The vegetation of the small islets and possible insect associations 



Over the years the Channel Islands botanists have intensively studied and listed their extensive 

 flora, with coverage of not only the larger inhabited islands, but also of the privately owned small islands 

 and the scattering of offshore and isolated and predominantly rocky islets. An impressively large list ranging 

 from the Diatoms to the flowering plants was included in the pioneering work by D.T. Ansted and R.G. 

 Latham, The Channel Islands ( 1 862: 1 65- 1 99). 



A special study in 1902 was made of the flora of Brecqhou by CP. Hurst (1903: 163-174), who 

 followed up earlier work by E.D. Marquand. Hurst provided a detailed description of the small island and 

 gave a brief account of 204 species, which included 190 flowering plants, 9 ferns, 2 mosses and 4 species of 

 fungi. He also made interesting comparisons with other islands, especially Jethou. A listing of plant species 

 for some small islands and islets was later given by E.D. Marquand (1910: 38-53). Though not all of the 

 small islets were dealt with, the numbers of plant species present, suggested that each islet could and 

 probably still do, support sizeable numbers of Lepidoptera. A small number, like Les Etocs with its huge 

 colony of gannets, could provide a unique habitat for copraphagous moth species. It is reasonable also to 

 assume that some plant species found in the Channel Islands, may be restricted to one or more of these 

 smaller islets, making it feasible that they could provide hostplants for Lepidoptera, which could therefore 

 be restricted to these islets, or at least, be responsible for the sources of some moth records retrieved from a 

 larger island. Whatever the possibilities, it at least suggests that these smaller land masses would be worthy 

 of a more intensive investigation than they have so far received. Some of these islets, like Raz, Lihou and 

 Crevichon are only isolated during periods of high tide, and the author has found several very interesting 

 moths and sizeable numbers of butterflies on Lihou, but the islet has received surprisingly little attention 

 from other field-workers. A perhaps unsurprising small number of mainly entomological visits have been 

 made to the islands of Jethou and Brecqhou over the last 200 years, which must be regarded as understudied 

 for their insect life, although occasionally they have been known to yield a few very interesting finds. The 

 restricted number of visits has largely been due to the fact that they are privately owned islands, which 

 undoubtedly is a major obstacle to all concerned. Apart from the major islands, the remaining smaller islands 

 and islets have never received the attention of a lepidopterist. On the 30. viii. 1 958, the author collected 

 insects on Burhou and the Burhou Reef, but was only able to record non-lepidopterous species, mainly 

 Dermaptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Hymenoptera. However, although the plant species were 

 limited in range, there were still sufficient suitable habitats for those species that are specialized feeders on 

 detritus in association with puffin burrows and carcasses of dead sea-birds. It may prove to be the case that a 

 number of these islets are now difficult if not impossible to visit, however, if visits were possible in 

 Victorian or Edwardian times by the naturalist E.D. Marquand, it should prove to be a viable proposition for 

 today's entomologist's to repeat his efforts. Without at least the attempted investigation, it cannot be proven 

 that the effort to study these smaller areas would be pointless. Though not recognised as part of the Channel 

 Islands group, the Chausey Islands belonging to France, which are positioned halfway between Les Minqiers 

 and Granville on the French coast, would comprise an interesting area of study for comparison with the 

 Jersey Bailiwick. 



Many small islets are described by Marquand in some detail, showing that they were well worth 

 investigation. Coysh (1985: 1-126) frequently visited many of the small islets and remarked on the general 

 flora and bird life, but made little mention of the insects. More detailed accounts of the flora for these islets 

 and for the larger islands have been supplied in the literature, but the following totals of plant species 

 provided by E.D. Marquand (1910: 38-57) for some small islets, are however worthy of quote as follows: 

 ALDERNEY-GROUP - Burhou & Burhou Reef: 18 spp.; GUERNSEY-GROUP - Lihou: 99 spp.; Houmet 

 Paradis: 107 spp.; Houmet Benest: 69 spp.; Houmet Homtolle: 16 spp.; Chapelle Dom Hue: 20 spp.; HERM- 

 GROUP - Jethou: 191 spp.; Crevichon: 55 spp.; Plat Houmet: 17 spp.; Galeux: 15 spp.; Longue Pierre: 15 

 spp.; S ARK-GROUP - Brecqhou: 199 spp.; JERSEY GROUP - Ecrehos Rocks: 45 spp!; CHAUSEY 

 ISLANDS - 257 spp. 



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