Nature|A new alien species was found in the Espoonkartano area, and it is expected to spread elsewhere soon. The species is harmful because it eats elm leaves.
From Espoo a new species of stingray was found. The observation is the first in Finland. A professor at the University of Oulu tells HS about this Marko Mutane.
Mutanen himself found the species in the Espoonkartano area on Thursday. He was originally on his way to Estonia, but unfortunately he had forgotten his passport at home. So he went in search of the species in question in Espoo.
“I thought that if there were any, it would be in Espoonkartano,” says Mutanen.
Mutane and his colleagues are currently writing a book about sawtooth species in Finland. They have named the species found in Espoo yesterday as the elm bark beetle. This is because it is characteristic of the larvae of the species to eat elm leaves.
“The caterpillars make a zigzag pattern on the leaves, which is why their tracks are easily recognizable,” says Mutanen.
Species has spread to Europe in recent decades and is native to East Asia. It has probably arrived in Finland within a few years. It is not a danger to people or animals, but may weaken the elm tree by eating even the majority of the leaves into shreds.
Mutanen says that when a tree has suffered from the bites of a woodpecker, it may be exposed to various pests that eventually kill it. This can have significant financial consequences, as ornamental elms are often grown for hundreds of years.
Elm bark beetle is an asexually reproducing species, meaning it does not need a mate to reproduce. Because of this, Mutanen believes that the sport will also grow very quickly in Finland. It is expected that the number will increase significantly already during this summer.
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