Montgomery County, PA — In a follow up to their 2003 study, The Membrane Domain is accepting input from around the world on the invasion of the Cuckoo Wasp.
“Cuckoo Wasp, common name for a group of mostly small, stinging wasps. Cuckoo wasps are brilliant metallic blue, green, or reddish in color.”
Recent reports show the Cuckoo Wasp has migrated as far north as the Canadian border.
A viewer from Massachusetts wrote, “I am writing in response to your cuckoo wasp article. I just wanted to let you know that I found and caught one of these. I saw it earlier this week, and then again today. I managed to catch it today with a glass cup and have it inside. I tried to get pictures through the cup but the quality is poor. Now, the interesting thing is that I live in Northeast Massachusetts. Beverly, MA is only one half hour from New Hampshire. I find it bizarre to find one this far north. I will let it go soon, if I should.”
See the study: Cuckoo Wasp
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South Jersey Shore, NJ — The Chinese Mitten Crab has been found in the Raritan and Barnegat bays. The crab spends most of its life in fresh water and then migrates to salt water to breed. Unlike most crabs, it walks rather than swims and can travel hundreds of miles including walking over land.
A native of Asia, the Mitten Crab started showing up in the United states starting in 1993. In 2006, it was found in the Chesapeake Bay, By 2007, it was found in the both the Delaware Bay and Hudson Bay. How it got here is uncertain, but identifying it is easy. The claws are covered in fur up to the ends where two white tips stick out. Anybody that catches one is asked not to return it to the water and to call the state’s Marine Fisheries Office.
The effects on the environment are still being studied. “It is too early to tell if they will be a threat. They could all disappear. There are no new sightings in the Chesapeake since 2007, so they could have died off. It could be an intermittent type of thing,” said Linda Barry of he state Division of Fish and Wildlife. Others are concerned that the crabs can clog water intakes and outlets, cause erosion to the banks due to their deep burrows, or have a negative impact on local species.
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