Lancashire Moth Recording

LATEST

Moths of Lancashire Book

The four year project producing The Moths of Lancashire is appraoching completion and it is hoped it will be available around late April to early May 2024.

This hardback covers all 1570 different species of moth found in Lancashire since the early 19th century, up to the end of 2022 (with the exciting highlights of the remarkable 2023 season covered in an Addendum).

Most species have photos, flight graphs and distribution maps with the book extending to well over 650 pages. A few of our specilities, such as Belted Beauty and Portland Moth, have extended coverage.

Sponsored and supported by the Tanyptera Trust, and with nearly two million records taken into account, this book will be the definitive reference work for many years to come.

A pre-publication offer (ending on the 1st May 2024) of £29.95, plus £4 post and package, can be found on the publishers (Pisces) website:

www.naturebureau.co.uk/bookshop/

Belted Beauty Count 2024. See Events page

Lancashire Moths Newsletter 42 now available.

incorporating the fourth Moths of Lancashire Newsletter:  April 2023 Newsletter.

New Excel Spreadsheets available (v23.01). See Submitting Records Page

Belted Beauty Count 2023. See Events page

Moths of Lancashire Newsletter 3 June 2022

The latest newsletter is available by clicking here

Lancashire Moth Atlas 'Map'

An excel file showing the number of species recorded by tetrad has been added to the files section and can be downloaded from here: Excel Tetrad Map

Please don't amend the on-line version. Green squares have >99 species recorded, yellow 20-99 and red <20. Please do your best to get into your local tetrads which are red or amber. I found four of my friends had homes in such squares and after three or four visits throughout 2021, they're now green. Time is short now to get the early ones but please have a go as 2022 is the last year for data collection for the Lancashire Moth Atlas.

For those who are unsure about what tetrads are, have a look at the following BTO site https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdatlas/methods/correct-grid-references/know-your-place

To find your grid reference https://gridreferencefinder.com/ 

Guidelines update for 2022

The guidelines for recording moths in Lancashire in 2022, as agreed by the County Moth Recorders, have been updated and placed on the Guidelines for Recorders page. Everything you need to know is in the one Excel document which can be downloaded or viewed on-line. New spreadsheet masters (Version 22) are now available with more detailed action information.

Belted Beauty count April 2022

See events page for details of the count starting at 10.30am, Sunday 24th April 2022

Micro-moth Field Tips Volume 2

Following on from the enormous success of his Micro-moth Field Tips published in 2017 and by popular demand, Ben Smart has compiled a second volume to help to identify the early signs of micro-moths in and around the north-west of England. Designed as being complimentary to the first volume, the book has an introduction to the early stages of each family of micro-moths as well as many images of leaf-mines. The bulk of the book is again set out as a chronological guide of species to search out in each month of the year with images of each stage in the moth’s life-cycle. At the end of the book, there’s a comprehensive species and plant index that covers both volumes. Though based around Ben’s locale, the guide is relevant country-wide and another essential guide for moth enthusiasts.

The Lancashire & Cheshire Fauna Society, in conjunction with Butterfly Conservation have sponsored the publication of this book. It is slightly larger than volume 1 covering 200 species over 238 pages. It is full of excellent images and has a £18 selling price.

I’ve now completed the compilation and it’s now at the printers with an expected publication date of mid-December, just in time for Christmas.

As this is a joint publication with Butterfly Conservation, members of the Fauna Society or Butterfly Conservation can get this book directly from us at the special pre-publication rate of £14 + £2.20 postage and packing, a saving of £4.

To reserve your copy, email mmfieldtips@butterfly-conservation.org with

Rob Yates, the L&CFS Treasurer, will reply with a code and details of how to pay. This needs to be done by 12th December.

Leighton Moss Moth Trappers end-of-year Social

Saturday November 27th, 2021, 2.30-5pm at Yealand Village Hall - see Events Page for details

You Tube of the presentation by Steve Palmer to the Lancashire Moth Group on the Moths of Lancashire Project can be viewed here: youtu.be/_jumVAnLg5Q 

New Identification Aid for Grey Pine/Spruce Carpet has been added.

Moths of Lancashire Newsletter 2 December 2021

The most recent Newsletter December 2021 on progress is now available. 

Note some corrections:

The last date mentioned for record submissions in 2022 (fourth page) should read 30th November 2022.In the under-recorded grid matrix, the numbers for green squares should read 10-19 and grid SD40W should be removed from the list (although it does have only 20 records if you happen to live in that area).

"The Moths of Lancashire"

A three-year project to produce a definitive and full account of all moths in Lancashire  (VC59 & 60) since the mid-1800's. You can read the introductory note here. The Moths of Lancashire Project

The first newsletter can be read here. Newsletter April 2021

Distribution Maps

Over the last year or so the Tanyptera Project (based at Liverpool World Museum) in association with the Lancashire Moth Group, have been working on the production of a set of distribution maps at Tetrad (2 x 2km) level covering all of Lancashire's 1523 moth species.

We are really pleased and excited to announce the maps and associated text are readily available for download in PDF format on Distribution in Lancashire  page. 

10Km Distribution tables updated

Kevin McCabe has done a spendid effort in geting the 10Km square records updated and the new 'Map' and the ever-useful 10Km Matrix excel files, correct to 2020, have been uploaded. See 10k Distribution Tables page.

This will hopefully spur you on to target 'missing' species or trap in poorly recorded areas.

BAP Priority Species Update

An update of the priority species can be found on the Rare Moths page. February 2021

Virtual Moth Social 26 March 2021

Limited to 100, pre-booking required. Detail on Events page

Moth Night 2021

8th - 10th July 2021. Detail on Events page

New Macro recorder for VC60 (Lancashire north of the Ribble)

Pete Marsh, who for so long has been front and centre of the macro scene in Lancashire has had to retire from his role as Macro Recorder for VC60 due to ill-health. We all wish him well and know he'll be still as active as he can be. We are delighted to announce that Justine Patton has agreed to take on the role with immediate effect. Her contact details are on the Submitting Records page. I'm sure you'll all support her in the new role.

For MAPMATE USERS: Some guidance on updating MapMate maps and filters has been added to the Guidelines For Recorders page.

Update on the "Pug Moths of North-west England"

Brian Hancock has reviewed the records since the publication of the Pugs book and come up with a supplement which you can download. Pugs Update May 2020

Ling Pug - a new moth for Lancashire?

An article by Brian Hancock regarding the potential splitting of Ling Pug from Wormwood Pug can be found here

Butterflies and Day-flying Moths published March 2019

The publication is was published by the Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society in connection with teh Lancashire Moth Group and Butterfly Conservation. If you're interested in getting a copy, please e-mail sec@lacfs.org.uk

Brian Hancock's "Pugs of North-west England" available from NHBS or L&CFS

Brian's guide to moths on these pages has been an invaluable guide for moth'ers countrywide. It's been revised and fully updated with state-of-the-art mapping through Dave Bickerton and the Lancashire & Cheshire Fauna Society. Only £15 and available through all good stores or directly from Dave (email sec@lacfs.org.uk)! If you bump into Brian around Leighton Moss, I'm sure he'll avail you of a copy of what's become a go-to publication on the identification of Pugs.

New Field Guide Published

Local moth expert Steve Palmer is co-author of a brand new field guide which has just been published....

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE SMALLER MOTHS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND - 3rd EDITION, 2018

Edited by J.R.LANGMAID, S.M.PALMER and M.R.YOUNG

Published by The British Entomological and Natural History Society

392 pp., full colour, softback with detachable vinyl cover. BENHS members price £16, RRP £24; plus postage.

Available through the usual booksellers such as Atropos Books

https://www.atroposbooks.co.uk/a-field-guide-to-the-smaller-moths-of-great-britain-and-ireland and it will shortly be placed on the British Entomological and Natural History Society website (BENHS) http://www.benhs.org.uk/publications/

The book is designed to be an essential guide for anyone interested in finding micro-moths. For every species that breeds in Great Britain and Ireland, the full life-history details are set out concisely, in a standard way, with a thumbnail map.

For anyone familiar with "Emmet" (Maitland Emmet, A Field Guide to the Smaller British Lepidoptera, 2nd edition, 1988) the format is the same, with the addition of thumbnail distribution maps.

Much has been updated, reflecting the amount of new knowledge accrued since “Emmet”, and many new species have been added. It will be an essential reference if you have an interest in the life histories of the micros, but it is not a photographic id guide.'

Micro Moth Field Tips Book Published

Ben Smart's excellent book on Micro Moth Field Tips (2nd Edition) has now been published.

Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society, with Butterfly Conservation Lancashire Branch are co-funding the publication of this new guide. The book is £16 plus p&p from NHBS or L&CFS