Pelley, who in his turn had in 1977 relieved C.J. Shayer after a period lasting from 1942, in the important 

 role of writing up the Entomological Annual Reports for Guernsey. 



R. & M.L. Long had now become the regular recorders for Jersey. In 1978 the Jersey report 

 reflected the increasing cooperation they received from the entomologist operating the Rothamsted Insect 

 Survey light-traps based at the Howard Davis Farm in the parish of Trinity. These light-traps were the source 

 of many new records and amply boosted the numbers of known Lepidoptera species for the island. 



In 1979 the death of Roderick Dobson was a great blow to Jersey. Though better known as an 

 ornithologist in Jersey, he was also a noted collector and authority on Odonata. He was also a great 

 benefactor to the Societe Jersiaise. In 1982 there occurred the death of C.J. Shayer in Guernsey, who for 

 over 30 years was the entomological recorder. His collection of insects was deposited with the Societe 

 Guernesiaise. 



In 1980 the considerable task of transferring the Jersey Museum's collections into the more 

 spacious cabinets in the new premises at 7 Pier Road, St. Helier had begun, which also afforded the 

 opportunity to reclassify and relabel the collection. In 1984 a display of some parts of the collection attracted 

 considerable interest during the Societies Open Day. 



By 1982 further Lepidoptera recorders were actively at work in Guernsey, with the addition of R.A. 

 & M. Austin and P.D.M. Costen, who currently contribute many valuable records to the Guernsey 

 Lepidoptera. In 1983 a valuable addition was made to our knowledge of the Channel Islands literature from 

 the book by K.G.V. & V. Smith entitled A Bibliography of the Entomology of the smaller British 

 offshore Islands. 



Resulting from a visit in 1982 by Rev. D.J.L. Agassiz to Guernsey, an astonishing figure of about 

 40 additional species of microlepidoptera was added to the island list in the Entomological Report published 

 in 1983 (Peet, 1983: 148-149). Agassiz is a very experienced microlepidopterist who maintains regular 

 connections with the Lepidoptera staff and collections at the British Museum [Natural History]. For some 

 years he was a member of staff at the International Institute of Entomology, which had connections to the 

 museum, and is presently a Scientific Associate at the museum. An experienced collector, both in England 

 and abroad, Agassiz applies his knowledge of the biological habits of microlepidoptera and their larval 

 foodplants, particularly leaf-miners, to locate and collect from the hostplants. Expertise has always been 

 lacking in this type of fieldwork among the recorders in the Channel Islands, most especially concerning 

 microlepidoptera studies, but exactly this type of applied skill is required for recording proportions of the 

 microlepidoptera families, most specifically the leaf-miner groups. 



To emphasize some specialities of the Guernsey moth fauna, also to acknowledge the contributions 

 of visiting entomologists, T.N.D. Peet wrote an interesting account entitled 'An introduction to Guernsey 

 Lepidoptera' (1988: 21-24). 



By 1983 the annual event and range of migratory species had become well known in the islands and 

 the annual reports for 1984 in both the Guernsey and Jersey Bailiwick's reflected these highlights. The 

 migrant species occurring in the Channel Islands were also included in the extensive periodic listings carried 

 out and published by R.B. Bremerton and J.M. Chalmers-Hunt. 



In 1985, A.M. Riley from the Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, wrote on the capture 

 in Guernsey of Eupithecia ultimaria Boisduval in 1984, collected at one of the Rothamsted light-traps (1985: 

 259-261). The species was subsequently christened the Channel Islands Pug and was not recorded in 

 England until some years later. In a similar paper (1987: 65-66) concerning the capture of Lomographa 

 cararia (Hiibner) in Jersey, Riley however, had incorrectly assumed that their presence in the Channel 

 Islands alone warranted their addition to the British List, as reflected in the title of his papers. This instance 

 helps to illustrate the uncertainty that has long persisted concerning the biogeographical affiliation of 

 Channel Islands fauna. 



Throughout the 1980's, fieldwork and the results from extensive light-trapping in most of the 

 islands was again greatly increasing the known fauna, from some unusual additions to the butterflies to ever 

 increasing numbers of new moths. By the beginning of the 1990's, both the Guernsey and Jersey reports 

 were also listing sizeable numbers of individual recorders who were contributing their records. 



What constitutes a first record? 



By the end of 1989, an unpublished Lepidoptera checklist had been constructed ror circulation in 

 the Entomological Section of La Societe Guernesiaise by M. Austin entitled 'Moths of the Bailiwick of 

 Guernsey'. It was commenced in 1984 and had been based on Luffs original lists and updated from the 

 Transactions of the Societe until 1989. This list was apparently never published. A copy was kindly given to 

 the present author by Pam De Carteret of the Socie'te Sercquiaise. The list quoted the species numbers and 

 nomenclature given by Bradley & Fletcher, 1979. In addition, dates were supplied for the first Bailiwick 

 records. Information from this checklist has been incorporated here into the records section for this book. 

 Unfortunately many dates given as first records are incorrect. The dates seem to apply either to the earliest 



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