Records can be sent direct to Dave Emley, County Moth Recorder or c/o Staffordshire Ecological Record
They can be submitted in any format but computer files would be especially welcome. If you can submit them as a spreadsheet (excel) or as comma (CSV) or tab-delimited text files then so much the better. If you are unsure about file formats then please contact me. Whatever method you choose please include the Bradley checklist code number, species name, locality, grid reference, date and name of recorder. A suitable minimal spreadsheet layout would be:
Code |
Species Name |
Site |
Grid ref |
Recorder |
Quantity |
Date |
You could add a comments column if you like.
Alternatively, if you are recording from just one site e.g. your garden a more convenient format for inputting records is:
Species name |
code |
date |
date |
date |
date |
and then just fill in the totals; one row per species. I have written some code which will turn this format into one which MapMate can import.
Photographs and digital images can be sent to me for confirmation.
Using MapMate
MapMate is becoming the standard storage software for lepidoptera and other orders. However, if using this software it is important that some kind of standardisation is used for site names, recorder name etc. If you want to use MapMate sync files then download these instructions.
Rarities and Verification
Interest in moths has increased dramatically following the publication of Waring's and Skinner's books. The quality of the illustrations is such that many newcomers no longer feel the need to kill specimens for reference, opting sometimes for photographs instead. Whilst this attitude is to be applauded, it must be realised that it is not always possible to identify a moth by comparing it to an illustration. For example, there are a number of species (especially those with melanic varieties) that cannot always be identified without recourse to dissection of the genitalia. There are also rare species that look very similar to much commoner species. In such cases either dissection or comparison with a series of mounted specimens is then necessary to aid identification. In addition, moths, unlike birds and plants, can exhibit so much variation that two members of the same species can, in the extreme, look like quite different species. This range of variation cannot possibly be fully covered in books.
To help you decide if a species needs some sort of confirmation, there are a couple of downloads which give an abundance code to each species ranging from 1 for very common, to 4 for rare and requiring confirmation.
So, before submitting a record of a rarity, ask yourself a few questions:
- Is the moth being claimed inside the current known range within the county? Check the current distribution by using the map search box above or refer to the Moth Atlas.
- Is the species being claimed within the known national range? Check the national map in the Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland or refer to Waring and Skinner. If your species is normally only found in the far south, far north or on the coast, then look at it again.
- Check your moth with a photograph on the UK Moths website.
- As well as comparing the specimen to a photograph, have you checked with the full description given in the Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland? Whilst photographs are good they can't always bring out the subtleties needed to confirm identification.
- Have you eliminated the possibility of it being a commoner species? Don't forget that many moths are extremely variable and most books only illustrate a few examples of the complete range. There are some common species that still need genitalia examination e.g. Common Rustic complex, Grey and Dark Daggers.
- Above all do not try and make a moth fit the illustration. If you are not sure and don't want to take a specimen, then let it go. A wrong identification is worse than no record at all.
- Is the habitat where you found the species in keeping with its known preferences? If your specimen was caught on a lowland sandy heath and the species you're claiming is normally only found on the limestone then you could be wrong.
- Is the foodplant of the species found in the locality? Moths do fly so it is not impossible for a species to be found in an area where its foodplant does not exist but it is something to take into account.
- Get someone else to have a look at it if possible.
Problems such as those outlined above make the vetting of records not supported by voucher specimens, problematical. It is vital that workers in the future should be able to rely on the data that we provide so the following procedure will be adopted:
- where a species is quite distinct and within its expected range and habitat then there will be no problem in accepting the record;
- new county records must be supported by either a voucher specimen, photograph or some corroboration by a second party;
- where a moth is rare, similar to another, outside its normal range, or one of a difficult group, then some kind of supporting evidence will be needed before the record can be accepted;
- many moths have characteristic larvae and records of these are welcomed, but please include details of the plant on which they were found.
