I make no secret of my objection to killing insects in order to put a tick into a box on an Excel spreadsheet. Those Victorian folk, who were at the forefront of our exploration of the natural world and needed to undertake such examinations, were limited by a complete lack of technology which, thankfully, no longer applies in 2023. Sticking pins into "specimens" in order to ascertain a positive id, of some poor invertebrate is abhorrent to me. Can you imagine the fall-out should someone shoot a bird because they weren't confident of the identification based upon what they could actually see? Not a chance. The ridiculous advances in image capture, even by the most basic of equipment, should ensure a level of confidence in the ability of technology to assist our id without the need to resort to the dissection of said creatures. Still don't know what it's called? Get over yourself, it's a bloody insect, how is it important enough to warrant acting like God and killing the creature? Oh yeah, I know, it's an ego thing - got to see my initials next to the sighting in the County Moth/Spider/Beetle/Bee/Wasp Report.
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| Golden-brown Tubic |
On the whole, inverts aren't rare, they're just overlooked? Why? Because no-one in the ordinary world gives a "flying f*ck" about such things. Paying the bills and keeping food on the table being of far more importance, funnily enough. That there are some of us to whom these wonderful creatures are capable of creating an interest beyond "grab the fly spray" is testament to the human ability to seek individuality. Knowing that there are many others with totally opposite viewpoints, I will now step down from the soap box and accept that everyone is entitled to an opinion, however much it might differ from my own.
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| Scarce Oak Knot-horn |
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| Dotted Oak Knot-horn |
Last night was another crazy one, for the 125w MV moth trap, with over one hundred, each, of Brown & Yellow-tailed Moths, the vast majority of which were on the outside of the trap when I switched it off at 05.15 hrs this morning. Thirteen Elephant Hawk-moths was the highest count, thus far in 2023, but it was left to the micro moths to provide the bulk of my interest. Plenty of Tortrix sp. to push my limited knowledge, yet it was two Pyralids which actually provided the real learning today. Thankfully I have Ian Roberts (Folkestone Birds.org) to provide, much needed, assistance with my moth id and today was no different. What was rather reassuring is that Ian actually agreed with my identifications, so things are certainly moving in the right direction?
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