Biota of the Isle of Man

Last updated

This is a list of the known wild biota of the Isle of Man .

Contents

Each listing follows the following format: English name (where one exists), binomial/trinomial scientific name with authorities for uncommon species, Manx name (where one exists), status.

Amphibia (amphibians)

Salamandridae (salamanders and newts)

Anura (frogs and toads)

Aves (birds)

Gaviidae (divers)

Podicipedidae (grebes)

Hydrobatidae (petrels)

Procellariidae (shearwaters)

Sulidae (gannets and boobies)

Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants)

Ardeidae (egrets and herons)

Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks)

Accipitridae (hawks, eagles, kites and harriers)

Falconidae (falcons)

Phasianidae (partridges and quail)

Tetraonidae (grouse)

Phasianidae (pheasants)

Rallidae (rails and crakes)

Haematopodidae (oystercatchers)

Scolopacidae (waders)

Scolopacidae (woodcock and snipe)

Laridae (gulls)

Alcidae (auks)

Columbidae (pigeons)

Tytonidae (barn owls)

Strigidae (other owls)

Hirundinidae (swallows)

Motacillidae (wagtails)

Troglodytidae (wrens)

Prunellidae (dunnock)

Turdidae (thrushes)

Sylviidae (warblers)

Paridae (tits)

Sturnidae (starlings)

Corvidae (corvids)

Passeridae (sparrows)

Fringillidae (finches)

Emberizidae (buntings)

Insecta (insects)

Neuroptera (lacewings)

Trichoptera (caddisflies)

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)

Updated July 2023

Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets)

Dermaptera (earwigs)

Dictyoptera (cochroaches)

Phasmida (stick-insects)

Diptera (true flies)

Coleoptera (beetles)

Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants)

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)

As of 2023 the Isle of Man has 20 regularly occurring migrant and resident species of butterfly, with a total of 23 all-time records in the wild.

Pieridae (whites)

  • Large white, Pieris brassicae (fairly common resident)
  • Small white, Pieris rapae (common resident)
  • Green-veined white, Pieris napi (common resident)
  • Orange tip, Anthocharis cardamines (fairly common resident)
  • Clouded yellow, Colias croceus (irregular migrant - an immigration occurring in 1947 [4] 107 records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022 [5] )
  • Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni (very rare migrant)

Lycaenidae (blues and coppers)

  • Small copper, Lycaena phlaeas (common resident)
  • Common blue, Polyommatus icarus (common resident)
  • Holly blue, Celastrina argiolus (fairly common and widespread resident)

Satyridae (browns)

  • Grayling, Hipparchia semele (residential restricted to grassy, rocky cliffs and the Ayres - 355 records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022 [5] )
  • Speckled wood, Pararge aegeria (recent coloniser, since 2005 on the east coast, reaching the west coast by 2009, now very common and widespread [6] )
  • Meadow brown, Maniola jurtina (common and widespread resident)
  • Wall, Lasiommata megera (relatively common and widespread but in reduced number)
  • Small heath, Coenonympha pamphilus (common and widespread, particularly on rabbit-grazed coastal grassland an in uplands)

Nymphalidae (fritillaries and aristocrats)

  • Dark green fritillary, Speyeria aglaja (widespread resident along Manx coast but local. Inland population at Sulby Glen)
  • Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta (common annual migrant)
  • Small tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae (widespread and common, but declining)
  • Peacock, Aglais io (fairly common resident)
  • Comma, Polygonia c-album (fairly recent coloniser, since 1990s, local, mainly in north [6] - rare)
  • Painted lady, Vanessa cardui (annual migrant)
  • Ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus (extremely rare vagrant - NBN Atlas Isle of Man contains only a single record from 1937 in Peel)
  • Scotch argus, Erebia aethiops (extremely rare vagrant [4] )
  • Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (extremely rare vagrant [4] - four records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022 [7] )

Crambidae (grass moths)

  • Scarce crimson and gold moth, Pyrausta sanguinalis, a small distinctively marked moth, dark yellow with crimson bands across the forewings merging with crimson edging. It is scarce and local in the British Isles and appears to be confined to areas of Northern Ireland, the Burren in the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Here, it is only found along the northern coast at the Ayres National Nature Reserve, where its larvae live in silken tubes and feed on the flowers of wild thyme growing in the former sand pits. At the Ayres adults fly during the day mostly in June but have been recorded in July and into early August. The species was once more widespread in Britain but has declined in recent years and is thought to be extinct in its former range in north-west England and Scotland. [8]

Arctiidae (woolly worm moths)

Geometridae (geometers)

Sphingidae (hawkmoths)

Notodontidae (prominent moths)

Noctuidae (noctuids)

Hemiptera (true bugs)

Mammalia (mammals)

Chiroptera (bats)

As of 2020 research by the Manx Bat Group has found that there are at least nine species of Chiroptera on the Isle of Man:

Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares)

Insectivora (insect-eaters)

Rodentia (rodents)

Carnivora (carnivores)

Cervidae (deer)

Pinnipedia (seals and walruses)

Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates or hoofed mammals)

Marsupialia (marsupials)

Cetacea (whales and dolphins)

Note that Manx nomenclature traditionally did not differentiate between species. Most whales are known as muc varrey (sea pigs) or perkin mooar and small dolphins as doraid.

Regularly seen species

Rarely seen species

Vagrant species

Extinct populations

Domestic animals

All sorts of domesticated species have been brought to the Isle of Man by humans over the millennia. Two notable landrace breeds have evolved distinctively on the island:

Mollusca (molluscs)

Gastropoda (gastropods)

Stylommatophora (common land snails and slugs)

  • Limax cinereoniger (ash-black slug) found in remnant ancient woodland in 2011 after not being recorded for over 100 years. [25]

Order Trochida

Reptilia (reptiles)

Chondrichthyes (cartilagenous fish)

Lamprey

Osteichthyes (bony fish)

Arthropoda (arthropods)

The format here is common English name (if one exists), followed by scientific name, followed by authority in brackets. There are no Manx names.

Arachnida (spiders)

218 species of Arachnids have been identified in the Isle of Man as of 1 January 2002. [29]

Pholcidae

Segestriidae

Dysderidae

Oonopidae

Mimetidae

Nesticidae

Theridiidae

Linyphiidae

Tetragnathidae

Araneidae

Lycosidae

Pisauridae

Agelenidae

Cybaeidae

Hahniidae

Dictynidae

Amaurobiidae

Liocranidae

Clubionidae

Gnaphosidae

Philodromidae

Thomisidae

Salticidae

Pinophyta (conifers)

Cupressaceae (cypresses)

Magnoliopsida

Brassicales

Nymphaeaceae (waterlilies)

Mycetozoa (slime moulds)

Fungi

As of September 2022, 1801 distinct species from the kingdom Fungi have been recorded on NBN Atlas Isle of Man. [30]

Strophariaceae (dung fungi)

Sixty-two species of dung fungi have been recorded in the Isle of Man as of 13 April 2009 by Michael J. Richardson, a British mycologist. The following are from a sample of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) pellets collected at the Ayres on 6 January 2008.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamerlan Thorell</span> Swedish arachnologist

Tord Tamerlan Teodor Thorell was a Swedish arachnologist.

<i>Steatoda</i> Genus of spiders

The spider genus Steatoda, in the family Theridiidae, includes about 120 recognized species, distributed around the world. One common name is cupboard spider, for many species build their webs in dark, sheltered, undisturbed places around the house or garden, in sheds and garages, under garden, in compost bins, and the like. Signs of the cupboard spider include small white spots of spider droppings, like small splashes of paint, on the floor underneath the web.

<i>Xysticus</i> Genus of ground crab spiders

Xysticus is a genus of ground crab spiders described by C. L. Koch in 1835, belonging to the order Araneae, family Thomisidae. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek root xyst, meaning "scraped, scraper".

<i>Attulus</i> Genus of spiders

Attulus is a genus of jumping spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1889. The name is a diminutive form of a common prefix for salticid genera, -attus.

<i>Salticus</i> Genus of spiders

Salticus is a genus of the family Salticidae. Salticus is the type genus for the family Salticidae.

<i>Clubiona</i> Genus of spiders

Clubiona is a genus of sac spiders that was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804.

<i>Tetragnatha</i> Genus of spiders

Tetragnatha is a genus of long-jawed orb-weavers found all over the world. It was first described by Pierre André Latreille in 1804, and it contains hundreds of species. Most occur in the tropics and subtropics, and many can run over water. They are commonly called stretch spiders in reference to their elongated body form and their ability to hide on blades of grass or similar elongated substrates by stretching their front legs forward and the others behind them. The name Tetragnatha is derived from Greek, tetra- a numerical prefix referring to four and gnatha meaning "jaw". Evolution to cursorial behavior occurred long ago in a few different species, the most studied being those found on the Hawaiian islands. One of the biggest and most common species is T. extensa, which has a holarctic distribution. It can be found near lakes, river banks or swamps. Large numbers of individuals can often be found in reeds, tall grass, and around minor trees and shrubs.

<i>Pardosa</i> Genus of spiders

Pardosa is a large genus of wolf spiders, commonly known as the thin-legged wolf spiders. It was first described by C. L. Koch, in 1847, with more than 500 described species that are found in all regions of the world.

Laxey Bay is a coastal feature and Marine Nature Reserve on the east coast of the Isle of Man in the north Irish Sea. Geographically it is bounded by Laxey Head to the north and Clay Head to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Father Chrysanthus</span> Dutch arachnologist (1905–1972)

Wilhelmus Egbertus Antonius Janssen, better known as Father Chrysanthus OFMCap, was a Dutch priest and biology teacher. He was known for his studies in arachnology. Initially he was concerned with the spiders of the Netherlands but he became a specialist on New Guinea spiders. Two spider species were named in his honor following his death.

References

  1. "Damselfly rediscovered".
  2. "Speckled Bush Crickets are common in southern and central England but are more uncommon in the colder and wetter conditions of the north and west. In the Isle of Man, Speckled Bush Crickets are recorded from few sites and, as a consequence, are protected by the Wildlife Act". Biosphere.im. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  3. IOM BAP for Bomblius minor - in publication spring 2022
  4. 1 2 3 "Peregrine journal - Manx BirdLife".
  5. 1 2 "Hipparchia semele: Grayling | NBN Atlas Isle of Man".
  6. 1 2 "Climate conference spots insects". News.bbc.co.uk. 22 January 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  7. "Danaus plexippus: Monarch | NBN Atlas Isle of Man".
  8. IOM BAP for Pyrausta sanguinalis 2022 in preparation
  9. "Isle of Man Studies (Proceedings IoMNHAS) - Volume XVI" (PDF).
  10. "New bat species discovered". Manx Radio. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  11. "Further confirmation of another bat species on IoM". Manx Radio. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  12. "Lesser horseshoe bat found in the Isle of Man" (PDF). Manxbatgroup.org. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  13. "New bat found on Isle of Man". Manx Radio. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  14. "Harbour porpoise | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  15. "Bottlenose dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  16. "Short Beaked Common Dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  17. "Risso's dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  18. "Minke whale | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  19. 1 2 3 "Rare species | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  20. "Log in or sign up to view". Facebook.
  21. "Sei whale - Natural History Zoology Collection - iMuseum". iMuseum - Manx National Heritage. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  22. "'Unusual and enigmatic' long-finned pilot whales spotted off Welsh coast". BBC News. 26 August 2016.
  23. "Striped dolphin found dead in Isle of Man harbour". BBC News. 20 December 2017.
  24. Perrin, William F.; Würsig, Bernd G.; Thewissen, J. G. M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Academic Press. p. 404. ISBN   978-0-12-373553-9.
  25. 1 2 3 Chris Lawrence. "Manx Nature" (PDF). Manxwt.org.uk. p. 24. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Native Freshwater Fisheries Atrategy 2015 - 2020" (PDF). Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Isle of Man Government. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  27. "Rare sunfish spotted in Isle of Man waters". BBC News. 10 September 2014.
  28. "Swordfish seen for first time in Manx waters | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch".
  29. "Welcome to Isleofman.com - The online Manx Portal". Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  30. "Home". NBN Atlas Isle of Man.
  31. "Isle of Man Government - Ash dieback". Gov.im. Retrieved 30 March 2022.