Friday, April 19, 2013

1000 reached!

Yes, I've reached the 1000 mark. Managed it earlier this week when I identified Pseudorthocladius filiformis netted in West Common Wood (though once some confirmations have come in the Phorid mentioned in my last post may eventually be the species that took me to the mark).

No, not 1000 in a km square, 1000 species of insect seen in the British Isles.

A breakdown for those that are interested:

Collembola: 4
Thysanura: 2
Odonata: 16
Orthoptera: 13
Ephemeroptera: 2
Coleoptera: 138
Dermaptera: 3
Dictyophora: 2
Anopleura: 1
Diptera: 156
Hemiptera: 258 (227 Aphidoidea)
Hymenoptera: 46
Lepidoptera: 348
Mecoptera: 2
Neuroptera: 6
Psocoptera: 2
Strepsiptera: 1
Trichoptera: 1

Square-wise not much to report, the above-mentioned chironomid joins the sciarid Tricosia coarctata, an escaped Spring Beauty and Field Wood-rush on my lifer list, the last also hosting a potential Puccinea obscurata that I'll need to double-check. Yellowhammer has finally turned up in the square having been annoyingly common just outside it and Pterocomma salicis - the black willow aphid has started hatching around the buds of Salix (easily identified as a round, dark grey aphid with orange siphunculi).



181 Linnet
182 Honeybee - well, if Andy is happy to tick it...

183 Trichosia coarctata (lifer)
184 Pterocomma salicis
185 Cut-leaved Crane's-bill
186 Common Beefly
187 Spring Beauty (lifer)
188 Pseudorthocladius filiformis (lifer)
189 Field Wood-rush (lifer)
190 Yellowhammer
191 Greater Plantain
192 Ivy-leaved Speedwell


 

2 comments:

  1. A landmark indeed. I'll have to check and keep an eye out for my 1500th insect which must be due soon (though my list includes 1065 moth species after many years mothing before I was caught up in PSL shenanigans).

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  2. Congrats Chris! I must admit, my heart missed a beat when I read the title of your post :D

    Cheers for the aphid tip-off. I own "Aphids of Deciduous Trees" and am looking forward to putting it to use this season. Heaploads of Salix in my square, I'll keep my eyes peeled for those orange siphunculi :)

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