As we set out into the teeth of Storm Erik I had my doubts about the wisdom of this trip, especially as I watched the lampposts at the junction rocking to and fro, but those neglected tetrads in the far west won't record themselves, so we headed for Sheepy Magna. We started with collecting in the village then headed a mile or so north to tick off another empty tetrad. Species present were:
Dicyrtomina minuta, Dicyrtomina saundersi, Orchesella cincta, Pogonognathellus longicornis.
I spent some time sorting out the Isotomids. The first sample contained a number of
Isotoma viridis. This specimen is a good example of why you can't identify
Isotoma spp. by eye alone. The mottled appearance might suggest
I. anglicana, but with only one manubrial tooth, it is clearly
I. viridis:
The second sample contained a number of specimens without macrosetate but with a median dorsal stripe. After some puzzling these turned out to be
Isotomurus spp. (based on the mucro):
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