Difference between revisions of "Mud daubers on Guam"

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http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/conserv/web/index.html
 
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In Australia it was found that damage by mud-daubing wasps subsided after the eradication of feral buffaloes. The disappearance of the buffalo wallows corrected an environmental imbalance and eliminated the supply of mud (Bednarik 1989).
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In Australia it was found that damage by mud-daubing wasps subsided after the eradication of feral buffaloes. The disappearance of the buffalo wallows corrected an environmental imbalance and eliminated the supply of mud (Bednarik 1989).BEDNARIK, R. G. 1989. Priorities in rock art conserva-tion. Pictogram 2(1): 5-6.
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http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/conserv/web/allbio.html
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Nests of mud-daubing insects, however, should be removed (after first wetting them, or during the wet season in the tropics; but see below), because it has been found that existing nests attract new ones (Naumann and Watson 1987).
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NAUMANN, I. D. and J. A. L. WATSON 1987. Wasps and bees (Hymenoptera) on rock faces at Koolburra. Rock Art Research 4: 26-7.
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http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/conserv/web/biolog.html
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Mud-daubing wasps (Hymenoptera) occur commonly in most if not all continents, and the nests of numerous species have been observed at rock art sites. A great variety of different structures (e.g. tubular, sub-hemispherical, polygonal) can even leave pigmented imprints on art panels after their exfoliation. Where bonding of the nest structure by salt precipitation has occurred, exfoliation is likely to remove some of the host rock’s surface. The nests consist of locally derived fine sediment and organic ketones. There is no evidence that these insects erode the rock surface, therefore the damage they inflict on rock art is limited to the exfoliation phase of their nests, but as they tend to attract more nest-building activity the result can be unsightly colonies of such ultimately damaging structures (Naumann and Watson 1987).
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In Guam, the ancient paintings are less well-understood, partly because scientists don't know how old they are. Cave paintings from the ancient Chamorro people appear in several places across the island, but the most interesting ones are at Ritidian Point, on the north coast, said astronomer Rosina Iping of the University of Guam. Dr. Iping stumbled across these paintings a few months ago while hiking; so far they have not been dated.
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The cave sketches include rows of 16 dots, placed horizontally and vertically, which Dr. Iping thinks represent a 16-month calendar based on the stars. Oral histories from the area suggest that the Chamorro may have divided the year into 16 unequal periods based on the rising of a particular group of stars. The rising of Antares, around the winter solstice, began the Chamorro year.
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Nearby sketches appear to show a human figure looking at the Southern Cross, and another at the constellation Cassiopeia, she said. The juxtaposition of the dots with the constellations suggests that the two are both astronomically significant.
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"There is no way of knowing for sure, but it's clear to me that this is a calendar," she said.
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http://www.geocities.com/cvas.geo/paintrock.html
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In both Guam and Paint Rock, scientists hope to find other examples of astronomy in the rock art, and also to better date the paintings. But Dr. Robbins is confident that he'll be able to find more. "I'm sure there's more astronomy out there, but it's just hiding until a trained eye can find it."

Latest revision as of 04:36, 20 October 2006

The following species are in Bourquin's list:

  • Sphecidae
    • Sphecinae, thread-waisted wasps
      • Pison, mud daubers, prey on spiders
        • argentatum, arrived between 1911 and 1936 (Insects of Guam I)
      • Sceliphron, mud daubers, prey on spiders
        • caementarium (Drury)
        • latum Smith
      • Chalybion, mud daubers, prey on spiders
        • bengelensis Dahlbom
  • Vespidae
    • Eumeninae, mason and potter wasps
      • Delta, prey on caterpillars
        • campaniformis gracilis (Sassure)
        • circinalis (F.)
        • esuriens (F.)
        • pyriforme (F.)
      • Rygchium, nest in ground?
        • haemorrihoidale
        • quinquecinctum brunneum (F.)
      • Subancistrocerus
        • domesticus W.

Conservation

http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/a2725892ce2e6e6fca2569de0025c183!OpenDocument

LAMBERT, D. Conserving Australian Rock Art: A manual for site managers. Edited by Graeme K. Ward. Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1989

http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/gipri/web/public/pdf/bibliografiacomentada_parques.pdf

Watson, J.A. & J.M. Flood 1987. Termite and wasp damage to Australian rock art. Rock Art Research 4:17-28.

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=cache:Tkem11_dV5YJ:car.ant.auckland.ac.nz/car/archconf/pdf/spriggs.pdf+rock+art+wasp+damage

Wilson, M., Spriggs, M., and Lawson, E. (2001). Dating the Rock-Art of Vanuatu: AMSRadiocarbon Determinations from Abandoned Mud-Wasp Nests and Charcoal Pigmentfound in Sperimposition. Rock Art Research, 18(1):24–32.Australasian Connections and New Directions

http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/conserv/web/index.html

In Australia it was found that damage by mud-daubing wasps subsided after the eradication of feral buffaloes. The disappearance of the buffalo wallows corrected an environmental imbalance and eliminated the supply of mud (Bednarik 1989).BEDNARIK, R. G. 1989. Priorities in rock art conserva-tion. Pictogram 2(1): 5-6.

http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/conserv/web/allbio.html

Nests of mud-daubing insects, however, should be removed (after first wetting them, or during the wet season in the tropics; but see below), because it has been found that existing nests attract new ones (Naumann and Watson 1987). NAUMANN, I. D. and J. A. L. WATSON 1987. Wasps and bees (Hymenoptera) on rock faces at Koolburra. Rock Art Research 4: 26-7.

http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/conserv/web/biolog.html

Mud-daubing wasps (Hymenoptera) occur commonly in most if not all continents, and the nests of numerous species have been observed at rock art sites. A great variety of different structures (e.g. tubular, sub-hemispherical, polygonal) can even leave pigmented imprints on art panels after their exfoliation. Where bonding of the nest structure by salt precipitation has occurred, exfoliation is likely to remove some of the host rock’s surface. The nests consist of locally derived fine sediment and organic ketones. There is no evidence that these insects erode the rock surface, therefore the damage they inflict on rock art is limited to the exfoliation phase of their nests, but as they tend to attract more nest-building activity the result can be unsightly colonies of such ultimately damaging structures (Naumann and Watson 1987).


In Guam, the ancient paintings are less well-understood, partly because scientists don't know how old they are. Cave paintings from the ancient Chamorro people appear in several places across the island, but the most interesting ones are at Ritidian Point, on the north coast, said astronomer Rosina Iping of the University of Guam. Dr. Iping stumbled across these paintings a few months ago while hiking; so far they have not been dated.

The cave sketches include rows of 16 dots, placed horizontally and vertically, which Dr. Iping thinks represent a 16-month calendar based on the stars. Oral histories from the area suggest that the Chamorro may have divided the year into 16 unequal periods based on the rising of a particular group of stars. The rising of Antares, around the winter solstice, began the Chamorro year.

Nearby sketches appear to show a human figure looking at the Southern Cross, and another at the constellation Cassiopeia, she said. The juxtaposition of the dots with the constellations suggests that the two are both astronomically significant.

"There is no way of knowing for sure, but it's clear to me that this is a calendar," she said.

http://www.geocities.com/cvas.geo/paintrock.html

In both Guam and Paint Rock, scientists hope to find other examples of astronomy in the rock art, and also to better date the paintings. But Dr. Robbins is confident that he'll be able to find more. "I'm sure there's more astronomy out there, but it's just hiding until a trained eye can find it."

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