Latest news with #grasshoppers
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
Week in wildlife: A wild elephant, a playful dolphin and fighting zebras
He ain't heavy: two grasshoppers on the Shark Valley hiking trail at the Everglades national park near Miami, Florida Photograph: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA What's the game? A playful dolphin joined a family on their morning swim at Lyme Bay in Dorset, UK Photograph: Lynda Macdonald/SWNS A one-footed white ibis flies over Lake Eola in Orlando, Florida Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty Images Four units at the Gravelines nuclear power plant in Nord, France, were shut down on Monday due to the 'massive and unforeseeable presence of jellyfish' in the pumping stations for the water used to cool the reactors Photograph: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images Volunteers walk across a lagoon at dawn to gather flamingo chicks and place them inside a corral before tagging them with identity rings, marking the 40th anniversary of the ringing event at the Fuente de Piedra natural reserve near Malaga, southern Spain Photograph: Jon Nazca/Reuters Egrets fly among the blooming lotus flowers in Hongze Lake wetland in Sihong county, China Photograph: Costfoto/NurPhoto/Shutterstock A migratory bird perches on a dead tree in a deforested patch in Mida Creek, Kenya Photograph: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images A clownfish takes refuge among a sea anemone's venomous tentacles, gaining protection from predators while also benefiting from feeding opportunities around the anemone in Anemone City, one of the most popular diving spots in the Red Sea, Egypt Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images A local fisher holds a crab in a reforested mangrove area where fish and crab stocks are recovering, in Marereni, Kenya Photograph: Luis Tato/AFP/Getty Images Banned African catfish are buried after Assam police seize a vehicle. The cultivation of the Thai Magur, a type of catfish, is banned because it poses a threat to other fish in an ecosystem Photograph: Anuwar Hazarika/NurPhoto/Shutterstock A sea cucumber in Havannah Harbour, off the coast of Efate Island, Vanuatu Photograph: Annika Hammerschlag/AP A brown bear and her cubs seeking food in a garbage dump in the Sarikamiş district of Kars, Turkey, where the world's only migrating brown bears live Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Lions feast on their prey in the Masai Mara wildlife area, Kenya Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Three white-tailed eagles have successfully fledged from wild nests in Sussex, UK, marking a new high for a reintroduction programme Photograph: Forestry England/PA A dugong, classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, swimming underwater in the Red Sea, Egypt Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Elephants cross a road at Tsavo East national park, Voi town in Taita-Taveta county, Kenya Photograph: Brian Inganga/AP Hammerhead sharks at the Daedalus Reef, on the southern route of the Red Sea Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images A white rhino crosses a dirt road in Limpopo province, South Africa Photograph: Per-A keeper rehydrates a common swift with water at the University Veterinary Hospital Center for Wildlife, Faune Alfort, as a heatwave hits France, in Maisons-Alfort near Paris Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/Reuters An alligator rests near the Shark Valley hiking trail in the Everglades national park in Miami, Florida Photograph: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA Two squirrels frolic in St James's Park during a heatwave in London Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters Zebras tussle as they graze in the plains of the Maasai Mara game reserve in Narok county, Kenya Photograph: Thomas Mukoya/Reuters An oriental garden lizard rests in a garden in Nagaon district, Assam, India Photograph: Anuwar Hazarika/NurPhoto/Shutterstock A pair of wallabies in the English countryside. The small mammal is usually associated with Australia and New Zealand, but sightings have become increasingly common in Britain, with the latest taking place near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire Photograph: Brian Montague/SWNS A woman and a baby watch a three-legged wild elephant walking outside their house in a village near Amchang wildlife sanctuary on the outskirts of Guwahati, India Photograph: Anupam Nath/AP
The Guardian
07-08-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: A flash of tomato-red among the green
This has been a better year for insects in Dorset. Last year there were hardly any in the garden; this summer the long grass on the lawn is zizzing with grasshoppers. Butterflies and moths are more evident too. In a bright flutter of tomato-red wings, the first of this year's Jersey tiger moths appears. It settles momentarily in the lower leaves of a sycamore tree, folding away its brilliant hindwings under cream and black tiger-striped forewings. Only the furry orange tip of its abdomen hints at the vibrant colour concealed beneath, reserved as a warning to flash at predators. Once restricted to the Channel Islands and continental Europe, hence the name, this beautiful species (Euplagia quadripunctaria) has spread gradually along the south coast from Devon and Dorset. It's now found all through the south of England and Wales, becoming relatively common in London and up into Bedfordshire. Butterfly Conservation cites its spread as an indicator of the impact of global heating, a harbinger of how the range of moth and butterfly species in the UK is changing. The spiky-haired caterpillars rely on a variety of plants classified as weeds, including nettle, dandelion, plantain, bramble and ground ivy. Larvae hatch in September and feed until the spring, their bristles gradually changing colour with each moult from brown to ginger. Their generalist diet means they are not reliant on one specific plant species, which is an advantage during winter when food is scarcer. The trend for warmer winters has increased the amount of greenery to be found, and this could be a significant factor in their movement north. Jersey tigers fly by day as well as at night, which makes them more noticeable. Gardens offer an ideal habitat, with a varied mix of foliage in a relatively small area, especially when overgrown, giving the tigers a chance to lurk in the undergrowth. A little untidiness helps them thrive at all life stages, with larvae pupating on the ground in silk cocoons among leaf litter. The two moths I have seen so far were in gardens that were nicely unkempt, their hedges twined through with honeysuckle and the magenta flowers of perennial pea. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
CBC
20-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
2 northern Alberta municipalities declare agricultural disasters due to dry conditions
Two rural municipalities in northwestern Alberta are sounding the alarm over extremely dry conditions that local officials say are threatening the livelihood of many cattle ranchers in the region. On July 8, the Municipal District of Greenview, located about 400 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, declared a municipal agricultural disaster for its livestock industry. With widespread dry weather persisting throughout the region, the neighbouring County of Grande Prairie also declared an agricultural disaster on Friday due to similar concerns for their livestock herds. In a new release on Monday, the M.D. of Greenview stated that the decision was made because of unprecedented drought conditions and significant grasshopper infestations in the region, which are causing hay and pasture lands to fail. Bill Smith, the deputy reeve for the M.D. of Greenview and a fourth-generation rancher, said he can't remember a time when the region saw this many consecutive years of dry conditions. "I've asked some of the old-timers that I know, and none of them say they've ever seen it this bad, because on top of how dry it is, it's these grasshoppers that are just hammering us." The exceptional drought conditions are leaving ranchers concerned they won't have enough hay to feed their livestock, said Smith. "I should be getting 3,000 bales a year, and I'm probably going to hit 500 [bales this year]. Last year, there were about 1,000. This is about as severe as it's gonna get for us." Smith said the dry conditions are being compounded by throngs of grasshoppers that are devouring any new plant growth in the area. "Now, we have these grasshoppers, and they're just flying right now, and they are like a combine going across the field. They're just sucking up any quality [hay] that we have." Tyler Olsen, the reeve for the M.D. of Greenview, said he is very concerned that the local drought conditions will result in a serious lack of feed for the region's cattle herds through the fall and winter. As a result, he said these conditions could force ranchers to preemptively liquidate their herds. "There are producers that are looking at selling already. They just can't make it through the fall with what they have," said Olsen. Olsen hopes that declaring this agricultural disaster will help bring awareness to some of the needs of the municipality's livestock industry from both provincial and federal governments. Parts of the province have been dealing with extended periods of drought and that's taking a toll on some agricultural industries. The municipal district of Greenview in northwest Alberta has declared a state of agricultural disaster for the region's livestock producers. Tyler Olsen is the reeve of the district, and Bill Smith is the deputy reeve for the area, as well as a fourth generation rancher. In an open letter to Alberta's Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson, Olsen asked for the M.D. of Greenview to be included in the regions that are eligible for the federal livestock tax deferral program. He also requested additional mental health support for farmers struggling with the worsening conditions for their livestock. "It's their livelihoods that are failing now, and that's gonna be harsh for them. Their minds are part of the whole thing, and if we can't protect those too, then it's going to be even more detrimental." In a statement to CBC, the provincial Agricultural Ministry stated that it provides grants to multiple organizations that offer agriculture-specific mental health support for farmers. The ministry also said the province is committed to continuing advocacy efforts at a federal level on behalf of livestock producers affected by extreme weather conditions. It said that as a result of this advocacy, more eligible regions in Alberta have been able to access federal financial support. Smith said that many ranchers in the area may be forced to leave the livestock industry entirely due to the current difficult conditions.
CBC
09-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Southeastern Alberta farmers grappling with parched fields, clouds of pests
Cattle rancher Dan Pahl said grasshoppers have "basically taken over" parts of his pasture due to the dry conditions. Environment and Climate Change Canada warns the lack of precipitation is expected to continue through the summer.
Arab News
29-06-2025
- Science
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: ‘Grasshoppers, Locusts, and Crickets of the World'
Edited by Martin Husemann and Oliver Hawlitschek Grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, bush crickets, and katydids make up the order of insects known as Orthoptera. Although there about 30,000 species of Orthoptera around the world, many people pay little attention to them and even scientists know relatively little about them. Yet the world of grasshoppers is a fascinating and diverse one.
