Orthopterists’ Meeting
Everyone is very welcome to attend the annual Orthopterists’ meetings, whether to present research or just to listen and meet others. Talks, posters and other contributions can be presented on grasshoppers, crickets and related groups (cockroaches, earwigs, stick insects, mantids).
The next meeting takes place on Wednesday 6th November 2013, 1:30 – 8pm at the Natural History Museum, London.
You can find out more information and see the programme here.
Records received in 2013
The scheme would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has sent in their observations this year and would like you to continue to do so. They will provide a full update and new draft atlas maps with their next newsletter in Spring 2014. Some highlights are given in the current issue of British Wildlife (October 2013).
They are working towards a new atlas of Orthoptera and allied insects in Britain and Ireland. They will collect records for one further season, 2014, with publication envisaged in 2015. A set of working draft maps can be downloaded from their Spring Newsletter. They hope the maps illustrate some of the dramatic changes affecting Orthoptera and will inspire you to fill gaps in recording.
There are many ways of submitting your records:
• Log your observations online on the website or on iRecord or here.
• Use your mobile phone to record your observations – see the Spring Newsletter for details
• If you have records in a digital format like Excel, Recorder, or MapMate, please email them to orthoptera@ceh.ac.uk or info@biodiversityireland.ie
• If you have records on paper recording cards, please send them to one of the following addresses:
Biological Records Centre
Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Wallingford
OX10 8BB
UK National Biodiversity Data Centre
Beechfield House
Carriganore WIT West Campus
County Waterford
Ireland
• If you send your records centrally to the scheme in any of the above ways, they will be shared with county recorders and Local Record Centres. Similarly, if you send your records to your county recorder, there is no need to send them in any other way.
• Observations of stick insects can also be submitted to the excellent Phasmid Study Group as they exchange data.
Free identification guides to common species
We have put together two identification guides to common species – grasshoppers & crickets, and earwigs, cockroaches & stick insects. These are available for free download. Many thanks to all photographers who allowed use of their excellent images. If you would like multiple printed copies for use in schools etc. please email orthoptera@ceh.ac.uk
