Checklist of british and irish hymenoptera - introduction.

Abstract

The last complete checklist of the British and Irish Hymenoptera was that of Fitton et al. (1978). Much has changed in the intervening 36 years, including many changes to the higher classification of Hymenoptera and, of course, the discovery of many additional species. In producing this checklist we (the authors of the various chapters) have tried to provide a useful entry to the literature dealing with the identification and classification of the species involved, particularly for the less familiar parasitoid groups. The checklist also begins the process of summarising data on species' distribution on a country-level basis. I hope that this will serve to stimulate increased interest in this relatively neglected part of the British and Irish fauna. This volume serves as a standard reference point for the British and Irish Hymenoptera fauna, and, hopefully, provides a backbone to recording efforts and the underlying taxonomy. Having an endpoint to this project has stimulated much research in to our fauna, including the critical examination of museum collections, and thus pushed some checklist sections to a state they might not otherwise have reached. Of course, a checklist is never finished. The next incarnation will be digital, and the checklist is already in the process of migrating to a Scratchpad (Hymenoptera of the British Isles), where updates will be maintained as and when changes occur. Criteria for inclusion Additions to the British and Irish list since Fitton et al. (1978) are referenced (with a note 'added by...'). Species have been included that have not previously been formally published as being British or Irish but which are represented by reliably identified specimens in collections. For these species, collection depositories are listed so that the specimens can be traced. Known introductions, occasional or otherwise, including those species that are only able to sustain populations indoors, are also included, but noted as introduced. However, introduced or adventive species are not included in the counts of valid British and Irish species (Table ​(Table11). Table 1. Classification of Hymenoptera adopted in this checklist, with numbers of confirmed British and Irish species in the 1978 and current checklists (not including known introductions that have failed to establish in the wild). Note that the spelling of Trigonalidae and Trigonaloidea, as opposed to 'Trigonalyidae', follows Aguiar et al. (2013).