Derek Lott Coleoptera Dataset

Quality Control

All records were either collected or identified by Derek Lott and the quality is, therefore, extremely high. The wetland Staphylinid records are the most thoroughly recorded within this dataset.

Method steps

1. The records fall into three main categories: 1) Casual field records made by Derek Lott starting with a collection made from flood refuse on 3rd January 1982. A large proportion of the earlier records come from the vice county of Leicestershire and Rutland. From the late 1980s, Derek Lott increasingly specialised in wetland Staphylinidae (rove beetles). Records for this family should be counted as the most thoroughly recorded and the most reliably identified. 2) Data collected systematically from samples obtained during projects to classify invertebrate assemblages or to study the responses of invertebrate assemblages to environmental variables. The samples were collected using repeatable protocols designed to generate comparable data for use in multivariate analysis and exploration of species diversity. A variety of different protocols have been used, mainly in order to develop protocols for common standards monitoring in conjuntion with ISIS. The main sets of sample data included here are i) the WETCAST database of wetland Carabidae and Staphylinidae, ii) a database of pitfall trap samples using a protocol developed by Martin Luff and Mick Eyre at Newcastle University and iii) a database of samples of aquatic invertebrates collected using pond-nets and kitchen sieves. 3) Records extracted from specimen labels in both private and museum collections.

Excellent geographic coverage, particularly for wetland Staphylinidae, but with a focus on Leicestershire for some species.