Biota of the Isle of Man explained

This is a list of the known wild biota of the Isle of Man.

Non-native species are marked *, extinct species are marked †. If this status is uncertain the species is also marked ?.

Each listing follows the following format: English name (where one exists), binomial/trinomial scientific name with authorities for uncommon species, Manx name (where one exists), status.

Amphibia (amphibians)

Salamandridae (salamanders and newts)

Anura (frogs and toads)

Aves (birds)

See main article: List of birds of the Isle of Man.

Gaviidae (divers)

Podicipedidae (grebes)

Hydrobatidae (petrels)

Procellariidae (shearwaters)

Sulidae (gannets and boobies)

Phalacrocoracidae (cormorants)

Ardeidae (egrets and herons)

Anatidae (swans, geese and ducks)

Accipitridae (hawks, eagles, kites and harriers)

Falconidae (falcons)

Phasianidae (partridges and quail)

Tetraonidae (grouse)

Phasianidae (pheasants)

Rallidae (rails and crakes)

Haematopodidae (oystercatchers)

Scolopacidae (waders)

Scolopacidae (woodcock and snipe)

Laridae (gulls)

Alcidae (auks)

Columbidae (pigeons)

Tytonidae (barn owls)

Strigidae (other owls)

Hirundinidae (swallows)

Motacillidae (wagtails)

Troglodytidae (wrens)

Prunellidae (dunnock)

Turdidae (thrushes)

Sylviidae (warblers)

Paridae (tits)

Sturnidae (starlings)

Corvidae (corvids)

Passeridae (sparrows)

Fringillidae (finches)

Emberizidae (buntings)

Insecta (insects)

Neuroptera (lacewings)

Trichoptera (caddisflies)

Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies)

Updated July 2023

Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets)

Dermaptera (earwigs)

Diptera (true flies)

Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants)

Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)

As of 2023 the Isle of Man has 20 regularly occurring migrant and resident species of butterfly, with a total of 23 all-time records in the wild.

Pieridae (whites)

Lycaenidae (blues and coppers)

Satyridae (browns)

Nymphalidae (fritillaries and aristocrats)

Crambidae (grass moths)

Arctiidae (woolly worm moths)

Geometridae (geometers)

Sphingidae (hawkmoths)

Notodontidae (prominent moths)

Noctuidae (noctuids)

Hemiptera (true bugs)

Mammalia (mammals)

Chiroptera (bats)

As of 2020 research by the Manx Bat Group has found that there are at least nine species of Chiroptera found on the Isle of Man:

Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares)

Insectivora (insect-eaters)

Rodentia (rodents)

Carnivora (carnivores)

Cervidae (deer)

Pinnipedia (seals and walruses)

Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates or hoofed mammals)

Marsupialia (marsupials)

Cetacea (whales and dolphins)

Note that Manx nomenclature traditionally did not differentiate between species. Most whales are known as 'Manx: italic=no|Muc Varrey' (sea pigs) or 'Manx: italic=no|Perkin Mooar' and small dolphins as 'Manx: italic=no|Doraid'.

Regularly seen species

Rarely seen species

Vagrant species

Extinct populations

Domestic animals

All sorts of domesticated species have been brought to the Isle of Man by humans over the millennia. Two notable landrace breeds have evolved distinctively on the island:

Mollusca (molluscs)

Gastropoda (gastropods)

Stylommatophora (common land snails and slugs)

Reptilia (reptiles)

Chondrichthyes (cartilagenous fish)

Osteichthyes (bony fish)

Arthropoda (arthropods)

The format here is common English name (if one exists), followed by scientific name, followed by authority in brackets. There are no Manx names.

Arachnida (spiders)

218 species of Arachnids have been identified in the Isle of Man as of 1 January 2002.[29]

Pinophyta (conifers)

Cupressaceae (cypresses)

Nymphaeaceae (waterlilies)

Mycetozoa (slime moulds)

As of September 2022, 1801 distinct species from the Kingdom Fungi have been recorded on NBN Atlas Isle of Man.[30]

Strophariaceae (dung fungi)

Sixty-two species of dung fungi have been recorded in the Isle of Man as of 13 April 2009 by Michael J. Richardson, a British mycologist. The following are from a sample of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) pellets collected at The Ayres on 6 January 2008.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Damselfly rediscovered .
  2. Web site: Speckled Bush Crickets are common in southern and central England but are more uncommon in the colder and wetter conditions of the north and west. In the Isle of Man, Speckled Bush Crickets are recorded from few sites and, as a consequence, are protected by the Wildlife Act. Biosphere.im. 30 March 2022.
  3. IOM BAP for Bomblius minor - in publication spring 2022
  4. Web site: Peregrine journal - Manx BirdLife .
  5. Web site: Hipparchia semele : Grayling | NBN Atlas Isle of Man .
  6. Web site: Climate conference spots insects. 22 January 2007. 30 March 2022. News.bbc.co.uk.
  7. Web site: Danaus plexippus : Monarch | NBN Atlas Isle of Man .
  8. IOM BAP for Pyrausta sanguinalis 2022 in preparation
  9. Web site: Isle of Man Studies (Proceedings IoMNHAS) - Volume XVI .
  10. Web site: New bat species discovered. Manx Radio. 30 March 2022.
  11. Web site: Further confirmation of another bat species on IoM. Manx Radio. 30 March 2022.
  12. Web site: Lesser horseshoe bat found in the Isle of Man. Manxbatgroup.org. 30 March 2022.
  13. Web site: New bat found on Isle of Man. Manx Radio. 30 March 2022.
  14. Web site: Harbour porpoise | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch. Mwdw.net. 30 March 2022.
  15. Web site: Bottlenose dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch. Mwdw.net. 30 March 2022.
  16. Web site: Short Beaked Common Dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch. Mwdw.net. 30 March 2022.
  17. Web site: Risso's dolphin | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch. Mwdw.net. 30 March 2022.
  18. Web site: Minke whale | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch. Mwdw.net. 30 March 2022.
  19. Web site: Rare species | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch. Mwdw.net. 30 March 2022.
  20. Web site: Log in or sign up to view. www.facebook.com.
  21. Web site: Sei whale - Natural History Zoology Collection - iMuseum. iMuseum - Manx National Heritage. 30 March 2022.
  22. News: 'Unusual and enigmatic' long-finned pilot whales spotted off Welsh coast. BBC News. 26 August 2016.
  23. News: Striped dolphin found dead in Isle of Man harbour. BBC News. 20 December 2017.
  24. Perrin, William F.; Würsig, Bernd G.; Thewissen, J. G. M. (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals. Academic Press. p. 404. .
  25. Web site: Manx Nature. 24. Chris Lawrence. Manxwt.org.uk. 31 March 2022.
  26. Web site: Native Freshwater Fisheries Atrategy 2015 - 2020 . Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Isle of Man Government . 2024-06-02.
  27. News: Rare sunfish spotted in Isle of Man waters. BBC News. 10 September 2014.
  28. Web site: Swordfish seen for first time in Manx waters | Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch .
  29. Web site: Welcome to Isleofman.com - The online Manx Portal. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517211458/http://www.isle-of-man.com/interests/natural-history/spiders/list.htm. dead. 17 May 2008. 30 March 2022.
  30. Web site: Home. NBN Atlas Isle of Man.
  31. Web site: Isle of Man Government - Ash dieback. Gov.im. 30 March 2022.