Are there Regional Insects?

dombug · #1 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 04:37 PM

Hi guys,

I live to the north of london and am wondering if some bugs around me are specific to my region? And why would that be the case?

Are there other well known bugs that only reside in other areas of the country due to certain geographical anomalies that suit the specific species or visa-versa?

Many Thanks,

an inquisitive dombug!

Dutchess · #2 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 04:59 PM

Hi dombug,

Welcome to WAB! It's good to be inquisitive and here you will find answers to most questions you choose to pose, I am sure. We have some seriously serious experts aboard.

I am no insect/bug expert by any means, but I do believe they have regional variations in population due to climate, etc, yes.

Do post your whereabouts (roughly) and get the ball rolling - people will be able to be more specific then

D.

eucera · #3 (**permalink**) 18-08-2008, 05:05 PM

Hi guys,

I live to the north of london and am wondering if some bugs around me are specific to my region? And why would that be the case?

Are there other well known bugs that only reside in other areas of the country due to certain geographical anomalies that suit the specific species or visa-versa?

Hi Dombug and welcome!

The basic answer to your basic question is, of course, YES.

In fact, pretty well everything is restricted in some way or other, it really depends on the scale you are looking at.

And... it is also worth remembering, that what is suitable today... may become unsuitable in the future and vice versa

I can really only speak with confidence about bees and wasps but there are a number of species whose ranges in UK are based in London and the home counties. These distributions may depend on a whole series of variables such as climate, habitat, availability of specific forage/prey, land use, landscape complexity etc. Each species is quite likely to have its own set of determining parameters, and so it is not possible to give a really precise answer unless or until we know which species we are dealing with.

I am sorry to be so vague, but factors that affect distribution and rangeat different scales are many and varied

naturegirl · #4 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 01:34 AM

Hi Dombug!

Of course there are regional variations to species!

Foodplants of the target species are of the optimum importance.

Let us know which species you are interested in and we will do all we can to help.

Naturegirl

Jason Green · #5 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 02:59 AM

To find out which species are in your part of London, join GiGL.org.uk and do a 'Data Search', probably using your postcode. I believe it's free, too

dombug · #6 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 08:29 AM

wonderful, thank you... I will have a look at that website now. i am in st albans, central hertfordshire... anything you know of there?

Are there any rare but "famous" species of insect that people have to travel to certain areas of the UK for?

Cheers,

Dombug

Jason Green · #7 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 11:55 AM

Pleasure

See the St. Albans council's website of their parks: St Albans District Council - Leisure - Parks and Cemeteries - Verulamium Park

A set of images of Hertfordshire's wildlife on Flickr: Hertfordshire's Insects - a set on Flickr

Hertfordshire's Wildlife Trust: Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
Your nearby reserves: reserves

Gill Catton · #8 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dombug

wonderful, thank you... I will have a look at that website now. i am in st albans, central hertfordshire... anything you know of there?

Are there any rare but "famous" species of insect that people have to travel to certain areas of the UK for?

Cheers,

Dombug

Many butterflies are like this, swallowtail to name one. Also perhaps beetles like the stag beetle.

dombug · #9 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 04:08 PM

wow, there are a lot of bugs!

How many species of insects are living in GB today? It looks like there must be 000's from the pics on flickr!

Im just starting to get into all this stuff so thanks for the replies...

Dombug

Jim Ford · #10 (**permalink**) 19-08-2008, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dombug

wonderful, thank you... I will have a look at that website now. i am in st albans, central hertfordshire... anything you know of there?

Are there any rare but "famous" species of insect that people have to travel to certain areas of the UK for?

Not far from you is Cheshunt, which the beetle recorder for Herts. told me is a 'hot spot' for Stag Beetles. I haven't seen one for <mumble, mumble> years and will have to visit there sometime!

Jim