Page content last updated on 2019-05-20.
We keep you informed about Invasive Alien Species in Luxembourg
Page content last updated on 2019-05-20.
On November 15th 2018 Jos A. Massard and Gaby Geimer discovered a female of the wandering cribellate spider Zoropsis spinimana on the window of a pastry shop in Echternach (Massard & Geimer 2018). This spider is a new species for Luxembourg and is currently spreading throughout Europe. The detailed up-to-date distribution of the species can be found on the Luxembourgian Wikipedia (Wikipedia-Bearbeiter 2018).
The home of Zoropsis spinimana is the western Mediterranean region up to the southern edge of the Alps and Dalmatia, as well as North Africa, where it occurs in the open in light forests, under stones and bark, or in and around buildings (Wikipedia contributors 2018).
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.
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.
Field of Amaranthus cruentus between Ell and Lannen, 20th September 2017. Photo by Claire Wolff, SICONA.
Amaranthus cruentus L. was first observed in the wild 1 in Luxembourg, on 28th August 2018, on the border of maize fields and a pasture between Ell and Lannen in the Canton of Redange (Midwestern area of Luxembourg).
An on-site inspection on 29th August 2018 revealed that the population extends over 300m at the edge of the fields and at the roadside between the coordinates LUREF 56775 E | 93241 N and 56758 E | 93542 N. Several specimens were deposited in the herbarium of the National Museum of Natural History.
This population is probably a consequence of the cultivation of this species on an adjacent field in 2017, as the photo on the right illustrates.
Photos by Christian Ries, MNHNL, 29th August 2018.
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.
Notes:
On 1 June 2018, the Interregional Parliamentary Council (ICC) issued a recommendation concerning invasive plants and animal species in the Greater Region, following the meeting of Committee 4 “Environment and Agriculture” on 27 April 2018 in Remerschen, Luxembourg.
The Interregional Parliamentary Council
The Interregional Parliamentary Council addresses this resolution:
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.
On Tuesday 7th August 2018 from 18:30 to 20:00, in the frame of its Science Tuesdays series, the National Museum of Natural History organised a scientific walk through the Grund district. Dr Christian Ries, curator of the Department of Ecology, gave explanations about a dozen invasive alien species to the 20 people in attendance. In its edition of 9th August 2018, the Luxembourg Newspaper Journal published a small article about the event.
Anonymous, 2018. Ohne Widerstand – Naturmusée-Führung zum Thema invasive Arten. Rubrik Uechter d’Land. Journal 09/08/2018, p. 19.
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.
A public petition (n°1071) for a public health policy that effectively combats the implantation of tiger mosquitoes, vectors of diseases, in Luxembourg, was introduced on 10th July 2018 and is open to signatures until 19th September 2018 (Bomfim 2018).
Text of the petition (translated from French)
This petition aims to start a debate that will lead to a number of effective actions to combat the implantation of tiger mosquitoes in Luxembourg. This invasive species has no natural predators and can not only unbalance the ecosystem, but also bring tropical diseases to Luxembourg. Among the possible actions that should be discussed as a result of this petition, we can list:
Motivation of the general interest of the petition: The tiger mosquito is a vector of diseases such as dengue, Nile fever and chikungunya. If the invasion of mosquitoes is not controlled, the importation of these diseases will become an additional burden for health services, in days off work and school absence, not to mention a great disturbance for the population and a devaluation of the country’s rural areas.
References
Bomfim, JAS, 2018. Pétition publique n°1071 – Pour une politique de santé publique qui combatte effectivement l’implantation des moustiques tigres, vecteurs de maladies, au Luxembourg. URL: https://chd.lu/wps/portal/public/Accueil/TravailALaChambre/Petitions/RoleDesPetitions?action=doPetitionDetail&id=1274 [08/08/2018].
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.
Source: Wikimedia commons
3 female imagoes of Aedes japonicus (Theobald, 1901) were captured on 4th July 2018 in Stolzembourg in the valley of the Our (Oesling). Field exploration on 1st and 2nd August showed the East Asian bush mosquito is also present in Bivels, Vianden, Wahlhausen and Gemünd (D). Further investigations will be undertaken in August to assess the geographical distribution of the species in Luxembourg.
Aedes japonicus is a mosquito species originally native to Japan, Korea and southern China, and is important for humans as a potential vector of pathogens such as the West Nile virus and of various types of encephalitis viruses.
The species is already established in the Province of Namur (Belgium), in North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate (Kreis Ahrweiler) and Hesse (Germany), and in Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Vosges (France).
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.
The European Commission published today in the Official Journal the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/968 of 30 April 2018 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to risk assessments in relation to invasive alien species.
All language versions are available here: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2018.174.01.0005.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2018:174:TOC
Communicated by the IAS team of the Environment Directorate-General of the European Commission.
Note: All documents and information related to the IAS Regulation can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.
Page content last updated on 2019-11-11. Last proofread by Caroline Grounds on 2019-11-11.