Richard Fox

@richardfoxbc.bsky.social

2K followers 280 following 5.9K posts

Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation - moth & butterfly sightings, science & conservation. (He/his)

Videos

Environmental science 48%

Biology 18%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 5d

My wife agrees entirely - two moths one butterfly. And I agree it is a very odd portrait of Jupiter

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 5d

Jupiter painting butterflies - Dosso Dossi c.1524 #Krakow

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 8d

Yes I’ll give it a try

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 8d

This is amazing news!

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 9d

I’ve found the mines and larva of Bucculatrix bechsteinella (Hawthorn Tuft) before but this is the first adult I’ve seen - caught in my garden moth-trap in July and confirmed by gen. det. Love the little tuft of black scales in the middle of each forewing. #teammoth

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 10d

Slightly better moth trap haul this morning including first Yellow-line Quakers of the year and only my second Merv of the autumn. Good to see Feathers McThorn too (kudos to @mavisbickle.bsky.social for officially renaming Feathered Thorn!) #teammoth

Reposted by Richard Fox

Butterfly Conservation @savebutterflies.bsky.social · 10d

Moths need darkness to thrive 🖤

But globally, light pollution is increasing by 10% a year, and these vital nocturnal pollinators need our help.

Find out how you can provide a haven for moths where you live by creating Moon Meadows 👉 butterfly-conservation.org/moon-meadows...

📷: Marian Coburn

Poplar Hawk-moth resting on a branch against a black background

Reposted by Richard Fox, Marcus W. Rhodes

UKBMS @ukbms.bsky.social · 12d

We're thrilled to share this film featuring some of the dedicated volunteers who monitor butterflies for the UKBMS

A huge thank you to them, and everyone who's supported the scheme over the last 50 years.
#UKBMS50

youtu.be/OrF5AgseX1U?...

Celebrating 50 years of butterfly monitoring

YouTube video by Butterfly Conservation

youtu.be

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 12d

Nice! Two of those would be lifers for me!

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 13d

I’ve never seen one - yet another moth that we don’t get in the West Country

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 13d

Oooo what was that? Terrible here too - just packing up with a grand total of six species 😢

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 13d

Looks good

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 13d

Not sure. Looks more like a Stigmella mine to me - which would give you the very tricky pair of S. glutinosae & S. alnetella

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 13d

Are you down Noss Mayo way?

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 13d

There are still plenty of leaf mines about - this Stigmella atricapitella (Black-headed Dot) was NFY for me at the weekend on an oak by the village playing field. #teammoth

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 13d

Good luck! I’m out too but only locally - woods/heath. Hope some migrants come your way!

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 16d

Stigmella glutinosae (White-barred Alder Dot) mine found in the village today on Alder. The larva exited the mine (before photo was taken) but enabled me to see its dark, ventral, prothoracic plate which rules out S. alnetella. #teammoth

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 16d

atricapitella has dark plates behind head (or so I’ve been told) - I found this one today that I’ve IDed as atricapitella

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 18d

Larva of Teleiodes luculella (White Crescent) that I found at the weekend - it lives between two oak leaves that it has spun flat together and on which it also feeds. #teammoth

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 19d

Very impressive! Generally I find that Obsidentify is pretty good on leaf mines of moths

Reposted by Keith C. Hamer, Pieter Vantieghem

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 19d

Fascinating Swedish study proving that threatened butterflies can still disperse surprisingly long distances eg Marsh Fritillary >8km and more than 10% of Large Blues travelled at least 1km resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🌍

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 20d

Belated ID of Gypsonoma oppressana (Mottled Grey Tortrix) feeing signs on poplar in Sept thanks to the fine folk at the leaf miners Facebook group. I thought you needed to see the larva to ID this species but the mine along the mid-rib is distinctive apparently. Every day’s a school day. #teammoth

Reposted by Jane K. Hill, Colin M. Beale, Pieter Vantieghem

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 21d

Really nice paper from @tiff-ki.bsky.social & co. shows no overall decline in butterfly species richness in Sulawesi over 166 yrs, but changing communities with endemics & forest specialists declining. Short-term trends unreliable measures of long term. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... 🌏

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 23d

Garden record of three Blair’s Mocha on Tues night. Couldn’t get them to all pose together but this was the nicest one #teammoth

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 24d

Great work George and congratulations on an amazing achievement this year

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 25d

Certainly is

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 25d

Some nice leafmines from a brief search in Glos last Friday with Guy Meredith: Coptotriche angusticollella (Rose Blotch-miner), Stigmella pyri (Pear-tree Dot), S. poterii (Burnet Dot) & Ectoedemia arcuatella (Strawberry Dot). All Nationally Scarce #teammoth

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 25d

Haha! Nice idea

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 26d

Thank you!

Richard Fox @richardfoxbc.bsky.social · 26d

Many thanks

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