beetles easily recognizable
by their elongated snouts. Three species,
Otiorhynchus arcticus, O. nodosus, and
Tropiphorus obtusus, were identified in
the Vatnsfjörður samples. O. arcticus is
found mostly in cultivated fields and
grasslands, near lakes, streams or hot
springs, but also in heaths, where it is
associated with luxurious vegetation
(Larsson & Gigja 1959, 187-190). O.
nodosus and T. obtusus live in similar
habitats, but generally prefer wetter
conditions, and are therefore less likely to
be found in heath environments (Larsson
& Gígja 1959, 191-199).
The pests of storedproducts
Members of the families Anobiidae and
Curculionidae identified at Vatnsijörður
include species found in stored products.
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