Since being set up in 1998 the Entomological Society of Malta has been revealing biodiversity ‘little by little’, unearthing insect species, some never before recorded in the Malta.
The society has provided data on over 900 different insect species found in Malta. Several thousand more are waiting to be discovered- Anne Zammit
Zoologists go to great lengths to seek out and identify new species while revisiting the ones already known to gather more knowledge on their habits. The insect kingdom outnumbers other animals and plants.
Collecting samples is a labour of love for anyone enthusiastic about recording our biodiversity’s wealth. Useful information about crop pests and insects of medical or veterinary interest becomes available.
In its annual illustrated bulletins over the past four years the society has provided valuable data on over 900 different insect species found inhabiting Malta. It is thought that several thousand more are out there waiting to be discovered.
Eleven insect specialists from Malta are joined by 14 foreign contributors in the latest ESM Bulletin (Volume 4) on ecology, host plants and the distribution of 260 insects found in Malta. Nearly a third of these have been recorded for the first time on these islands.
Picture for a moment the insect hunter with the required paraphernalia needed to track down specimens and possibly discover a new species for Malta… or even new to science.
When investigating aphids, for example, they are careful to keep movement of the plant being inspected to a minimum as at the slightest disturbance these tiny insects are likely to drop to the ground and out of sight. Insect specialists carefully examine shrubs, crops and leafy plants in areas stretching across the entire archipelago.
Examining young, actively growing parts of plants where pests normally feed, the field entomologist gently uses a fine brush to transfer the sample into a vial. Young aphids may also be collected, complete with a small cutting of the plant in a bag for breeding and observation.
Telling two similar aphid species apart can be settled in the laboratory by examining, for example, the difference in length between hairs on their antennae.
In the latest survey, involving painstaking work, sap-sucking aphid species were found on 90 different plants. Forty-eight of these are new records for Malta and Gozo. It is only in the past 15 years that proper studies have been done to update records of aphids and their host plants in the Malta. Aphids may spread plant viruses. The investigation of 99 different aphid species was carried out by David Mifsud and is the result of work involving seven authors, including two University students under his co-supervision.
A certain type of aphid that eats citrus shoots is unique in that it can be heard making a scraping sound when its host tree is disturbed. Another has been observed feeding on the bambinella pear in spring, and then moves to a leafy wild plant as summer approaches.
As predicted in 2009, aphid parasites (natural enemies of aphids) which were imported as a pest control measure in greenhouses, have escaped into the wild. It is thought they may continue to control the spread of aphids in the open.
At the same time the possibility of new species of aphids entering Malta from Italy and North Africa is evident. A number of potential host plants growing here match those in the both regions from where different species have yet to migrate.
For every sample taken, the collector makes a note of the location, date, host plant and other relevant ecological data.
When looking for scarab beetles the procedure would be to sweep bark from under trees or to sift leafy or sandy habitats. Capture methods include taking and raising of larvae or even digging a miniature pitfall trap for the beetle, as prehistoric hunters may have once trapped an elephant. After all, the dung beetle is among the larger beetles and a great recycler to boot.
The decline of grazing animals in Malta seems to have contributed to the disappearance of several beetles associated with dung. Other species of scarab prefer to dine on roots, fungi, carrion and nectar.
Our 54 species of scarab beetle, of which eight are new to Malta, are variously known to appear after the first rains, prefer open pastures and (in at least one species) endearingly show a great deal of parental care.
The paper on scarabs forms part of a PhD work carried out by Ivor Pivotti of the University of Perugia, supervised by Dr Mifsud, and that ultimately involved seven authors. Keys and photographs of each species are provided for identification in the field, even by non-specialists.
New information on flies by Martin Ebejer and a paper on moths by Michael Zerafa and Erik van Nieukerken are also featured in the bulletin.
The second section of the journal entitled Correspondence included three short contributions that highlight important information on single species. Thus, information is provided in this section on a sub-species of moth previously unreported in Malta, on a scale insect of Asian origin and of great economic importance, and on a gall-midge infesting poppy flowers.
The bulletin ends with a section for the young entomologist with information and beautiful colour images of five insects. Among these are the blue-tailed damsel fly found only in Malta, Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily.
With a wingspan of up to 13 centimetres, the Death’s Head Hawkmoth contrasts greatly with the smallest moth known to science, recently recorded in Malta for the first time. Light pollution or excessive use of pesticide spray on potato crops may be behind the decline of this hawkmoth which produces a colourful, horned caterpillar.
It is equally sad to learn that the Meadow Brown butterfly, which once bred abundantly in grassy areas near Għar Lapsi, Għajn Tuffieħa, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq and a number of valleys, is now confined to pockets in Gozo.
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has extended the size of the Natura 2000 network to up to 13 per cent of Malta’s land area. The next step, to produce a management plan for each site, has now begun.
This is a €3.4 million project co-financed by the European Union to protect a wide range of natural habitats and species that live in these sites.
The society’s website is expanding to include a checklist of spiders and mites (Maltese Arthropoda) and invites contributors to submit colour photos or a drawing with details of sitings.
www.entomologicalsocietymalta.org
razammit@hotmail.com