Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1993, Page 70

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PESTS RECORDED IN THE FAROE ISLANDS, 1986-1992
[ -Q- Ceratophytlus sp.; * book-lice.
Fig. 9. Monthly distribution of pests causing physical
irritation. The bird flea, Ceratophyllus sp.,
(N=14), the book-louse, Copeognatha sp.
(N=13).
Mynd 9.Mánaðarbýtið av skaðadýrum, ið bíta. Stara-
loppur, Ceratophyllus sp., (N=14), dustlýs,
Copeognatha sp. (N= 13).
Fig. 10 The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis. Total
length: 2-3 mm.
Mynd 10. Kettuloppa, Ctenocephalidesfelis. Longd: 2-
3 mm.
domesticus are found on dried fish in Ice-
land (Bloch and Hallas, 1988).
Pests which eat human food, either in the
larger warehouses or the smaller household
stores, can pose economic problems for
both commercial grocers and private
households. Several common species have
been recorded, as well as some occurring
less frequently. Normally the occurrence of
these kinds of pests results in some degree
of expense due to the necessary cleaning,
discarding of affected food, and purchasing
of new stores.
The second most frequently recorded
species is the Australian spider beetle.
Ptinus tectus (35 records, 9.8%). This is
around the same size and colour as of the
wood-boring beetle (Fig. 5), but unlike that
species, the spider beetle does not have a
peak season of occurrence (Fig. 3). The
spider beetle lives in many houses and can
be seen in small numbers throughout the
year, especially in the larders or in other
places where edibles such as dried fish or
meat are stored. Should an empty container
or jar stand in one place for any length of
time, it may act as a trap for this insect.
Spider beetles eat every available dried
food item and they are not normally so
numerous that they cause any significant
damage. This Australian beetle first arrived
in Europe around 1900, where it in many
places has displaced the previous very
common white-marked spider beetle.
Ptinus fur. The Australian spider beetle is
nowadays a worldwide pest, including in
the Faroes. The white-marked spider
beetle, on the other hand, belongs to the
natural outdoor insect fauna in Denmark,
but not in the Faroes, where it has been
recorded only twice (West, 1930; Bengt-
son, 1981).
Another common eater of stored pro-
ducts is the dark flour beetle Tribolium