Here we explain the various parts of an entry in the CHOG Harbour Moths Systematic List, describe how the list has been divided into habitats and by ease of identification, and provide definitions for terms used.

A typical entry in the Systematic List is as follows:

73.233    Aporophyla nigra    Black Rustic    (SW  MW  HL  UG  SH)

National code

Moth species are organised by a national code system. The national code of the example species Aporophyla nigra is 73.233.

The code corresponds to the checklist number of the species as it appears in:

‘A checklist of the Lepidoptera of the British Isles’  Agassiz, D.J.L., Beavan, S.D. & Heckford R.J. 2013.

Scientific name

As with all animals, plants, fungi etc., moth species are assigned a scientific name. The first part of the scientific name is the genus to which the species belongs. The second part is the epithet, which identifies the species. Thus, in the above example, the moth species with national code 73.233 has been ascribed to genus Aporophyla and has scientific name Aporophyla nigra.

Occasionally, a moth in the Systematic List will have a third part in its scientific name, which identifies the subspecies. For example: 72.027  Arctia villica britannica  Cream-spot Tiger is the subspecies of Arctia villica that is found in Britain.

The website that is most relevant for Christchurch Harbour moth species is Hantsmoths. Clicking on the scientific name of a species will take you to the web page for that species on the Hantsmoths website. Here you will find photographs of the species, a full taxonomic classification, a map showing where it is present in Hampshire, and much else besides.

As with other animals, the taxonomy of moths is under constant review, with some species being ascribed to a different genus as phylogenetic studies reveal their true relationship to other species. If you notice that the genus or epithet of a species on the Hantsmoths website is different to that which appears in the CHOG Harbour Moths Systematic List, please report the discrepancy by emailing … Thank you.

English name

All species on the Harbour Moths list have an associated English name. In our example, the English name of Aporophyla nigra is shown as Black Rustic. There is, as yet, no national consensus around English names for UK moths, so it is better to treat the English name as a useful descriptive label, rather than as a way to definitively identify or refer to a species.

Habitats

For the purpose of indicating where within the Christchurch Harbour Recording Area a moth species is most likely to be found, 10 habitats have been documented and each given a two-letter code as follows:

SW – Semi-natural Woodland
MW – Mixed Woodland
SD – Sand Dunes
HL – Heathland
UG – Unimproved Grassland
IG – Improved Grassland
SM – Saltmarsh
FM – Freshwater Marsh
SH – Scrub and Hedgerows
RB – Reedbed

Thus, species Aporophyla nigra, which has the habitat indicator (SW  MW  HL  UG  SH) is most likely to be found within Christchurch Harbour in Semi-natural Woodland, Mixed Woodland, Heathland, Unimproved Grassland and Scrub and Hedgerows habitats. Habitat indicators are shown alongside each species in the Systematic List.

Ease of identification

To aid identification and to act as a guide to finding species within the Harbour, many of the species of moths that have been identified within the recording area have been arranged by the habitat in which each species is most likely to be found within Christchurch Harbour.

Within each Harbour habitat, moth species that are readily identified as adults are listed first, subdivided into diurnal (i.e. day-flying) and nocturnal species. The remaining moths listed are other notable species that are likely to be found in this habitat within Christchurch Harbour. The three subsections are:

Diurnal readily identifiable as adults
Nocturnal readily identifiable as adults
Other notable species

Within each subsection, species are listed in order of national code.

Notes

Some species have additional notes in [square brackets]. An example is:

37.102    Coleophora argentula    Yarrow Case-bearer    [Larval case easy to find in autumn]
The note here indicates that, although the adult moth is not readily identifiable, in autumn larval cases are easy to find and can be confidently attributed to the species Coleophora argentula.

A species in the Systematic List that is not generally able to survive the winter period is classed as an immigrant and has the appended note: [Immigrant]

A species in the Systematic List that has been recorded in the Harbour only once or a few times has the appended note: [Vagrant]

A few species in the Systematic List are not natural to the UK, having been imported from outside Europe (e.g., from Australia/New Zealand in the case of Marbled Fern). These species have the appended note: [Adventive]

Nationally rare and nationally scarce species

Moth species that are nationally rare, or nationally scarce, have been further annotated as follows:

R* – nationally rare and breeds in the Harbour
R – nationally rare other
S* – nationally scarce and breeds in the Harbour
S – nationally scarce other

Species in the ‘other’ categories may be immigrants, or may have been recorded only once or a few times as vagrants.

Within the UK, moth species are recorded as being present, or not present, on a grid of around 3,000 hectads (10km x 10km squares). The definitions of nationally rare and nationally scarce are:

Nationally rare – the species is present in 15 or fewer UK hectads

Nationally scarce – the species is present in 16 to 100 UK hectads

For example:

43.009    Scythris empetrella    Ling Runner    R*    (SD  HL)

is a species that breeds in the Harbour and is present in 15 or fewer UK hectads. It is most likely to be found within Christchurch Harbour in Sand Dunes and Heathland habitats.