- An insect that normally inhabits warm countries has been
found living and breeding in the UK, entomologists say.
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- The green "shield" bug, which attacks a broad
range of crops, is usually seen in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Australia,
North America and Africa.
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- Its arrival in Britain is a clear sign of climate change,
claim experts from the Natural History Museum, London.
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- "I'm always reluctant to invoke global warming but
it is the only explanation" said curator of beetles, Max Barclay.
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- Stink bugs
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- The green vegetable bug (Nezara viridula) is similar
to our native green shield bug (Palomena prasina), but is paler in colour
and has a longer, narrower shape. Also, unlike its British cousin, the
green vegetable bug has no brown markings.
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- The insects - sometimes known as "stink" bugs,
because of the foul odour they emit when threatened - are regular stowaways
to the UK.
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- They often get shipped in with imported vegetables but,
until recently, they have not been able to stand Britain's cold climate.
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- Now three healthy colonies have been found in London
- two in the Queen's Park area and one in Kings Cross.
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- "When somebody first brought a specimen to me I
didn't believe it," Max Barclay told BBC News Online. "I thought
somebody had picked it up on their holidays, but it really was eating their
tomatoes in London."
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- Of course, if three colonies have been found, the actual
number is likely to be far higher.
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- "It is not something that is going to attract much
attention," said Dr Barclay. "So there may well be several colonies
living unnoticed."
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- Clear sign
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- This is not the first time an insect that usually likes
warm weather has come to the UK. But the really interesting thing about
the green vegetable bug is that we know it could not survive here in the
past.
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- "World experts on this group said in 1959 that it
can't establish in the British Isles," said Dr Barclay. "They
said it is a regular import - it is always coming in - but it can't live
here.
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- "And for forty years there was no record of it,
so they seemed to be correct. But obviously something has changed now."
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- He continued: "I have been looking at a lot of new
species that have come in over the years - but this is the only one that
tells a clear story about global warming.
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- "In all the other cases people say, 'Is this to
do with global warming?' And we have to say we are not sure. But in this
case we are sure."
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- © BBC MMIV http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3815833.stm
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