Party animals you won’t want to meet

May 3 2008 by Liz Hands, The Journal

THEY are the nightlife creatures which revel in the opportunities presented by Newcastle’s Party City habits.

Pizza beetles, kebab and tapas bugs and sweat ants are among the lifeforms which have evolved to take advantage of the fast food, drink and dark bar culture.

At least that’s the vision of Northumbria University ecologist Dr Mike Jeffries, who yesterday unveiled a picture gallery of his Party Animal creations at the Cluny bar in Newcastle’s Lower Ouseburn Valley, where the exhibition will run throughout this month. He has also published a field study guide to the creatures, which include:

Pizza beetles: Large, nocturnal scavengers feeding on discarded pizza, burgers and kebabs.

Tab caddis: the larvae make their home in cigarette butts but are an at risk species following the smoking ban. Showing signs of adapting to the outdoor conditions of smoking patios.

Peanut imp. Secretive inhabitants of bars and clubs that specialise in stealing peanuts and crisps from unwary revellers.

Fairy light wasp. A large wasp that hides inside decorative light fittings and preys on moths lured to the lights.

Kebab bug. A beetle specialising in discarded kebabs with big claws to cut through polystyrene trays and sliced meat.

Tapas bug. Specialist of tapas bars where it lurks in bowls of olives, camouflaged by sticking some on spines on its back.

Ring beetle. Tiny, iridescent almost spherical beetles which seek out body piercing like brow or nipple rings, on which they clamp.

Straw roaches. Bit like brightly coloured stick insects, they bite into drinks straws to feed on vodka mixers.

Sweat ants. Spindly, glittering, elusive insects of dark clubs where they hitch a ride on dancers and feed on sweat, hair gel and perfume.

Vodka mice. Tiny mice-like creatures with long tongues for stealing drinks and sucker feet for climbing on bottles and glasses.

Clingy. Long-snouted mouse like creature that clings to hems of trousers, skirts or shoes so it can lick spilt drink off the floor.

Mike based his project on the theory that creatures will always develop to exploit new habitats and food sources.

“Nature abhors a vacuum, so why couldn’t there be creatures which also live off the things we like,” said Mike, who is interested in the tensions created by the Party City tag.

“I don’t think Newcastle can make up its mind about whether it is the Party City of bars, clubs and fast food or that of The Sage, Baltic and Theatre Royal.”

His inspiration for the nightlife wildlife came when he noticed several dead rats near his home in Jesmond Vale in Newcastle.

“It was holiday time and I had the idea that the rats must have starved because all the students had gone home and there were no discarded pizzas and burgers,” said Mike.

“There is a price to be paid for being a party city, and part of that is the dropped food and spilt drinks and all the mess which is left behind, and nature may just move in and exploit all that.

“There is also a genuinely interesting, real urban eco-system out there from rats and pigeons, which make a living from us. For sure there is a buzz about Newcastle as a party city – but it may just be from what has landed in your lager.”