Species not on database

Hello. I have only just started using BUBO but have noticed one of the species I want to add to my list (Ceanothus impressus) is not in the database. It is not common in the UK (but there is at least one other record) and is native to North America. Is it because it's not a plant species native to the UK? I'm just curious is all.

Hi India - thanks for this. It's not on a list of naturalised plants that we've received from the UK Species Inventory, and it's not currently mapped by BSBI. However, the BSBI's list is in a state of flux at present. Have you found this plant naturalised in the UK somewhere? So long as it was not obviously deliberately planted, I'd be happy to add it for you.

Cheers

Andy

Hi Andy,

Just wondering if the following two species, which aren’t currently on UKSI, are eligible for addition to PSL:

Golovinomyces bolayi – a powdery mildew on Lactuca sp. Recorded 9 June 2025 at Minsmere, identified and confirmed via iNaturalist discussion. Observation link: www.inaturalist.org/observations/288229243 . Recently split from Golovinomyces cichoracearum, so may not yet be reflected in UK databases.

Trachelospermum jasminoides, recorded last year near my home in Essex. Clearly a garden escapee but was growing away from any obvious cultivation.

Thanks in advance!

Ben

 

Thanks Ben, those two species now available for PSL

Ah, just found another one too - Erysiphe alliariicola (a mildew on Garlic Mustard). It was recently split from E. cruciferarum and is now recognised as the correct species for UK records on Alliaria petiolata. Previously, these were all lumped under E. cruciferarum. Thanks for also adding the other two species!
 

Thanks, now added

The Rockrose beetle Dicladispa testacea seems to be missing?

Ah, my mistake. I'd added it, but spelled it wrong. Should be there now

I can’t find the Carpenter’s Rule Diatom (Bacillaria paxillifera) on the list, though maybe I’ve overlooked it?

Many thanks
Geoff

Edit: found it: Vibrio paxillifer

Craig Macadam recently confirmed a leech I found in Lincolnshire as new to Britain. Can Erpobdella nigricollis, the Cowbridge Cutie, please be added to the list?

Wow, great find James. Added for you!

Hi all. I am trying to list Fennel pondweed (Stuckenia pectinata) but I can't find it listed. Can you help?
Thanks
Tom

It's there as Potamogeton pectinatus. I don't know why it was missing an English name, but I've now added that.

I wonder whether it’s possible to add Stentor coeruleus to the PSL list. Found it in a pond in Edinburgh today - quite visible to the naked eye and blue in colour - which isn’t true for all protists!

I’ve popped it on iNaturalist ID 311085941

 

Thanks Geoff, have added it for you

Thanks - that’s great. 

I’ve got another - the marine phytoplankton: Neocalyptrella robusta (formerly Rhizosolenia robusta). Found it today in a plankton trawl in Pease Bay

Thanks Geoff. That one's already on the list (under Rhizosolenia robusta).

Hi Andy,

Might you be able to add a couple of lichens not yet on bubo - Circinaria hoffmanniana and Caloplaca sterilis? 

Cheers,
Angus

Thanks Angus - now added

Cheers, Andy.

Have noticed another one - Erysiphe cruciferarum has now been split in three - E. cruciferarum s. str. (on Alyssum s. lat.), E. alliariicola (on Alliaria petiolata) and E. radulescui (a polyphagous species - which I imagine is what most people who have 'E. cruciferarum' on their lists have recorded). 

Thanks Angus. OK, I've added the missing radulesui, and I've attached a note to cruciferarum to help guide people.

Hi Andy,

Another powdery mildew for you - Erysiphe rumicicola, a mildew on Rumex that's recently been split from E. polygoni apparently. 

My iNaturalist record -  www.inaturalist.org/observations/308820362

Thanks!
Ben

Thanks Ben, now added

I was looking at a lab culture of Hydra today and noticed lots of the commensal (?) ciliate Kerona pediculus- can’t find this on the list but assume this is fair game for listing?…

Hi Geoff, 

I can't find any reference to Kerona pediculus in the UK Species Inventory, nor to any of the synonyms that are listed for it in GBIF. It doesn't look like the taxonomy of British Chromista is particularly well pinned down within UKSI (although I may be speaking from ignorance here - it's just not an area I know much about). I'll add this one direct to PSL for you though.

Cheers

Andy

Hi Andy,
Hopefully this is the correct place to put this message (I saw other messages of a similar theme from Ben!). This year I have recorded a great deal of plant parasitic fungi, and it appears many of which have never made their way to the UKSI. In powdery mildews alone I believe I have thirteen that are currently unavailable, and I was wondering if it would be possible for them to be added please?
Blumeria graminicola - ubiquitous on Poa species in the UK, split from Blumeria graminis back in 2021. (B. graminis is now much more restricted and in the UK is mainly found on Elymus and Triticum.)
Blumeria hordei - also split from Blumeria graminis in 2021, found exclusively on Hordeum.
Erysiphe acetosae - split from Erysiphe polygoni (which is now restricted to Polygonum) with Erysiphe rumicicola and confined to Rumex subg. Acetosa.
Erysiphe deutziana - found on Deutzia in Europe and North America. Erysiphe deutziae is in the database but a recent study determined that this species is actually restricted to East Asia and is replaced by E. deutziana in the rest of the world.
Erysiphe eschscholziae - quite common, found on Eschscholzia.
Erysiphe medicaginis - common on Medicago, recently split from the wider Erysiphe trifoliorum complex, which still needs much work (the species on e.g. Melilotus remains unknown).
Erysiphe sambucina - it was established a few years ago that Erysiphe vanbruntiana only infects Sambucus in North America, and the species in Europe is in fact Erysiphe sambucina.
Erysiphe takamatsui - found only on Nelumbo, new to the UK this year (found by fellow PSLer Finn Harrigan). e.g.  www.inaturalist.org/observations/311748738
Erysiphe viburniphila - this is thought to be the fairly common species on Viburnum tinus.
Podosphaera fragariae - one species in the brand new Podosphaera aphanis complex; this species infects Potentilla and Fragaria. The former Podosphaera aphanis has been shown to be restricted entirely to the type genus of Alchemilla (including Aphanes). Records on other hosts now apply to other species, with the exception of those on Geum and Agrimonia, which are yet to be assigned to a species and likely represent another species entirely.
Podosphaera prunicola - infrequent but long-established on Prunus serotina.
Podosphaera ruborum - the other new species in the UK to be formed from the split of Podosphaera aphanis, this species occurs on Rubus and appears to be rather rare and localised here.
Sawadaea polyfida - the second UK first found by Finn Harrigan at Kew Gardens this year (and confirmed by him with microscopy). S. polyfida is only found on Acer sect. Palmatum and is the third Sawadaea species to be recorded in the country. e.g.  www.inaturalist.org/observations/324724683

Thank you in advance for taking the time to go through all of these!
Alex

Thanks for all these details Alex. Not a group I keep track of at all, so happy to take your word for it. I've made these additions (and removed E. deutiziae and E. vanbruntiana).

Hi Andy, could you add these species to the available list please -
- Hieracium basicrinum (Zahn) Roffey, the Fionn Glenn Hawkweed
- Alchemilla neomanifesta M. Lynes, the Revealed Lady’s-mantle
- Australopacifica graminicola (Steel, 1900) - the same species as Australopacifica sp. "Penryn 2024" in Hugh Jones' recent British Wildlife article, now matched with an Aussie species with a paper in prep.
- Statomicroplana sp. "Eden Project 2024" - an unknown species given this working name by Jones 2025.
- Atradidymella sp. P07988 - another species with a working name given to it by the national authority, found on dead receptacles of Marchantia polymorpha
- I can't remember what you've said about non-apomictic plant additions, but Myosotis dubia Arrond.was split from M. discolor a few years back and is still not available.
- Mesopolobus amyntor (Walker, 1845) - re-established as a valid species in 2018, there is at least one recent literature record and I've had it in Berkshire  www.researchgate.net/publication/3624325...rom_Kent_England_U_K

All for now I think, cheers!
 

Thanks Finley. I've added the first five for you. I've not yet done the last two because
a) Myosotis dubia is still treated as a subspecies of discolor by BSBI (e.g. at  bsbi.org/maps ) - I like to follow their lead where possible
b) Mesopolobus amyntor is treated as a synonym of M. trasullus in the UKSI. I don't know which is the right approach, and it wouldn't surprise me if chalcids weren't a well-maintained taxonomy. I'll leave it for now though.
 

Thanks Andy! Re M. amyntor, the World Chalcidoidea Database (the global authority) treats it as a valid species, after Nieminen et al. (2018) re-established it. It doesn't surprise me that the UKSI is outdated here, I'll contact Chris about it. There does seem to be a mistake on the WCD though in that it gives Pteromalus amyntor as the valid name, which isn't backed up by any recent literature, so I'll look into that.

ucd.chalcid.org/#/taxon?taxonID=479213
www.researchgate.net/publication/3291445..._amyntor_Walker_1845