Submission of Macro Moth Records for VC32 Northamptonshire

Interest in moth recording has seen significant growth in recent years, and as hobbies go, it is one that has the potential to add significant knowledge of ecosystems, habitat changes, climate change, etc. We fully appreciate therefore, that many people visiting this website are doing so as part of that hobby. However, if you are able to submit any sightings and records for the vice county, we would be very keen to receive them – no matter if from the previous year, or gleaned from old notebooks from times past, or simply as a casual observer . I hope to explain a bit more about how that aspect of the group now works.

Mark Hammond has now taken on the job of County Macro Moth Records Collator, responsible for ensuring that all records are entered into the county database. John Ward remains the County Macro Moth Recorder and records should still be sent to him initially for verification (micro moths should still sent to David Manning for verification). Other experienced recorders around the county also provide advice and identification assistance, and we'd appreciate that any records you have be sent to John at the end of the season (or sooner if you think the record is noteworthy). If you also have old records that have not been previously submitted, we would also welcome these at any time.

Records are accepted in any format, but electronically via email or on e.g. CD is very much preferred:

1. Excel spreadsheets – see below for more information
2. The Downloadable Recorder's Card - this can be used to summarise your year's records, or used for individual recording sessions throughout the year
3. Word documents (preferably contained within a table)
4. Individual notes and observations by email, etc

The Northants macro moth database currently contains approximately 120,000 records, and is growing all the time as archival material is added. These data are held locally by Mark Hammond - the County Macro Moth Record Collator, by the Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust (Biodiversity Office) and are also submitted regularly to the National Macro Moth Recording Scheme database hosted by Butterfly Conservation. Data for the whole country can now be viewed via the Moths Count which in turn is uploaded to the National Biodiversity Network Gateway – viewable as dot-maps for each species.

The preferred method of submission is an Excel Spreadsheet compatible with a MapMate input file. MapMate is a software programme developed especially for natural history recording. It is cheap and easy to use and more details can be found on the MapMate website at www.mapmate.co.uk . Current purchase cost is £25, with a £12 annual licence fee to cover continual updates to features and taxonomic data. The basis of biological recording results in “one record per line” – the most accurate therefore being a summary of the numbers of each species seen on a given occasion using a given method.

The number of moth recorders is ever increasing, and so the burden on the County Recorder has meant that electronic record collation is being performed by other individuals. Therefore it is only by individuals entering their own records that the system can be maintained. All records that are submitted, be they by email, hard copy or as an excel spreadsheet, will all be entered onto MapMate. Therefore please ensure that the following information is submitted for each record, and if sent as an excel file please put one record on each line with these items along the top row:

• Species name - English and scientific name - MapMate entry only requires the scientific name, but for ease of reference, please be sure to include the English name in a separate column. It is useful but not essential to have Bradley and Fletcher numbers also. A full list of Northants macro species is available on the web site and a full UK species list is available in this Excel spreadsheet linked here (downloadable)
• Quantity - precise number please, however, if numbers weren't precisely counted, an estimate is preferred over a simple indication of presence. Where the recorder has no idea of quantity, then 0 can be used to indicate presence.
• Site name – please use names as presented on the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 or 1:25,000 maps where possible. Feel free to be as specific as you can, e.g. indicate the part of a wood (e.g. Fermyn Woods – Royal Coppice).
• Grid reference - six-figure is preferred, or at least four-figure.
• Recorder's name – your name!
• Determiner's name - if different from the recorder i.e. who identified it. This is important if there are any queries over the identification. It is also good etiquette to credit the actual identifier.
• Date - in dd/mm/yyyy format
• Method - e.g. daytime observation, Pheromone Lure, or MV Light Trap.

For further guidance, please see the example spreadsheet here (downloadable)

If you are new to MapMate, or would like any further advice regarding the submission of records in electronic format, then please contact Mark Hammond for advice. Inexperienced recorders should also note that there are several difficult species that can only be safely determined by more detailed examination, including dissection of the genitalia.

Identification
As indicated above, there are several related species where great care is needed to establish the correct identification, and require careful consultation of the literature until you are familiar with all the salient identification features. Remember also that there can be great variation within a species and also between the sexes of some species. Websites can also be a good source of photographs and information, but be aware that these come with a warning - as these are not strictly peer-reviewed and can therefore contain more errors than found within published reference books. Reference to more than a single source is strongly advised.

List of species regularly occurring in Northants that require caution:
•  1724 Red Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe spadicearia / 1725 Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet Xanthorhoe ferrugata

•  1795 November Moth Epirrita dilutata / 1796 Pale November Moth Epirrita christyi / 1797 Autumnal Moth Epirrita autumnata

•  2283 Dark Dagger Acronicta tridens / 2284 Grey Dagger Acronicta psi

•  2297 Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidea / 2298 Svensson's Copper Underwing Amphipyra berbera

•  2337 Marbled Minor Oligia strigilis / 2338 Rufous Minor Oligia versicolor / 2339 Tawny Marbled Minor Oligia latruncula

•  2343 Common Rustic Mesapamea secalis / 2343a Lesser Common Rustic Mesapamea didyma

In addition to those highlighted above, rarer migrants, rarer residents or pugs will need verification by someone familiar with the species either by producing the specimen or a good quality photograph (as indicated on the NMG website). The use of digital cameras has transformed the verification process but it should be borne in mind that species cannot always be identified with certainty from a photograph and it is always best to err on the side of caution in your recording. It is always best to retain any moth for which the identification is uncertain - even if a photograph has been taken - until it has been identified with certainty. This is especially so if that specimen is thought to be one of the rarer species in the county and essential if you believe this to be the first county record.

Contact Details:
Northamptonshire County Macro-moth Recorder:
(identification queries and central co-ordinator)
John Ward
Email: bjward@btinternet.com
Tel: 01536 483310
(NB: Northants County Micro-moth Recorder is David Manning: email: micromoths@bnhs.org.uk )

Northamptonshire County Macro-moth Record Collator:
(collation of records for inclusion in the county MapMate database and submission to the NMRS)
Mark Hammond
Email: mjh80@cam.ac.uk
Tel: 07932 642308