Ο άγνωστος κόσμος των Λειχήνων - Όταν η φύση ζωγραφίζει με μεράκι - Του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου - Εφημερίδα πολίτης 3/2/2019

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 Άρθρα του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου (162) στην εφημερίδα Πολίτης – George    Konstantinou Articles at Politis newspaper from 24/9/2017 – 1/11/2020

All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

 Κείμενο, φωτογραφίες, του Γιώργου Κωνσταντίνου

Οι λειχήνες είναι περίεργοι οργανισμοί και αποτελούν μια πρωτόγονη κατηγορία οργανισμών που φαίνονται σαν να προέρχονται από ένα άλλο πλανήτη, πολλοί άνθρωποι δεν γνωρίζουν τι είναι οι λειχήνες και που μπορούν να τις βρουν. Οι λειχήνες είναι μια σύνθετη μορφή ζωής και είναι μια συμβιωτική συνεργασία δύο ξεχωριστών οργανισμών που ανήκουν σε 2 διαφορετικά βασίλεια, αλλά λειτουργούν ως μία βιολογική μονάδα, ενός μύκητα και ενός άλγους (φύκος). Στο σχηματισμό αυτό μετέχουν από την πλευρά των φυκών, τα κυανοφύκη ή τα χλωροφύκη και από τους μύκητες οι "δισκομύκητες" ή οι "βασιδιομύκητες". Κατά τη συμβίωσή τους ο μύκητας τρέφεται από τις οργανικές ουσίες που παράγουν τα πράσινα κύτταρα των φυκών, ενώ το φύκος παίρνει ανόργανα συστατικά από τον μύκητα. Ο κυρίαρχος εταίρος είναι ο μύκητας, ο οποίος δίνει στις λειχήνες την πλειοψηφία των χαρακτηριστικών του, από το σχήμα του μέχρι τα καρποφόρα του σώματα. Το φύκι μπορεί να είναι είτε ένα πράσινο άλγη είτε ένα μπλε-πράσινο άλγη, γνωστό και ως κυανοβακτήριο. Πολλές λειχήνες  έχουν και τους δύο τύπους φυκών. Στην πραγματικότητα είναι ένα σύνολο πολλαπλών οργανισμών που λειτουργούν ως ομάδα για να ικανοποιήσουν τις βασικές ανάγκες τους για τη ζωή. Τα κύτταρα των φυκιών περιέχουν χλωροφύλλη, που τους επιτρέπει να ζουν σε καθαρά ανόργανο περιβάλλον παράγοντας τα δικά τους οργανικά μείγματα. Ο μύκητας προστατεύει το φύκος από το να ξεραθεί και σε μερικές περιπτώσεις του παρέχει ανόργανη ύλη από το υπέδαφος.

Οι λειχήνες είναι όμορφες, συναρπαστικές και τις βρίσκουμε παντού από τους δρόμους της πόλης μέχρι στο χώμα, σε κορμούς δέντρων, σε ξυλώδη φυτά, σε βράχους, σε πέτρες, σε ξερολιθιές και τοίχους και πάντα σε υγιή και καθαρά περιβάλλοντα. Οι λειχήνες των δέντρων δεν είναι παράσιτα και δεν τρέφονται από αυτά, απλά τα χρησιμοποιούν ως σπίτι τους. Συνήθως είναι οι πρώτες που εγκαθίστανται σε μέρη με έλλειψη χώματος, αποτελώντας μερικές φορές την μόνη βλάστηση σε ορισμένα ακραία περιβάλλοντα όπως σε μεγάλα υψόμετρα βουνών και ψηλά γεωγραφικά πλάτη. Μερικές επιζούν σε σκληρές συνθήκες ερήμου και άλλες σε παγωμένα εδάφη αρκτικών περιοχών. Μερικές λειχήνες έχουν την μορφή φύλλων, άλλες καλύπτουν το έδαφος σαν κρούστα, άλλες είναι θαμνώδεις μορφές και άλλες έχουν ζελατινώδη εμφάνιση. Όπου κι αν βρίσκεστε, υπάρχουν λειχήνες σχεδόν σε κάθε περιβάλλον.

Στην πραγματικότητα οι λειχήνες είναι μερικοί από τους πρώτους αποικιστές που θα ξεκινήσουν την εξέλιξη της ζωής σε ένα νέο χώρο. Είτε πρόκειται για ένα εγκαταλελειμμένο χωματόδρομο, ένα πεζοδρόμιο, είτε για μια πρόσφατα δημιουργημένη πλαγιά, οι λειχήνες είναι συχνά ανάμεσα στις πρώτες μορφές ζωής που εμφανίζονται σε μια νέα περιοχή. Οι λειχήνες είναι πολύ σημαντικές για την δημιουργία και ωρίμανση  οικοσυστημάτων.

Οι λειχήνες είναι σχετικά αργές στην ανάπτυξή τους και είναι μακρόβιοι οργανισμοί  με μερικά είδη να θεωρούνται από τους παλαιότερους ζωντανούς οργανισμούς στον πλανήτη. Ένα είδος της Αρκτικής που ονομάζεται "map lichen" (Rhizocarpon geographicum) έχει χρονολογηθεί σε 8.600 χρόνια, προφανώς είναι ο παλαιότερος ζωντανός οργανισμός στον κόσμο. 

Πολλά είδη λειχήνων είναι ευαίσθητες στην ανθρώπινη μόλυνση. Έτσι μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν ως ζωντανοί οργανισμοί δείκτες μόλυνσης. Επειδή οι λειχήνες απορροφούν τις τοξίνες από τον αέρα, μια μεγάλη ποσότητα τοξινών μπορεί να σκοτώσει μια λειχήνα Αυτό σημαίνει ότι πολλά είδη αναπτύσσονται αργά σε περιοχές με σημαντική ατμοσφαιρική ρύπανση, όπως οι πόλεις. Πολλοί επιστήμονες χρησιμοποιούν συχνά λειχήνες ως δείκτες της μέσης ποιότητας του αέρα σε μια συγκεκριμένη περιοχή. 

Όταν αναπτύσσονται σε βραχώδη εδάφη, μερικές λειχήνες σταδιακά αλλοιώνουν το υπέδαφός τους εκκρίνοντας οξέα που διαλύουν τα ορυκτά, συμβάλλοντας στην διαδικασία αποσάθρωσης κατά την οποία οι βράχοι μετατρέπονται σταδιακά σε χώμα το οποίο οι λειχήνες μπορούν στη συνέχεια να το χρησιμοποιήσουν για να πάρουν θρεπτικά συστατικά, γενικά όμως τρέφονται μέσω της φωτοσύνθεσης που εκτελούν τα φύκι. Ενώ η συμβολή τους αυτή στην αποσάθρωση είναι συνήθως καλή για την δημιουργία νέων εδαφών, μπορεί να δημιουργήσει όμως προβλήματα (μακροχρόνια) σε ανθρώπινες πέτρινες κατασκευές όπως αγάλματα και τοίχους.  

Οι λειχήνες αναπαράγονται με σπόρια που απελευθερώνονται με διάφορους τρόπους ανάλογος του είδους. 

Στην Κύπρο υπάρχουν μέχρι στιγμής καταγραμμένα πάνω από 400 διαφορετικά είδη λειχήνων αλλά πιθανών να υπάρχουν περισσότερα από 1000 είδη, ακόμα αυτός ο τομέας δεν έχει μελετηθεί εκτεταμένα και σίγουρα πολλά είδη της Κύπρου θα αποτελούν νέα είδη για την επιστήμη. 

Οι λειχήνες αποτελούν μια σημαντική πηγή τροφής για αρκετά φυτοφάγα ζώα όπως ελάφια, τάρανδους και για πολλά είδη σαλιγκαριών κυρίως του γένους  Albinaria (Clausiliidae).

Τα διαφορετικά είδη λειχήνων τα συναντούμε σε πολλά σχήματα, μεγέθη, χρώματα και αποχρώσεις (κίτρινο, κόκκινο, άσπρο, γκρίζο, πορτοκαλί, πράσινο, μαύρο, γαλάζιο και πολλά άλλα). Μπορεί κάποιος να διακρίνει από μακριά τις λειχήνες σε ένα βράχο καθώς φαίνονται τα χρωματιστά κυκλικά και άλλα σχήματα των λειχήνων. Μπορεί σε μια μικρή πέτρα που χωράει στην χούφτα σου να υπάρχουν πέντε ή και περισσότερα είδη λειχήνων με διαφορετικά χρώματα. 

Λόγο της μεγάλης ποικιλίας ειδών, των χρωμάτων και την μεγάλη  ομορφιά που έχουν οι λειχήνες έχουν προσελκύσει ένα πολύ μεγάλο αριθμό ανθρώπων ανά τον πλανήτη που ασχολούνται παθιασμένα με την εύρεση, φωτογράφιση και ταυτοποίηση των ειδών αυτών. 

Την επόμενη φορά που θα βρεθείτε έξω στην φύση κοιτάξετε προσεκτικά τους βράχους, τις πέτρες και κορμούς δέντρων και θα δείτε αυτούς τους υπέροχους οργανισμούς που πραγματικά μοιάζουν με μοναδικούς πίνακες ζωγραφικής που η φύση ζωγράφισε με πολλή μεράκι. ψάξετε να τις βρείτε και θα είναι σαν να ανακαλύπτετε ένα νέο άγνωστο κόσμο σχεδίων και χρωμάτων. 

Γιώργος Κωνσταντίνου

Από άρθρο μου στην εφημερίδα Πολίτης

Επικοινωνία fanigeorge@hotmail.com. Τηλ 96376823

Πολλά διαφορετικά είδη λειχήνων συμβιώνουν μαζί η μια  δίπλα στην άλλη πάνω σε πέτρες και βράχους. 

The citrus leafminer - Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton, 1856 - Cyprus

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All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

List of Moths of Cyprus you will find in this blog (Lepidoptera)

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Gracillariidae

The citrus leafminer (Phyllocnistis citrella) is a moth of the family Gracillariidae. It is also known as CLM in agriculture. It was described by Henry Tibbats Stainton from India in 1856. It was first found in Florida, United States, in 1993, but is now found all over the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Corsica, Costa Rica, Cuba, India, Israel, Madeira, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka and other parts of the United States.The wingspan is about 5 millimetres (0.20 in).The larvae are considered a serious agricultural pest on Citrus species, such as Aegle marmelos, Atalantia, Citrofortunella microcarpa, Citrus limon, Citrus paradisi, Citrus maxima, Fortunella margarita, Murraya paniculata and Poncirus trifoliate. Larvae have also been recorded on Garcinia mangostana, Pongamia pinnata, Alseodaphne semecarpifolia, Loranthus and Jasminum sambac. They mine the leaves of their host plant. The mine consists of a long epidermal corridor with a well-marked central frass line. The mine is mostly lower-surface, but sometimes upper-surface, and rarely on the rind of the developing fruit. Citrus leaf miner larvae are thus protected from many topic insecticide treatments. Pupation takes place in a chamber at the end of the corridor, under an overturned part of the leaf margin.

Citrus leafminer (CLM) are native to Asia and are found throughout the continent and beyond. Japan, the Philippines, New Guinea, India and Taiwan are some of the countries in which the pest is distributed. The pest is not exclusively found in these countries having spread to nearly every citrus growing area in the world. Recent spread into North and South America was reported in the early 1990s. This is especially important because major citrus growing operations are found in Brazil and the US. These two countries account for half of the world's citrus production From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllocnistis_citrella

Photos Strovolos / Demetris Kolokotronis 06.09.22

Common green lacewing - Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens, 1836) - Χρύσωπας - Cyprus

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Order: Neuroptera

Family: Chrysopidae

Chrysoperla carnea, one of the species of common green lacewing, is an insect in the Chrysopidae family. Although the adults feed on nectar, pollen and aphid honeydew, the larvae are active predators and feed on aphids and other small insects. It has been used in the biological control of insect pests on crops.

Chrysoperla carnea was originally considered to be a single species with a holarctic distribution but it has now been shown to be a complex of many cryptic, sibling subspecies. These are indistinguishable from each other morphologically but can be recognised by variations in the vibrational songs the insects use to communicate with each other, which they especially do during courtship.

Description

The green lacewing eggs are oval and secured to the plant by long slender stalks. They are pale green when first laid but become gray later. The larvae are about one millimetre long when they first hatch. They are brown and resemble small alligators, crawling actively around in search of prey. They have a pair of pincer-like mandibles on their head with which they grasp their prey, sometimes lifting the victim off the leaf surface to prevent its escape. The larvae inject enzymes into the bodies of their victims which digest the internal organs, after which they suck out the liquidated body fluids.[citation needed] The larvae grow to about eight millimetres long before they spin circular cocoons and pupate.

Adult green lacewings are a pale green colour with long, threadlike antennae and glossy, golden, compound eyes. They have a delicate appearance and are from twelve to twenty millimetres long with large, membranous, pale green wings which they fold tent-wise above their abdomens. They are weak fliers and have a fluttery form of flight. They are often seen during the evenings and at night when they are attracted by lights.[4][unreliable source?] The high green sensitivity of the superposition eyes allows the green lacewings to recognize fresh green leaves that they use to find honey dew produced by aphids, a site for egglaying and a resting place

Distribution and habitat

Chrysoperla carnea is an exclusively European species. However, due to taxonomic revisions to the genus, in particular the Chrysoperla carnea species group, the exact geographic bounds of the species remain in question. As of 2009, two of the primary candidates for the true C. carnea are designated as Cc2 ("slow motorboat") and Cc4 ("motorboat"). Cc2 is the more restricted of the two candidates, only extending from central Spain north to England and east to Greece and Hungary. Cc4 is more widespread, ranging from the Southern Alps to the north through the United Kingdom and into the southern portion Fennoscandia and to the east to western or central Russia. Both candidates also differ in terms of habitat, with Cc2 being restricted to warmer elevations of below 1,000 meters whereas Cc4 is more tolerant of the cold and ranges into elevations above 1,000 meters

The green lacewing adults overwinter buried in leaf litter at the edge of fields or other rough places, emerging when the weather warms up in spring. Each female lacewing lays several hundred small eggs at the rate of two to five per day, choosing concealed spots underneath leaves or on shoots near potential prey. The eggs are normally laid during the hours of darkness.

The larvae hatch in three to six days, eat voraciously and moult three times as they grow.They feed not only on aphids but also on many other types of insects and even prey on larger creatures, such as caterpillars. They can consume large numbers of prey and completely destroy aphid colonies. When food is scarce they turn cannibal and eat each other.[citation needed] After two to three weeks, the mature larvae secrete silk and build round, parchment-like cocoons in concealed positions on plants. From these, the adults emerge ten to fourteen days later. The length of the life cycle (under 4 weeks in summer conditions) is greatly influenced by the temperature and there may be several generations each year under favourable conditions. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysoperla_carnea

Photo Geri 2005 by George Konstantinou

Ventocoris trigonus (Krynicki, 1871) .- Cyprus

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All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Pentatomidae

Pentatomidae is a family of insects belonging to the order Hemiptera, generally called shield bugs or stink bugs. Pentatomidae is the largest family in the superfamily Pentatomoidea, and contains around 900 genera and over 4700 species.[1][2] As hemipterans, the pentatomids have piercing sucking mouthparts, and most are phytophagous, including several species which are severe pests on agricultural crops. However, some species, particularly in the subfamily Asopinae, are predatory and may be considered beneficial.

Photo Geri 2005 by George Konstantinou

Velia (Plesiovelia) affinis Kolenati, 1857 - Cyprus

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Order: Hemiptera

Family: Veliidae

Veliidae is a family of gregarious predatory insects in the suborder Heteroptera. They are commonly known as riffle bugs, small water striders, or broad-shouldered water striders because the segment immediately behind the head is wider than the rest of the abdomen. The genus Rhagovelia is also referred to as a ripple bug.

Veliidae have a specialized body plan that allows them to walk on water and are neuston. Gerridae is another closely related group that is also neuston and both are in the superfamily Gerroidea. Veliidae are smaller however, between 1.5 and 6 mm (0.059 and 0.236 in). They can be found on ponds, near lake shores, and in rivers worldwide. Some species can also be found on plants near water, in salt water or in mud flats.

Life cycle

Like all Heteroptera, the Veliidae go through an egg, nymph and adult stage. They have four or five nymphal instars. Both the adults and nymphs live together gregariously, in loose communities and can often be found in large groups. Eggs are usually laid underwater, attached to the stream bed, rocks or plant material and held together by a gelatinous substance. In most species females lay under 30 eggs. Nymphs are very similar to adults, but have one segmented tarsus on mid and hind leg as opposed to the adults' two. Some species prefer rapids or riffles in streams but many prefer calmer water.

Distribution

Veliidae is the largest gerromorphan family and has almost 1173 species and 66 genera. The present distribution of these species points to two centers of origin: one in the Indo-Malayan region and another on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. The geographical distance between these points is probably due to continental drift. And now they are present across all continents (except Antarctica).

Description

Veliidae are very similar to Gerridae. The most consistent characteristic used to separate these two families are internal genitalia differences, however external cues are usually sufficient to tell the families apart.

A general description is as follows: an oval to elongate body covered with hydrofuge hairs. Wings can be present or absent; when present the wings range from well devolved to vestigial. The four segmented antennae is longer than the head and readily visible. The antennae is non-aristate. The eyes are usually large, but there are no ocelli.

Males and females can be differentiated by the fore tibiae. Males have smaller tibiae with a grasping comb, as opposed to the larger plain female tibiae.

Water walking

Veliidae can walk on water because they take advantage of the high surface tension of water and have hydrophobic legs that distribute their weight across more water.

Although Gerridae typically have longer legs, Veliidae also have legs that spread out the weight over a relatively large area. Thousands of hydrofugal hairs also coat the entire body, mitigating potential problems incurred by water contact: air bubbles, trapped among the tiny hairs if the insect is submerged, lift the insect towards the surface again. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veliidae

Photo by Michael Hadjiconstantis

Sunn pest or corn bug – Eurygaster integriceps Puton, 1881.- Cyprus

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Order: Hemiptera

Family: Scutelleridae

Eurygaster integriceps is a species of shield bug in the family Scutelleridae, commonly known as the sunn pest or corn bug. It is native to much of northern Africa, the Balkans and western and central Asia. It is a major pest of cereal crops especially wheat, barley and oats.

Morphology and biology

The colour of the sunn pest varies but it is usually light brown. The body is a broad oval about 12 millimetres (0.5 in) long. The scutellum is wide and chitinous and covers the wings and the whole abdomen. The insect lives for about a month during which time the females lay twenty eight to forty two eggs. These are laid in batches each having two neat rows of seven eggs, on the underside of leaves and on the stems of the host plant, or sometimes on weeds. The eggs take six to twenty eight days to hatch and the nymphs moult five times while they feed on the leaves, stems and ears of cereal crops for the next twenty to forty five days. They grow fastest at an air temperature of 20–24 °C (68–75 °F). The second and third instars have a pale abdomen and dark head and thorax. The fourth instar has the rudiments of fore wings and the fifth instar, the rudiments of hind wings as well.

Distribution

The sunn pest is found in Northern Africa, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria[1] and Romania. In Asia it occurs in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. In Russia it has spread into the central and Volga Basin regions, the Northern Caucasus, the Chelyabinsk region and Bashkortostan.

Ecology

The adults mostly overwinter in leaf litter in woods but some find refuge among rough vegetation. When the temperature reaches about 13 °C (55 °F) they seek out cereal crops, start to feed on the stems, leaves and developing seed heads, mate and lay their eggs. There is only one generation each year so adults and nymphs can be found feeding together on the ripening grain. If the insects are not fully developed when the crop is harvested, some nymphs and young adults feed and mature on fallen grain and other crop residues before flying off to their winter quarters. In Syria, they spend about nine months in hibernation. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurygaster_integriceps

Photo 2005 by George Konstantinou

Seed Bugs – Lethaeus sp. - Cyprus

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All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Rhyparochromidae

Photo 2005 by George Konstantinou

Seed Bugs – Heterogaster sp. - Cyprus

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Order: Hemiptera

Family: Heterogastridae

Heterogaster is a genus of seed bugs in the family Heterogastridae. There are about 11 species, nine of the Old World, and two of the New World

Photo 2005 by George Konstantinou

Planthoppers - Reptalus sp. - Cyprus

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All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Family Cixiidae (Cixiid Planthoppers)

A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, a group exceeding 12,500 described species worldwide. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However, planthoppers generally walk very slowly. Distributed worldwide, all members of this group are plant-feeders, though few are considered pests. The infraorder contains only a single superfamily, Fulgoroidea. Fulgoroids are most reliably distinguished from the other Auchenorrhyncha by two features; the bifurcate ("Y"-shaped) anal vein in the forewing, and the thickened, three-segmented antennae, with a generally round or egg-shaped second segment (pedicel) that bears a fine filamentous arista

Photo 2005 by George Konstantinou

Pill-bug - Armadillidium vulgare Latreille, 1804 - Cyprus

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All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Order: Isopoda

Family: Armadillidiidae

Armadillidium vulgare, the common pill-bug, potato bug, common pill woodlouse, roly-poly, slater, doodle bug, or carpenter, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.

Description

Armadillidium vulgare may reach a length of 18 millimetres (11⁄16 in), and is capable of rolling into a ball when disturbed; this ability, along with its general appearance, gives it the name pill-bug and also creates the potential for confusion with pill millipedes such as Glomeris marginata. It can be distinguished from Armadillidium nasatum and Armadillidium depressum by the gap that A. nasatum and A. depressum leave when rolling into a ball; A. vulgare does not leave such a gap.

Ecology

Armadillidium vulgare is able to withstand drier conditions than many other woodlouse species, and is restricted to calcareous soils or coastal areas. It feeds chiefly on decaying plant matter, but also grazes lichens and algae from tree bark and walls.

It is able to regulate its temperature through its behaviour, preferring bright sunshine when temperatures are low, but remaining in shadow when temperatures are high; temperatures below −2 °C (28 °F) or above 36 °C (97 °F) are lethal to it. A. vulgare is less susceptible to cold during the night, and may enter a state of dormancy during the winter in order to survive temperatures that would otherwise be lethal.

Distribution

The native distribution of A. vulgare ranges across Europe, especially in the Mediterranean Basin. In the United Kingdom, A. vulgare is very common in southern and eastern England, but is more confined to coastal areas in the north. Similarly, in Ireland, A. vulgare is common in the south and east, but rarer in the north and west.

A. vulgare has also been introduced to many locations in North America, where it may reach population densities of up to 10,000 individuals per square metre (900 individuals per square foot). It is now one of the most abundant invertebrate species in California coastal grassland habitats. It has also been introduced, to a lesser extent, to sites across the world.

Relationships with humans

Because of their unusual yet non-threatening appearance, some Armadillidium vulgare are kept as pets in areas throughout the world. Different lineages are bred, usually in regards to color, in order to provide stock to hobbyists. One supposed variation, "Punta Cana," is often referred to as Armadillidium sordidum, while others insist it is a variety of A. vulgare.[10] Keeping a pet pill bug requires a very moist habitat with limited light and abundant decaying botanical matter. They can often live up to three years. Among non-hobbyist adults, they are often seen as unwanted (but essentially harmless) home pests.

Mitochondrial genome

Most metazoans have circular mitochondrial genomes, but A.vulgare has an unusual combination of both circular and linear mitochondrial DNA. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armadillidium_vulgare

Photo 2005 by George Konstantinou

Odontotarsus sp.- Cyprus

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All about Cyprus - Όλα για την Κύπρο

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Scutelleridae

Hemiptera (/hɛˈmɪptərə/; from Ancient Greek hemipterus 'half-winged') is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to around 15 cm (6 in), and share a common arrangement of piercing-sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera

Photo 2005 by George Konstantinou

Shore earwig, tawny earwig, riparian earwig, or the striped earwig - Labidura riparia (Pallas, 1773). - Cyprus

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Order: Dermaptera

Family: Labiduridae

Labidura riparia is a species of earwig in the family Labiduridae characterized by their modified cerci as forceps, and light tan color. They are commonly known as the shore earwig, tawny earwig, riparian earwig, or the striped earwig due to two dark longitudinal stripes down the length of the pronotum. They are sometimes wrongly referred to as Labidura japonica, although said species is actually a subspecies, Labidura riparia japonica, found only in Japan. L. riparia are a cosmopolitan species primarily in tropical to subtropical regions. Body size varies greatly, ranging from 16 mm to 30 mm, with 10 abdominal segments. Males and females differ in forcep size, with males having much larger and stronger curve, while females have smaller, straighter forceps with a slight curve at the end. Earwigs use these forceps to assist in predation, defense, sexual selection, courting and mating, and wing folding.

L. riparia are a subsocial earwig with complex maternal habits. They are voracious predators, and highly regarded as efficient for pest control in many situations. Repugnitory glands in the earwigs cause them to secrete a foul smelling pheromone to deter predators, which is said to smell like decomposition.

Males of this species have two penises in which they can use interchangeably.[8] Individuals have a preference on which they dominantly use though. Just like humans’ limb dexterity, L. riparia have a 90% prevalence of “right-handed” penises. This unequal proportion is unique to this species compared to all other earwigs, and may have a relationship with the spermatheca location on females.

The striped earwig prefers dark, moist environments with shelter that it can hide in during the daytime. They can be found in a variety of niches though, from cultured and uncultured farmlands, woodlands, and the margins of ponds and lakes. To save energy, the earwigs will occupy abandoned mole cricket burrows for brooding nests. Individuals are known to fly after a disturbance in search of a new nest as theirs may have become waterlogged or destroyed. Flight towards light has been observed due to their methods of orientation via the moon.

L. riparia are generalist predators whose diet consists entirely of insects or scavenged meat. They have a preference to Lepidoptera larvae and insect eggs, but will eat any available insect. The earwig may use its long and powerful cerci to kill and immobilise larger insects. Because of their flexible eating habits, they easily adapt to any habit as long as there are insect around. In absence of a ready food supply, they have been known to eat nymphs and eggs of their own species. As nocturnal insects, earwigs only hunt after sunset, but feed primarily just after sunset occurs. Feeding habits of females depend more on their ovulatory cycle, and will go long periods of time without eating in preparation of egg laying.

The primary predator to L. riparia is ants, as they prey on unattended eggs. Overlap of predation does occur between organisms though as the earwigs prey on the ant eggs as well, the effect of ants on earwigs seems to be greater than the reverse relationship, as populations of earwigs increase if the ants decrease.From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labidura_riparia

Photos Alaminos 2005 by George Konstantinou

Plant bugs - Deraeocoris (Deraeocoris) rutilus (Herrich-Schäffer, 1838) - Cyprus

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Order: Hemiptera

Family: Miridae

Deraeocoris is a genus of plant bugs in the family Miridae. There are at least 210 described species in Deraeocoris.

Photo Geri 2005 by George Konstantinou

Distoleon tetragrammicus (Fabricius, 1798) - Cyprus

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Order: Neuroptera

Family: Myrmeleontidae

Distoleon tetragrammicus is a species of antlion in the subfamily Myrmeleontinae.

Distribution

Distoleon tetragrammicus is widespread in the western Palearctic realm and it is present in most of Southern Europe and in North Africa.

Habitat

This species can be found in a wide range of habitats, from coastal dunes to mountain forests, mainly in arid and sandy areas, in oak and pine forests and in various calcareous wasteland with minimum moisture. The larvae avoid exposed sites as coastal dunes

The adults of Distoleon tetragrammicus greatly resemble dragonflies or damselflies. They have a wingspan of about 75 millimetres (3.0 in). The front wing can reach a width of 26–40 millimetres (1.0–1.6 in). They have thick, prominent, apically clubbed antennae, a long, narrow abdomen and two pairs of long, transparent, multiveined wings, with some brown and opaque spots. This species is sometimes confused with Myrmeleon formicarius.

The larvae do not look anything like adults. The length of a fully grown larva is typically 12–22 millimetres (0.47–0.87 in).[8][9] The basic body color is dark brown with darker markings. The head is dark brown. The strong dark brown mandibles do not show long bristles outside the margins. Pronotum is covered by large black setae and short bristles. The dorsal side of abdomen has a series of circular markings and a characteristic dorsal median stripe. Mesothoracic and abdominal spiracles are brown. Legs may be yellowish or whitish.

The adults of Distoleon tetragrammicus appear in the middle of the summer and fly from June to August. They are attracted to light. The life cycle begins with oviposition by the female into sand. Larvae of this species don't build craters or pit traps. They live buried in dry ground and may be errant. They are voracious predators, feeding on small insects and other small arthropods that they catch with their powerful jaws. After one year the larva retreats into a cocoon and metamorphoses into an adult From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distoleon_tetragrammicus

Photo by Michael Hadjiconstantis