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Poor old Gilbert is getting restless. Despite the fact that there is more interest in wildlife than ever before, it seems that most of the so-called conservation organisations are losing interest in species. Instead they prefer to babble on about landscape scale conservation and ecosystem services (whatever they are). Could this be because most of their staff don't have any knowledge about species if they don't have four legs?
This is my attempt to encourage an interest in good old-fashioned natural history.

Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Is there anybody still out there?

Gilbert has noticed that all the more interesting natural history blogs are rather moribund and felt pangs of guilt that none are more moribund than his own. So a quick blog to see if either of his readers is still out there.

Today I carried out the annual monitoring of the rare moth Coleophora vibicella. This species is now known from just two sites in Hampshire, one in West Sussex, one in Dorset and one on the Isle of Wight. One Hampshire colony became extinct a couple of years ago and the Dorset one is heading in the same direction. Only the West Sussex and Isle of Wight sites could be described as secure.

The larvae make a silken case about an inch long, from which they feed on the foliage of Dyer's Greenweed Genista tinctoria. The cases can be all black or can have pale sections like this one.


The number of larval cases has been in decline at the West Sussex site for a couple of years, for reasons that are not entirely clear so it was pleasing to record over 1300 cases during the timed counts today. This is the highest total since I switched to timed counts from a 'full' survey.

The early season was reflected in the fact that I also saw a couple of adults.


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10 comments:

  1. Steve Gale13 July 2017 at 09:20

    Glad you've woken up, have always liked your musings. Not all bloggers are moribund by the way, although I obviously don't count as one of your favourites... ;-)

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  2. Gibster13 July 2017 at 09:31

    I was thinking that poor ol' Gilbert's Ghost had been the victim of an exorcism. Glad to have him back again (from another non-moribund yet clearly uninteresting blogger...)

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    Replies
    1. Gilbert White's Ghost13 July 2017 at 10:05

      Apologies Steve, will try to remember how to change the blog list. Gibster, your blog didn't exist when I last wrote on here so not entirely surprising that it isn't listed! And you have been a bit moribund of late :)

      Delete
    2. Steve Gale13 July 2017 at 13:31

      Thanks Tony!

      Delete
  3. oldbilluk13 July 2017 at 11:14

    I am thinking of starting to blog under the title Same Shirt Different Day. So far it is still at the thinking stage.

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  4. Steve Davis13 July 2017 at 18:17

    Good to see him back ! :).

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  5. Skev13 July 2017 at 20:22

    My blog has similarly risen from the flames lately. Not quite like a Phoenix - more like a badly singed chicken.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gilbert White's Ghost14 July 2017 at 12:32

      Good to have you back Skev. Not sure about your 'Catoptria culmella', new to science? :)

      Delete
    2. Skev16 July 2017 at 21:16

      Ah - thanks. I was tired .......

      Delete

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