Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1993, Page 75

PESTS RECORDED IN THE FAROE ISLANDS, 1986-1992
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The woodlice. Oniscoidea species,
which are in fact crustaceans, show quite
different occurrence pattems. They are
found year-round on the ground floor and
indicate that it is moist (9 records, 2.5%).
Closely related species live in washed up
seaweed, where they provide food for the
wintering birds.
A very sporadicly occurring insect is the
black vine weevil. Otiorrhynchus sulcatus.
It is 'A-l cm long, having browny black
wings with tiny yellowish spots. It enters
houses with pot plants (7 records, 2.0%), is
harmless and usually occurs in small num-
bers.
The Aracnidae groups: the harvestmen.
Opiliones and the spiders Araneae, also
occur in some cases, all 4 records (1.1%)
occurred from March to September.
Results - General remarks
Number of records per year. Pest advice
and identification is a free service given by
the Museum of Natural History. Over the
years, an increasing number of specimens
have been brought to the Museum, with a
peak of 113 in 1992 (Fig. 14). With a total
Faroese population of 46,741 (9 March
1993), the number of inquiries per habitant
isv0.003 (0.3%), which is surprisingly the
same number as in Denmark, where the
Danish Pest Infestation Laboratory treats
15,000 inquiries a year in a population of 5
million Danes.
Island distribution. Faroe Islanders live in
either the capital, Tórshavn, or towns and
smaller villages, in all about 110 settle-
ments on 17 different islands. Since the
Fig. 17. Total number of specimens distributed
according to species. The wood-boring bettle
(N=52); the Australian spider beetle (N=35);
the dark flour bettle (N=26); the bird flea
(N=14); the silverfish (N=14); the book-lice
(N=13); the green lacewing (N=l 1).
Mynd 17. Nøgdin av dýrum býtt eftir slagi. Fýrur,
(N=52); tjóvaklukka, (N=35); tjøruklukka,
(N=26); staraloppa, (N=14); silvurskottur,
(N=14); dustlýs, (N=13); gulleyga, (N=l 1).
Fig. 18. Sirex gigas, a wasp laying eggs in newly
felled timber. Total length: 50-60 mm.
Mynd 18. Sirex gigas, vespa, ið verpur í nýfeld trø.
Longd: 50-60 mm.