Participants may choose to record moths on either or both nights but if recording over both nights separate data returns will need to be submitted.

The information requested is as follows:

• Recorder and determiner name (if different).
• Site name and at least a six-figure Ordnance Survey grid reference, where possible.
• Local weather conditions.
• Number and type of traps used (and details of any other recording techniques).
• How long the traps were operated.
• A full list of species identified and, where possible, numbers of each species. However, even a
  simple species list is still valuable. Ideally species should be listed in systematic or alphabetical
  order (by scientific name, not English name). It would also be useful if recorders drew attention
  to records of significant county interest i.e. new VC record, second VC record, first VC record since 1895 etc.
• Numbers of common, scarce and rare migrants encountered.

Your records—how you can help us!

The success and growth of NMN is fantastic but makes the task of collating, inputting and analysing the records an ever more Herculean task. To keep the task manageable you can help by sending in your records as soon as reasonably possible after NMN and in a format that eases data handling (see below).

One key aim of NMN is promoting moth recording to the general public, and to measure the success of this we want to know how many public events NMN generates and how many members of the general public attend. Please ensure if you hold or attend a public event the appropriate figures are collated and forwarded to the NMN data manager.

To ensure our key aims are met, a new Data Submission Form is being made available on the NMN website (www.nationalmothnight.info), which will allow recorders to attach and forward their datasets (in any electronic data file format) at the same time, making data management easier. We encourage all electronic data files to be submitted via this form in preference to being forwarded as a normal email attachment.

The following electronic data formats are accepted in conjunction with the NMN Data Submission Form:

• MapMate ‘Sync’ files; these data are in a format where little effort is required to upload them to the NMN database. However, MapMate doesn’t have the ability to handle NMN-specific public event and target species/habitat data, therefore please forward these data using the NMN website’s Data Submission Form in preference to via the MapMate Web Server or standard email attachment. This is by far the easiest and best method combination for submitting data with little possibility of data input error.
• Microsoft Excel/ Word and OpenOffice (www.openoffice.org) Calc/Writer templates will be made available on the NMN website to help minimise the effort of extrapolating data and to reduce data errors. When submitted with the NMN Data Submission Form these templates provide the next best way of contributing records.
• Other data tables in databases, spreadsheets and word processing documents can also be incorporated easily if they follow the one-record-per-row format rule and the minimum information for a biological record required for NMN. Summary or ‘pivot’ tables are acceptable; however, these will have to be converted to the one-record-per-row format rule which is time-consuming and increases the possibility of data input errors. Due to this, data submitted in a summary format will be given a lower priority for processing.
• Paper records will continue to be accepted; however, please ensure that all the necessary information for a biological record is provided and that information is discernable and unambiguous.
  

Regrettably, we cannot guarantee to process records sent into NMN with missing information or in different formats to the aforementioned.

The minimum information for a biological record suitable for NMN are:

• Species name
• Site name
• OS grid reference (to a minimum of 4 figures)
• Vice-county (if known; however, required by biological recording software).
• Recorder(s)
• Determiner (one name only)
• Quantity
• Method (light-trap details, field methods, etc)

The submission of duplicate records for the same event by multiple recorders is a perennial issue. To minimise this, please consider nominating a single recorder to be responsible for collating and submitting the records to NMN. Notwithstanding this, effort is undertaken to reduce the duplication of records once all records are submitted.