Latest updateshttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/en-GB2008-08-20T15:45:10ZSquarespace Site Server v5.0.0 (http://www.squarespace.com/)SCOTTISH MONTANE INVERTEBRATEShttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2008/6/25/scottish-montane-invertebrates.htmlADMIN2008-06-25T09:36:40ZExpeditions and ProjectsWork has just begun (May 2008)  on a two year project to increase the knowledge of the montane invertebrates of Scotland, which includes all insect orders and spiders. The work, which is mainly funded by Scottish Natural Heritage,  is being managed by staff in the National Museums of Scotland. Other partners include the National Trust for Scotland, the John Muir Trust and Butterfly Conservation Scotland. The project will run for two years and will include an  extensive sampling programme on  mountain sites owned by the partner organisations.

smallcsteve%20montane%20sampling5.jpgAt this time of climatic change it is essential that we obtain up to date information on Scotland’s montane invertebrate species and establish their geographical and attitudinal distribution to act as baselines against which any further monitoring work can be set.

 

The project comprises of five main areas of work :

  • Development of a database of Scottish Montane Invertebrates - to be compiled from specimens in museum collections, literature references and from specimens collected as part of the project
  • Sampling and collection of new material - water trap / pitfall trap sampling to be undertaken on 10 mountain sites across Scotland owned by the partners
  • Identification of specimens - to be organised by the National Museums of Scotland with resulting specimens added to their collections
  • Studies of montane Lepidoptera - survey work undertaken by BC(S) to determine present wee%20black%20mountain%20moth6.jpggeographic and attitudinal distribution of montane Lepidoptera concentrating on BAP species such as the Black Mountain moth - as shown in the photograph to the right.
  • Analysis and outputs - database of all records of montane species will be made available - scientific papers, seminars and reports.

 

small%20N%20nivalis%20.JPGHand collecting of specimens by entomologists and volunteers will also form part of the survey effort and hopefully shall provide some more up to date information on the attitudinal distribution of  species such as the montane beetle Nebria nivalis

 

 

 

 

 

]]>Index of Items in World Lonchaeidaehttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2008/3/3/index-of-items-in-world-lonchaeidae.htmlADMIN2008-03-03T11:58:31ZLonchaeidae of the WorldAn overview of the World fauna

Checklist of World Lonchaeidae

Key to the European genera

New species from Taiwan (2004)

New species from the Palearctic (2004)

A new species of Neosilba from Brazil- http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2005f/z00828f.pdf 

New species from central and Southern Africa (2005)

New species from Malaysia (2005)

New species from Asia  (2007)

Updated checklist for Hungary  (2007)

Lonchaeidae specimens in the National Museums of Scotland

]]>Lonchaeidae from the United Arab Emirateshttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2008/2/25/lonchaeidae-from-the-united-arab-emirates.htmlADMIN2008-02-25T14:06:32ZLonchaeidae of the WorldThe recently published first volume of the “Arthropod fauna of the UAE” contains a short chapter on Lonchaeidae. Two species are recorded from the  country for the first time - Lamprolonchaea metatarsata (Kertesz, 1901) which was recorded in good numbers at several localities and an two unidentified female specimens, most probably of the same species, in the genus Silba.  Little has been previously known about the Lonchaeid fauna of the Arabian peninsula and these intertesting records help fill in some of the gaps in world distribution.

MacGowan, I. 2007. Order Diptera, family Lonchaeidae. In van Harten, A. (ed.) Arthropod fauna of the UAE. 1: 640-642. Dar Al Ummah Publishing, Abu Dhabi.

]]>Hoverfly atlas has 89% coverage !http://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2007/12/18/hoverfly-atlas-has-89-coverage.htmlADMIN2007-12-18T09:11:20ZNewsThe Scottish Hoverfly atlas contains approximately 50,000 species records from an amazing 89% of the 10Km grid squares in Scotland. In order to promote further recording, understanding and conservation of hoverflies in Scotland this unique dataset is now being put on-line for all to use. Go to the Scotish Hoverfly Atlas page to find out more 

]]>Malloch Society - Annual Meeting 2007http://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2007/11/28/malloch-society-annual-meeting-2007.htmlADMIN2007-11-28T10:13:52ZNewsMalloch Society 2007 AGM and Meeting, 8 December 2007, Perth Museum library, 1-5pm

1pm – meet in the library of Perth Museum , refreshments

Kenn Watt in the chair

1.30 – AGM: usual reports

Geoff Hancock in the chair

2.00 – Graham Rotheray : ‘Saproxylic Diptera of Northern Europe ’

2.30 – David Robertson: ‘the Finnish Saproxylic Diptera Rearing Project, results to date’

2.45 – Kenn Watt: ‘Hoverfly mapping’

3.15 – break

3.30 – Ellen Rotheray : ‘the Species Action Framework Project: restoring Blera’

4.00-5.00 – General discussion, topics include: 1) website; 2) proposed Malloch Society visit to Slovenia ; 3) celebrations for 20th anniversary; 4) Dipterists Forum July meeting in Strathspey; 5) AOB.

]]>Described species reach 500http://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2007/11/16/described-species-reach-500.htmlADMIN2007-11-16T14:25:13ZLonchaeidae of the WorldThe latest world checklist reveals that there are now some 500 described species of Lonchaeidae, with many more out there still to be recognised!

Follow this link to see the updated list

]]>New species of Lonchaeidae describedhttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2007/11/5/new-species-of-lonchaeidae-described.htmlADMIN2007-11-05T12:07:48ZNewsTwenty-two species of Lonchaeidae have been newly described from Asia. follow the link to find out more ……..

]]>Welcome to the on-line version of the Scottish Hoverfly Atlashttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2007/10/11/welcome-to-the-on-line-version-of-the-scottish-hoverfly-atla.htmlADMIN2007-10-11T00:30:12ZScottish Hoverfly AtlasOverall 10KmSq. coverage

10ktot07.JPG

The Scottish hoverfly fauna consists of 222 species and 9 forms or sub-species, out of 274 British species. However, some of the Scottish species are probably extinct e.g. Didea alneti, while others e.g. Rhingia rostrata, are probably mis-identifications.  There are 13 species unique to Scotland and not found in the rest of the British Isles.

To date nearly 50,000 records of hoverflies, covering some 998 10Km squares, out of a possible 1116 squares, are held on a computer database by Kob-Web records.

Literature sources have yielded over 5000 records. The main publications being:

The Scottish Naturalist

Annals of the Scottish Naturalist

Entomologists Monthly Magazine

as well as some local natural history journals such as:

Transactions of the Natural History Society of Glasgow

Transactions of the Perthshire Society of Natural Sciences

Transactions of aberdeen Working Men’s Natural History & Science Society

The main museum collections are found in:

The Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh

The Hunterian Museum, Glasgow

Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow

Perth Museum & Art Gallery

Dundee City Museum

Aberdeen University Natural History Museum

Maps of the Scottish Syrphidae

Map Anasimyia contracta

Map Anasimyia interpuncta

Map Arctophila superbiens

Map Brachyopa insensilis

Map Brachyopa pilosa

Map Brachyopa scutellaris

Map Brachypalpoides lenta

Map Chamaesyrphus scaevoides

Map Cheilosia albipila

Map Cheilosia chrysocoma

Map Cheilosia grossa

Map Criorhina floccosa

Map Criorhina ranunculi

Map Chrysotoxum arcuatum

Map Chrysotoxum bicinctum

Map Eristalinus aeneus

Map Eristalis pertinax

Map Eristalis rupium

Map Ferdinandea cuprea

Map Helophilus hybridus

Map Xylota jakutorum

Map Xylota segnis

Map Xylota sylvarum

Map  Xylota tarda

]]>Initiative for Scottish Invertebrates meetinghttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2007/9/19/initiative-for-scottish-invertebrates-meeting.htmlADMIN2007-09-19T14:20:14ZNewsA meeting of the Initiative for Scottish Invertebrates which took place at SNH Battleby on the 25th October 2007 attracted an audience of nearly 90 attendees interested in invertebrate conservation .  The meeting  was part of the Conserving Scottish Invertebrates project which is in the process of developing a  conservation strategy for invertebrates. 

Presentations and discussions took place on four main issues : Defining invertebrate biodiversity loss; Halting Invertebrate biodiversity loss, Understanding and documenting invertebrate diversity and isi%20battleby.jpg

Promoting education and awareness of invertebrates.   Four working groups have now been set up to develop further thinking on these areas with the aim of having the final “Strategy for Scottish Invertebrates” document published during the summer of 2008 

For further information contact Craig.MacAdam@buglife.org.uk 

 

 ]]>Dipterists Forum AGM to be in Glasgowhttp://www.mallochsociety.org.uk/latest-updates/2007/9/19/dipterists-forum-agm-to-be-in-glasgow.htmlADMIN2007-09-19T14:17:24ZNewsThe Annual General Meeting of the UK Dipterists Forum  and dipterists day is to be held in Scotland in the  Hunterian Museum (Zoology) , University of Glasgow on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th November 2007. The programme of talks starts at 10.30am with contributions from Geoff Hancock, Steve Hewitt, Craig MacAdam and Iain MacGowan. The AGM starts at 3.00.  Enquiries to ghancock@museum.gla.ac.uk

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