So I was in my home office in Los Angeles with the window open to the back garden and another insect flew in and went to my computer screen.
It was Sunday and it was a praying mantis. Very appropriate (in some religions). Because it was relatively small I guess it was still a "nymph" that still would shed its exoskeleton.
This Sunday, the weather in Los Angeles was definitely weird, not only it rained in July in some parts of LA but also; Lightning kills 1, injures 13 around Los Angeles
Between this and the record breaking drought, I keep thinking that global warming is becoming more obvious in this latitudes;
California is experiencing its worst drought since record-keeping began in the mid 19th century, and scientists say this may be just the beginning. B. Lynn Ingram, a paleoclimatologist at the University of California at Berkeley, thinks that California needs to brace itself for a megadrought—one that could last for 200 years or more.
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Unfortunately, she notes, most of the state's infrastructure was designed and built during the 20th century, when the climate was unusually wet compared to previous centuries. That hasn't set water management on the right course to deal with long periods of dryness in the future.
Given that California is one of the largest agricultural regions in the world, the effects of any drought, never mind one that could last for centuries, are huge. About 80 percent of California's freshwater supply is used for agriculture. The cost of fruits and vegetables could soar, says Cantu. "There will be cataclysmic impacts."
I've been thinking about insects lately because over the last months I have noticed an increase in the numbers of big insects flying in, many that seem more tropical, bigger with brighter colors.
The range of prying mantises reaches Los Angeles but based on my anecdotal data this year their population has increased.
The praying mantis is the Connecticut state insect. And it has a very complex life cycle. It is used as pest control sometimes because it preys on other insects. My guess is that praying mantises have more food to eat and are becoming more common.
I googled the praying mantis population issue and the only thing I came across this from someone a bit further north in San Jose;
Several years ago we found a mature mantis on the stucco wall above our mailbox. Since then we have found an ever-increasing population in our flower and vegetable garden. We find five to seven egg sacs each winter and are careful not to use pesticides that may kill them.
But then I broadened my research about insect populations and global warming;
Climate change will exacerbate California's insect pest problems
Range expansion.
In the Northern Hemisphere, insect populations are already migrating northward. Even though regional temperatures have increased by only 3°F to 4°F (2°C) in the past 25 years, rather dramatic shifts of 185 miles in range have been reported for the green stinkbug (Acrosternum hilare) in England and Japan. Likewise, the Edith's checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha) is expanding its population northward in the United States while declining at the southern end of its range in Mexico (Parmesan 2006). In the past 15 years, the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), a destructive pest of pine trees, has extended its range more than 180 miles northward (Logan and Powell 2001). This movement has allowed adults at the northern extent of the beetles' range to cross through Pine Pass to reach the east side of the Rocky Mountains. These migrations are not unexpected, as similar range shifts have been observed in the fossil insect record when climatic conditions changed (Elias 1994).
One reason for such range expansions is a change in frost patterns (Fleming and Volney 1995; IPCC 2007). As temperatures increase, the frequency of spring frosts declines and the resulting extended frost-free periods increase the duration and intensity of insect outbreaks. Growers can also be expected to take advantage of the changing climate by planting earlier. These plants will then be available for crop-infesting insects, allowing insect populations to get an even quicker start and potentially add additional generations during a typical growing season. For many crop pests, this means much bigger populations by the end of the season. For these reasons, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (a scientific body set up by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Program) lists increasing insect outbreaks as “virtually certain” (IPCC 2007).
New pests.
New insect species arrive frequently in California, primarily due to the rapid movement of people and goods. However, increasingly warmer temperatures mean that insects that previously could not survive here can now thrive. For example, while a destructive pest known as the potato psyllid migrated into California on several occasions in the 20th century, those populations usually lasted only for a year. Cool temperatures during the winter forced this insect to retreat to Mexico and the southernmost tip of Texas.
However, the potato psyllid migrated into California again in 1999 or 2000, and has since established large, year-round populations as far north as Ventura County that have persisted for the last 7 years. The tomato, potato and pepper industries have suffered substantial losses as a result (Liu and Trumble 2007).
Crop pests advancing with global warming
“Many studies have shown that climate change is affecting the distribution of wild species populations. This is the first one to show that a similar process is happening in pest species,” says Gurr. She highlights the worrying finding that fungi and oomycetes are moving particularly quickly, at 7 and 6 km per year respectively. Her team's study is published today in Nature Climate Change6.
Global warming is starting to become very ominous in California, one of the food baskets of the world. Between the drought and the insect and pest migrations we need to expect serious disruptions of the food supply chain. Food will become more expensive and the supply may be unpredictable.
The global warming deniers are clueless but our country leadership has to raise above these fossil fuel industry manipulation.
The next generations may have to go through massive human migrations to the north like the insects and pests and fungi that are already migrating at 6 kilometers (4 miles) per year. We are in uncharted waters.