My partner & I have only started keeping a moth list since last year. Her office in Finsbury Park, inner North London, gets lots of moths in the stairwell and we're doing our best to id the macros.
Looking on the National Biodiversity Network grid maps, most of the species have no records inside the North Circular (A406). For example, here's the map for a common species like Riband Wave.
Are we blazing a new trail here or are there just huge gaps in their records?
Moths, NBN and London gaps
-
Alastair Rae
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:55 pm
- Location: Islingon, London
-
Alastair Rae
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:55 pm
- Location: Islingon, London
Re: Moths, NBN and London gaps
Pardon me for replying to my own post.
Since I can't believe I'm getting lots for "firsts" for inner London, must conclude that NBN doesn't have data from the London Natural History Society or whatever. There are hardly any records for even common and easily identifiable day-flyers like Burnet Companion or 6-spot Burnet.
It's very frustrating not being able to tell if something is a good record for my area or not. I'm falling back on the old fashioned method and have ordered a second-hand copy of Larger Moths of the London Area (Colin Plant, 1993).
Since I can't believe I'm getting lots for "firsts" for inner London, must conclude that NBN doesn't have data from the London Natural History Society or whatever. There are hardly any records for even common and easily identifiable day-flyers like Burnet Companion or 6-spot Burnet.
It's very frustrating not being able to tell if something is a good record for my area or not. I'm falling back on the old fashioned method and have ordered a second-hand copy of Larger Moths of the London Area (Colin Plant, 1993).
Re: Moths, NBN and London gaps
You might get an answer if you contact the only person who I can find for recording London moths and that is Colin Plant, Email: cpauk1 AT ntlworld.com who is the County Recorder for Vice County 20 & VC21 Hertfordshire & Middlesex. His address and phone number are available on-line in the list of county recorders.
I think that there is generally a lack of moth records available to the public on the NBN, I heard the fag-end of a rumour that this is because of the current work being done on a new British moth atlas.
I think that there is generally a lack of moth records available to the public on the NBN, I heard the fag-end of a rumour that this is because of the current work being done on a new British moth atlas.
-
Alastair Rae
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:55 pm
- Location: Islingon, London
Re: Moths, NBN and London gaps
It does look as though there are digital moth records for the London area. In this article Greenspace Information for Greater London boast of having acquired moth records but they're not publicly available. And here the National Moth Recording Scheme say "access to records will be provided for free via online distribution maps". But they're not on line yet. Frustrating.