Per Smiseth

Per Smiseth

@persmiseth.bsky.social

Behavioural ecologist @ University of Edinburgh. Parental care & family conflict, inbreeding. Biological recording & natural history in cemeteries, burial grounds & churchyards.

971 followers874 following187 posts

Per Smiseth reposted

Collection of mating ladybirds from yesterday’s visit to Grange Cemetery, #Edinburgh. Lots of aphids under sycamore trees. #ladybirds #spring #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Some of yesterday’s records from Grange Cemetery, #Edinburgh: Brindled Pug, male Early Reveller (Diurnea fagella), Eyed Ladybird & Buchananiella continua. #moths #ladybirds #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Records from Wiston Churchyard, Lanarkshire, visited on 21 March (1/2). Highlights: Hieroglyphic Ladybird & Trypodendron domesticum. Some other decent records too, including female Dotted Border … #ladybirds #beetles #moths #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Wiston Churchyard, Lanarkshire (2/2): … Platybunus pinetorum, Megabunus diadema, Hawthorn Shieldbug & female Ectopsocus petersi. #harvestmen #shieldbugs #barkflies #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Harlequin attempting to mate with 2-spot Ladybirds found yesterday in Saughton Cemetery, #Edinburgh. Previously I’ve found attempted matings between Larch & Cream-streaked Ladybirds & between 2-spot & Cream-spot Ladybirds. #InterspecificMating #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

All 3 examples are attempted matings between pretty distantly related species in different genera. These matings won’t produce offspring due to pre- & post-zygotic reproductive barriers.

Newington Cemetery, #Edinburgh, this morning, part 1/2: Striped, 18-spot, Eyed & Larch Ladybirds. #ladybirds #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Newington Cemetery, #Edinburgh, part 2/2: 2-spot, 10-spot, Harlequin, Cream-spot & Orange Ladybirds, plus Hairy Shieldbug. #ladybirds #hairyshieldbug #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Some of today’s arthropod records from Colinton Cemetery, #Edinburgh. Part 1: 2-spot, Larch, 10-spot, Eyed, Pine & 7-spot Ladybirds, Juniper & Bronze Shieldbugs. #ladybirds #shieldbugs #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Colinton Cemetery, #Edinburgh, Part 2: Palloptera scutellata, Platybunus pinetorum, Chilenocaecilius ornatipennis. Buff Footman caterpillar & Larch Ladybird. #diptera #harvestmen #barkflies #moths #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Greater Thorn-tipped Longhorn Beetle (Pogonocherus hispidulus) found on gravestone in Cockpen & Carrington Parish Churchyard, Midlothian, on 11 March. New for me. #beetles #cerambycidae #longhornbeetles #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Striped Ladybird found yesterday on gravestone under Austrian Pine in Newington Cemetery, #Edinburgh. #ladybirds #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

10 species of #ladybirds found yesterday on gravestones in Newington Cemetery, #Edinburgh. Surprisingly good haul (best of 2026 so far) despite the dreich weather. Part 1: Cream-streaked, Eyed & Larch Ladybirds … #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Female Dotted Border, male Pale Brindled Beauty & female Chilenocaecilius ornatipennis from Grange Cemetery, #Edinburgh, yesterday. The latter a non-native #barkfly originally from S America; 1st recorded in UK in 2016. #moths #psocodea #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Highlights from Newington Cemetery, Edinburgh, today: Sphaeriestes castaneus (Salpingidae), Striped Ladybird (Coccinellidae), Western Conifer Seed Bug (Coreidae) & Ectopsocus axillaris (Ectopsocidae). #insects #beetles #hemiptera #psocodea #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Rabocerus gabrieli, #Salpingidae, found today in Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh. Nationally scarce. Small (3-4mm) & active in winter. My 66th record from Edinburgh’s cemeteries (+1 from Perthshire). #beetles #coleoptera #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Mixed species clusters of overwintering ladybirds from today’s visit to Grange Cemetery, #Edinburgh. Hoping to learn more about these clusters this winter. #ladybirds #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglussus occidentalis) on gravestone under Austrian Pine in Newington Cemetery, #Edinburgh, this afternoon. My 1st record of this non-native bug originally from North America. #Hemiptera #Coreidae #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Highlights from #Edinburgh cemeteries last week: Male Pale Brindled Beauty, Ocys quinquestriatus (nationally scarce), cluster of 2-spot, Harlequin, 10-spot & Cream-spot Ladybirds & Buchananiella continua with Anthocoris nemorum. #insects #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Grypotes puncticollis found today on gravestone under pine in Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh. 3rd Scottish record I think. Associated with pine. #leafhopper #GrypotesPuncticollis #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Some of yesterday’s records from Newington Cemetery, #Edinburgh. Highlight was Neobisium carcinoides, my 1st #pseudoscorpion on a gravestone. Also #beetle Phloiophilus edwardsii, #fly Drosophila suzukii (male) & #leafhopper Balclutha punctata. #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Yesterday’s records from Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh (VC83) included 3 species 1st recorded in Scotland (as far as I know) as part of #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity: Buchananiella continua, Peripsocus milleri & Acericerus heydenii. #iRecord #insects

Highlights from today’s visit to Grange Cemetery, #Edinburgh: Female Mottled Umber, Cuneopalpus cyanops (a barkfly), Rabocerus gabrieli & several species of ladybirds. #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

My 1st ever record of an undescribed species of #Tephrochlamys. ID confirmed. Unlike other members of the genus, this species has a pair of presutural dorsocentral bristles. #Diptera #Heleomyzidae #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Happy New Year! My 1st records for #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity for 2026, all from my local Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh: Acericerus heydenii, cluster of Red-legged Shieldbug nymph, Orange & Harlequin Ladybirds & Acompocoris alpinus. #iRecord #ladybirds

Some of today’s records of #insects from Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh, part 1: Orange & Harlequin Ladybirds, Phloiophilus edwardsii … #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Collection of #insects found on gravestones in Comely Bank Cemetery, #Edinburgh, on 15 December, part 1: Tetratoma fungorum, female Mottled Umber & Cream-streaked Ladybird … #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Female Winter Moth walking across old spiderweb with Harlequin Ladybird hiding underneath. Spotted yesterday in Grange Cemetery, Edinburgh. #Moths #WinterMoth #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Collection of critters from yesterday’s visit to Newington Cemetery, #Edinburgh: 18-spot, Larch, Eyed, Orange & Harlequin #Ladybirds (I counted 356 of the latter, including 1 eating a hoverfly larva) ... #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Collection of #barkflies from today’s visit to Duddingston Kirk Graveyard, #Edinburgh: Blaste quadrimaculata, Elipsocus hyalinus, Valenzuela flavidus & Cerobasis guestfalica. #Psocoptera. #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Collection of #barkflies from today’s visit to Morningside Cemetery, #Edinburgh: Peripsocus milleri, Graphopsocus cruciatus, Cerobasis guestfalica & Valenzuela flavidus. #Psocoptera. #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Female Metylophorus nebulosus from Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh (VC83), this afternoon. A large (6-7mm) & attractive #barkfly. #Psocoptera #Metylophorusnebulosus #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Bagworm - possibly Lichen Case-bearer (Dahlica lichenella) - feeding on gravestone in New Calton Burial Ground, #Edinburgh. Initially mistaken for snail poo. #TeamMoth #Moths #Psychidae #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Dinocampus coccinellae cocoon guarded by 7-spot Ladybird found today on gravestone in New Calton Burial Ground, #Edinburgh. #Braconidae #Parasitoids #Ladybirds #Dinocampuscoccinellae #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.

Lime Flame (Chrysoclista lineella) from Greyfriars Kirkyard, #Edinburgh, this morning. 1 of 3 seen in this site. #TeamMoth #Moths #Chrysoclistalineella #CemeteryWildlifeWatch recording activity on #iRecord.