Nottingham’s rare species named!
20 July 2010
Member of public wins competition to name Nottingham’s forgotten wildlife Philorhizus quadrisignatusten is to emerge from obscurity and enjoy some long-awaited limelight, as the winner of the competition to name Nottingham’s forgotten species is finally announced.
Mab’s Lantern was previously only known by its lengthy Latin name, but will now join the ranks of those species with more popular names which describe their characteristics. The rare ground beetle, last spotted in Sherwood Forest, was named on account of its feminine shape, after Queen Mab, the mythical fairy midwife referenced in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, by Helen Parker from York.
Helen was amongst thousands of people who submitted entries in response to the Name a Species competition organised by Natural England, The Guardian and The Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The competition invited the public to give popular names to nine other species of British bees, jellyfish, shrimps and lichens, all of which are endangered and all of which have until now been listed only in Latin.
Mab’s Lantern has not been seen in the UK for over 20 years but was most recently spotted in Sherwood Forest. The small, brown, ground beetle has a distinctive four-spotted pattern on its wing cases. It lives in areas of broadleaved woodland and pasture woodland where it hunts amongst dead branches and twigs. It is thought to have declined significantly over the past 40 years and is now so rare it has not been identified on any of its known sites since 1987.
The beetle and its other newly named counterparts, the Skeetle, Sea piglet, Queen’s executioner, Witches’ whiskers lichen amongst others, will now join the ranks of the more familiar shepherd’s purse, swallowtail and foxglove, now having popular names that describe their characteristics.
The competition follows the earlier publication by Natural England of Lost Life – a report that showed that 430 species have become extinct in England in the last 200 years – and the subsequent call by George Monbiot, author and Guardian comment writer, for a competition to enable the public to become more familiar with the species that we are in danger of losing.
Dr Tom Tew, Chief Scientist for Natural England, said: “This competition set out to inspire the nation, drawing attention to a handful of declining species that have, until now, been without a common name. As a result, the public have let their imagination loose to come up with some wonderful naming suggestions to help put these forgotten species on the map.”
The new species names were selected from over 3,000 entries by a panel of four judges: Tony Mitchell-Jones of Natural England, Dr George McGavin of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Matt Shardow of Buglife and George Monbiot author and Guardian columnist.
Dr Tew continued: “The continued decline of biodiversity in England is a seriously worrying issue as every species matters – from the newly named mab’s lantern to the more familiar hedgehog. Biodiversity is the foundation of our own existence and we cannot afford to take it for granted, which is why we are getting the issue out from under the microscope and into the limelight.”
Dr George McGavin, of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, said: “People really entered into the spirit of the competition and we had some great names to choose from.”
Runner-up suggestions for the philorhizus quadrisignatus included the “voodoo mask beetle” and the “sign of four beetle.”
George Monbiot, writer and journalist from The Guardian, said “Judging this competition was both a lot of fun and very tough, as the standard was so high.
The winning name not only gives us a name that is both practical and distinctive, it also captures the beauty, magic and mystery of Nottingham’s wildlife. I believe the new name will make a major contribution towards conserving this species.”
The newly named species – alongside its winning name and the other species – will be on display at an exhibition at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
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Notes to editors:
The ten winning names are:
- Skeetle (Stenus longitarsis): A beetle that escapes predators using natural “jet skis”
- Sea piglet (Arrhis phylonyx): A deep-sea “pseudo shrimp”
- Queen’s executioner (Megapenthes lugens): A distinctive “clicking” beetle found only in Windsor Great Park, it feeds on the larvae of other insects
- Blue pepper-pot beetle (Cryptocephalus punctiger): A rare leaf beetle whose larvae live in willow leaves
- Scabious cuckoo bee (Nomada armata): A “cuckoo bee” that lays its eggs in the nests of other bees
- Kaleidoscope jellyfish (Haliclystus auricula): A beautiful stalked jellyfish
- St John’s jellyfish (Lucernariopsis cruxmelitensis): A tiny 1cm jellyfish, in the shape of a Maltese cross
- Witches’ whiskers lichen (Usnea florida): A lichen with medicinal properties
- Pixie gowns lichen (Peltigera venosa): A lichen that turns green when wet
- Mab’s lantern (Philorhizus quadrisignatus): A very rare four spotted ground beetle
About the Species:
The species are all listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as priority species for conservation. In most cases, their listing on the UK BAP indicates that their population has fallen by at least 50 per cent during the past 25 years. No common name was recorded for any of these species on the BAP list, and no generally accepted English common name was thought to be in use. Natural England is asking the UK Biodiversity Partnership to adopt the new names in its official communications.
Mab’s Lantern has also been recorded in Bushey Park, in London.
For further information, please email Charlene Kumar, Natural England Communications Adviser, or call 0300 060 2828 or 07747761210.
International Year of Biodiversity
2010 has been declared the International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations – the year that celebrates the diversity of life on Earth, including every plant, animal and micro-organism. Visit the website to find out more.
About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
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