Predicting the changing insect threat in the UK heritage environment

Abstract

Environmental changes affecting museums and historic properties will probably result in increased numbers of insect pests or new species. Databases such as WhatsEatingYourCollection (WEYC) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility have been used along with academic publications to predict such changes in the research presented here. The species mix in the WEYC database seems consistent across major London historic properties. Overall, common silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum) are often reported, although in future there may be an increase in other species such as Ctenolepisma longicaudatum and Ctenolepisma calvum given their increased frequency. Dermestidae (carpet and furniture beetles) may benefit from wood with increasing moisture content, and although not especially abundant, Attagenus smirnovi (brown carpet beetle) and Reesa vespulae (skin beetle) may increase as they have done on the European continent. Tineola bisselliella, a damaging moth, has invoked increasing concern over the last two decades and Cryptophagus spp. (fungus beetles) could mobilise fungal spores under a future climate more favourable to germination. Lyctus brunneus (powderpost beetle) may find future conditions favourable and attack sapwoods used in repairs. Furthermore, Reticulitermes flavipes (subterranean termite) is potentially an accidental import to the UK and may become more common given current temperatures are suitable for survival in well-drained loamy soils, and future climates would allow a presence in the north of England. Warmer conditions can lead to the presence of new species or a migration of species across the British Isles and their spread can also be encouraged through the loan of objects or on packing materials. Factors other than climate, such as changing indoor habitats, new food sources and novel uses of heritage venues can also encourage expanding insect populations. This article summarises these predicted changes in species distribution and outlines their potential threat to heritage.

Resumen

“Predicción de cambios de riesgos de insectos en el entorno patrimonial del Reino Unido”

Los cambios ambientales que afectan a los museos y los bienes históricos probablemente provocarán un aumento en el número de plagas de insectos o la aparición de nuevas especies. En la investigación que aquí se presenta se han utilizado bases de datos como WhatsEatingYourCollection (WEYC) y el Global Biodiversity Information Facility, junto con publicaciones académicas, para predecir tales cambios. La mezcla de especies presente en la base de datos WEYC parece uniforme con la de las principales propiedades históricas de Londres. En general, el pececillo de plata común (Lepisma saccharinum) se cita con frecuencia, aunque en el futuro puede que haya un aumento de otras especies como Ctenolepisma longicaudatum y Ctenolepisma calvum debido a su creciente frecuencia. Los Dermestidae (escarabajos de la alfombra y del mueble) puede que se beneficien del mayor contenido de humedad en la madera, y, puede que aumenten Attagenus smirnovi (escarabajo de la alfombra marrón) y Reesa vespulae (escarabajo de la piel) como así lo han hecho ya en el continente europeo aunque todavía no son especialmente abundantes. Tineola bisselliella, una polilla dañina, ha suscitado una preocupación creciente en las dos últimas décadas y Cryptophagus spp. (escarabajo de los hongos) podría movilizar esporas de hongos en un futuro clima más favorable a la germinación. Lyctus brunneus (escarabajo polvoriento), el cual ataca las alburas de madera utilizadas en las reparaciones, podría encontrar condiciones favorables en el futuro. Además, Reticulitermes flavipes (termita subterránea) es una posible importación accidental al Reino Unido y puede que llegue a ser más común dado que las temperaturas actuales son adecuadas para su supervivencia en suelos limosos bien drenados, y los futuros climas permitirían su presencia en el norte de Inglaterra. Unas condiciones más cálidas puede que propicien la presencia de nuevas especies o la migración de especies a través de las Islas Británicas, y su propagación también puede verse favorecida por el préstamo de objetos o en materiales de embalaje. Otros factores distintos al clima, como los cambios en los hábitats interiores, las nuevas fuentes de alimento y los nuevos usos de las sedes culturales, también puede que favorezcan la expansión de las poblaciones de insectos. Este artículo resume los cambios previstos en la distribución de las especies y el peligro potencial para el patrimonio en el Reino Unido.

ملخص

“تقدير التحولات الحشرية و تهديدها في البيئة التراثية في المملكة المتحدة”

التغيرات البيئية التي تؤثر على المتاحف والممتلكات التاريخية قد تؤدي على الأرجح إلى زيادة في أعداد الآفات الحشرية أو ظهور أنواع جديدة منها. قاعدة البيانات مثل WhatsEatingYourCollection (WEYC) ومنشأة المعلومات للتنوع البيولوجي العالمي (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) تم استخدامهما بالإضافة إلى النشرات الأكاديمية لتوقع مثل هذه التغيرات في البحث المقدم هنا. يبدو أن تركيبة أنواع الحشرات في قاعدة بيانات WEYC متسقة عبر الممتلكات التاريخية الرئيسية في لندن. بشكل عام، يُبلَّغ عن وجود السمك الفضي العام (Lepisma saccharinum) كثيرًا، على الرغم من أنه قد يكون هناك زيادة من أنواع أخرى مثل Ctenolepisma longicaudatum وCtenolepisma calvum في المستقبل نظرًا لزيادة تواترها. قد تستفيد خنفساء السجاد والأثاث (Dermestidae) من الخشب الذي يحتوي على نسبة عالية من الرطوبة، وبالرغم من أنهما ليستا منتشرتين بشكل كبير، إلا أن الخنفساء Attagenus smirnovi والخنفساء Reesa vespulae قد تتكاثر كما حصل في القارة الأوروبية. Tineola bisselliella، عثة ضارة، أثارت انتباهًا متزايدًا خلال العقدين الماضيين ويمكن لـ Cryptophagus sp تفعيل بذور فطرية تحت المناخ المتوقع مستقبلا أكثر ملائمة للإنبات.” قد تجد خنفساء Lyctus brunneus ظروفًا ملائمة في المستقبل وتهاجم الأخشاب الرخوة المستخدمة في الإصلاحات. وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن النمل الابيض الشرقى الجوفى (Reticulitermes flavipes) قد يكون دخوله إلى المملكة المتحدة عرضيا وقد يزداد نظرًا لأن درجات الحرارة الحالية ملائمة للبقاء على قيد الحياة في التربة الطينية الجيدة التصريف، وسيسمح المناخ المتوقع مستقبلا بوجوده في شمال إنجلترا و تحت ظروف أكثر دفئًا، يمكن أن ينجم عن ذلك وجود أنواع جديدة أو هجرة هذه الأنواع عبر جزر بريطانيا، ويمكن لهذه الظروف أيضًا أن تسهم في انتشارها من خلال إعارة الأشياء (المتحفية) أو استخدام المواد التعبئة والتغليف. وتظهر عوامل أخرى غير المناخ، مثل التغيرات البيئية الداخلية وتوافر مصادر الطعام الجديدة والاستخدامات الجديدة لمواقع التراث، بالإضافة إلى زيادة انتشار عدد الحشرات. يُلخّص هذا المقال التحولات المتوقعة في انتشار الأنواع ويوضح تهديداتها المحتملة لتراث المملكة المتحدة.‏

Resumo

“Prevendo a evolução da ameaça de insetos no ambiente do patrimônio do Reino Unido”

Mudanças ambientais que afetam museus e propriedades históricas provavelmente irão resultar em aumento do número de pragas de insetos ou de novas espécies. Bases de dados como WhatsEatingYourCollection (WEYC) e Global Biodiversity Information Facility têm sido utilizadas em conjunto com publicações acadêmicas para prever tais mudanças na pesquisa apresentada aqui. O misto de espécies na base de dados WEYC parece ser consistente nas principais propriedades históricas em Londres. De maneira geral, o comum silverfish, tisanuros ou traça de livros (Lepisma saccharinum) é notificado frequentemente, embora no futuro possa haver aumento de outras espécies como Ctenolepisma longicaudatum e Ctenolepisma calvum dado o aumento de sua frequência. Dermestidae (besouros de carpete e de móveis) podem se beneficiar de madeira com um aumento do teor da umidade e, ainda que não especialmente abundante, Attagenus smirnovi (besouro de carpete marrom) e Reesa vespulae (besouro de pele) podem aumentar, assim como tem ocorrido no continente europeu. Tineola bisselliella, a nociva traça-de-roupas, tem suscitado preocupação cada vez maior nas duas últimas décadas e Cryptophagus spp. (fungus beetles, besouros de fungo) podem alavancar os esporos de fungos sob um clima futuro mais favorável à germinação. Lyctus brunneus (besouro do pó, broca de madeira, caruncho exótico da madeira) pode encontrar condições futuras favoráveis e atacar o alburno utilizado em reparos. Além disso, Reticulitermes flavipes (térmita subterrânea) é possivelmente uma importação acidental para o Reino Unido e pode se tornar mais comum dadas as temperaturas atuais serem adequadas para a sobrevivência em solos argilosos bem drenados e, climas futuros permitiriam uma presença no norte da Inglaterra. Condições mais quentes podem levar à presença de novas espécies ou uma migração de espécies ao longo das Ilhas Britânicas e sua disseminação pode também ser favorecida pelo empréstimo de objetos ou pelos materiais de embalagem. Fatores além do clima, como mudança de habitats internos, novas fontes fornecedoras de alimentos e utilizações diferentes dos espaços de patrimônio também podem impulsionar a expansão das populações de insetos. Este artigo resume estas mudanças previstas na distribuição de espécies e delineia sua ameaça potencial para o patrimônio no Reino Unido.

摘要

“预测英国遗产环境中不断变化的昆虫威胁”

影响博物馆和历史遗产的环境变化可能会导致害虫数量增加或新物种的出现。本研究利用“什么在吃你的藏品”（WEYC）和全球生物多样性信息机制等数据库以及学术出版物来预测此类变化。在伦敦主要历史遗产中，WEYC数据库中的物种组合似乎是一致的。总体而言，经常被报告的是普通银鱼（Lepisma saccharinum），但在未来其他物种如长尾银鱼（Ctenolepisma longicaudatum）和光秃银鱼（Ctenolepisma calvum）的出现频率可能会增加。地毯甲虫和家具甲虫（Dermestidae ）可能会受益于含水量增加的木材。还有褐色地毯甲虫（Attagenus smirnovi）和皮甲虫（Reesa vespulae），尽管并不丰富，但可能会增加，就像它们在欧洲大陆上所做的那样。Tineola bisselliella 是一种有害蛾类，过去二十年来引起了越来越多的关注，而真菌甲虫（Cryptophagus spp.）可能会在未来更有利于孵化的条件下调动真菌孢子。 粉红蠹（Lyctus brunneus）可能会发现未来的有利条件，并攻击用于维修的边材。此外，北美散白蚁（Reticulitermes flavipes）可能是意外引入英国的，由于目前的温度适合其在排水良好的壤土中生存，未来的气候也允许其在英格兰北部出现，因此这种害虫可能会变得更加常见。气候变暖可能会导致新物种的出现或物种在英国群岛间迁移，而且它们的传播也可能通过物品借用或包装材料来促进。气候以外的其他因素，如室内栖息地的变化、新的食物来源以及文物场所的新用途也

会促进昆虫种群的扩张。本文总结了这些物种分布的预测性变化，并概述了它们对英国遗产的潜在威胁

Keywords:

• museum pests
• climate change
• pest management
• moths
• beetles
• termites

Acknowledgements

This study grew from a contract report to Historic England (C/REF 00000240) and reflects a long interest in insects within English Heritage properties. I am also grateful to Pascal Querner for numerous discussions about insects and heritage.

Notes

1 Cf. for example, Raymond Cannon, ‘The Implications of Predicted Climate Change for Insect Pests in the UK, with Emphasis on Non-Indigenous Species’, Global Change Biology 4, no. 7 (1998): 785–96.

2 Pascal Querner et al., ‘Climate Change and its Effects on Indoor Pests (Insect and Fungi) in Museums’, Climate 10, no. 7 (2022): 103.

3 David Pinniger, ‘Past, Present and Future. Changes in Status and Distribution of Museum Insect Pests’, in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Museums, Archives and Historic Houses. Proceedings of the International Conference in Vienna, Austria (Vienna: IPM, 2013), 20–30.

4 Stephan Biebl and Pascal Querner, ‘Transportation of Wood Boring Beetles in Wooden Transport Boxes, Wooden Pallets, and Newly Bought Wood in Museums’, Studies in Conservation 66, no. 1 (2021): 44–50.

5 Peter Brimblecombe et al., ‘Statistics of Insect Catch Within Historic Properties’, Heritage Science 1 (2013): 1–11.

6 Martyn Joseph Linnie, ‘Pest Control: A Survey of Natural History Museums in Great Britain and Ireland’, International Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship 6, no. 3 (1987): 277–90.

7 Peter Brimblecombe and Pascal Querner, ‘Changing Insect Catch in Viennese Museums During COVID-19’, Heritage 6, no. 3 (2023): 2809–21.

8 Cf. Alan Kennedy-Asser et al., ‘Evaluating Heat Extremes in the UK Climate Projections (UKCP18)’, Environmental Research Letters 16, no. 1 (2021): 014039; Paul A. Davies et al., ‘The Wet and Stormy UK Winter of 2019/2020’, Weather 76, no. 12 (1 December 2021): 396–402.

9 Colin J. Daniel and Judith H. Myers, ‘Climate and Outbreaks of the Forest Tent Caterpillar’, Ecography 18, no. 4 (1995): 353–62.

10 Paul Lankester and Peter Brimblecombe, ‘The Impact of Future Climate on Historic Interiors’, Science of the Total Environment 417 (2012): 248–54.

11 Querner et al., ‘Climate Change and its Effects on Indoor Pests’; Peter Brimblecombe and Paul Lankester, ‘Long-Term Changes in Climate and Insect Damage in Historic Houses’, Studies in Conservation 58, no. 1 (2013): 13–22; Robert E. Child, ‘Insect Damage as a Function of Climate’, in Museum Microclimates (Copenhagen: National Museum of Denmark, 2007), 57–60; Lise Stengaard Hansen et al., ‘Future Pest Status of an Insect Pest in Museums, Attagenus Smirnovi: Distribution and Food Consumption in Relation to Climate Change’, Journal of Cultural Heritage 13, no. 1 (2012): 22–7.

12 Peter Brimblecombe and Caroline Truth Brimblecombe, ‘Trends in Insect Catch at Historic Properties’, Journal of Cultural Heritage 16, no. 2 (2015): 127–33.

13 Brimblecombe and Querner, ‘Changing Insect Catch in Viennese Museums during COVID-19’; Peter Brimblecombe and Pascal Querner, ‘Silverfish (Zygentoma) in Austrian Museums Before and During COVID-19 Lockdown’, International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 164 (2021): 105296; Peter Brimblecombe, Marie-Christine Pachler, and Pascal Querner, ‘Effect of Indoor Climate and Habitat Change on Museum Insects During COVID-19 Closures’, Heritage 4, no. 4 (2021): 3497–506.

14 Pinniger, ‘Past, Present and Future’; Hansen et al., ‘Future Pest Status of an Insect Pest in Museums’.

15 Cf. for example, Jenny Richards and Peter Brimblecombe, ‘The Transfer of Heritage Modelling from Research to Practice’, Heritage Science 10, no. 1 (2022): 17.

16 Brimblecombe et al., ‘Statistics of Insect Catch within Historic Properties’; Brimblecombe and Querner, ‘Changing Insect Catch in Viennese Museums during COVID-19’; Barbara Manachini, ‘Alien Insect Impact on Cultural Heritage and Landscape: An Underestimated Problem’, Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage 15, no. 2 (2015): 61–72.

17 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 28 March 2024).

18 WhatsEatingYourCollection, https://www.whatseatingyourcollection.com/ (accessed 28 March 2024).

19 Brimblecombe et al., ‘Statistics of Insect Catch within Historic Properties’.

20 Martin Kulma et al., ‘Ctenolepisma Longicaudatum Escherich (1905) became a Common Pest in Europe: Case Studies from Czechia and the United Kingdom’, Insects 12, no. 9 (2021): 810; Bruce Schoelitsz and Mike Brooks, ‘Distribution of Ctenolepisma Longicaudatum (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) in The Netherlands’, in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Urban Pests, 20–23 July 2014, Zurich, Switzerland (Executive Committee of the International Conference on Urban Pests, 2014), 353–7; Aanders Aak et al., ‘Introduction, Dispersal, Establishment and Societal Impact of the Long-Tailed Silverfish Ctenolepisma Longicaudata (Escherich, 1905) in Norway’, BioInvasions Records 10, no. 2 (2021): 483–98; Andrew Chick, ‘A Revised Checklist of the UK Silverfish (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae)’, Zootaxa 4504, no. 3 (2018): 447–50.

21 Pascal Querner et al., ‘Identification and Spread of the Ghost Silverfish (Ctenolepisma calvum) Among Museums and Homes in Europe’, Insects 13, no. 9 (2022): 855.

22 Peter Brimblecombe, Laure Jeannottat, and Pascal Querner, ‘Insect Distribution in a Vacant Multi-Level Office Building’, Insects 14, no. 7 (2023): 578.

23 Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

24 Brimblecombe and Querner, ‘Changing Insect Catch in Viennese Museums during COVID-19’.

25 Gawhara Abu El-Hassan et al., ‘Survey of Insect Pests in the Manuscripts Library of Coptic Museum in Egypt’, Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 28, no. 9 (2021): 5061–4.

26 Kaarel Sammet et al., ‘An Update to the Distribution of Invasive Ctenolepisma Longicaudatum Escherich in Northern Europe, with an Overview of Other Records of Estonian Synanthropic Bristletails (Insecta: Zygentoma)’, Biodiversity Data Journal 9 (2021): e61848; Derek S. Sikes and Kyle Callegari, ‘Interior Ecosystem in the Subarctic: Wild, Living, Arthropod Biodiversity in the University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America’, The Canadian Entomologist 152, no. 6 (2020): 802–14.

27 Mattew A. Bertone et al., ‘Arthropods of the Great Indoors: Characterizing Diversity Inside Urban and Suburban Homes’, PeerJ 4 (2016): e1582; Misha Leong et al., ‘The Habitats Humans Provide: Factors Affecting the Diversity and Composition of Arthropods in Houses’, Scientific Reports 7, no. 1 (2017): 15347.

28 Elizabeth Retief, Ashley Nicholas, and Himansu Baijnaith, ‘The Psocid Liposcelis Bostrychophilus Badonnel (Psocoptera: Liposcelidae): An Occasional Herbarium Pest’, Bothalia 25, no. 2 (1995): 247–53.

29 Keith Alexander, ‘Atlantopsocus Adustus (Hagen) (Psoc.: Psocidae) New to Britain from East Cornwall’, Entomologists Record 119 (2007): 76.

30 Hansen et al., ‘Future Pest Status of an Insect Pest in Museums’.

31 Zinaida P. Dvoriashina, ‘The Smirnov Beetle as a Pest in Libraries’, Restaurator 9 (1988): 63–81; G. E. Woodroffe and M. Burn, ‘Attagenus sp.nr Cyphonoides’, Pest Infestation Research (1964): 11–2.

32 Hansen et al., ‘Future Pest Status of an Insect Pest in Museums’.

33 G.E. Woodroffe and B.J. Southgate, ‘An Investigation of the Distribution and Field Habits of the Varied Carpet Beetle, Anthrenus Verbasci (L.) (Col., Dermestidae) in Britain, with Comparative Notes on A. fuscus Ol. and A. museorum (L.)’, Bulletin of Entomological Research 45, no. 3 (1954): 575–83.

34 Sylviane Vaucheret and Leona Leonard, ‘Dealing with an Infestation of Reesa vespulae while Preparing to Move to New Stores’, Integrated Pest Management for Collections (2015): 71–6.

35 Cf. Tsvetomir Tsvetanov and Jiří Háva, ‘First Record of Reesa vespulae (Milliron, 1939) in Bulgaria (Insecta: Coleoptera: Dermestidae)’, ZooNotes 162 (2020): 1–3.

36 Cf. Gianluca Nardi and Jiří Háva, ‘Chronology of the Worldwide Spread of a Parthenogenetic Beetle, Reesa vespulae (Milliron, 1939) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)’, Fragmenta entomologica 53, no. 2 (2021): 347–56.

37 Matthew Richard Sunderland and Robert Hamish Cruickshank, ‘Investigations into the Toxic and Repellent Effects of Propiconazole on the Wool-Digesting Carpet Beetle Larvae Anthrenocerus Australis (Coleoptera: Dermestidae)’, Journal of Insect Behavior 29 (2016): 57–68.

38 David Pinniger, ‘Saving Our Heritage—Pest Management in Museums and Historic Houses’, Outlooks on Pest Management 21, no. 5 (2010): 239–41.

39 Enid R. Peacock, ‘Adults and Larvae of Hide, Larder and Carpet Beetles and their Relatives (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) and of Derodontid Beetles (Coleoptera: Derodontidae)’, in RES Handbook for the Identification of British Insects, Vol. 5, Part 3 (London: Natural History Museum, 1993).

40 Carla J. Dove, ‘Evaluation of an Integrated Pest Management Program, Division of Birds, US National Museum of Natural History’, Collection 11, no. 1 (1992): 28–38.

41 Shima Shahrabi et al., ‘Dermestidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) of Niavaran Museum with a New Record for Iran’, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 4, no. 2 (2018): 123–9.

42 Tom Strang and Jeremy Jacobs, ‘Seeing is Believing, A Fourteen-Year Study on Efficacy and Economics of Visual Inspections to Protect a Large Mammal Collection from Insect Pests’, Collection Forum 32, no. 1 (2018): 59–90.

43 Cf. Amber Xavier-Rowe et al., ‘Operation Clothes Moth: Where Preventive Conservation and Public Engagement Meet’, Studies in Conservation 63, Supp. no. 1 (2018): 445–50; Amber Xavier-Rowe et al. ‘Webbing Clothes Moth Tineola Bisselliella and the Risk to Historic Collections in England’, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Cultural Heritage 88–95 (2019).

44 Brimblecombe et al., ‘Statistics of Insect Catch within Historic Properties’.

45 P.B. Cornwell, ‘Rising Cost of Damage by Insect Pests of Fabrics in Britain’, International Pest Control 13, no. 5 (1971): 22–7.

46 Ankit Kumar, Surender Singh Yadav, and Manoj Kumar Jat, ‘Approaches in Pest Management of Stored Grain Pests’, in Abiotic and Biotic Stress Management in Plants: Volume II: Biotic Stress, ed. Bhav Kumar Sinha, Reena, and Surendra Prasad (London: CRC Press, 2022), https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.1201/9781003286134-12/approaches-pest-management-stored-grain-pests-ankit-kumar-surender-singh-yadav-manoj-kumar-jat?context=ubx&refId = ad0cc064-55aa-43f2-9c02-61664da30e59 (accessed 28 March 2024).

47 R.W. Berry, ‘Controlling the Common Furniture Beetle’, Pesticide Outlook (1995): 26–30.

48 Georgiana Gămălie and Mariana Mustaţă, ‘Damages Produced by Ptinidae on the Books of the Ecclesiastical Heritage’, Seria Biologie Animală (2005): 31–40; Georgiana Gămălie and Mariana Mustaţă, ‘The Attack of Anobiids on Books from the Ecclesiastic Patrimony’, European Journal of Science and Theology 2, no. 2 (2006): 69–81.

49 Matthias Schöller and Sabine Prozell, ‘Biological Control of Cultural Heritage Pests—A Review’, in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Museums, Archives and Historic Houses. Proceedings of the International Conference in Vienna, Austria, 2013, ed. Pascal Querner, David Pinniger, and Astrid Hammer (Vienna: MusuemPests.Net, 2014).

50 Shannon, A. L., G. Attwood, D. H. Hopcroft, and J. T. Christeller. “Characterization of lactic acid bacteria in the larval midgut of the keratinophagous lepidopteran, Hofmannophila pseudospretella.” Letters in applied microbiology 32, no. 1 (2001): 36–41.

51 Pascal Querner et al., ‘Insect Pest Management Programmes and Results from their Application in Two Large Museum Collections in Berlin and Vienna’, International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 84 (2013): 275–80.

52 Mina Moşneagu, ‘The Preservation of Cultural Heritage Damaged by Anobiids (Insecta, Coleoptera, Anobiidae)’, Annals of the Academy of Romanian Scientists (Biological Science) 1 (2012): 32–65.

53 Sam Higgs, Keeren Harris, and Rebecca Gilchrist, ‘Oligomerus Ptilinoides, the Discovery of a New Anobid Woodborer in the UK’, Historic Royal Palaces Information Leaflet, 2019, https://www.raa.se/app/uploads/2019/06/Oligomerus-ptilinoides_Higgs_Harris_Gilchrist.pdf (accessed 28 March 2024).

54 Matthew Paul Davies and Jonathan Binge, ‘First Occurrence of Oligomerus Ptilinoides (Coleoptera: Ptinidae) in Domestic Premises in the UK’, in Integrated Pest Management for Collection, Proceedings of 2021: A Pest Odyssey, The Next Generation, ed. Suzanne Ryder and Amy Crossman (London: Archetype, 2021).

55 Cf. for example, Shannon et al., ‘Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria’ [??details??]; Gămălie and Mustaţă, ‘Damages Produced by Ptinidae on the Books of the Ecclesiastical Heritage’; Moşneagu, ‘The Preservation of Cultural Heritage Damaged by Anobiids’; Mina Moşneagu, ‘Pest Insects that Damage the Leather in the Old Book Bindings’, Teologie Ortodoxă 2 (2014): 133–8.

56 Cf. for example, Bogdan Ungurean, ‘Comparative Occurrence and the Attack Intensity of the Main Species of Xylophages Coleopterans Recorded on Immovable Heritage of the External Environment’, Biologie animală 55 (2009): 103–10.

57 Cf. for comparison, John Alveiro Quiroz-Gamboa and Francisco Serna, ‘An Economically Important Latridiid (Coleoptera: Latrididae) is Found in Colombia’, Boletín Científico. Centro de Museos. Museo de Historia Natural 15, no. 2 (2011): 217–21.

58 Jean Allen Owen, ‘Dienerella Filum (Aubé) and Adistemia Watsoni (Wollaston) (Coleoptera) in Epsom, Surrey’, British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 13, no. 1 (2000): 40.

59 Kateryna Ocheretna, ‘Silken-Fungus Beetles (Cryptophagidae, Coleoptera) of the Ukrainian Carpathians’, Geo&Bio 19 (2020): 104–20.

60 William H. Robinson, Urban Insects and Arachnids: A Handbook of Urban Entomology (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), 480.

61 Pasquale Trematerra and David Pinniger, ‘Museum Pests—Cultural Heritage Pests’, in Recent Advances in Stored Product Protection, ed. Christos G. Athanassiou and Frank H. Arthur (Berlin: Springer, 2018), 229–60.

62 Betty Sacher and Liesa Brierley, ‘Beetles Often Overlooked in Collections: Species of Mould-Feeding Beetles Found at Royal Museums Greenwich, London’, in Querner, Pinniger, and Hammer, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Museums, Archives and Historic Houses. Proceedings of the International Conference in Vienna, Austria, 2013.

63 Cf. Querner, ‘Insect Pests and Integrated Pest Management in Museums, Libraries and Historic Buildings’; Querner et al., ‘Insect Pest Management Programmes and Results from their Application in Two Large Museum Collections’.

64 Peter Brimblecombe and Jenny Richards ‘Moisture as a Driver of Long-Term Threats to Timber Heritage—Part II: Risks Imposed on Structures at Local Sites’, Heritage 5, no. 4 (2022): 2966–86.

65 Cf. for example, Donald Ewart et al., ‘Termites and a Changing Climate’, in Climate Change Impacts on Urban Pests, ed. Partho Dhang (Bognor Regis, UK: Wiley/CAB International, 2017), 80–94.

66 Cf. Brimblecombe and Richards ‘Moisture as a Driver of Long-Term Threats to Timber Heritage—Part II’; Grzegorz Buczkowski and Cleo Bertelsmeier, ‘Invasive Termites in a Changing Climate: A Global Perspective’, Ecology and Evolution 7 (2017): 974–85; Jenny Richards and Peter Brimblecombe, ‘Moisture as a Driver of Long-Term Threats to Timber Heritage—Part I: Changing Heritage Climatology’, Heritage 5, no. 3 (2022): 1929–46; Christelle Suppo et al., ‘Potential Spread of the Invasive North American Termite, Reticulitermes Flavipes, and the Impact of Climate Warming’, Biological Invasions 20 (2018): 905–22.

67 Cf. for example, Ed Suttie, ‘It’s a Bug’s Life: Why the Eradication of an Outbreak of Termites in Devon is a Big Deal’, RIBA Journal (March 2022), https://www.ribaj.com/intelligence/raising-awareness-of-termites (accessed 28 March 2024).

68 Laetitia Virginie Laine, ‘Biological Studies on Two European Termite Species: Establishment Risk in the UK’ (unpublished PhD thesis, Department of Biological Sciences, Imperial College, 2003), 164.

69 S.F. Light and A.L. Pickens, ‘American Subterranean Termites, their Classification and Distribution’, in Termites and Termite Control, 2nd edn (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1934), 150–6.

70 See, for example, Yong Jae Chung et al., ‘Applicability Study on Reticulitermes Speratus Kyushuensis (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Colony Eliminator to Preserve Wooden Cultural Heritage’, Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology 43, no. 6 (2015): 818–25; Ik-Gyun Im et al., ‘The Status of Damage and Monitoring of Subterranean Termite (Reticulitermes spp.) (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) for Wooden Cultural Heritage in Korea’, Journal of Conservation Science 37, no. 3 (2021): 191–208; Sangbin Lee, Ik-Gyun Im, and Sihyun Kim, ‘A History of Termite Control and Improvements to Prevent Termites in Wooden Architectural Heritage’, MUNHWAJAE Korean Journal of Cultural Heritage Studies 54, no. 2 (2021): 194–215; Si-Hyun Kim and Yong-Jae Chung, ‘Analysis of Factors Affecting Termite Damage to Wooden Architectural Heritage Buildings in Korea’, Forests 13, no. 3 (2022): 465; Guoqing Zhang et al., ‘Risk Assessment and Monitoring of Termites in the Forbidden City under Global Warming’, Studies in Conservation 67, Supp. no. 1 (2022): 334–40.

71 Roberto Ferrari and Mario Marini, ‘Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes spp. (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Baiting and Control in Historical Public Buildings in Italy’, in Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Urban Pests (Prague: Czech University of Agriculture, 1999), 357–65; Davide Di Domenico and Lara Maistrello, ‘About the Presence of Termites in Florence’, Redia 97 (2014): 177–82; Silvia Ghesini, Gabi Müller, and Mario Marini, ‘First Record of the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes Grassei in Switzerland’, Bulletin of Insectology 73, no. 1 (2020): 149–51.

72 Robert Verkerk and A.F. Bravery, ‘A Case Study from the UK of Possible Successful Eradication of Reticulitermes Grassei’, in Final Workshop COST Action E22 Environmental Optimization of Wood Protection Lisboa-Portugal, 22^nd–23^rd March 2004, ed. A.F. Bravery and R. Peek (Brussels: COST Office, 2006), 91–102.

73 Suttie, ‘It’s a Bug’s Life’.

74 Horst Hertel and Rudy Plarre, ‘Invasive Termites: Lessons from Two Species Introduced to Germany’, in Proceedings National Conference on Urban Entomology, May 21–24, 2006 (Raleigh-Durham, NC: 2006): 74–6, https://ncue.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2017/03/2006proceedings.pdf (accessed 28 March 2024); H. Weidner, ‘Die Ausbreitung der Termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) in Hamburg’ [‘The spreading of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) in Hamburg’], in IX International Congress of Entomology, vol. 1 (Amsterdam: 1953), 829–32.

75 G.A. Zaitseva, ‘Protection of Museum Textiles and Leather Against the Dermestid Beetle (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) by Means of Antifeedants’, Studies in Conservation 32, no. 4 (1987): 176–80.

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Peter Brimblecombe

Professor Peter Brimblecombe was born in Australia and went to university in New Zealand where he completed a PhD in atmospheric chemistry. He spent four decades at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK, studying long-term changes in urban air pollution and climate as it affects health and buildings. In recent years he has worked at the City University of Hong Kong and the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan and has become increasingly concerned with insect pests in heritage buildings.