Alert system for iNaturalist neobiota observations in place in Luxembourg

Posted on2021-07-272021-08-16AuthorChristian Ries

Since 2021-07-14, an alert system concerning iNaturalist neobiota observations from Luxembourg has been operational. Paul Braun, digital curator at the Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History, has implemented a Python code executed every day at 12:00 CET (= 13:00 local time) which sends an email alert message to key persons in charge of neobiota early detection and surveillance in Luxembourg. Independently from their quality grade, all observations since the day before 00:00 CET until the current day 12:00 CET are compiled and sent to , and thereafter dispatched to a selection of key persons. We chose 12:00 CET to enable a rapid response in case of observations of important species occur on the current morning. Unfortunately, the iNaturalist API does not give the option to choose precise periods for data extraction, which results in an overlap of the periods covered by the alert messages.

If interested, other member states of the European Union are welcome to obtain the code in order to set up a similar alert system for their country. The contact email address is .

Recommendations to iNaturalist: it would be useful to implement the following in future versions of the API:

enable the selection of a specific set of fields needed for a query (currently only complete data sets can be selected, which causes transfer of high data volumes and has a negative impact on climate and environment);
enable precise periods for observation queries.

Example of an iNaturalist alert message

iNaturalist Neobiota Luxembourg update 2021-07-26

9 neobiota species occurrence records have been updated or added in the Neobiota Luxembourg project on iNaturalist.LU since: 2021-07-25

Species	observed on	created on	observed by	quality grade	iNaturalist.LU link
Harmonia axyridis	2021-07-23	2021-07-23	jamija	research	88294335
Harmonia axyridis	2021-07-22	2021-07-22	liial	needs_id	88117244
Harmonia axyridis	2021-07-20	2021-07-20	carla1964	research	87840451
Harmonia axyridis	2021-07-19	2021-07-19	xylocopa	research	87701163
Harmonia axyridis	2021-07-15	2021-07-15	nulu1	needs_id	87128863
Harmonia axyridis	2021-07-15	2021-07-15	nulu1	needs_id	87128655
Lepomis gibbosus	2021-07-11	2021-07-25	alexanderkristiansen	needs_id	88610643
Pacifastacus leniusculus	2021-04-21	2021-07-25	alexanderkristiansen	needs_id	88611675
Harmonia axyridis	2020-06-09	2021-07-22	mia328	research	88089824

Please help validate neobiota species observations on iNaturalist.LU here.
The Neobiota Luxembourg project on iNaturalist.LU can be found here.
The data in this mail was obtained at 13h00 2021-07-26 using the following iNaturalist API link:
https://api.inaturalist.org/v1/observations?project_id=17708&updated_since=2021-07-25&per_page=100&order=desc&order_by=observed_on

An alert system for neobiota observations recorded in the national database on natural heritage Recorder-Lux has been operational since 2019. It triggers an alarm message as soon as an observation is entered in data.mnhn.lu or uploaded to the Recorder-Lux database. It was implemented by Armand Turpel.

Example of a Recorder-Lux alert message

Here are your latest messages from MNHN Indicia Warehouse

Survey	Date	Taxon	Spatial Ref.	Recorded by	Email	Record Status	Verified By
General Recording	03/07/2021	Procyon lotor	61817, 92092	Roland Proess		Pending verification

Thus, most neobiota observations from Luxembourg will trigger an alarm in a timely manner. However, a small gap remains: the observations of invasive alien bird species via the database of the Centrale Ornithologique du Luxembourg (COL) do not yet trigger an alarm in a timely manner. This currently concerns the following 4 bird species: Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata), Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca), Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri).

Posted by C. Ries.

Page content last updated on 2021-08-16. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2021-08-16.

First sighting of Vespa velutina nigrithorax in 2021

Posted on2021-06-162021-06-18AuthorChristian Ries

On Sunday 13 June 2021, a citizen of Rumelange discovered an initial nest of an Asian black hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) and reported it to the Natural History Museum. The initial nests of the native Eurasian hornet (Vespa crabro) look very similar.

Note: This occurrence/detection of an Invasive Alien Species of Union concern named Vespa velutina nigrithorax has been notified on 16 June 2021 by Luxembourg, pursuant to Article 16(2) of R.1143/2014. The EASIN Notification System automatically warns (all the other) European Member States whenever the occurrence/detection of an IAS of Union concern is notified.

Page content last updated on 2021-06-18.

Phytolacca americana L.

Posted on2021-02-152021-03-05AuthorChristian Ries

	American pokeweed	Status LU: established. 1st record: LU <1946, ITW 1980.
	Amerikanesch Kermesbier	Status Eur.: established. 1st record: Med. ~1650. ¹
	Raisin d’Amérique, Teinturier	RA: ISEIA: B1, Watch List. Harmonia+: n/a.
	Amerikanische Kermesbeere	Wikipedia: Wikispecies: \| CABI
	n/a	Back to the list of neophytes

Brief description

Mature Pokeweed in a xerothermic wood in Lower Austria

Phytolacca americana L. is widely naturalised in ruderal sites and in nature-like habitats in southern Europe, extending northwards to central France. Semi-natural habitats colonised include heaths, open woodlands, clearcut areas and forest edges. In Belgium, it is commonly used as an ornamental; it is planted in gardens and public green areas but doesn’t reproduce in the wild so far. Under suitable environmental conditions, the American pokeweed forms dense populations that can outcompete native vegetation and prevent regeneration of forest species. The plant produces toxic saponins (Branquart et al. 2010).

IAS of Union concern

In 2020, Phytolacca americana L. was proposed as a candidate species to join the list of invasive alien species of Union concern.

Status and distribution in Luxembourg

Records of Phytolacca americana L. in Luxembourg. Data source: Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2021-09-22.

The oldest herbarium specimen at the Museum dates back to the 19th century: it is a specimen from Siebenbürgen from the A. Georges herbarium in Gotha found in the Koltz herbarium, probably an exchange specimen (Specimen № 15712, MNHNL 2000-).

The oldest reference to Phytolacca in Luxembourg is found in the Bulletin of the Luxembourg Naturalist Society, when Eugène Beck circulates a sample of Phytolacca […], known from some of Luxembourg City’s ornamental gardens (Anonyme 1946). We assume it to be Phytolacca americana L., as Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. has not yet been observed in Luxembourg. It was first recorded in Belgium in 1960 (Verloove 2021).

The first documentation of the American pokeweed in the wild was recorded in 1980 by Pierre Becker in a fir plantation downstream of Soup in the municipality of Heffingen (Reichling 1985: 136; Obs. key: DSS00465000000CI in MNHNL 2000-).

Grown for ornamental purposes in gardens. Very rare subspontaneous or adventitious; naturalised towards the SW limit of the Flora’s territory: roadsides, waste ground, … The fruits of this species are poisonous, unlike those of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb., which is also grown in gardens for ornamental purposes, but especially for its fruits used as a colouring agent (Lambinon & Verloove 2012: 122).

Risk assessment

ISEIA protocol

B1 (2+2+3+2) = Watch List. First assessed 2021-02-16 by C. Ries & Y. Krippel.

Harmonia+ protocol

Not assessed.

Worldwide distribution

Bibliography

Anonyme, 1946. Comptes-rendus des séances de la Société des naturalistes luxembourgeois. Séances hebdomadaires du mois d’octobre 1946. Lundi, 24 octobre. Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes Luxembourgeois 51 (2): 54.
Balogh L. & M. Juhász, 2008. American and Chinese pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L., Ph. esculenta van Houtte). – In: Botta-Dukát Z. & Balogh L. (eds): The most important invasive plants in Hungary. HAS IEB, Vácrátót, pp. 37–42.
Branquart, E., S. Vanderhoeven, W. Van Landuyt, F. Van Rossum & F. Verloove, 2010. Harmonia database: Phytolacca americana L. Harmonia version 1.2, Belgian Forum on Invasive Species. URL: http://ias.biodiversity.be [accessed on 2021-02-15]
CABI, 2019. Phytolacca americana L. In: Invasive Species Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. URL: www.cabi.org/isc [accessed 2021-02-15]
Lambinon J. & F. Verloove, 2012. Nouvelle flore de la Belgique, du grand-duché de Luxembourg, du Nord de la France et des régions voisines. Sixième édition. Avec la collaboration de L. Delvosalle, B. Toussaint, D. Geerinck, I. Hoste, F. Van Rossum, B. Cornier, R. Schumacker, A. Vanderpoorten et H. Vannerom. Jardin botanique national de Belgique, Meise. CXXXIX + 1195 pp. ISBN : 9789072619884.
MNHNL, 2000-. Phytolacca americana L. in Recorder-Lux, database on the natural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Musée national d’histoire naturelle, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2021-02-15]
Reichling, L. 1985. Travaux de la Société. Séance du 8 mars 1982. Bull. Soc. Nat. luxemb. 85: 135-136.
Ries, C. & Y. Krippel, 2021 [Unpublished manuscript]. First records of 56 invasive alien vascular plants in Luxembourg. MNHNL & Naturpark Öewersauer.
Verloove, F., 2021. Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. On: Manual of the Alien Plants of Belgium. Botanic Garden Meise, Belgium. At: alienplantsbelgium.be, accessed 2021-02-16.
http://alienplantsbelgium.be/taxonomy/term/4773/descriptions

Page content last updated on 2021-03-05. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2021-03-03.

Notes:

The species was introduced around 1650 into the Mediterranean area to be used as a dye-plant (Balogh & Juhász 2008). ↩

Hyalomma marginatum C. L. Koch, 1844

Posted on2020-11-022021-01-27AuthorChristian Ries

	n/a	Status LU: casual. 1st record: 2018.
	n/a	Status Eur.: established.
	n/a	RA: ISEIA: n/a. Harmonia+: n/a.
	n/a	Wikipedia: \| Wikispecies:
	n/a	Back to the list of invertebrates

Brief description

Hyalomma marginatum C. L. Koch, 1844 is a species of tick within the Ixodidae family, with a distribution in subtropical regions of the Old World. The sexual animals (imagines) suck blood from a variety of mammalian species, preferably hoofed animals, but occasionally also from humans. Immature forms occur on a variety of vertebrates, including migratory birds. The species has medical importance as a vector of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and typhus (Wikipedia Bearbeiter, 2020).

This tick has been implicated in the transmission of Bahig virus, a pathogenic arbovirus previously thought to be transmitted only by mosquitoes (Wikipedia contributors 2020).

Status and distribution in Luxembourg

A male Hyalomma marginatum sensu stricto C. L. Koch, 1844 was collected on 2018-08-31 in the city of Dudelange, representing the first record of this species in the country. Subsequent to this finding and its media attention, two further Hyalomma sp. sightings were reported. On 2020-06-14, a male H. marginatum sensu stricto was collected in Beaufort while infesting a horse. After release, the tick very quickly tried to escape and turned towards another horse nearby. On 2020-07-06, a female Hyalomma sp. was found crawling on a horse in Aspelt, which was outside for a maximum of five minutes (Fig. 2b). Both latter ticks were collected from the uppermost interior site of the rear legs of the horse, between the thigh and the belly. It was not possible to identify the female tick further since only images were available (Weigand et al. 2020).

There is no distribution map available because no data has been entered into the Recorder-Lux database so far (MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF 2020).

Risk assessment

No risk assessments have been done to date.

Worldwide distribution

GBIF 2020: https://www.gbif.org/species/4548126

Bibliography

Direction de la Santé, 2016. Attention aux tiques! Comment se protéger? Dépliant. Luxembourg. URL: https://sante.public.lu/fr/prevention/tiques/
GBIF, 2020. Hyalomma marginatum in GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://www.gbif.org/species/4548126 [accessed 2020-11-02]
MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2020. MNHNL-mdata, online portal combining species observation from Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist and GBIF. National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [accessed 2020-11-02]
Weigand, A., J. Teixeira & S. Christian, 2020. First record of Hyalomma marginatum sensu stricto C.L. Koch, 1844 and distribution of Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794) (Acari, Ixodidae) in Luxembourg. Bull. Soc. nat. luxemb. 122 : 253-263. [PDF 1.79 MB]
Wikipedia Bearbeiter, 2020. Hyalomma marginatum. In Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyalomma_marginatum [accessed 2020-11-02]
Wikipedia contributors, 2020. Hyalomma marginatum. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyalomma_marginatum [accessed 2020-11-02]

Page content last updated on 2021-01-27. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-11-11.

Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794)

Posted on2020-11-022021-05-10AuthorChristian Ries

	Marsh tick	Status LU: established. 1st record: 2015.
	Suppenzeck	Status Eur.: expanding from SE-Europe.
	n/a	RA: ISEIA: n/a. Harmonia+: n/a.
	Auwaldzecke	Wikipedia: \| Wikispecies:
	n/a	Back to the list of invertebrates

Brief description

Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius, 1794 is a species of tick within the Ixodidae family. It is the type species for the genus Dermacentor. D. reticulatus is an ornate tick. The female varies in size from 3.8–4.2 mm (unfed) to 10 mm when engorged after feeding. The unfed male is 4.2–4.8 mm long. D. reticulatus is found in Europe and Western Asia, generally in wooded areas. D. reticulatus is a vector of various disease organisms, including Babesia canis, Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetti, Theileria equi, and several Rickettsia species, such as Rickettsia slovaca (Wikipedia contributors, 2020).

As a habitat, the marsh tick prefers humid areas such as riparian forests and moors as well as deciduous forests. Marsh ticks require a summer temperature of 20-22 °C and rainfall of 400-1000 mm. The ticks are cold-tolerant and can survive hard winters. Originally found in Hungary, Austria and northern Italy, the distribution area of the marsh tick has expanded strongly northwards since the 1970s. In Germany, the first natural population was described in 1973 on the Upper Rhine, and it was probably introduced by dogs. There are now free-ranging populations throughout Germany. Likely causes are an increase in natural biotopes, the associated increase in intermediate hosts, and global warming (Wikipedia Bearbeiter, 2020).

Status and distribution in Luxembourg

Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius, 1794 was first documented by Svenja Christian on 17 November 2015 in Wellenstein, municipality of Schengen (MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF 2020).

Between 2015 and 2020, six Dermacentor ticks were collected in the south of Luxembourg (MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF 2020). Previously, these individuals had been identified as Dermacentor marginatus Leach, 1815. However, morphological re-investigation as well as DNA barcoding identified the specimens as Dermacentor reticulatus Fabricius, 1794. Thus only D. reticulatus is known from Luxembourg (Weigand et al. 2020).

The public debate on ticks in Luxembourg

Ticks are a topic of discussion in Luxembourg, both by the authorities (e.g. Direction de la Santé 2016) and by the press (e.g. Weisbrodt 2021). Ticks are regularly the subject of parliamentary questions, e.g. the question on the tick Dermacentor reticulatus submitted by member of parliament Cécile Hemmen in April 2021.

Risk assessment

No risk assessments have been done to date.

Worldwide distribution

GBIF 2020: https://www.gbif.org/species/2183432

Bibliography

Direction de la Santé, 2016. Attention aux tiques! Comment se protéger? Dépliant. Luxembourg. URL: https://sante.public.lu/fr/prevention/tiques/
GBIF, 2020. Dermacentor reticulatus in GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://www.gbif.org/species/2183432 [accessed 2020-11-02]
Hemmen, C., 2021. Question parlementaire n°4143 de Madame Cécile Hemmen du 22 avril 2021 concernant la tique Dermacentor reticulatus au Luxembourg. [chd.lu]
MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2020. Dermacentor reticulatus in MNHNL-mdata, online portal combining species observation from Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist and GBIF. National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2020-11-02]
Weigand, A., J. Teixeira & S. Christian, 2020. First record of Hyalomma marginatum sensu stricto C.L. Koch, 1844 and distribution of Dermacentor reticulatus (Fabricius, 1794) (Acari, Ixodidae) in Luxembourg. Bull. Soc. nat. luxemb. 122 : 253-263.
Weisbrodt, S., 2021. Une nouvelle espèce de tique menace les chiens / Insectes parasites [Dermacentor reticulatus]. L’essentiel du jeudi 2021-04-15: 6. URL: http://www.lessentiel.lu/fr/luxembourg/story/une-nouvelle-espece-de-tique-menace-les-chiens-13030864
Wikipedia Bearbeiter, 2020. Auwaldzecke. In Wikipedia, Die freie Enzyklopädie. Bearbeitungsstand: 28. Oktober 2020, 06:23 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Auwaldzecke [accessed 2020-11-02]
Wikipedia contributors, 2020. Dermacentor reticulatus. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermacentor_reticulatus [accessed 2020-11-02]

Page content last updated on 2021-05-10. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-11-13.

Vespa velutina nigrithorax – Press release of 28/09/2020

Posted on2020-09-292020-10-21AuthorChristian Ries

Since the beginning of September 2020, the first sightings of the Yellow-legged Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) have been reported in Luxembourg. To date, its presence has been noted in Junglinster, Ingeldorf, Esch-sur-Alzette, Schifflange and Beckerich. Originally from South-East Asia, this hornet was introduced to France around 2004, and has since gradually colonised much of Europe, from Portugal to northern Germany.

The risk of stinging remains negligible as long as one does not approach its nest. The Yellow-legged Asian Hornet resembles the European Hornet (Vespa crabro), which is indigenous to Europe.

For more information about the Yellow-legged Asian Hornet and especially the characteristics allowing its identification, do not hesitate to consult the links below.

FR & DE: The press release in French and German
EN: Dedicated page on this website: https://neobiota.lu/vespa-velutina-nigrithorax/
LB: A detailed description on the Luxembourgian Wikipedia

Left: European Hornet (Vespa crabro). Right: Yellow-legged Asiatic Hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax). © Éric Darrouzet.

Page content last updated on 2020-10-21. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-09-30.

Invasive alien freshwater jellyfish Craspedacusta sowerbii spotted in Upper Sûre Lake

Posted on2020-09-212020-10-13AuthorChristian Ries

At the beginning of September 2020, freshwater jellyfish were spotted in the Upper Sûre Lake. Photographs of this jellyfish were sent by divers from the CGDIS Frogmen Group to the Water Management Administration (AGE) and the Nature and Forestry Administration (ANF). This observation made it possible to confirm the presence of the Craspedacusta sowerbii jellyfish in the Upper Sûre Lake.

It is true that the term “jellyfish” is reminiscent of marine species with a stinging nature, which can trigger painful skin reactions, similar to a burn, on direct contact with the animal. The freshwater jellyfish, on the other hand, is a harmless relative. Although it belongs to the group of cnidarians, it is completely harmless to humans.

Originally from Asia, the freshwater jellyfish has spread to other parts of the world mainly due to the introduction of aquatic plants and fish. This invasive alien species is no larger than 25 mm in diameter and prefers calm, stagnant waters that warm up considerably in summer.

As this jellyfish requires temperatures often above 20°C over a long period of time, its appearance takes place from July to October with a peak observed from the end of August to the beginning of September.

It should also be noted that these jellyfish prefer clean water. In the evening, they often come to the surface of the water and can be observed there. They can also be admired when diving at greater depths during the day. These jellyfish have also been reported in other surrounding areas. It is very likely that their proliferation will continue as the climate warms.

The problem of the appearance of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria), which is a real concern in many respects for the Upper Sûre Lake, is a phenomenon totally independent of the appearance of the freshwater jellyfish observed and described in this press release.

If you spot any jellyfish, you can report them at the following address: .

→ Original of the press release by the Nature and Forestry Administration / Water Management Administration

→ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craspedacusta_sowerbii

In 1974, the polyp of Craspedacusta sowerbii had already been discovered in Luxembourg by biologist Jacques Dahm, in the river Sûre near Wasserbillig (Dahm 1974):

Dahm, J., 1974. Die Hydrozoen Luxemburgs. Eine Bestandsaufnahme und Beschreibung der in Luxemburg lebenden Hydrozoen. Luxembourg. Mém. sci. asp.-prof. 232 p.

Page content last updated on 2020-10-13. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-09-30.

Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792)

Posted on2020-04-272021-06-15AuthorChristian Ries

	Pond slider	Status LU: established. 1st record: ?
	Nordamerikanesch Buschtaf-Schmockschillkröt, -deckelsmouk	Status Eur.: established. IAS of EU concern (2016).
	n/a	RA: see subspecies elegans & scripta
	Nordamerikanische Buchstaben-Schmuckschildkröte	Wikipedia: \| Wikispecies:
	n/a	Back to the list of vertebrates

Brief description

Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) is a species of common, medium-sized, semi-aquatic turtle. It has been listed as one of the “Top 100” World’s Worst Invaders. These turtles often fight with native species for food, habitat, and other resources. Eventually they bully many native species out of basking sites – areas where there is sunlight and warmth for the species. When basking it is common that pond sliders will do so on birds’ nests, thereby killing the eggs. They also prey on young birds. Turtles that were raised in captivity can develop diseases that are unfamiliar to native species, which can be harmful. Turtles raised in captivity are often released because they become too much to handle or grow bigger than expected. It’s not uncommon that pond sliders will also run away (Wikipedia contributors 2020).

IAS of Union concern

In 2016, Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) was added to the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (Anonymous 2016) which implies that member states shall take all necessary steps to prevent its unintentional introduction or spread.

Status and distribution in Luxembourg

Records of Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) in Luxembourg. Data source: Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2021-09-22.

Currently, 173 records in Luxembourg are accessible through the MNHNL-mdata portal, when combining the species (145) with its two subspecies, T. scripta scripta (11) and T. scripta elegans (17) present in Luxembourg (MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF 2020).

Invasive pond sliders have been observed climbing the platforms of waterbirds, especially great crested grebes (Podiceps cristatus), to sunbathe, thus preventing successful breeding (Konter 2020: 81).

More details are available on the pages dedicated to both subspecies (see their distribution maps below).

Records of Trachemys scripta elegans Wied-Neuwied, 1839 in Luxembourg. Data source: Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2021-09-22.

Records of Trachemys scripta scripta Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792 in Luxembourg. Data source: Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2021-09-22.

Management

Action plan

→ Finalised Action Plan for Trachemys scripta (De Sousa 2020)

Risk assessment

See the subspecies pages for further details.

Worldwide distribution

GBIF 2019: https://www.gbif.org/species/2443002

Other Trachemys taxa

The pond slider Trachemys scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) has three subspecies (Wikipedia contributors 2020b), of which the first two occur in Luxembourg:

Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792), the yellow-bellied slider;
Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied-Neuwied, 1839), the red-eared slider;
Trachemys scripta troostii (Holbrook, 1836), the Cumberland slider. According to GBIF (2019b) this subspecies is already present in Europe (Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Spain).

Bibliography

Anonymous, 2016. Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2016/1141 of 13 July 2016 adopting a list of invasive alien species of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Official Journal of the European Union L 189: 4-5.
De Sousa, Tiago, 2020. Plan d’action pour espèces exotiques envahissantes au Grand-Duché de Luxembourg: la Tortue de Floride, Trachemys scripta spp. (Schoepff, 1792). Version 2020-09-04. Administration de la nature et des forêts, Luxembourg. 24 pp.
GBIF, 2019. Trachemys scripta (Thunberg In Schoepff, 1792) in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei [accessed 2020-04-27]
Konter, A., 2020. Schmuckschildkröten Trachemys scripla verhindern mehrere Haubentaucherbruten Podiceps cristalus auf dem Echternacher See. Regulus Wissenschaftliche Berichte 35: 81-86.
MNHNL, 2000-. Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) in Recorder-Lux, database on the natural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Musée national d’histoire naturelle, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2020-02-04]
MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2019. Trachemys scripta scripta (Thunberg in Schoepff, 1792) in MNHNL-mdata, online portal combining species observation from Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist and GBIF. National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2020-02-04]
Wikipedia contributors, 2020. ‘Pond slider’, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 8 January 2020, 04:07 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pond_slider&oldid=934733603> [accessed 2020-04-27]

Page content last updated on 2021-06-15. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-04-30.

Publication of leaflets on Fallopia japonica and Impatiens glandulifera

Posted on2020-03-302020-04-06AuthorChristian Ries

In early spring 2020 the Department for the Environment of the Luxembourg Ministry for environment, climate and sustainable development edited leaflets in German and French about Fallopia japonica and Impatiens glandulifera, in co-operation with the National Museum of Natural History and efor-ersa ingénieurs-conseils. They can be downloaded here in PDF format (~ 4 MB each).

More information on → Japanese knotweed and → Himalayan balsam in Luxembourg.

Page content last updated on 2020-04-06.

Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov.

Posted on2020-03-042021-03-05AuthorChristian Ries

	Crimson fountaingrass	Status LU: introduced. 1st record: LU 2019, ITW n/a.
	Afrikanescht Lanterbotzergras	Status Eur.: established. 1st record: unkn. IAS of EU concern (2017).
	n/a	RA: ISEIA: C1. Harmonia+: n/a
	Afrikanisches Lampenputzergras	Wikipedia: \| Wikispecies: \| CABI
	n/a	Back to the list of neophytes

Brief description

Pennisetum setaceum on Kahoolawe Island (Hawai)

Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov., commonly known as crimson fountaingrass, is a C4 perennial bunch grass that is native to open, scrubby habitats in East Africa, tropical Africa, the Middle East and SW Asia. It has been introduced to many parts of the world as an ornamental plant, and has become an invasive species in some of them. It is drought-tolerant, grows fast, reaches 3 feet in height, and has many purple, plumose flower spikes. Fountaingrass has been introduced to the Canary Islands, Sicily, Sardinia, southern Spain, Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, the Western United States, California, southern Florida and New Caledonia. It thrives in warmer, drier areas and threatens many native species, with which it competes very effectively as an invasive species. It also tends to increase the risk of intense wildfires, to which it is well adapted, thus posing a further threat to certain native species (Wikipedia contributors 2019).

IAS of Union concern

In 2017, Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. was added to the list of invasive alien species of Union concern (Anonymous 2017) which implies that member states shall take all necessary steps to prevent its unintentional introduction or spread.

Status and distribution in Luxembourg

Records of Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. in Luxembourg. Data source: Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2021-09-22.

Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. was first recorded in Luxembourg in December 2019 in two public parks: two plantings (15 and 29 m²; 9 specimens) in the municipal park of Hesperange (Signoret 2020: 20) and 5 specimens in the Edouard André Municipal Park in Luxembourg City (ibidem: 24) (MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2020).

Risk assessment

ISEIA protocol

C1 (3+2+2+1). First assessed 2021-02-16 by C. Ries & Y. Krippel.

Harmonia+ protocol

Not assesed yet.

Worldwide distribution

Source: https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/116202#toDistributionMaps

Bibliography

Anonymous, 2017. Commission implementing regulation (EU) 2017/1263 of 12 July 2017 updating the list of invasive alien species of Union concern established by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1141 pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Official Journal of the European Union L 182: 37-39 (13.7.2017).
CABI, 2010. Pennisetum setaceum. In: Invasive Species Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. URL: www.cabi.org/isc [accessed 2020-03-04]
MNHNL, iNaturalist & GBIF, 2020. Pennisetum setaceumin MNHNL-mdata, online portal combining species observation from Recorder-Lux, iNaturalist and GBIF. National Museum of Natural History, Luxembourg. URL: https://mdata.mnhn.lu [Accessed 2020-03-04]
Ries, C. & Y. Krippel, 2021 [Unpublished manuscript]. First records of 56 invasive alien vascular plants in Luxembourg. MNHNL & Naturpark Öewersauer.
Signoret, S., 2020. Inventaire d’espèces exotiques envahissantes dans des arboretums, jardins botaniques et parcs aménagés au Luxembourg. Étude réalisée pour l’Administration de la nature et des forêts, 57 p.
Wikipedia contributors, 2019. ‘Pennisetum setaceum’, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 27 September 2019, 08:25 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pennisetum_setaceum&oldid=918152552> [accessed 2020-03-04]

Page content last updated on 2021-03-05. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2020-03-05.