1/2 #speciesaday no. 664 is Agramma laeta. A TINY (2 to 2.5 mm) rather atypical lacebug that I always thought was pretty much restricted to untouched chalk-grassland. At the weekend, I found quite a few in the species-rich chalk-grassland at High Beech gardens, along with other such inverts.
November 4, 2025 at 11:48 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 662 is Cryptocephalus moraei. A very smart leaf beetle that feeds on St John's-worts, as such it is commonest on the chalk but can appear where ever they grow. I have records between 3rd May and 12th August.
November 2, 2025 at 9:39 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 661 is Plaited Door Snail (Cochlodina laminata). A large door snail, typically found in base-rich woodland on trees and under fallen logs. Saw quite a few at Lion's Bank, Wiston Estate today.
November 1, 2025 at 7:02 PM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 663 is Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus). A migratory butterfly (although I have seen a freshly emerged adult at Rye Harbour). Most appear egg-yellow in flight (as opposed to sulphur of Brimstone). Fairly frequent but always exciting. This one was yesterday, my latest record.
November 3, 2025 at 12:58 PM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 660 is Arctosa fulvolineata. Nationally Rare, Near Threatened and Section 41. The other mega spider that Mark Telfer found (1st photo is his image) on the Aulonia day but didn't get a look in with all the publicity yesterday. New to the Isle of Wight! A real saltmarsh specialist
October 31, 2025 at 5:31 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 658 is Neocochylis hybridella. A smart bird dropping mimic cochylid (a type of tortrix). Some nice red markings and a whitish head and thorax make this one fairly easy to ID. This one was found at rest at West Beach earlier this year.
October 28, 2025 at 6:36 AM
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1/3 #speciesaday no. 659 is Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio). A large, long-lived freshwater fish introduced here centuries ago. Omnivorous and incredibly destructive to plant and invertebrate life in ponds. The lake at Woods Mill used to look like chocolate milk shake until they were removed.
October 29, 2025 at 6:06 AM
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1/3 #speciesaday is Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis). Breeds in the mountains, winters (mainly) on the coast. Love seeing the big flocks at Cley and other sites along the North Norfolk coast with their 'toffee cheeks'. This one was from the very top of Snowdon back in 2010...
October 26, 2025 at 6:41 AM
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#speciesaday no. 655 is Orange Grisette (Amanita crocea). I have only ever seen this at one place, Ebernoe Cricket Pitch and then not every year. It was up last week but looking a little dried out (this is a photo from 31st Oct 20015!). It is associated with birch. I think it must be 'uncommon'.
October 25, 2025 at 6:21 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 654 is Macrotylus paykulli. A small mirid that feeds on Restharrow. The smallest in the genus and quite distinctive in the field (appears variegated and turquoise). Mostly found on chalk-grassland, readily found by suction along with a guild of other Restharrow-feeding bugs.
October 24, 2025 at 6:36 AM
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#speciesaday no. 653 is Sombre Brocade (Dryobotodes tenebrosa). A migrant/recent colonist. I had my first and only one in the garden actinic on the 28th September. Like a big Brindled Green with no green. Feeds on Holm Oak. Established in a few places on the south coast. Spreading.
October 23, 2025 at 6:14 AM
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#speciesaday no. 652 is Geranium Bronze (Cacyreus marshalli). A non-native butterfly originally from South Africa, it has spread north through Europe since 1990s. Feeds on Pelargoniums. This one was at Grosney, Jersey spotted by Karen with minutes to spare. My 60th butterfly in the British Isles
October 22, 2025 at 5:36 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 651 is Mycetophagus piceus. Probably the 2nd most frequently encountered species in the genus I see in the south east. Widespread. Found in bracket fungi. This one from Wadhurst Park beaten from a very smelly Dryad's Saddle.
October 21, 2025 at 5:21 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 650 is Acrocera orbiculus. A Nationally Scarce hunch-back fly that parisitises spiders. All my records are between 22nd and 27th June from neutral grassland in the High Weald of East Sussex but it's widespread looking at the NBN.
October 20, 2025 at 10:25 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 649 is Donacia vulgaris. A local reed beetle with a striking linear rainbow pattern on the elytra, which have distinctively emarginate tips. On a variety of tall emergent vegetation by water ways.
October 14, 2025 at 5:42 PM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 648 is Phaeostigma notata. One of our four species of snakefly (all four in different genera) and the one I record most frequently, (though never common) typically by beating oaks in the spring/early summer. All my records are between 5th May and 13th July, most in May - June.
October 2, 2025 at 7:45 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 647 is Orchesella flavescens. A scarce and rather striking springtail that I only see on acidic woodland sites in Sussex. It was also my 350,000th record entered into my Recorder 6 database! This was from Graffham Common on 31st August. I am very behind with #speciesaday!
October 1, 2025 at 9:33 AM
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#speciesaday no. 454 is Undulate Ray!!! Wow, just look at that! An absolute work of art. Only my 2nd ray and 93rd fish in The British Isles. Amazed to see this on a sea-fishing trip just off Brighton yesterday. Released.
November 6, 2024 at 7:41 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 472 is Andrena marginata. Nationally scarce a. A scarce bee typically found on Small Scabious or Devil's-bit Scabious. Distinctive red abdomen in the female (although I found the dark form in Surrey in September). All my records are from early August to mid September.
November 25, 2024 at 6:09 PM
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#speciesaday no. 528 is Oxycera trilineata. A local, wetland soldierfly. This is the only one I have ever seen, which is odd as it's not that scarce. Recorded at Iford in June 2021. I've only recorded 562 species of fly (which ranks me a lowly 16th for flies on the #PSL website).
January 19, 2025 at 11:14 AM
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Working like mad for three years finally seems to have got on top of me, so I have got behind with #speciesaday but I will return when I have got this latest report out of the way.
February 11, 2025 at 7:16 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 627 is Humming-bird Hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum). Nearly everyone knows the 'migratory' adult moth but here is the larva. Vac sampled from chalk-grassland on a farm in Brighton yesterday, they are well established here too. Feeds on bedstraws.
July 4, 2025 at 5:19 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 519 is Troxochrus scabriculus. A small, local money spider that I almost always only find on chalky arable fields on the Downs (where it can be quite numerous), using the suction sampler. Although I have had it on amenity grassland in central Brighton too.
January 10, 2025 at 12:12 PM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 397 is Centrotus cornutus (Horned Treehopper). A local species found on woodland edge type habitats in May & June (I have records from 26th April to 28th June). Unmistakable, nothing else looks anything like this in the UK.
May 4, 2025 at 7:16 AM
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1/2 #speciesaday no. 480 is Tortella squarrosa. Nationally Scarce. Distinctive when dry as it curls up. A scarce early-successional acrocarp of warm, south-facing chalk-grassland with plenty of bare ground. A pale lime-green.
December 3, 2024 at 8:13 AM
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