SNH Invertebrate Site Condition Monitoring of Beetle Assemblage Features 2015: Taynish Woods SSSI

Quality Control

We have a very high level of confidence in this dataset. The recorder and/or determiner is a highly experienced ecologist. Where necessary, rare specimens were compared against reference collections, those held in the National Museums Scotland collection and identities confirmed with experts.

Method steps

1. Surveys targeted the beetle assemblage feature of Taynish Woods SSSI and involved a combination of active searches, bugvac sampling, pitfall traps, sweep netting, beating and bark traps. An active search was undertaken on 30/04/2015 in sunny weather to search for the early emergence of Meloe violaceus. This involved 'grubbing' in the ground layer by hand, overturning stones, and using a range of equipment such as a^??pootersa^?? as appropriate. Bugvac sampling was undertaken at ten locations on 30/04/2015, and a further five locations on 10/06/2015. This involved the use of a a^??bugvaca^??, which is a modified leaf blower (Husqvarna 125BVX), to vacuum sample invertebrates from ground level. Each sample involved pressing the bugvac nozzle to the ground for 10 seconds at five points. Specimens were then emptied from the net into a white plastic tray and collected with forceps for subsequent identification. Two transects of five pitfall traps (with traps set 2 m apart) were installed on 10/06/2015. Each pitfall trap consisted of a plastic cup dug into the ground so that the lip was flush with the substrate surface. Chicken-wire was attached to cover traps in order to exclude small vertebrates. A mixture of 70% propylene glycol antifreeze and 30% water was added to a depth of 2.5 cm in each trap, and a drop of washing-up liquid was added to break surface tension. Traps were left in situ until 24/06/2015 when they were collected and removed. Sweep netting was undertaken on 10 & 24/06/2015. This involved sweeping a robust net through vegetation within a 10 m2 areas, sampling a variety of micro-habitats. Four areas of herbaceous vegetation on disturbed soils were sampled. Beating was undertaken on 24/06/2015. This involved the use of a large, soft paint brush to dislodge invertebrates from bark into a tray held underneath. Trees or bushes were then gently beaten so as to dislodge further invertebrates into a white sheet at the base of the tree. Bark traps were installed on 10/06/2015 on deadwood in five locations. Each trap consisted of two layers of plastic bubble wrap (40 x 40 cm), with bubbles facing each other so as to provide artificial a^??barka^?? habitat. Dark plastic was used to cover the traps to keep out light, and they were wrapped around a tree with wire at 1.5 m height. Traps were then left in situ for several weeks to allow invertebrates to colonise this new habitat. The traps were collected on 22/08/2015; invertebrates between the traps and tree bark and between the bubble wrap layers were collected and the traps removed.

Taynish Woods SSSI