NT1582, Dalgety Bay: End of February roundup

Today saw the "Big Five" of woodlice completed (Oniscus asellus, Porcellio scaber, Philoscia muscorum, Trichoniscus pusillus and Armadillidium vulgare) along with the other very common Sea Slater Ligia oceanica. This was helped on my the arrival of the FSC woodlice key and hopefully I may add another species through the year though a browse through the distribution of species suggests I shouldn't hope for too much - woodlice seem to mostly be southern softies!

Most groups have been recorded more or less in line with expectations, though Staphylinidae have done well comparatively. If any groups have been surprising they've been Collembola and Molluscs. Collembola is really only surprising because I didn't set out to pay that much attention to them - it just sort of happened. No doubt I'll add a few more now I'm into the swing with them. Molluscs of course benefitted hugely from working the seashore, though my land mollusc list has grown somewhat too and I'm developing an affinity for slugs. I expect to add a few more through the year and I haven't even recorded Arion ater yet!

Another group I'm expanding my awareness of is the marine algae, and the target for that is growing, aided by arrival of new literature.

Species of the month in January was easily the springtail Anurida denisi. Species of the month for February, though it isn't the most scarce, has to be reprazentin for Molluscs and is the Prickly Snail Acanthinula aculeata

Below the high water mark I loved seeing this Willy Wonka Snail (flat periwinkle), which I don't think I ever got round to posting on here

So the numbers at the end of February (anything I do tonight will be lumped into March)

Class	Jan	Feb	target	%
Algae	8	13	22	59
Lichens	37	41	60	68
Fungi	28	31	100	31
Vert - Birds	38	50	110	45
Vert - Other	2	4	10	40
Lepidoptera	1	2	110	02
Diptera	4	7	100	07
Arachnida	5	13	55	24
Coleoptera	6	17	100	17
Mollusc	9	24	32	75
Invert - Other	29	43	135	32
Plants - Vascular	47	63	124	51
Plants - Bryo	22	29	45	64
	236	337	1003	33

The only groups I've recorded less than 1/6th of are Diptera and Lepidoptera, but no surprise there really.It won't be long, though, before it all kicks off.