Graeme Lyons

2/2 I have just 8 records over a 14 year period. All my Sussex records are from the Weald, mostly in the west. Not had it this year.

1/2 #speciesaday no. 682 is Tomoxia bucephala. A Nationally Scarce saproxylic 'tumbling flower beetle'. Superficially like the much commoner Variimorda villosa, but a different pattern and more strongly associated with deadwood. I have recorded it between 2nd June and 10th July. Not annual for me.

2/2 I have just 4 records, not seen it since 2014. I have seen it at Burton Pond and Old Lodge in Sussex, both sites I have surveyed since (and more frequently) but have not seen it in over a decade. Is it declining in the south east perhaps. I miss it!

1/2 #speciesaday no. 681 is Sericomyia lappona. A very smart and distinctive large, almost black and white hover with a conker for a scutellum. Restricted to boggy sites, much commoner in the north and west but also New Forest. Not common in Sussex. My records are between 30th May and 20th June.

2/2 I have just three records, all from the New Forest or very near to the forest. I have not seen this in Sussex.

1/2 #speaciesaday no. 680 is Stictoleptura scutellata. A large, solid, all-black (with an orange scutellum) Nationally Scarce longhorn beetle. Commonest in Beech woodland, seems to be fairly common around the New Forest but it's very scarce in Sussex. All my records are between 30th May & 11th July.

2/2 I have 811 records. Basically, this is a map of where I have recorded.

1/2 #speciesaday no. 679 is Euophrys frontalis. A very common jumper in open habitats. Identifiable throughout much of the year. Adult males have magic wands for front legs and red-ringed eyes (think Paul Daniels with hay fever). Striking white on the top of the palps too! I just love salticids!

2/2 I have just 66 records. Commonest on heaths and woods. I never find lots and there are more spiders classed Nationally Scarce that I find far more frequently than this in the south east. It's widespread nationally though (those two records on the coastal plain are a glitch on the map).

1/2 #speciesaday no. 677 is Walckenaeria acuminata. Periscope up! The male of this spider has its eyes spread out along the turret - 4 half way and the other 4 at the top! This genus is an utter joy, I love showing this spider to people for the first time. Even the female has a small protrusion.

6000 species in 2026 In 2026, I am going to use our fantastic website to 'pan-species year list', with the aim of reaching 6,000 species over the course of 2026...

I am going to try and see 6000 species over 2026! Exciting. Full story in the blog post below.

Alas, the polygons are both in perfect alignment, matched node to node.

Anyone digitise sites in QGIS? I have been digitising large complex sites for over 20 years but recently I have found QGIS a nightmare. I drew the yellow polygon (the geometry is good/seamless). I go to merge it with the existing polygon and this happens. Please help! Driving me nuts #qgis

2/2 I have 10 records.

1/2 #speciesaday no. 676 is Megalinus glabratus. A large, shiny, local rove beetle with red eltyra and a big head that I see in open habitats, usually on the Downs. I have two records in June but most of my records come from August and September.

2/2 I have 52 records, all unsurprisingly from chalk grassland!

1/2 #speciesaday no. 676 is Common Rock-rose (Helianthemum nummularium). Vulnerable as of the latest status review! It's certainly not in every parcel of chalk grassland but is often really common where it occurs and there are loads of inverts that use it (as well as oddly, mycorrhizal fungi).

#speciesaday no. 675 is Silky Rosegill (Volvariella bombycina). I have only seen this once at Ebernoe Common in 2016, growing out of a hole in a Beech tree. It really reminded me of some sort of coconut dessert! www.panspecieslisting.com

Apologies for the delay in getting through iRecord verification - something had to give with the book for the last few years. Now that's out of the way I am catching up with the backlog. 300 records verified this morning and 100 of my own records entered from the Spurn PSL get together.

#speciesaday no. 674 is Montagu's Sea Snail (Liparis montagui). Not a snail, but a fish! Considering it is not meant to be that scarce, I only have one record - from 2013 at St Mary's Lighthouse in the north east. I'm sure I've seen it once more though, but not in the last decade. Cut little thing!

That's not far off!

2/2 I have 24 records from three sites. Most are from Graffham Common (where it seems to be lost) and Iping Common where in both places it is/was dependant on the creation of bare ground to keep it going. I have seen huge numbers of plants in the New Forest though.

1/2 #speciesaday no. 673 is Marsh Clubmoss (Lycopodiella inundata) is a Nationally Scarce & Section 41 (although it has come off the Red List in the 2025 status review, this is stil a plant that's struggling in places). Found only on damp, black, peaty mud (M16), in places where you'll see sundews.

2/2 I thought I had more records than I do ( I am sure I have seen it at the Warren at Burton Pond) but I only have two records in my database in 2014 and 2016.

1/2 #speciesaday no. 672 is the obscene Parasitic Bolete (Pseudoboletus parasiticus) growing from its host Common Earthball (Scleroderma citrinum). Around 10 years ago I was seeing this all around the West Weald. I guess it will come round again.

2/2 I have 138 records, with more in the Weald because there is generally more woodland there.

1/2 #speceisaday no. 671 is Abax parallelepipedus. A large & common carabid typically found under logs in woodland. I just sent off all my 8,200 carabid records to Mark Telfer for him to include in the status review he is doing. Surprised there are not more (as I make 10,000 spider records A YEAR).

A mind-blowingly cool few days rock-pooling down at Falmouth last weekend concluded with a session at Helford Passage. We found a cockle new to Cornwall! Plus a load of other cool stuff. Full story in my blog...
analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...

This Male Walckenaeria acuminata may be common but its a fantastic looking spider, since getting into Linys this Genus is so fasinating. And its great that the male and female of this species can be Identified with a hand Lens.
@britishspiders.bsky.social

2/2 I have 72 records (222 records of B. lampros). Most on the Downs but clearly can be found anywhere.