In Praise of Vernacular

A quick circuit of Cogden this afternoon, searching for migrants. Slow going initially, with both Vanessa cardui and Nomophila noctuella definitely migrants, but not the ones I was after. Eventually I stumbled across a nice Phoenicurus phoenicurus, and soon added a single Phylloscopus trochilus and two Saxicola rubetra. Nice.

I am sure that some readers are not even slightly phased by the scientific names above, and can picture every species mentioned. Good for them. Me? I had to look each one up to ensure accuracy, because I never normally use them. I mean, why would I? I am not a naturalist in any professional sense, and have happily got by with vernacular names for six decades. In the rare event that I need a scientific name, it is just a reference book or mouse click away.

So what is all this nonsense with micro-moths?

I spent most of my walk pondering this question, which has vexed me mightily since starting down the Dark Path two months ago. Here's the thing...

Every macro-moth has a vernacular name in the English language. For example, Large Yellow Underwing. Generally speaking, the vernacular names are easy to remember because they consist of familiar words and, as in this case, many convey some obvious feature of the moth itself. The scientific name of Large Yellow Underwing is Noctua pronuba. My limited education suggests that Noctua has to do with night-time, but pronuba means nothing to me. Noctua pronuba is a name I would need to learn parrot-fashion, and would easily forget without constant repitition. Thankfully this is not a concern, because Large Yellow Underwing is the name that everyone uses.

But, not so with micros...

This morning I thought our run of at least one new moth every time was finally over. But no. Literally on the floor of the trap was one last moth. This one...

If I have identified it correctly, this is Agonopterix yeatiana.

According to Living Record, Agonopterix yeatiana has not been recorded in the Bridport area before, so this is a nice catch. Agonopterix yeatiana means 'small, spotted, pale grey jobbie, with which to grip off your Bridport mothy mates' and is much easier to remember than the vernacular name, Coastal Flat-body, which conveys no meaning at all, and is a pig to remember.

As a beginner, the most irritating issue about trying to learn a million new moths is the stupid insistence upon scientific names when it comes to the vast majority of micros. What is especially annoying is the fact that they all have a vernacular name, but mothy folk won't use them. Why not? Well...

If you visit Dorset Moths or Norfolk Moths, for example (both excellent websites) you will see that every micro is listed (and searchable) by both a scientific and vernacular name. These county moth websites were designed by a chap named Jim Wheeler, who also compiled a publication entitled Micro Moth Vernacular Names - A Nomenclatural Checklist of British Microlepidoptera. My tyro's understanding is that he came up with these names unilaterally - an act of 'hubris' as one mothy voice whom I respect has put it - and many long-time moth folk are decidedly unimpressed. So. There exists a full set of vernacular names for all these tricky micros but, when it comes to their adoption and use, there is...er...some controversy...

However, do I care?

Not one bit. I do not care how the vernacular names were arrived at. I do not care whether or not they are appropriate in every case. I do not care that they were essentially decided upon by one bloke rather than a committee. Do you hear me, moth people? I do not care.

What I care about is that 1,600+ micros have a name that I can easily learn and remember, and in most cases say out loud with confidence that I have the pronunciation correct.

I am heartened by the fact that my favourite micro book (Common Micro-moths of Berkshire, by Nick Asher) uses the new vernacular names, and look forward to increased acceptance by those who wish to smooth the path of newbies like me. I have wrestled with what my own approach ought to be, and have tried hard to learn the scientific names. Blog-wise I have swung between referencing both scientific and vernacular, and scientific only. But why make a challenge needlessly harder than it already is? From now on, vernacular only, and hang the consequences.

PS. Painted Lady, Rush Veneer, Redstart, Willow Warbler and Whinchat, in case you were wondering...

Phoenicurus phoenicurus, a nice 1st-winter male I think.

Saxicola rubetra

Saxicola rubetra x2, dreadful heat haze x1.