Category: Publications

Publication of the Atlas of Mosquitoes of Luxembourg

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian Ries

The atlas contains an updated map of the invasive East Asian bush or rock pool mosquito Aedes japonicus.

Schaffner F., A. Weigand & C. Ries, 2023. – Atlas and catalogue of the mosquitoes (Diptera, Culicidae) of Luxembourg. Ferrantia 87, Musée national d’histoire naturelle, Luxembourg, 117 p. [PDF 5.2 MB]

The Atlas of the Mosquitoes of Luxembourg has just been published in the Ferrantia series of the National Museum of Natural History and describes 28 species (31 taxa) of culicides found in the Grand Duchy.

Mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, Usutu or West Nile, have come back to the forefront in both human and animal health. To prevent outbreaks, it is necessary to acquire a solid knowledge of the mosquito fauna in the considered area. Therefore, and since the mosquito fauna of Luxembourg was only partially known, we suggested the construction of the first comprehensive mosquito diversity and distribution database for the Grand Duchy as a base for an atlas. This atlas of the mosquitoes of Luxembourg assembles a taxonomic list and species distribution maps.

The Atlas was developed in the framework of the MosquitoLUX (2019-2022) project implemented under the auspices of the Fondation faune-flore at the Scientific Research Centre of the National Museum of Natural History in Luxembourg. The Fondation faune-flore was the host institution and administrative manager of the project.

Funding consortium :
• 50%: National Museum of Natural History, Departments of Ecology and Zoology
• 25%: Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development
• 25%: Directorate of Health

 Page content last updated on 2023-03-27. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2023-03-27.

Publication of leaflets on Fallopia japonica and Impatiens glandulifera

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian 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.

Field Guide to Invasive Alien Species in European Forests

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian Ries

The Slovenian Forestry Institute has published a Field Guide to Invasive Alien Species in European Forests which was translated to English and made available as PDF file.

This guide was first prepared in Slovenian, within the framework of the project Awareness Raising, Training and Measures on Invasive alien Species in forests (LIFE ARTEMIS), which is funded by the European Commission in the framework of the LIFE financial mechanism, the Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia, the City of Ljubljana and the Slovenian Research Agency.

Kus Veenvliet, J., P. Veenvliet, M. de Groot & L. Kutnar (eds.). 2019. A Field Guide to Invasive Alien Species in European Forests. Nova vas: Institute Symbioisis, so. e.; Ljubljana: The Silva Slovenica Publishing Centre, Slovenian Forestry Institute. [PDF 32 MB]

 Page content last updated on 2019-12-12. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-12-12.

Publication of a guide for the identification and management of invasive alien plant species on construction sites

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian Ries

The Luxembourg Nature and Forestry Administration has published a guide on the identification and management of invasive alien plant species on construction sites. The 88-page guide is written in French and can be useful to other concerned parties such as biological stations, municipalities and other state administrations that are active in other activities such as nature sites, the development and maintenance of green spaces and along roads.

The guide can be ordered or downloaded from the following web page: https://environnement.public.lu/fr/publications/conserv_nature/plantes_exotiques_envahissantes.html

Citation: Pfeiffenschneider M. et al., 2019. Guide d’identification et de gestion d’espèces de plantes exotiques envahissantes sur les chantiers. 88 pp. Administration de la nature et des forêts (éd.).

 Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.

Increasing understanding of alien species through citizen science

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian Ries

In July 2018 a group of countries launched a European CO-operation in Science and Technology (COST) Action to address multidisciplinary research questions in relation to developing and implementing Citizen Science (CS), advancing scientific understanding of Alien Species (AS) dynamics while informing decision-making, specifically implementation of technical requirements of relevant legislation such as the EU Regulation 1143/2014 on IAS. It will also support the EU biodiversity goals of embedding science within society. The Action will explore and document approaches to establishing a European-wide CS AS network.

All details in the following publication:

Roy H, Groom Q, Adriaens T, Agnello G, Antic M, Archambeau A, Bacher S, Bonn A, Brown P, Brundu G, López B, Cleary M, Cogălniceanu D, de Groot M, De Sousa T, Deidun A, Essl F, Fišer Pečnikar Ž, Gazda A, Gervasini E, Glavendekic M, Gigot G, Jelaska S, Jeschke J, Kaminski D, Karachle P, Komives T, Lapin K, Lucy F, Marchante E, Marisavljevic D, Marja R, Martín Torrijos L, Martinou A, Matosevic D, Mifsud C, Motiejūnaitė J, Ojaveer H, Pasalic N, Pekárik L, Per E, Pergl J, Pesic V, Pocock M, Reino L, Ries C, Rozylowicz L, Schade S, Sigurdsson S, Steinitz O, Stern N, Teofilovski A, Thorsson J, Tomov R, Tricarico E, Trichkova T, Tsiamis K, van Valkenburg J, Vella N, Verbrugge L, Vétek G, Villaverde C, Witzell J, Zenetos A, Cardoso A (2018) Increasing understanding of alien species through citizen science (Alien-CSI). Research Ideas and Outcomes 4: e31412. https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.4.e31412

 Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.

Spot the cherry laurel – A citizen science survey with children

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian Ries

The children’s magazine Panewippchen, edited for the members of the Panda Club of the Luxembourg National Museum of Natural History, has published an interview with Dr Christian Ries, curator of the Department of Ecology:

  • Schaltz, Michèle, 2017. Fuerschung am ‘Natur Musée’: Ekologie. Panewippchen 4: 6-11. [PDF 2.2 MB]

The last page of the article encourages the young readers to participate in a citizen science survey concerning the recent spread into the wild of the cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.), a common garden plant in Luxembourg, mostly planted to build hedges. Fruits can be dispersed over long distances by birds.

Interested children are asked to look in the forests around their neighbourhood, the evergreen cherry laurel being very easy to spot in winter time, when trees and shrubs lose their leaves.

The children are asked to send the following basic information to :

  1. How many cherry laurel individuals have been spotted?
  2. Where were they spotted (using GPS of portable devices)
  3. Observer’s name, age, address and email address.

 Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.

Publication of a leaflet on Ambrosia artemisiifolia

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian Ries

In autumn 2016 the Department for the Environment of the Luxembourg Ministry of sustainable development and infrastructures edited a leaflet in German and French about Ambrosia artemisiifolia, in co-operation with the National Museum of Natural History and efor-ersa ingénieurs-conseils. It can be downloaded here in PDF format (4 MB each).

More information on the Common Ragweed in Luxembourg can be found in a dedicated article on this website.

flyer-cover-de   flyer-cover-fr

 Page content last updated on 2020-03-30. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-12.

Information leaflet on Vespa velutina

Posted onAuthorDr. Christian Ries

Vespa-velutina-flyer-1st-pageThe Asian predatory wasp (Vespa velutina), also known as the Asian Hornet or yellow-legged hornet, is a species of hornet indigenous to Southeast Asia, particularly the tropical regions, from Northern India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Indo-Chinese peninsula and surrounding archipelagos.

As an invader in Europe, the hornet has appeared in France, Spain, Portugal. Further invasions are expected in various countries, including much of Europe.

As it is currently spreading from the south towards the north of France, we expect this wasp species to arrive in Luxembourg quite soon. This is why a leaflet was produced to enable people, and especially bee keepers, to identify the species and report its presence to the authorities.

→ Download the leaflet in PDF format (3,2 MB) (in German)

The leaflet has been produced by:

  • Ministère du Développement durable et des infrastructures
    • Département de l’Environnement
    • Administration de la nature et des forêts
  • Landesverband fir Beienzuucht
  • natur&ëmwelt
  • Musée national d’histoire naturelle, section d’écologie

 Page content last updated on 2020-03-30. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-12.