Biota of the Isle of Man

This is a list of the known wild biota of the Isle of Man.

Non-native species are marked *, extinct species are marked †. If this status is uncertain the species is also marked ?.

Each listing follows the following format: English name (where one exists), binomial/trinomial scientific name with authorities for uncommon species, Manx name (where one exists), status.

Amphibia (amphibians)

Salamandridae (salamanders and newts)

Anura (frogs and toads)

Aves (birds)

Gaviidae (divers)

Podicipedidae (grebes)

Hydrobatidae (petrels)

Procellariidae (shearwaters)

Sulidae (gannets and boobies)

Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants)

  • Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo (Fannag)
  • Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis (Fannag)

Ardeidae (egrets and herons)

Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks)

Accipitridae (hawks, eagles, kites and harriers)

Falconidae (falcons)

Phasianidae (partridges and quail)

Tetraonidae (grouse)

  • Black grouse, Tetrao tetrix† (extinct, native status uncertain but an introduced population is extinct)
  • Red grouse, Lagopus lagopus scoticus† (native, extinct by 1835, reintroduced 1880 and still extant) (Kellagh Ruy / Kiark Freoaie – Heath Hen).

Phasianidae (pheasants)

Rallidae (rails and crakes)

Haematopodidae (oystercatchers)

Scolopacidae (waders)

Scolopacidae (woodcock and snipe)

Laridae (gulls)

Alcidae (auks)

Columbidae (pigeons)

Tytonidae (barn owls)

Strigidae (other owls)

Hirundinidae (swallows)

Motacillidae (wagtails)

Troglodytidae (wrens)

  • Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes (Drean)

Prunellidae (dunnock)

Turdidae (thrushes)

Sylviidae (warblers)

Paridae (tits)

Sturnidae (starlings)

Corvidae (corvids)

Passeridae (sparrows)

Fringillidae (finches)

Emberizidae (buntings)

Insecta (insects)

Neuroptera (lacewings)

  • Chrysops vulgaris
  • Chrysops ventralis
  • Hemerobius lutescens
  • Micromus veriegatus

Trichoptera (caddisflies)

  • Limnophilus auricula
  • Limnophilus flavicornis
  • Limnophilus elegans

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)

Updated July 2023

Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets)

Dermaptera (earwigs)

Diptera (true flies)

Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants)

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)

As of 2023 the Isle of Man has 20 regularly occurring migrant and resident species of butterfly, with a total of 23 all-time records in the wild.

Pieridae (whites)

  • Large white, Pieris brassicae (fairly common resident)
  • Small white, Pieris rapae (common resident)
  • Green-veined white, Pieris napi (common resident)
  • Orange tip, Anthocharis cardamines (fairly common resident)
  • Clouded yellow, Colias croceus (irregular migrant - an immigration year occurring in 1947.[4] 107 records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022[5])
  • Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni (very rare migrant)

Lycaenidae (blues and coppers)

  • Small copper, Lycaena phlaeas (common resident)
  • Common blue, Polyommatus icarus (common resident)
  • Holly blue, Celastrina argiolus (fairly common and widespread resident)

Satyridae (browns)

  • Grayling, Hipparchia semele (residential restricted to grassy, rocky cliffs and The Ayres - 355 records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022[5])
  • Speckled wood, Pararge aegeria (recent coloniser, since 2005 on the east coast, reaching the west coast by 2009, now very common and widespread[6])
  • Meadow brown, Maniola jurtina (common and widespread resident)
  • Wall, Lasiommata megera (relatively common and widespread but in reduced number)
  • Small heath, Coenonympha pamphilus (common and widespread, particularly on rabbit-grazed coastal grassland an in uplands)

Nymphalidae (fritillaries and aristocrats)

  • Dark green fritillary, Speyeria aglaja (widespread resident along Manx coast but local. Inland population at Sulby Glen)
  • Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta (common annual migrant)
  • Small tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae (widespread and common, but declining)
  • Peacock, Aglais io (fairly common resident)
  • Comma, Polygonia c-album (fairly recent coloniser, since 1990s, local, mainly in north[6] - rare)
  • Painted lady, Vanessa cardui (annual migrant)
  • Ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus (extremely rare vagrant - NBN Atlas Isle of Man contains only a single record from 1937 in Peel)
  • Scotch argus, Erebia aethiops (extremely rare vagrant[4])
  • Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (extremely rare vagrant[4] - 4 records of NBN Atlas Isle of Man as of May 2022[7])

Crambidae (grass moths)

  • Scarce Crimson and Gold moth, Pyrausta sanguinalis, a small distinctively marked moth, dark yellow with crimson bands across the forewings merging with crimson edging. It is scarce and local in the British Isles and appears to be confined to areas of Northern Ireland, the Burren in the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Here, it is only found along the northern coast at The Ayres National Nature Reserve, where its larvae live in silken tubes and feed on the flowers of wild thyme growing in the former sand pits. At The Ayres adults fly during the day mostly in June but have been recorded in July and into early August. The species was once more widespread in Britain but has declined in recent years and is thought to be extinct in its former range in north-west England and Scotland.[8]

Arctiidae (woolly worm moths)

Geometridae (geometers)

Sphingidae (hawkmoths)

Notodontidae (prominent moths)

Noctuidae (noctuids)

Hemiptera (true bugs)

Mammalia (mammals)

Chiroptera (bats)

As of 2020 research by the Manx Bat Group has found that there are at least nine species of Chiroptera found on the Isle of Man:

Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares)

  • Mountain hare, Lepus timidus †* (once extinct but now reintroduced, found only on the Northern Hills) (Mwaagh Slieu)
  • European hare, Lepus europaeus * (uncertain if introduced, found locally across the Isle of Man but not the Calf of Man) (Mwaagh Dhone)
  • European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus * (found across the Island and on the Calf of Man in good numbers) (Conning)

Insectivora (insect-eaters)

Rodentia (rodents)

Carnivora (carnivores)

Cervidae (deer)

  • Irish elk, Megaloceros giganteus (Feeaih Mooar) †

Pinnipedia (seals and walruses)

  • Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus (Raun Glass)
  • Common seal, Phoca vitulina (Raun) (occasional, not known to breed)

Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates or hoofed mammals)

Marsupialia (marsupials)

Cetacea (whales and dolphins)

Note that Manx nomenclature traditionally did not differentiate between species. Most whales are known as 'Muc Varrey' (sea pigs) or 'Perkin Mooar' and small dolphins as 'Doraid'.

Regularly seen species

Rarely seen species

Vagrant species

Extinct populations

Domestic animals

All sorts of domesticated species have been brought to the Isle of Man by humans over the millennia. Two notable landrace breeds have evolved distinctively on the island:

  • Manx cat, a domestic cat (Felis catus) with genetic abbreviation of the tail, which may range from no tail at all to essentially full-size. Developed as a standardised breed in the late 19th century, the Manx cat has become a popular breed worldwide, but is in danger of disappearing on the island itself, as it is being out-bred by other cats imported over the last century by primarily English immigrants. The long-haired variety is called the Cymric cat in some breed registries, and was primarily developed in Canada, not the Isle of Man.
  • Manx Loaghtan, a variety of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) with brown wool and four horns, rare outside the island and considered "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

Mollusca (molluscs)

Stylommatophora (common land snails and slugs)

  • Limax cinereoniger (ash-black slug) found in remnant ancient woodland in 2011 after not being recorded for over 100 years.[25]

Order Trochida

Reptilia (reptiles)

Chondrichthyes (cartilagenous fish)

Lamprey

Osteichthyes (bony fish)

Arthropoda (arthropods)

The format here is common English name (if one exists), followed by scientific name, followed by authority in brackets. There are no Manx names.

Chirocephalidae

Arachnida (spiders)

218 species of Arachnids have been identified in the Isle of Man as of 1 January 2002.[29]

Pholcidae

Segestriidae

Dysderidae

Oonopidae

Mimetidae

Nesticidae

Theridiidae

Linyphiidae

  • Ceratinella brevipes (Westring)
  • Ceratinella brevis (Wider)
  • Ceratinella scabrosa (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Walckenaeria acuminata (Blackwall)
  • Walckenaeria antica (Wider)
  • Walckenaeria nodosa (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Walckenaeria nudipalpis (Westring)
  • Walckenaeria monoceros (Wider)
  • Walckenaeria unicornis (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Walckenaeria kochi (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Walckenaeria cuspidata (Blackwall)
  • Walckenaeria vigilax (Blackwall)
  • Dicymbium nigrum (Blackwall)
  • Dicymbium brevisetosum Locket
  • Dicymbium tibiale (Blackwall)
  • Entelecara erythropus (Westring)
  • Gnathonarium dentatum (Wider)
  • Gongylidium rufipes (Sundevall)
  • Dismodicus bifrons (Blackwall)
  • Hypomma bituberculatum (Wider)
  • Hypomma cornutum (Blackwall)
  • Metopobactrus prominulus (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Baryphyma trifrons (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Gonatium rubens (Blackwall)
  • Gonatium rubellum (Blackwall)
  • Maso sundevalli (Westring)
  • Peponocranium ludicrum (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Pocadicnemis pumila (Blackwall)
  • Pocadicnemis juncea Locket & Millidge
  • Oedothorax gibbosus (Blackwall)
  • Oedothorax fuscus (Blackwall)
  • Oedothorax agrestis (Blackwall)
  • Oedothorax retusus (Westring)
  • Oedothorax apicatus (Blackwall)
  • Trichopterna thorelli (Westring)
  • Pelecopsis mengei (Simon)
  • Pelecopsis parallela (Wider)
  • Silometopus ambiguus (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Silometopus elegans (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Cnephalocotes obscurus (Blackwall)
  • Tiso vagans (Blackwall)
  • Tapinocyba praecox (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Tapinocyba pallens (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Monocephalus fuscipes (Blackwall)
  • Monocephalus castenipes (Simon)
  • Lophomma punctatum (Blackwall)
  • Gongylidiellum vivum (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Micrargus subaequalis (Westring)
  • Micrargus herbigradus (Blackwall)
  • Erigonella hiemalis (Blackwall)
  • Savignia frontata (Blackwall)
  • Diplocephalus cristatus (Blackwall)
  • Diplocephalus permixtus (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Diplocephalus latifrons (Blackwall)
  • Diplocephalus picinus (Blackwall)
  • Araeoncus humilis (Blackwall)
  • Araeoncus crassiceps (Westring)
  • Erigone dentipalpis (Wider)
  • Erigone atra (Blackwall)
  • Erigone promiscua (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Erigone arctica (White)
  • Erigone longipalpis (Sundevall)
  • Drepanotylus uncatus (O.P.-Cambridge
  • Leptothrix hardyi (Blackwall)
  • Hilaira excisa (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Halorates reprobus (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Ostearius melanopygius (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Porrhomma pygmaeum (Blackwall)
  • Porrhomma convexum (Westring)
  • Agyneta subtilis (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Agyneta conigera (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Agyneta decora (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Agyneta cauta (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Agyneta olivacea (Emerton)
  • Agyneta ramosa Jackson
  • Meioneta rurestris (C.L. Koch)
  • Meioneta saxatilis (Blackwall)
  • Microneta viaria (Blackwall)
  • Centromerus sylvaticus (Blackwall)
  • Centromerus prudens (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Tallusia experta (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Centromerita bicolor (Blackwall)
  • Centromerita concinna (Thorell)
  • Saaristoa abnormis (Blackwall)
  • Bathyphantes approximatus (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Bathyphantes gracilis (Blackwall)
  • Bathyphantes parvulus (Westring)
  • Bathyphantes nigrinus (Westring)
  • Kaestneria pullata (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Diplostyla concolor (Wider)
  • Poeciloneta variegata (Blackwall)
  • Drapetisca socialis (Sundevall)
  • Tapinopa longidens (Wider)
  • Floronia bucculenta (Clerck)
  • Taranucnus setosus (O.P.-Cambridge)
  • Labulla thoracica (Wider)
  • Stemonyphantes lineatus (Linnaeus)
  • Bolyphantes luteolus (Blackwall)
  • Lepthyphantes leprosus (Ohlert)
  • Lepthyphantes minutus (Blackwall)
  • Lepthyphantes alacris (Blackwall)
  • Lepthyphantes obscurus (Blackwall)
  • Lepthyphantes tenuis (Blackwall)
  • Lepthyphantes zimmermanni Bertkau
  • Lepthyphantes mengei (Kulczynski)
  • Lepthyphantes flavipes (Blackwall)
  • Lepthyphantes tenebricola (Wider)
  • Lepthyphantes ericaeus (Blackwall)
  • Linyphia triangularis (Clerck)
  • Neriene montana (Clerck)
  • Neriene clathrata (Sundevall)
  • Neriene peltata (Wider)
  • Microlinyphia pusilla (Sundevall)
  • Allomengea scopigera (Grube)

Tetragnathidae

Araneidae

Lycosidae

Pisauridae

Agelenidae

Cybaeidae

Hahniidae

Dictynidae

Amaurobiidae

Liocranidae

Clubionidae

Gnaphosidae

Philodromidae

Thomisidae

Salticidae

Pinophyta (conifers)

Cupressaceae (cypresses)

Magnoliopsida

Brassicales

Nymphaeaceae (waterlilies)

Mycetozoa (slime moulds)

Fungi

As of September 2022, 1801 distinct species from the Kingdom Fungi have been recorded on NBN Atlas Isle of Man.[30]

  • Hymenoscyphus fraxineus ash dieback fungus (previously known as Chalara fraxinea). First identified on Great Britain in 2012 and the Isle of Man in 2017. Since then the fungus has rapidly spread throughout the island.[31]

Strophariaceae (dung fungi)

Sixty-two species of dung fungi have been recorded in the Isle of Man as of 13 April 2009 by Michael J. Richardson, a British mycologist. The following are from a sample of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) pellets collected at The Ayres on 6 January 2008.

Pezizales
  • Coprotus sexdecimsporus
  • Iodophanus carneus
Thelebolales
  • Thelebolus polysporus
Helotiales
  • Unguiculella tityrii
Sordariales
Microascales
  • Viennotidia fimicola
Pleosporales
  • Delitschia winteri
  • Sporormiella australis
  • Sporormiella grandispora
  • Sporormiella intermedia
  • Trichodelitschia minuta
Agaricales
  • Coprinus miser
  • Coprinus stercoreus
Mucorales
  • Pilaira moreaui

Myxomycetes

References

  1. "Damselfly rediscovered".
  2. "Speckled Bush Crickets are common in southern and central England but are more uncommon in the colder and wetter conditions of the north and west. In the Isle of Man, Speckled Bush Crickets are recorded from few sites and, as a consequence, are protected by the Wildlife Act". Biosphere.im. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  3. IOM BAP for Bomblius minor - in publication spring 2022
  4. "Peregrine journal - Manx BirdLife".
  5. "Hipparchia semele : Grayling | NBN Atlas Isle of Man".
  6. "Climate conference spots insects". News.bbc.co.uk. 22 January 2007. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  7. "Danaus plexippus : Monarch | NBN Atlas Isle of Man".
  8. IOM BAP for Pyrausta sanguinalis 2022 in preparation
  9. (PDF) https://www.manxantiquarians.com/media/pdf/Isle%20of%20Man%20Studies%20XVI%20(2019)%20information.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. "New bat species discovered". Manx Radio. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  11. "Further confirmation of another bat species on IoM". Manx Radio. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  12. "Lesser horseshoe bat found in the Isle of Man" (PDF). Manxbatgroup.org. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  13. "New bat found on Isle of Man". Manx Radio. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  14. "Harbour porpoise | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  15. "Bottlenose dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  16. "Short Beaked Common Dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  17. "Risso's dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  18. "Minke whale | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  19. "Rare species | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch". Mwdw.net. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  20. https://www.facebook.com/ManxWhaleandDolphinWatch/
  21. "Sei whale - Natural History Zoology Collection - iMuseum". iMuseum - Manx National Heritage. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  22. "'Unusual and enigmatic' long-finned pilot whales spotted off Welsh coast". BBC News. 26 August 2016.
  23. "Striped dolphin found dead in Isle of Man harbour". BBC News. 20 December 2017.
  24. Perrin, William F.; Würsig, Bernd G.; Thewissen, J. G. M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Academic Press. p. 404. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9.
  25. Chris Lawrence. "Manx Nature" (PDF). Manxwt.org.uk. p. 24. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  26. https://www.gov.im/media/1347857/native-freshwater-fisheries-strategy-2015-2020.pdf
  27. "Rare sunfish spotted in Isle of Man waters". BBC News. 10 September 2014.
  28. "Swordfish seen for first time in Manx waters | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch".
  29. "Welcome to Isleofman.com - The online Manx Portal". Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  30. https://isleofman.nbnatlas.org/
  31. "Isle of Man Government - Ash dieback". Gov.im. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
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