- Lead scientist
- Dr Andrew Salisbury, RHS
- Start date
- 2007
- Keywords
Long term data series, pest records, pest distribution, changing distributions, wildlife records, garden animals, phenology
- Benefits to gardeners
The Entomology section has a unique archive of enquiries received by the RHS relating to garden pests and wildlife dating back to 1918. The archive contains animal, host and location information from more than 110,000 enquiries. Digitalisation of the paper archive has made the information readily available on distribution (including changing distributions), host plant range and phenology of garden pests, which improves the advice provided by the RHS and informs the horticultural and scientific community.
Some information, such as that on the lily beetle (Lilioceris lilii), has been extracted and used in peer reviewed papers and a PhD thesis (Salisbury 2003, 2008). This has shown the beetle’s changing distribution since its permanent establishment in the UK in 1939.
Management and validation of data in the archive is enabling mapping of many species of garden animals, mostly pests, and provide host range and other biological information.
- The problem
While enquiries received since 2004 have been recorded in a useable electronic format, there was only one paper copy of the data from 1918 to 2004, which could have easily been lost.
- Approach
The log books of entomology enquiries were copied and records digitalised by the end of 2009. Management and validation of the data (e.g. addition of grid references) was completed in 2010. It is now possible to produce distribution maps, assess trends in distribution and abundance and extract pest-host plant information.
The dataset is now updated annually with data extracted from the RHS database of advisory enquiries (the Advisory Management Tool).
Information on several pest species, including the yew scale, large wisteria scale, fuchsia gall mite and pittosporum sucker has been shared with organisations such as the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) and the National Biodiversity Network (NBN). This has resulted in several scientific papers published or being prepared.
The RHS is keen for this data to be used and would like to collaborate in research. Contact advisory_entomology@rhs.org.uk if you would like to use RHS data for research.
- Further information
RHS Entomology publications
Map of lily beetle distribution
Surveys on the spread of non-native garden pests
- References
Salisbury A (2003). A further note on the continued spread in Britain of the lily beetle, Lilioceris lilii (Scop.) (Chrysomelidae), with notes on its host plant range. The Coleopterist 12: 67-76
Salisbury A (2008). Impact, host range and chemical ecology of the lily beetle, Lilioceris lilii, PhD: Department of Biology, Imperial College, London, London