The mammoth wasp

Mammoth wasp Megascolia flavifrons

The mammoth wasp is the largest wasp you will encounter in Malta or for that matter anywhere in Europe. It is also known as the large yellow-banded scolid wasp or just as the scolid wasp.

It belongs to a family of wasps known as scolid wasps. About 200 species are known to exist in the world. Most are predators of beetle larvae and some are important biocontrol agents.

The female mammoth wasp can grow up to 40 or 45 mm long. Males are smaller, reaching a maximum of 30 mm.

It is a very conspicuous insect. It is seen from late spring to early autumn especially in valleys and garigue areas with wild artichoke (qaqoċċ tax-xewk) plants growing in the vicinity. I have also seen on the large pink flowers of the kaffir fig (xuxet San Ġwann).

In spite of its large size and warning colours it is not dangerous and does not pose any threat to humans

Only females have stings. The sting is used mainly to paralyse the white larvae of Europe’s largest beetle; the rhinoceros beetle. She then lays a single egg in the larva’s body. When the egg hatches, the wasp larva starts to feed on the larva’s internal tissues. It eventually kills it and continues eating it until nothing is left but an empty skin. When fully grown the larva forms a cocoon and emerges in spring when the air has warmed up sufficiently.

In Maltese the mammoth wasp is known as qerd iż-żaqquq. Qerd is Maltese for destroyer but I could not find the meaning of żaqquq. I assume that as this wasp kills the larvae of the rhinoceros beetle żaqquq could be a lost name for this insect which nowadays is known as buqarn kbir. 

This article was published in The Times of Malta on 12 June 2013 

Striking bird breeding at GħadiraB

Black winged stilt Himantopus himantopus

The black winged stilt is known in Maltese as fras-servjent. It is an uncommon spring and autumn migrant that is sometimes seen in small flocks. It is easily recognised by its striking white and black pattern and long beak and pink legs.

Several years ago I predicted that some day the black winged stilt would start breeding in Malta. It is common in wetlands around the Mediterranean and couples had been seen taking part in courtship displays at the Għadira Nature Reserve.

In 2011 a pair did build a nest and successfully raising their young in the reserve. Last year no black winged stilts bred at Għadira but this year not one, but three pairs are breeding in the reserve.

This augurs well for the future of this bird as a regular breeder in the Maltese islands.

Black winged stilts are not the only waders to breed at Għadira. In 1995 a pair of little ringed plovers, monakella in Maltese, bred on one of the islands in the reserve. Since then this species has bred successfully every year. An average of six pairs breed in the reserve every year. The little ringed plover can now be listed as a breeding species.

The Għadira and the Simar nature reserves have been instrumental in attracting new breeding aquatic birds such as the coot and little grebe to the Maltese islands.

Other birds such as the little bittern bred once or twice and might become regular breeders in the future while others such as the moorhen and reed warbler had bred outside the reserve before but have now established strong breeding populations in the reserves.

 The success of these reserves is that they have provided habitats which previously did not exist in the Maltese islands. They also provide a safe haven where they can breed without being shot.

Nature reserves are important because they tend to encourage birds to breed in new areas or in new countries. In the UK nature reserves are sometimes called ‘welcome door mats’ because several species breed for the first times in nature reserve and from there move to new areas to establish breeding populations outside the boundaries of the nature reserves.

This article was published in The Times of Malta on 5 June 2013

A rose that loves the sun

Mediterranean sun-rose Fumana arabica

The Mediterranean sun-rose is an indigenous yellow-flowered plant that is at its best in April and early May. In Maltese it is known as ċistu isfar.

It grows in garigue, the rocky arid habitat common in some parts of Malta. It shares this habitat with three other indigenous closely related members of the Cistus family.

The cistuses are also known as rock roses. The family consists of about twenty species many of which are found in the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea as well as in Portugal and the Canary Islands. Most species are yellow, pink or white.

The rock roses are very well adapted to survive in poor soils and dry conditions where many other species would not survive for long. They are also able to survive in areas which are susceptible to fires and they can take over a burnt site before other species of plants can make a foothold.

Nowadays cistuses can be found in gardens well outside their natural range and garden enthusiasts have created several varieties and cultivars.

The thyme-leaved sun-rose (ċistu żgħir), another indigenous species, has similar but smaller flowers and narrow leaves that resemble those of thyme.

Two other two related species are the narrow-leaved rockrose, known in Maltese as ċistu abjad, and the hoary rockrose known as ċistu roża. These species are larger with large beautiful flowers. They are not common and in fact in the Maltese islands the narrow leaved rockrose is restricted to two sites; one in Malta and another in Gozo.

The leaves of some species of rockroses, including the hoary rockrose, produce an aromatic substance which was used in medicine and which is still used in the production of perfumes. Up to the 18^th Century in Crete an instrument shaped like a rake but with leather thongs instead of teeth was passed over the cistus plants to collect  the resin. In ancient times the gum was collected from the beards and thighs of goats and sheep that had been grazing among the cistus plants. 

The common blue

Common blue Polyommatus icarus 

The common blue is a small butterfly. In some areas it can be very common. It can be seen from late winter to early autumn but it is most common in early summer.

Males and females are different. The male has blue upper wings with a bluish base. In females the upper wings are brown with a tinge of blue. The underside of males is grey with some blue at the base while in females it is browner. Both sexes have a number of diagnostic spots on their underwing.

The larva of the common blue feeds on several species of leguminous plants especially trefoils and clovers.

It is found in most of Europe, parts of Asia, North Africa and in the Canary Islands. It was recently introduced in eastern Canada.

The common blue is a member of the lycaenid family. In this family we find over 5,000 species. In Malta seven species are found. All are small with either bluish or brownish upper parts. The common blue is the commonest species.

In Maltese it is known as farfett tal-anġlu.

The lycaenid family is the second-largest butterfly family with about forty percent of all butterflies many of which are threatened with extinction. Sometimes these butterflies are known simply as blues.

Another common species is the Lang’s short-tailed blue, known in Maltese as ikħal tad-denb qasir. This species lays its eggs on the plumbago, a beautiful garden plant, and, is often seen resting in its flowers.

The holly blue, known in Maltese as ikħal fiddieni, is common in areas where its food-plants, the ivy and bramble are common. A good place to see this species is at Wied il-Luq in Buskett.

The long-tailed blue (ikħal tad-denb twil) is not common. Most of the time it can be seen flying low above thyme bushes but visits bean plants to lay eggs.

This article was published in The Times on 15 May 2013

Crystals in the sun

Crystal plant Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

The crystal plant is a rare indigenous plant that grows along the coast in sandy or gravely habitats. It is native to Europe, Africa and western Asia.

This species is also known as the ice plant. It got these names because the entire plant is covered in crystalline bladders which shine in the sun.

It is also known as the mesembryanthemum. This name is derived from its scientific name, but it is so difficult to remember and pronounce that I think that it is hardly ever used. This name was given to it because the flowers open only on sunny days close to midday.

In Maltese it is known as kristallina kbira.

The seeds germinate in winter and the flowers appear in spring and early summer. After the flowering season the plant dies, although, in the right conditions it can survive for another year or more.

The leaves are thick and succulent which helps the plant survive in a salty environment. It forms circular patches of a diameter of about one metre and hardly ever rises more than ten centimetres above the ground.

The thick leaves are edible, as are the seeds which are so small that they are eaten only in emergencies. The plant is also used medicinally. It is used as an anti-inflammatory and is particularly effective for the treatment of the membranes of the lungs and genitourinary system.  

The leaves can be crushed and used instead of soap.

The crystal plant is very rare in the Maltese islands and wild specimens should not be used medicinally or for any other purpose as this could endanger the existence of this species in the Maltese islands.

This attractive plant is sometimes cultivated. The seeds are easily cultivated and it would be a good idea if it was used as an ornamental plant in public areas close to the sea instead of non-indigenous species.

A more common indigenous species is the lesser crystal plant which grows in the same habitat as the crystal plant. Both species accumulate salt in their leaves. When the plants die this salt leaches into the soil and increases the salinity of the surrounding substrate making it for the seeds of less salt-tolerant species to germinate and grow. 

This article was published in The Times of Malta on 22 May 2013

Cathedral spiders

Cathedral spiders build large complicated webs in trees and bushes. This species of spider is very common in the Maltese countryside and the webs are so large that they are difficult to miss once you know about it.

In the Maltese islands, as in other countries around the Mediterranean, the webs are built in prickly pear trees, hence the Maltese name brimba tal-pal tal-bajtar.

Very often several spiders build webs in close proximity to each other creating large colonial webs. It seems that building colonial webs gives the spiders advantages and helps them to better survive in their environment. Very often, colonies are made up of sister spiders which do not move away from the spot where they were hatched.

The webs are built by the female spiders. Males do not eat and die shortly after fertilising a female.

The cathedral spider is found around the Mediterranean and in parts of Africa and Asia.

It is also found in Australia and parts of the Americas. A female cathedral spider is between 10mm and 15mm long.

The male is much smaller, and usually is not larger than 3mm. The colour is variable but black and white is the most common pattern.

The presence of a colony of cathedral spiders can be beneficial to the trees and shrubs as their presence protects the tree from insect pests.

In some cases a heavy presence of spiders has resulted in the loss of leaves from a tree and, in exceptional cases, even in the death of a tree.

This does not seem to be a problem in Malta and the prickly pear trees on which one finds the colonies seem to do very well.

The cathedral spider belongs to the orb spider family. One member of this family, the lobed argiope, brimba kbira tal-widien in Maltese, can frequently be found in the Maltese countryside.

It is particularly fond of valleys and wooded areas, including gardens.

This article was published in The Times of Malta on 29 May 2013

Every bird shot is one nest less

This year’s bird hunting season closed yesterday and not a day too soon; it should not have been opened in the first place.

The common sandpiper that I photographed at the Għadira Nature Reserve last Sunday was a lucky bird.For some years we had become used to the idea of seeing migrating birds reaching our shores and being able to continue their journey north. However, this year, flying over the Maltese islands was like running the gauntlet for many migrating birds.

In spring, adult birds return to their breeding grounds to breed. Every bird shot is one nest less. Legally, hunters were permitted to shoot at turtle doves and quail, and hunting had to stop as soon as the bag limit was reached. Obviously the limit was never reached.

Before this year’s season opened, I was told by a number of hunters that they had no intention of sending an SMS – as they were obliged to whenever they shot a turtle dove – as they had no intention of reaching the bag limit.

Shooting turtle doves should not be allowed by law as in many parts of Europe the bird is in serious decline and needs protection.

To make matters worse, this year many hunters were under the impression that the season was a free for all and openly ignored the law.

Protected birds, including rare species such as the pallid harrier, were shot indiscriminately. Some hunters even ignored the boundaries of nature reserves.

Many hunters made non-hunters, including tourists, feel unwelcome in the countryside. Having somebody glaring angrily at you with a gun in hand is to say the least intimidating.

Last week I was even sworn at while taking pictures of flowers growing along a country path near Rabat.

The shooting of migratory birds in spring brings about a widespread negative reaction that should not be ignored. It is giving Malta a bad image and action must be taken for the sake of the birds and ours.

This article was published in The Times of Malta on 1 May 2013.