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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Brilliant! Hope the "welly method" will be recorded with the record 😁

Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

Wow. Apart from the pill box at Tillyfourie (max count one year also of 12) and a couple of caves on the Black Isle which have maxed at 12 and 19 in single years, that is a record from the North half of Scotland 🤩 You will have to check all the others now!

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Hi George. That must have been good to watch! Up here your spider could be Eratigena duellica, which is the new name for gigantea. These spiders can be hard to tell apart - 3 sps were lumped into E. atrica. I'm not sure if they have been split out again. There were certainly disagreements.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Thanks Joanie. Not much to beat a fresh from pupa Herald! Had my first HH at the weekend :-) Nothing yet in Roslin Glen though.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

TISSUE! Triphosa dubitata. The first of this season's adults have arrived in underground in Scotland. A moth I still get excited about each and every time I find one 😀 It was hanging out with "a wisdom" of Old Lady. Also very lovely. #HibernatingHeralds #MothsMatter

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 20/07/2025

What an impressive insect! Urocerus gigas, Giant Woodwasp, a species I've long wanted to see and it didn't disappoint. Four females ovipositing on a logpile today, Berwickshire.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

135 Rannoch Brindled Beauty on a fencepost-focused hike in Glen Prosen last weekend with @markcubitt.bsky.social About 100 more than we've recorded in the previous few years! 🧡🤍🖤 #MothsMatter #TeamMoth

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

Enjoyed a quick poke around some magnificent old oaks this morning. Was rewarded by a single smart Phosphuga atrata. Hope to be back in search of some woody specialists soon. And moths, obvs. #DalkeithCountryPark

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 23/03/2025

No anemones for me today, but I have finally remembered to post for #WildflowerHour! Primrose and Scurvy Grass blooming plentifully on some glorious Berwickshire coastline this afternoon.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 16/03/2025

Nice pictures! And good to see you. I think you can see a caddis larva in the background of one of them

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Who knows what will be in 100 yrs time, but your name should definitely be there too! Thank you 😊

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

m.youtube.com/watch?v=4mi2... To mark #IWD25 National Museums Scotland have produced this video of me and @ashwhiffin.bsky.social talking about insects, moths, recording and museums and the legacy of Alice Blanche Balfour (1850-1936). #MothsMatter @savebutterflies.bsky.social

m.youtube.com

Collecting moths: biodiversity in East Lothian

YouTube video by NationalMuseumsScotland

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

2 Oak Beauty in local woods yesterday - at least doubling the number ever recorded in E.Lothian. Also 📷 of Yellow Horned, Twin Spotted Quaker, Clouded Drab & Engrailed. Oak B is exciting by its rarity here, but a fresh Engrailed is hard to beat. #MothsMatter

Oak beauty and yellow horned moth side by side on a branch

Oak Beauty moth perched on my finger with woodland in the background.

Twin spotted quaker and clouded drab moths on the trunk of a birch tree.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 02/03/2025

A morning hanging around some veteran oak and beech in neglected parkland habitat, #EastLothian Lots of broken limbs, burrs, excrescences and decay. Vapourer eggs, Phosphuga atrata, Dicranopalpus ramosus agg. Segestria senoculata - just a few of the things discovered.

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Joanie McNaughton @joaniemcnaughton.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

Counting hibernating Herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix), 49 of them, in a cave in Roslin Glen. Also Cave Spider (Meta menardi) and her silken pearl-shaped egg sac suspended from an overhang. @scotwildlife.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @britishspiders.bsky.social

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William (Bill) Sutherland @billsutherland.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

Review of the butterfly and moth research on actions shows most evidence covers butterfly conservation, focuses on community-level responses, originates from UK and USA, from studies using least robust designs, assesses actions about agriculture. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

link.springer.com

Butterfly and moth conservation: results from a global synopsis of evidence - Journal of Insect Conservation

Butterflies and moths face a range of anthropogenic threats with many of the best-studied populations in decline. In response, butterfly and moth conservation programmes are implementing a diverse set...

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Interesting! I have never seen similar despite a lot of Herald counting over the years. I now have my specimen in the freezer. If I ever find out, will let you know. 🙂

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Long overdue outing with @markcubitt.bsky.social checking up on his local #HibernatingHeralds and soaking up some misty winter tree vibes. Highlight = TWO (yes, 2!) Tissue - mega rare moth in Scotland this year. But mainly it was just good to be outside, in the toe-numbing dreichness. #MothsMatter

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Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

Tomorrow millions of flowers will be shared for #ValentinesDay & by end of month (sorry, party-pooper alert) they'll all be in the bin. If your beloved loves #wildflowers, why not give them the gift of BSBI membership, so they can support our wonderful wildflowers for a whole year! bsbi.org/join-us

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Thanks 😊I have had one entomopathenogenic fungus sequenced by a 'friend in the right place'. It was Isaria farinosa. He has moved elsewhere now. I also have a freezer with several 'interesting' fungus infected moths in, awaiting a person with a suitable lab. I will add this to that collection.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Thank you. I also wondered if it looks different to 'normal' as it is hanging down from the host/substrate. It was impressive to see, even without being sure what it is.🙂

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Thanks! It is a very damp site. I need to go back and poke it some more. I wondered if the fact it was hanging down, made it look more impressive than it might if growing on a cadavre on the ground. Cool to see, whatever it is 😎

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

#HibernatingHerald find of the day! In a Scottish copper mine. This is the first time I've seen a Herald engulfed in a candyfloss like beard of a fungi. Very different to the usual entomopathenogenic fungi we see on moths in caves. Anyone know what it might be? #fungi #mycelia #insect #cave #moth

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 08/02/2025

Hadn't come across this book! Looks interesting... Thanks for posting.

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Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

We're hiring! Could you help create a resilient future for the Botanical Society, working across our teams to support staff and volunteers? Apply to become our first ever Administration Officer: bsbi.org/vacancies/ad... Not applying yourself? Then please help us spread the word! Deadline: 2nd March

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Markus Wagner @wagnermarkus.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

There's a full-time position as Ecologist (with botanical skills) and Field survey co-ordinator advertised here at @ukceh.bsky.social. Full details here: ceh.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/CEH_Ca...

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The Coleopterists Society @coleopsoc.bsky.social · 04/02/2025

#LiteratureNotice Zoltán et al. Relationships Between Saproxylic Beetle Microhabitat Occurrences and Forest State Indicators doi.org/10.3390/f160... #Beetle #Beetles #Biodiversity

Figure 2. Characteristics and potential species pool of the 10 pre-defined tree-related microhabitat (TreM) types. Abbreviations have been used in the names of the types (e.g., Lacon-type cavity = Lacon querceus-type cavity) so that they can be considered species-specific microhabitats (with the exception of Protaetia and Ampedus spp.).

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Dancing over duckweed at dusk! #WorldWetlandDay Small China-mark (Cataclysta lemnata) is a moth with aquatic larvae. I saw my first last year, at Bawsinch SWT Edinburgh. We had close-up views in light traps in the morning, but even better was watching them doing their thing at dusk 🤍 #MothsMatter

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Martin Harvey @kitenet.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Really nice to see the Dataset's Dream taking flight again at the @ukceh.bsky.social offices today. There are plans to take it out on location later in the year, and in the meantime find out more at www.ceh.ac.uk/our-science/...

Colourful illuminated glass cases visualise a dreaming dataset: "The Dataset's Dream is a curious, sorrow-full, hope-full, data-full installation by artist Bryony Benge-Abbott and poet Thomas Sharp, created in collaboration with scientists at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Poetic narrative and illuminated glass ‘cocoon-caskets' guide us on a journey into the world of big data, exploring the importance of both cataloging the natural world and of touching it with our imaginations. What is lost and what is gained when we turn nature into data?"

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Ahhh! Great to see this. I hope it's been having some good mothy dreams! Would love it to come to Scotland...

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Agree. Mark and Roy's book, The Larger Moths of Scotland highly recommended 👌 🦋🐛 #TeamMoth

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Graeme Davis @gremlingraeme.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

A very interesting Moth recorders conference today. light pollution big topic Give DarkSky (sustainable lighting) we need a DarkSky policy in the Stroud District? @minchchloe.bsky.social @cllrgillthomas.bsky.social @simonforstroud.bsky.social @savebutterflies.bsky.social @darkskyintl.bsky.social

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Fingers crossed for you. I'm sure it won't be too long before they are regulars🤞(the blue bits are special, but all the different greys on the forewings are very lovely too)

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

For #BlueBugs Monday it has to be the lovely Clifden Nonpareil. I'm lucky this big, furry, flappy moth has taken up residence in nearby woods. Those wings! Memories of sharing these blue (&grey &black) beauties with good friends brings a smile to my face. 100% joy! 😊 💙 🦋 #MothsMatter #MothMonday

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Kevin Watts @watts-km.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Final wrap-up webinar for the UK_Treescapes project 'TreE PlaNat': Creating woodland through natural processes 🌳🌳 Monday 20th January 2025 at 12.30-2pm. Click events.teams.microsoft.com/event/b36709... to sign up. Further info, blogs, webinars, factsheets @ www.naturalcolonisation.co.uk

events.teams.microsoft.com

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Yes, I think so. They will be on the Yorkshire butterfly conservation website.

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Fiona Mathews @fionamathews.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

Calling researchers of tree-dwelling European mammals (bats, dormice, squirrels..). Let's collaborate! Planning a workshop at Eur Mammal Congress on forest management, #wildfires and interventions (veteranisation, boxes etc) for future paper and actions. www.ecm9.com Pls share. 🌍🌳🦇🐿🐭 #conservation

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Looking forward to sharing some mothy adventures in a talk to Yorkshire BC branch later this month. Expect HH, plus lots of photos to remind us of warmer times of year! Free, online & all welcome. Check out the other upcoming talks too 🦋 #MothsMatter #TeamMoth www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meetings-w...

eventbrite.co.uk

"Meetings with Moths: adventures of a moth recorder in Scotland"

Join Katty Baird on a whistle-stop moth tour of Scotland. From moorland fence posts to sandy coasts.

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Martin Harvey @kitenet.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Many thanks to @neilmoths.bsky.social for compiling an excellent ID guide to nocturnal ichneumon #wasps and making it available via the Buckinghamshire Invertebrate Group website sites.google.com/site/bucksin... #MothTrapIntruders

Screenshot of the Bucks Invertebrate Group website: BIG news
NEW: Nocturnal Ichneumons – An Introduction
This guide by Neil Fletcher provides an excellent introduction to the range of ichneumon wasps that are frequently seen in moth traps.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

New spider book!🕷 @rlewington2.bsky.social has produced this beautiful guide to some of our UK species. A while ago I provided 'models' of cave-dwelling sps. V. happy to get a copy of the finished book as thanks😊 Buy it. And make 2025 the year you get into spiders! @britishspiders.bsky.social

Front cover of a new book on British spiders by Richard Lewington. It has an illustration of a Wasp Spider. Published by Bloomsbury.

Meta menardi in a cave. A glossy dark brown spider. It is resting on white spherical egg sac hanging from the ceiling.

Metallina merianae, in a culvert. This is the more unusual var. celata, with a broad cream stripe down the dark brown abdomen.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 30/12/2024

Herald, Scoliopteryx libatrix, overwintering in a Scottish cave. A widespread moth that can be discovered throughout the winter, whatever the weather. All you need is a torch 🔦and a dark place. #HibernatingHeralds #MothsMatter #MothMonday

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

I've been researching the work of Alice Balfour (1850-1936) but there are other women with impressive lepidopteran legacies at National Museums Scotland. Dorothy Jackson (1892-1973) began her ento career young & on moths. She left AMAZING records & paintings! A research idea for '25?🤞#MothsMatter

Painting of Emperor Moths and their caterpillars on heather, by Dorothy Jackson when she was around 16 yrs old

Painting of Lead Belle moths, caterpillars and pupae with their foodplant Petty Whin. By Dorothy Jean Jackson in early 1900s.

Paintings of the eggs of various moths. Coloured in red, yellow, green, black on a plain white paper background. By Dorothy Jean Jackson.

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

I'd recommend this read! I wasn't sure if I'd like it - not my 'usual' fare - but it was really good and the characters have stayed with me more than a year (or 2) on. =Impressive for my ageing brain!!

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

Ento collections are a really useful resource for current research & conservation AND give a glimpse into insects (&entomologists) of the past. Endlessly fascinating! Here is some of what FR has been up to recently, curating all their specimens 👇 👏

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Some of today's fun in highland Perthshire: ❄ Hair ice (I found some at last!) 🏔 lots of searching rock crevices... 🦋 ...eventually a single Herald in a small tunnel. 📚 Meetings with Moths on sale

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Katty Baird @kattyponder.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

Thank you @emilyloulou.bsky.social and @jonbowen.bsky.social 😊 Lovely comments to start my day🦋🐛 & very happy you enjoyed the read!

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