Lepidoptera checklist

Lepidoptera checklist

The Lepidoptera checklist RES Handbook is an up-to-date list of moths and butterflies in Britain and Ireland.

So why do we need another Lepidoptera checklist? There are two main reasons. The first is to add in those species newly recorded in Britain and Ireland. Then the second reason is to reflect changes made by the process of taxonomic revision. Additionally this volume introduces new decimal-style checklist numbers for each species. For many serious moth trappers and recorders, these checklist numbers will supersede the earlier Bradley and Fletcher numbers.

The main list comprises:

  • Resident species.
  • Transitory resident species.
  • Species believed to be extinct.
  • Immigrant species.
  • Species that have probably been imported but have been found in the wild.

Geographical coverage extends to England, Wales, Scotland, both parts of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

The two appendices include additional species.

  • Appendix A: adventive species, i.e. recorded species not regarded as part of the fauna, as they are probably unlikely to recur.
  • Appendix B: species whose records are either erroneous or not confirmed.

Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects is a series of books produced by the Royal Entomological Society (RES). The Handbooks provide illustrated identification keys to the insects of Britain, together with concise morphological, biological and distributional information. The series also includes several Check Lists of British Insects. All books contain line drawings, with the most recent featuring colour photographs. Field Studies Council has published RES Handbooks for several years. RES Handbooks are suitable for experienced users. Many out-of-print Handbooks are now available for free download from the RES.

RES Handbook vol 12 part 6