Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1993, Page 72

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PESTS RECORDED IN THE FAROE ISLANDS, 1986-1992
Fig. 13. A green lacewing, Chrysopa camea. Total
length: 20-25 mm.
Mynd 13. Gulleyga, Chrysopa camea. Longd: 20-25
mm.
Year
Fig. 14. Number of specimens brought to the
Museum of Natural History, Tórshavn over
the years, N=257.
Mynd 14. Nøgdin av dýrum, sum Náttúrugripasavnið
hevur viðgjørt, N=257.
3 mm) which live on mould and their oc-
currence is a sign that food supplies are too
moist. They have been recorded 3 times
(0.9%) from October to April.
The final four species to mention here
are the vellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor,
the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunc-
tella, the saw-toothed grain beetle Oryzae-
philus surinamensis and the cadelle or bolt-
ing cloth beetle. Tenebrioides mauritani-
cus, all recorded 1-3 times each.
3. Ectoparasites and other pests causing
physical irritation to humans
In the Faroe Islands, the Nematocera group
Culicidae, the mosquitos, do not occur,
while the group Ceratopogonidae, the mid-
ges are numerous in the summertime re-
presented by 5 species (Pedersen, 1971).
Some members of the group Acarina, the
mites, are ectoparasites on water birds,
especially the Alcacidae, and they also at-
tack man. Faroe Islanders are very familiar
with these ectoparasites in their daily life.
One example is the puffin-tick. Ixodes
uriae, a mite from the puffrn, Fratercula
arctica and other birds of especially the
Alcidae. It is well described by Fristrup
(1942) as an ectoparasite which also affects
people handling the birds. This species
leaves humans after a few bites, or, as is
more usual, it dies when biting and can
cause an itching inflammation. The Muse-
um has only once received one specimen,
even though it is common and well-known
in places with many puffins and guillemots
(Uria aalge). The common Ixodes ricinus,
known from more southerly countries, has
not been a regular member of the natural