In a world generally full of doom and gloom, this week I discovered a wonderful snippet of good news which had dropped into my inbox.
It was an email from Sam, the people engagement officer for the local Species on the Edge team, and concerned one of the rare species which we help to monitor here in Orkney. The Sea Plantain Leaf Beetle is found in only three places within Scotland: Orkney, Shetland and Loch Etive (a sea loch near Oban). As Sam explained, this latter site only had an historical record, so this year Buglife members in Argyll were keen to see if the species was still present. Happily, they found seven beetles at the very top of the loch, in habitat not dissimilar to that here in Orkney, though at sea level not at the top of a windswept cliff.
The population distribution across the country is very disjointed, so the project's next step is to sample beetle DNA to see how genetically different the colonies are.
Next month, Megan and I are travelling south to Edinburgh to attend a gig by Valtos, an electronic Celtic fusion duo. So now seems an appropriate time for a Nature Notes post featuring Valtos (plus guests) and the track Etive.
Thank you for the musical entertainment - not something I would have come across in the ordinary way of things living as I do on the other side of the world to you.
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting for someone to ask in Comments the obvious question. I suppose I could goggle it, but I"d rather a Natural High or Low response: How will anyone get a DNA test from a Sea Plantain Leaf Beetle, especially when the Loch Etive population may consist of not many more than seven beetles?
It's a good question, Beth. And you're correct that it will be tricky to deploy a swab stick into its mouth. There are several options, some more... final... than others. I would hope that it is by finding a dead beetle or failing that the removal of the lower part of one leg. I would agree that the Etive population seems fragile enough without removing a specimen. If we knew more about their life cycle, and could find an empty larval case, I think that would be sufficient (this has worked for dragonflies). I will endeavour to find out. On a different note (sorry), it appears that I have always been interested in fusion music, just not known that's what the genre was. Celtic fusion has opened up my ears to so much. At this point, I'm going to have to ask if you have any fusion recommendations from your part of the world?
ReplyDeleteI do hope technology has a solution for the beetles. It's doing wonders for our endangered birds and mammals here, but I fear the beetles given their size and rarity.
ReplyDeleteAs to fusion music (I'm so old I didn't know it had a label) but I realize now I enjoyed some at out local Multicultural Festival (https://www.karishaandthefunkaars.com.au) and we are very lucky that the National Folk Festival is held here. 9https://www.folkfestival.org.au/). We've had some fabulous Celtic music here over the years, which in turn has influenced all sorts of other groups.