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The day before yesterday – 27.06.2024, Jens-Kjeld made a search for Puffin thicks (Ixodes uriae) for a new DNA project and 24 hours later he had 2 snuff boxes with a total of 134 thicks from Puffins, which Samson R. Samson had collected. It must be a record and an extraordinarily good example of how important a good network is and how effective Citizen science is.

Ten Spot Ladybird Adalia decempunctata

Egyptian grasshopper Anacridium aegyptium

The Egyptian grasshopper in the picture was found by Gorm Niclassen and Poul Fannar Mittelstein 07.01.2024 on the gearbox of a car that came from Turkey last summer. Another Egyptian grasshopper was found in Fuglafjørður on 10.03.2023, and on 06.02.2024 a third Egyptian grasshopper was found in Tórshavn. All were found alive.

Egyptian grasshopper has striped eyes.

Australian cockroach Periplaneta australasiae

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The larva in the middle of the first photo is probably a Winter moth Operophtera brumata

Gooseberry sawfly Nematus ribesii attacks currant and gooseberry bushes, and it has been a major nuisance since it arrived in the Faroe Islands in about 2003. It has spread over most of the Faroe Islands in the recent years.

Lesser Willow sawfly Nematus pavidus has been present in the Faroe Islands since about 2003. It mostly attacks willows.

Birch shieldbug Elasmostethus interstinctus

When we were in Søltuvík on Sandoy 09.08.2021 we saw a yellow tick swimming in a small lake. Hanna Joensen caught the tick, which Jens-Kjeld put up in a glass of water from the lake. Then Jens-Kjeld carried the tick all the way to Nólsoy; but sadly it was dead the next day. Since we have never seen such a tick before, we asked Leivur Janus Hansen if he might know the species, and he  determined it for us.

Xylotrechus rusticus (Linnaeus, 1758)

This beautiful female beetle was found indoors in Sandavágur on 19 April 2021. It was imported with goods to the Faroe Islands.

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Found indoor in Velbastaður by Hansina Brekkstein 29.01.2021

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Rusty tussock moth Orgyia antiqua

This butterfly female of the species Orgyia antiqua came in our door 12.09.2020. It was found outdoors in Tórshavn. It is a beautiful butterfly that has not been registered in the Faroe Islands before. The female has some very small wings, so it cannot fly. Its life has only one purpose - to get as much offspring as possible, while the male flutters around. When the nest is full, the female dies.
Nature is amazing.

More about butterflies in Faroe Islands

In 2019 Elisabet Thomsen, Sunnvør í Kongsstovu, Hans Atli Dahl & Svein-Ole Mikalsen wrote the article "Ctenolepisma longicaudata (Escherich, 1905): a common, but previously unregistered, species of silverfish in the Faroe Islands". The article shows that Long-tailed silverfish is widespread in the Faroe Islands, which is brand new knowledge for all of us.

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Tanbark borer Phymatodes testaceus

The last time we saw a large invasion of Painted Lady butterflies was May 30, 2009, or 10 years ago.

The first Western Conifer Seed Bug Leptoglossus occidentalis was found in Tórshavn December 17, 2016, by Pætur M. Dahl. Since then Janus Hansen found one in Tórshavn in 2018. I got this photographed from Snæbjørn Hansen on February 4, 2019 - and it was also found in Tórshavn.

Parent Bug Elasmucha grisea

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On December 29, 2018, we got a 5 and a 7 spotted Ladybug from Gudrið Hentze, Hvitanes. Furthermore she gave us a Parent Bug Elasmucha grisea, which is not registered before in the Faroe Islands. All three were found on the imported Christmas tree in the home of Guðrið.
Elasmucha grisea is a species that may breed in the Faroe Islands, as the species lives far north in Scandinavia.

Five-spot ladybird Coccinella quinquepunctata (Linnaeus, 1758)

Crane fly Tipulidae

Millions of Bibio pomonae flew around Tórshavn 23.06.2018. And that's something new.

Bibio pomonae is common on Suðuroy. The oldest record we know about is this: Doctor A. Bergh found a male in Suðuroy in the years 1863-68, when he practiced as a doctor in the Faroe Islands. This male was not registered until 1881 (Hansen 1881).

The first time I saw the Woolly beech aphid was in Tórshavn in 2012. Now in 2018 we see plenty of them, but I don't know if they are survivors from the previous observation or some new invadors.

Read about Phyllaphis fagi

Hide Beetle Dermestes maculatus

Several Hide Beetles were found indoors in Klaksvík 02.05.2018. This is the first time that this species is registered in the Faroe Islands. It was determined by Janus Hansen, Natural History Museum, Tórshavn.

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Read about Bugs, that are found in the Faroe Islands

Read about the Cikadas in the Faroe Islands

27. April 2017 Emily á Reynatrøð found this very beautiful Wasp beetle Clytus arietis in Leirvík.
The Longhorn beetle family contains over 20.000 species. The adult Wasp beetle feeds from pollen and nectar and is therefore very visible and exposed to other insects, that can eat it. Therefore, it has an exquisite camouflage with a very strong pattern and strong colors, so it looks like a wasp.
Its larva lives in and of wood.

This beautiful weewil walked around in our hallway in Tórshavn 12.04.2017.

On January 11, 2017 we got this beautiful 7 mm large Eurydema oleracea which Arnhold Olsen had caught a few days earlier. This is the first registration of this species in the Faroe Islands. Eurydema oleracea is found in most of Europe, Asia and China, where it can do great harm to cabbage plants (Brassicaceae).

Ceratitis capitata feeds mainly on citrus, but is not unusual in peach, pears and apples.

Article about bugs in the Faroe Islands

On July 25, 2014 Gert Norðoy, Viðareiði caught a new Plume moth for Faroe Islands in Viðareiði. Since there are many Plume moth species I immediately sent some photographs to the Danish butterfly specialist Ole Karsholt, who determet, that it was a Platyptilia gonodactyla Den The. & Schiff.

Dinocampus coccinellae (Dinocampus terminatus) uses the ladybird as incubator: The parasitic vasp lay's her egg into the soft belly of the ladybird where it hatches into a larva. After 18-27 days the larva bites a small hole in the abdomen of the ladybird. Then the larva spins a cocoon between the legs of the ladybird, whose body is lying on top of the cocoon, while the larva undergoes its transformation. The wasp comes out of the cocoon after 6-9 days.
The larva brainwashes the ladybird, so it defends the vulnerable cocoon against enemies. The parasite takes control of its host's behavior. That’s why it is called "bodyguard manipulation".

N.B. Ragnhild's family has switched to plastic Christmas tree for the future, but I (Jens-Kjeld) clearly believe, that the "alive" Christmas trees is much more interesting, as there is always far more interesting surprises in the Christmas tree than under the tree!

Update: The first parasitoid vasp of the ladybirds was hatched 22. January 2014. The sting is clearly seen in the pictures where the wasp is on the back. The wasp is very quick in the movements, so it is not easy to photograph.

Breeds in very few number in the Faroe Islands

Christmas Eve 2012 Jórun Biskopstø Simonsen from Klaksvík caught a nice hairy caterpillar on their Christmas tree. 26th December the larvae pupated, and Jórun came to Torshavn and gave me the glass with the cocoon. 10th January 2013 a fly came out of the cocoon, so the larva has apparently been infested with this parasite fly, which is a new species to the Faroe Islands.

Christmas trees are a paradise for people interested in insects (entomology), but they are definitely not good for the Faroese nature.

Ruby Tiger moth Phragmatobia fuliginosa caterpillar (Linnaeus, 1758)

Update: 15. January 2013 four parasite flies hatched from this larva, presumably they are of the same type as the above mentioned from Klaksvík.

Southern Green Shieldbug Nezara viridula (Linnaeus, 1758) found in Faroe Islands

Article about new records of true bugs Heteroptera, found in Faroe Islands

Halyomorpha halys

05.02.2020 Vilhelm Matras found this Halyomorpha halys bug in a box with computers. This is the first observation of Halyomorpha halys in the Faroe Islands.

I caught this beautiful Longhorn Beetle Clytus arietis in my own basement in Nólsoy 20. April 2011. It's name Wasp Beetle comes from the look.

On 13. April 2011 this Vagrant Emperor Anax ephippiger landed on Lúkka and Bjørn Patursson boat, as they were sailing from Koltur to Kirkjubøur. Adrian Parr determined the specie. Vagrant Emperor lives in Africa and Asia and is known for migranting to South- and mideurope. It has breed as North as in Denmark.

15.04.2011 Tekla Atladóttir found a Dragonfly in Hornsbønum on Sandoy. Two days later she and her sister came on a visit together with their father where they handed me the Dragonfly. It appeared to be the second Vagrant Emperor, found in the Faroe Islands in 2011.

Link to relevant article about the subject by Jens-Kjeld and S. Tolsgaard

14-spotted Ladybug Propylea quattuordecimpunctata

Robert Thomsen caught this beautiful Sirex juvencus in Tórshavn 9. July 2007.