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Sussex biological recording news

With the season in full swing, here's your June update for Sussex biological recording news.There's more surveys to get involved in, an update to some Sussex atlases and information on how we can help with biological recording events. As ever, please get in touch if you have anything you'd like us to feature in future - we'd love to hear from you!

Sussex Atlas Updates

We're really excited to announce that the Sussex Mammal Atlas is now onli ne. We have been working with Sussex Mammal Group to produce an online atlas with pictures and contextual statements for Sussex, which is now available for you to look through. We hope that by producing this, Sussex recorders will be inspired to fill in the gaps and send us records of common species that are under recorded in Sussex.

We've also updated the Sussex Shieldbug Atlas that was launched in 2018. Graeme Lyons has written a blog post about how the increase in recording has changed the species distribution over the last year. If you'd like to record shieldbugs, you can join the Facebook Group for identification assistance and discussion and submit records via iRecord for verification.

Graeme's blog post shows just how much difference sending in your data can make to record distribution for common species in Sussex, and both mammals and shieldbugs are species groups where all records can really make a difference, and there are lots of resources available

Please send us any records through iRecord or take a look at information for sharing data on our website. We aim to update these atlases annually, so any records you can send us this year will go up in winter 2019!

How can SxBRC support your recording event?

If your organisation is planning a biological recording event this year and you're wondering if SxBRC can provide you with support, take a look at our new webpage outlining the services we can offer

Image credit: Barry Yates

Survey of Xylem-feeding insects - Submit your sightings

Dr Claire Harkin and Dr Alan Stewart from the University of Sussex are asking for records to be submitted of Xylem feeding insects: Froghoppers, Spittlebugs, and some species of Leafhopper, which produce a frothy spittle during the nymph stages.
This spittle can be a vector for the Xylella fastidiosa bacterium which can cause a variety of diseases in more than 300 plants, trees and shrubs. This bacterium has not been recorded in the UK, but was identified in southern Italy in 2013. The BRIGIT project aims to better understand the distribution and ecology of these insects to predict how the disease may spread should it reach the UK in the future. For more information on the project you can read through the information on the Xylem feeding insects website

You can submit your records through the iRecord form and there are resources available to help identify species on the website.

Image credit: Derek Middleton

New FSC BioLinks Courses are live

There are some great courses being run by the FSC BioLinks project at FSC venues across the South-East region, and they've just released their 2019 programme. These are aimed at beginner to intermediate recorders, and have affordable costs to make them as accessible as possible for everyone.

Species of the month:Trifolium ornithopodioides (Bird’s-foot Clover)

Suspected to be under-recorded in Sussex by Sussex Botanical Recording Society in The Flora of Sussex, June is as good a month as any to look for this tiny member of the clover family!

You can read more about Bird's-foot Clover on our Species of the Month page and submit your sightings to Matthew Berry of SBRS via email.

The Yellow Cellar Slug has been declining in recent years, and your records could help establish where these slugs are still present.

This survey is being carried out as part of a PhD project with Newcastle University, Royal Horticultural Society, and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. Check out the identification guide and submit your records via iRecord or to SxBRC and we'll pass them on.

Local News and Upcoming Events

Butterfly Conservation Sussex have some upcoming Black Hairstreak survey sessions and Pearl-bordered Fritillaries are back on Sussex reserves

Large Alder Sawfly recorded at SWT Woods Mill reserve

Read about the BBS SE Group field meeting to Hurstpierpoint, home of bryologist William Mitten

For all your Sussex Herptile news have a read through the Sussex ARG Newtsletter and you can join SARG and Sussex Moth Group for a joint event at Rowland Wood on Saturday 8th/Sunday 9th June, moth trapping and searching for Great Crested Newts

National News

The British Lichen Society are tweeting about lichens for 30 days wild

PTES are asking for records of Noble chafer beetles. A new national survey is looking for volunteers to set up a (harmless!) trap over two weeks in June

Or if beetles aren't your thing, you could join in with the PTES Living with Mammals survey until the 30th June

Jamie Cranston, a PhD student at Exeter University would like volunteers to complete an online survey exploring recorders' attitudes to new species becoming established in the UK

Bulletin 31 from The British Myriapod and Isopod Group is now online

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Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre · Woods Mill · Henfield, England BN5 9SD · United Kingdom