My 3000th species!!!
Posted by Graeme Lyons , Thursday 28 October 2010 18:56
I finally got there, the 3000th species! It's not Feathered Thorn, although an impressive moth it's pretty common and I've seen loads before, watch out for a big furry orange triangle at this time of year. I got to Frensham early and checked out what had been attracted to the lights on the walls overnight. I also saw this Mottled Umber which means it really is the end of the year but that wasn't my 3000th species either...
No, the 3000th species is something far duller. Not only is it a micro moth, it's an introduced micro moth that feeds on human and animal detritus. It has an English name according to the NBN Gateway which is Wakely's Dowd Blastobasis lacticolella. Dowdy (unfashionable and without style), my 3000th British species. Hmph! Oh well, it's not exactly a Rose-coloured Starling or a Purse-web Spider but they all helped the tiny, insignificant, Wakely's Dowd scramble to 3000th place! I am pretty pleased I got there two months in advance of my target, that gives me 14 months to try and get to 4000. Bring it on!
Congratulations Graeme. My 3,000th may take some time...