Warm winds have brought several new species of insects and birds to Finnish shores

New species of dragonfly strays into the North

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By Pyry Lapintie
     
      Long-term heat and warm winds have brought to Finland a large number of rare southern birds and insects.
     
The greatest rarity is the Banded Darter (Sympetrum pedemontanum), which has been spotted in Hanko. This find is a European species of dragonfly of the family Libellulidae.
      The Banded Darter, normally associated with south-eastern areas of Continental Europe, has never been found in Finland before. Neither has its presence been recorded in Southern Sweden, nor in Estonia.
      Moreover, only one observation has been made of the insect even in Denmark.
     
When it comes to birds, rarities worth mentioning are for example the Pallas's Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus) and the Black-winged Stilt or Common Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), as well as the Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) and the Woodchat Shrike (Lanius senator).
      All of these are very rare species, of which only sporadic observations have been made in Finland. The Finnish National Rarities Committee always checks all observations.
     
The greatest rarity among insects, the Banded Darter - brought to Finland by the recent hot spells - can be easily identified, as it is a conspicuous and very beautiful species.
      The males of the Banded Darter have a bright red abdomen with broad coffee-brown bands across the outer section of each wing. No other European species of dragonfly has such features.
      The Banded Darter has a slow undulating flight, with the ends of its wings shining in the air.
      According to Information Officer Riku Lumiaro from the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), this kind of migration of rare birds and insects into Finland is possible only as a result of serious heat and long-term southerly and south-easterly winds.
     
Even in other insect groups, dozens of new species have been found that have never been detected in Finland before. The identification of these new species is under way, and the related information is to be released in a couple of weeks’ time.
      According to Lumiaro, it is too early to say whether or not any of the new species will stay permanently in Finland.
      ”Whether or not they will settle in Finland permanently will depend on various factors such as the weather and the future development. If summers like this occur more frequently, they will be here to stay”, Lumiaro notes.
      ”The European Peacock (Inachis io), more commonly known simply as the Peacock Butterfly, has already gradually become quite common in Northern Europe. If further hot spells occur, even the Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix), which has hitherto been spotted only occasionally, could settle down here”, Lumiaro continues.
     
At the same time, many established Nordic species have now been suffering from the heat.
      Such species include for example the Norway lemming (Lemmus lemmus), the Ptarmigan (Lagopus Muta), and the Siberian tit (Poecile cinctus), according to Lumiaro.
      Lumiaro notes further that in the future, these species could be in real trouble, as competition between the species is likely to grow stiffer as the more southerly species start pushing their way north.
     
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 7.8.2010


Links:
  Pallas´s Sandgrouse (Wikipedia)
  Woodchat Shrike (Wikipedia)
  Paddyfield Warbler (Wikipedia)
  European Peacock or Peacock Butterfly (Wikipedia)
  Common Quail (Wikipedia)
  Norway Lemming (Wikipedia)
  Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)
  The Finnish National Rarities Committee
  Banded Darter (Wikipedia)

PYRY LAPINTIE / Helsingin Sanomat
pyry.lapintie@hs.fi