A small butterfly, that was considered to be extinct, ended up in the net of some researchers in the north of Spitsbergen. Plutella Polaris was last seen 147 years ago in 1870, before Geir Søli discovered it again.
The researcher of the Natural History Museum in Oslo visited Ringhorndalen in the Wijdefjorden in summer 2015 to map plants and insects in the area. When he discovered a small gray butterfly in the squid, he regarded it first as a close relative of Plutella polaris, which is called Plutella xylostella, a species more frequent in the north of Norway and sometimes is blown to Spitsbergen by the wind. Ringhorndalen is a valley well protected from the weather and therefore relatively warm and fertile.
The rather inconspicuous butterfly must have developed enormous adaptive abilities in order to survive in Spitsbergen. The little guy would only in a very short period in summer be able to find enough food. Plutella Polaris is one of only three species of butterflies registered on Spitsbergen.
The occurrence or disappearance of species is particularly interesting with regard to the effects of climate change. Researcher Geir Søli hopes that soon more exciting discoveries will fly into his net…
This and other publishing products of the Spitsbergen publishing house in the Spitsbergen-Shop.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (1): Spitzbergen
Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German. [shop url="https://shop.spitzbergen.de/en/polar-books/70-norwegens-arktischer-norden-1-aerial-arctic-9783937903262.html"] ← Back
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.