The Invasion of the Diablos Rojos: Humboldt Squid

MEXICAN fishing fleets call them diablos rojos, or "red devils" - and when Stanford University graduate student Julie Stewart wrestles the first Humboldt squid aboard our research vessel, the Fulmar, in California's Monterey Bay, it becomes obvious why.

This beast is angry, and has flashed from white to a deep maroon. It's nearly 1.5 metres long, including the tentacles, which flail in Stewart's hair until she can offload the catch into a cooler filled with seawater. That only gives the squid ammunition, as it can now fire a powerful jet of water and ink at anyone who strays into its sights.

"Ink in your eye stings," warned Stewart earlier. She is also careful to avoid the animal's sharp beak, which can deliver a nasty bite. Within a minute or so, Stewart and her colleague John Field of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have attached an electronic device to one of its fins. It's time to return the devil to the depths.

We are out on the Fulmar on this bright December day to learn about the animals' movements. When the device detaches and surfaces, it should send a radio signal to reveal its location, and transmit data revealing how the animal has been migrating up and down in the water. This is key to understanding why the Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) has invaded the waters off central California, and how it may affect the region's valuable fisheries.

While the total size of the invading horde is still unknown, observations from autonomous submersibles and sonar indicate that they often swim in dense schools of at least 100 individuals. "We've seen densities as high as eight per cubic metre," says William Gilly, Stewart's supervisor at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove.

Killer ladybird invasion takes hold in Scotland

KILLER alien ladybirds are breeding in Scotland for the first time, experts have discovered.

A larva of a Chinese harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) has been spotted in Glasgow – providing the first evidence that the species is breeding in this country.

Previously, only a handful of the insects have been seen in Scotland, meaning there was hope they would not take hold.

Now experts say there may be little that can be done to stop their spread.

Harlequin ladybirds, introduced from China to control aphids, are larger than our native insects.

They eat native ladybirds, butterfly eggs and other insects, and have caused havoc in other European countries and the south of England.

They spread rapidly, putting other species at risk.

Craig McAdam, conservation officer (Scotland) for Buglife, the invertebrate conservation trust, said the discovery was bad news.

"The possibility that there is now a breeding population of the harlequin ladybird in Scotland is extremely worrying," he said.

"Buglife believes that the issue of invasive species such as the harlequin ladybird should be taken very seriously.

"The consequences of inaction on this issue are potentially highly damaging and costly to reverse."

The harlequin larva was discovered by RSPB Scotland employee and entomologist Norman Storie.

He had been challenged to find another, rare type of ladybird in the city by a friend.

Instead of finding the species he was looking for, a 14-spot, he discovered the 6mm-long baby harlequin.

It was crawling around on top of an electricity street lighting box near Kelvingrove Park in the West End in the sun.

Mr Storie kept the larva, in the hope that it would pupate and turn into a harlequin – so he could prove it was that species. However, it died before that happened.

But experts have been able to identify the species from the larva. The dead larva has been donated to the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow.

A single ladybird can lay 1,000 eggs, meaning there are likely to be further baby harlequins in Glasgow.

The most common form of harlequins in the UK are either orange with 15-21 black spots or black with 2-4 red or orange spots. They were introduced to both America and Europe as a form of aphid pest control in the 20th century.

However, they spread very quickly and there are fears they put other species at risk.

Harlequins were first recorded in Britain in 2004, but are already now widespread in the south of England.

Paul Walton, Head of Habitats and Species for RSPB Scotland, said: "When people move animals and plants around the world and release them, resident wildlife sometimes cannot cope.

"The harlequin ladybird is a new predator introduced by people and might have a significant impact on other wild insects. Little can be done to slow its spread now, but we should see this as a wake-up call.

"We should all be vigilant to prevent the introduction of damaging species outside their natural range, particularly in lakes, rivers and islands."

Robin Payne, invasive species expert at Scottish Natural Heritage, agreed that the harlequin's breeding was very worrying. "It's a matter of serious concern," he said. "Sadly it seemed inevitable that we would find it becoming established in Scotland in time."

The Harlequin Ladybird Survey, which maps the spread of the species in the UK with the help of sightings from the public, describes it as "the most invasive ladybird on Earth".

It warns that the creature has the potential to jeopardise the future of many of the 46 species of ladybird resident in Britain.

Anyone who believes they have seen a harlequin can send a photo to the Harlequin Ladybird Survey for identification.

China strengthens its grip on Uighur Province

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has made public a list of names and photographs of 15 Uighurs wanted for their roles in rioting which killed almost 200 people in the Muslim region of Xinjiang this month.

The Public Security Bureau of regional capital Urumqi issued a notice urging the first batch of fugitives "not to hope that they would be lucky enough to get away with it," state media reported on Thursday. Ah yes, first take away their 'hope'.

Ethnic Violence

In Xinjiang's worst ethnic violence in decades, local Uighur rioters attacked the majority (immigrant) Han Chinese in Urumqi on July 5 after taking to the streets to protest against attacks on Uighurs workers at a factory in south China in June, which left two Uighurs dead. The Hans in Urumqi sought revenge two days later.

The violence left 197 people dead, mostly Han Chinese, and wounded more than 1,600. About 1,000 people, mostly Uighurs, have been detained in an ensuing Chinese government crackdown.

Legal Prosecutions

The notice said leniency would be shown to those who turned themselves in within 10 days and that the punishment would be reduced for those who informed or made "great contributions."

"Those refusing to surrender will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law," the notice said. The government also offered rewards to the public who report on rioters.

In recent days, 253 more people have been detained after being turned in by "local residents of different ethnic groups," state media said.

The Background

Xinjiang has long been a tightly controlled hotbed of ethnic tensions, fostered by an economic gap between many Uighurs and Han Chinese, government controls on religion and culture and an influx of Han migrants who are now the majority in the capital, Urumqi.

Beijing does not want to lose its grip on a vast territory that borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, because it has abundant oil reserves and is China's largest natural gas-producing region.

Indigenous People

Uighurs, a Turkic people who are largely Muslim and share linguistic and cultural bonds with Central Asia, make up almost half of Xinjiang's 20 million people.

The government has blamed the killings on exiled Uighurs seeking independence, especially Rebiya Kadeer, an activist now living in exile in the United States. Kadeer has denied the accusations.

Kadeer told reporters in Tokyo on Wednesday that nearly 10,000 Uighurs involved in the riots went missing in one night and called for an international investigation. China has condemned her visit to Tokyo.
Summary
Could this be the next Tibet? An invasion by any other name?