For those with an interest in moths a new online web guide has been produced covering the macro-moths (larger moths) of Suffolk. Although the guide is currently in a draft form it should still prove useful for moth recorders or more generalised naturalists in the county. The guide is continually being updated with new information and records as they are received so should provide an up to date source of information on the county's moth fauna.
Each moth in the guide has a species account page with textual information describing its national and local status, flight period, larval food plants, preferred habitats, records (where these are few in number) and the entry for the species from Morley's Final Catalogue of Lepidoptera. In addition to the text most species accounts have a 10km distribution map and, where there are enough data, a chart showing in which month(s) the species has been recorded as an adult in the county. Over half of the species have photographs of the adult and members of the moth group are regularly adding new photographs.
Each species account has direct links to web pages on other moth websites for viewing additional information and photographs for that particular species. An identification section lists ‘confusion species’ for comparison of various features (distribution, flight period and adult photographs) between the confusion species. With time it is expected to provide additional information on identification and how to differentiate the various confusion species. A search facility provides the ability to find species accounts based on the species name and also to search for text within the textual accounts.
In the near future the guide will be extended to include the pyralid moths (family Pyralidae) as these are a relatively well-studied group of micro-lepidoptera and, being relatively large for micro-lepidoptera, are recorded by some moth recorders who do not record other families of micro-lepidoptera.
At some stage in the future the moth group intends to produce a book on the larger moths of Suffolk and this online guide is seen as part of that process. Producing the online guide has cost very little apart from time and it can be changed in response to feedback with little effort. The strategy is that we can iron out any problems or inaccuracies in the guide before embarking on the costly business of producing a printed version.
The guide can be found at the Suffolk Moth Group web site (http://www.suffolkmothgroup.org.uk/) by following the link to 'Larger Moths of Suffolk'. I would welcome any comments and feedback about the guide.
© 2005 Suffolk Naturalists' Society
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