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Thorne and Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum |
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Thorne and Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum |
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This tribute to Peter Skidmore is based on the appreciation written at the time of his Honorary Membership of the Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum. The appreciation was prepared by Martin Limbert in 2003 and published in volume 6 of Thorne & Hatfield Moors Papers. It was revised for its present use in 2009, particularly with specialist assistance from Paul Buckland.
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Edward Aubrook, Peter Skidmore and Roy Crossley, at a meeting of the Entomological Section of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, held at Leeds in 1987.
Photographer Peter Kendall
Peter Skidmore was born in Manchester in 1936, but moved to Dog Hill on the edge of Crompton Moor, near Shaw, in 1939. In these semi-rural surroundings he quickly developed an interest in natural history, and later wrote a paper on the moor (Skidmore 1964). It was a seminal publication, marking the beginning of Peter's major research into both cow dung ecology and, as a dipterist, the biology of the Muscidae (q.v.). Peter joined the Oldham Natural History Society in 1947 and the Manchester Entomological Society c.1950. At Christmas 1951, his sister Mary gave him Colyer & Hammond's Flies of the British Isles in Warne's 'Wayside and Woodland Series'. Peter described this as "the touch-paper to ignite an entomological career'' (Skidmore 1996d), with his first steps in studying Diptera guided by Leonard Kidd of Werneth Park Museum, Oldham. Peter’s other main entomological interest lay with Coleoptera.
Peter was studying at Oldham Art School for an Art Teacher's Diploma when, in 1954, a friend from the MES and professional entomologist, Baron Alexis de Porochin, offered him work as his assistant at Flatters & Garnett Ltd of Manchester, a firm of scientific instrument makers and biological suppliers. As a result "a traumatic change from arts to science took place within a week!” (Anon. 1995). However, Peter's natural talent and early art training were to serve him well for future entomological illustration. Peter's duties at 'Flatters' mostly consisted of obtaining insects and producing collections of specimens for educational establishments. However, he also wrote a simplified key to the orders of British insects (Skidmore 1958). Alexis de Porochin, of Finnish descent, was a remarkable character, whom Peter remembered with affection and gratitude (Skidmore 1996c, 2003). Peter stated that de Porochin formed “a pivotal role in my career” (Skidmore 2003), and he recalled that, beyond de Porochin's ability as a coleopterist and linguist, his loves were "bad language (in any tongue), anything German (especially bad language), pilchards (or sardines), insects, philately and Sibelius; in approximately that order of priority"! (Skidmore 1996c). It was also through de Porochin that Peter joined the Raven Entomological and Natural History Society. However, de Porochin's most lasting influence was perhaps to imbue Peter with a willingness to embrace foreign language identification keys; "...thanks to him, I learnt my Coleoptera not through Joy or Fowler, but through Reitter's Fauna Germanica'' (Skidmore 1996c).
Fellowship of the Royal Entomological Society and membership of the Verrall Association of Entomologists followed. An early and significant work, written with Colin Johnson of the Manchester Museum, appeared in 1969. This was the first major account of the Coleoptera of a Welsh county, 'A Preliminary List of the Coleoptera of Merioneth' (Skidmore & Johnson 1969).
For Peter, his practical involvement with Thorne and Hatfield Moors began in 1966. Even then, these sites were under increasing stress from peat exploitation, though it is gratifying that Peter lived to see them both substantially protected as a National Nature Reserve. Peter moved to Yorkshire in 1965, to take up the post of Assistant Keeper of Natural Sciences - then a purely entomological post - at Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery. The Director was the coleopterist E.F. Gilmour and the Keeper was Michael Clegg. Peter became Keeper in 1967. Hecontinued to build up the entomological collections, and occasionally published on them. He also established, and greatly expanded, the biological records database for the Doncaster borough. Allied to this, Peter played a pioneering role in understanding, evaluating and defending scientifically important local sites, thereby directly contributing to their survival. Peter published, or reported, on the peat moors, Potteric Carr, Edlington Wood and Sandall Beat Wood, but he had an involvement with other sites as well. Sandall Beat Wood was a long-term interest. Peter produced an ecological introduction to the wood in European Conservation Year (Skidmore 1970c), and followed this with a 241-page ecological account, giving details of all known species from the area (Skidmore 1983). Peter combined his museum work with lecturing and leading entomological courses in the Doncaster district and - for the Field Studies Council - in Wales. Initially through the Doncaster Museum Service, Peter was involved with the Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum from its inception in 1989.
Peter remained as Keeper until retirement in 1994. Subsequently, he lived in the Swansea and then Retford districts. His retirement, and move to the former, was prompted by the need for him and his wife to be near their son, David, following a near-fatal road accident. Peter became active as a self-employed entomological consultant, involved with survey work for conservation bodies. He also undertook some lecturing at Sheffield and Swansea universities during 1995-2004. As a hard-working consultant, Peter produced numerous reports, as varied as Survey of the Insect fauna of bracken-dominated areas of Cornwall and Devon (English Nature, 1997), The Status of the Soldierfly Odontomyia hydroleon at Banc y Mwldan SSSI (Countryside Council for Wales, 1999) and ‘Saproxylic Insect Survey of the Virginia Water and Bishopsgate Areas of Windsor Park, 2002-2003’ (English Nature Contract Science No. 514, 2003).
Following Peter's move to Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery, he joined the Doncaster Naturalists’ Society. He also began a parallel involvement with the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, eventually being the President for 1995 (Anon 1995). Peter’s Presidential Address centred on Thorne and Hatfield Moors (Skidmore 1996a). Within the Entomological Section, Peter served as both Chairman and Secretary, and for many years he was the Recorder for Diptera. The above interests, plus Peter’s commitment to the Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum, underpinned his involvement with the Humberhead Levels and nearby areas. This was centred on Thorne and Hatfield Moors, but also embraced other sites, including Blacktoft Sands, Shirley Pool/Rushy Moor, Denaby Ings, Potteric Carr, and Rossington Bridge where he took the ladybird Exochomus nigromaculatus (Goeze), unrecorded in Britain since the early nineteenth century (Skidmore 1985a, Muggleton 1999).
The ladybird was then just the latest of a number of Hemiptera, Coleoptera and Diptera described by Peter - sometimes jointly - as new, almost so, or reinstated, to the relevant British list. They began with the muscid Helina annosa (Zett.) (Skidmore 1962); the last was the hopper Delphax crassicornis (Pz.) (Skidmore 2008). Peter's interests remained with Diptera (especially the immature stages of Cyclorrhapha) and Coleoptera, though his collecting and recording covered many insect orders. In Britain, Peter’s fieldwork ranged widely, largely embracing organized excursions and purposeful visits (e.g. Skidmore 1970b, 1979, 1982), Field Studies Council tutoring (Skidmore 1991b), museum-related local recording, and his commissioned work. Peter had an enduring commitment to the Hebrides, which he first visited in 1949. Sixty years on, this interest culminated in ‘A review of the Diptera of the Western Isles of Scotland’ (Skidmore 2009). Beyond outdoor work, Peter was unfailingly generous with his time and help, furnishing records, specimens, identifications and advice to very many entomologists. These included specialists working on taxonomic reviews, and others involved with geographical surveys like the former Nature Conservancy Council’s Welsh Peatland Invertebrate Survey of 1987-91. Peter was equally supportive to those administering recording schemes.
Even before moving to Doncaster, Peter had become involved with conservation issues. The first, in 1962, was to initiate the campaign for the conservation of Moccas Park in Herefordshire (Harding 2000). This was one of the richest 'old forest' (Urwald) sites in the UK, but was initially dismissed by the former Nature Conservancy as unimportant parkland. Peter's arrival at Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery coincided with increasing concern at habitat degradation and change in parts of Yorkshire, and with direct threats to some important sites.
In 1968, Thorne Moors was identified by the former Central Electricity Generating Board as a suitable site for the tipping of pulverised fuel ash. Thus began Peter's long and unflagging commitment to the campaigns to defend the Humberhead peatlands from destruction. In 1969, the natural history staff at Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery joined the Thorne naturalist and conservationist William Bunting to establish beyond doubt the natural history credentials of Thorne Moors. This was to counter the CEGB and future proposals to exploit the moorland. Fortunately, Peter wrote about his practical involvement with William Bunting (Skidmore 1970a, 1992, 1996a). Peter was one of the group that became locally infamous as ‘Bunting’s Beavers’ for their dam building on Thorne Moors, in defence of the site in the early years of industrial peat winning (Caufield 1991). The collaboration between museum staff and Bunting led to the production of a substantial report (Bunting et al. 1969), with Peter as one of several co-authors. Though initially restricted to 11 copies, the report was of importance as the first summary of the growing data relating to Thorne (and Hatfield) Moors. It clearly showed the significant elements of Thorne Moors, as then understood, and was influential at several levels.
In the following year, Peter augmented the report with an equally persuasive paper, 'Fifty Years Later - Another Look at Thorne Waste' (Skidmore 1970a). This outlined the contemporary actions to preserve Thorne Moors, and provided basic documentation of the scientific importance of the site. It also reviewed the ecological state of Thorne Moors a half century after the pioneering review by Rev. E.A. Woodruffe-Peacock (Woodruffe-Peacock 1920-21). Peter's Presidential Address to the YNU (Skidmore 1996a) provided a retrospective foil to his 1970 paper, a quarter of a century on.
Closely linked with Peter's commitment to conservation was his endeavour to help provide its scientific justification. This was especially relevant to an understanding of how both Thorne and Hatfield Moors should be managed to ensure the survival of their biodiversity. It was largely due to his diligence that the true invertebrate significance of Thorne Moors became realised in a national context (e.g. Ball 1992). The first major review of the entomofauna of Thorne Moors had Peter as its principal author (Skidmore, Limbert & Eversham 1987). In that same year, a programme of malaise trapping by the former Nature Conservancy Council warden on Thorne Moors, Bill Taylor, led to a mass of specimens, most of which (excluding only Hemiptera and aculeate Hymenoptera) were examined by Peter. He subsequently prepared an unpublished summary of all the worked orders.
Peter was a significant contributor to the major invertebrate survey of Thorne Moors (and to a lesser extent Hatfield Moors) undertaken in 1990 on behalf of the Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum. He contributed by identifying specimens from several important families of flies. His detailed 'Report on the Diptera Cyclorrhapha taken in the 1990 Entomological Survey of Thorne & Hatfield Moors', appeared as Appendix 1 in the second volume of the survey report (Heaver & Eversham 1991).
Peter was one of the strongest advocates of the ecological distinctness of Hatfield Moors from Thorne Moors. He consistently criticised the attitude, sometimes expressed, of 'trading' Hatfield Moors to the peat industry for the better survival of Thorne Moors. Peter undertook an entomological survey of Hatfield Moors, on behalf of Doncaster Museum Service, in 1991-92. His belief in the importance and distinctness of Hatfield Moors was substantiated by the results. This has since been underlined by work on the fossil insect assemblages by Nicki Whitehouse and others. Indeed, Peter's results indicated how significant the insect fauna of Hatfield Moors must once have been, with a number of important survivors, and indications of further potential. All have given the site a much higher national status. Peter was able to conclude that the total insect fauna of Hatfield Moors, with a greater range of habitats than Thorne Moors, must have been the richer of the two. These findings were discussed in a later paper (Skidmore 1997), followed by the publication of a provisional list of the insects of Hatfield Moors (Skidmore 2001).
In 2003, Peter began work for the Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum to produce a computerised compilation of the invertebrates of Thorne and Hatfield Moors, as a prerequisite to a published inventory. This latter eventually appeared as a handsome addition to the Forum’s Monograph series (Skidmore 2006), and was widely acclaimed. In the ‘Editorial and Acknowledgements’ to volume 7 of Thorne & Hatfield Moors Papers, it was noted that the monograph was “a landmark achievement and one of which we are immensely proud”. In the monograph, Peter characterized and described the invertebrate faunas, and provided a keyed listing of 4790 fossil and living species obtained to the end of 2005.
Peter’s merit as an entomological illustrator was spectacularly apparent in the monograph. It had a colour cover (of the ground-beetle Carabus nitens L.), this being repeated alongside 17 new paintings in the body of the work. The impact of these images led, in 2008, to the Forum offering 13 of them as sets of ten signed and numbered sheets in a presentation folder. The published inventory also includes a drawing of a meticulously observed Scarce Vapourer Orgyia recens (Hübn.). More fine Lepidoptera drawings may be seen in Rimington (1992), and a further painting - the crane-fly Idioptera pulchella (Mg.) - forms the frontispiece to THMCF Technical Report No. 7 (Skidmore 2001). There are many other paintings, some accessible on the www. However, perhaps of greater collective significance are Peter’s numerous published and as yet unpublished drawings. Perusing a range of his own work (e.g. Skidmore 1970c, 1985b, 1991b) reveals drawings varying in scope from whole organisms to precisely executed microscopic features. Also worthy of note here are Peter’s original paintings for museum displays, although inevitably few have survived. Peter was drawing until months before his death. His last task was for the forthcoming Handbook of the Bees of the British Isles by G.R. Else. Only a few of the drawings remained to be done when Peter had to give up the assignment.
Peter's other published work includes two papers (Eversham & Skidmore 1991, Skidmore 1992) on the changing invertebrate faunas of Thorne and Hatfield Moors, the second having an interesting autobiographical slant. Particularly important discoveries led to specific papers and notes. For example, in the Diptera, Peter's recognition of female specimens of Aenigmatias franzi Schmitz (Phoridae) in the 1987 malaise trap material led to the first formal description of them by Disney (1993). Peter added Eutaenionotum guttipenne (Stenh.) var. olivaceum Oldenberg (Ephydridae) to the British list from Thorne Moors, and then found it on Hatfield Moors (Skidmore 1996b). This discovery forms an interesting parallel with another essentially sub-arctic fly that Peter found, on Thorne Moors first and then on Hatfield Moors. This was Zaphne proxima Mall. (Anthomyiidae), also hitherto unknown in Britain (Ackland 1996, Skidmore & Ackland 2006). An entomological survey of Thorne and Hatfield Moors in 2000, focused on areas possibly harbouring the Zaphne, was undertaken by Peter together with Bob Marsh. It was commissioned by the former English Nature, and although the target species was not found during their fieldwork, the report produced (Skidmore & Marsh 2001) is full of other valuable records. Perhaps Peter's most surprising addition to the list of Thorne Moors Diptera was Stomorhina lunata (Fab.) (Calliphoridae), an occasional vagrant to Britain, with one of the specimens appearing somewhat teneral, adding to the significance of the record.
Peter became a specialist in the Muscidae. He was thus keenly interested in the extremely rare Phaonia jaroschewskii Schnabl, which he discovered on Thorne Moors in 1985 and Hatfield Moors in 1991. Currently, it is only otherwise known from a handful of sites in eastern England from Berkshire to Co. Durham. Peter wrote about the species in Appendix 1 of the 1990 survey report (q.v.) and in The Naturalist (Skidmore 1991a). In 1995, he was commissioned by the former English Nature to ascertain its status and distribution on Thorne Moors. His unpublished report, Phaonia jaroschewskii (''The Hairy Canary") (Dipt. Muscidae) on Thorne Moor during 1995, with notes on other insects collected in the survey, appeared towards the end of that year. Its title betrays the fact that the report also contains a list of all other insects identified, which is significant in its own right. Further survey work on the Phaonia was undertaken in 1996, which again resulted in an unpublished collateral list of other insects.
A distinct facet of Peter's entomological interests was his appreciation of the importance of palaeoentomology in understanding not only the British insect fauna, but also the environmental history of peatlands and archaeological sites wherever organic deposits have survived. Peter corresponded with both Russell Coope and Peter Osborne, the founders of Quaternary entomology, and he quickly appreciated the significance of this work in studies of both climate and environmental change. This Peter demonstrated in his early paper 'The Insect Fauna of a Bog Oak found near Askern' (Skidmore 1971). Peter’s profound background knowledge of the European fauna, borne from collecting trips that eventually stretched from Minya, via Fontainebleau and Skaftafell to Narssarssuaq, made a very significant, often unseen, contribution to the subject. Peter was accompanied on the Askern site visit by Paul Buckland, who went on to undertake a doctoral thesis in the same decade, on the use of insect remains in the interpretation of archaeological environments in the Vale of York. From this was published inter alia a pioneering palaeoentomological study of Thorne Moors (Buckland 1979).
Such work, extending into other aspects of the wetlands, continued in the Humberhead Levels, inspired by Peter and the irascible William Bunting, for whom Peter had an enormous respect. With the support of the University of Sheffield, and specifically of Paul Buckland, Peter’s palaeoentomological work on Diptera ultimately embraced sites in several European countries, Greenland, Egypt and Canada. In return, he provided much assistance to several of the university’s doctoral students, including Alison Bain, Gretel Boswijk, Eva Panagiotakopulu, Tessa Roper and Nicki Whitehouse, several of whom are now university lecturers. From 1995, Peter conducted post-doctoral research into fossil Diptera from archaeological sites in a project funded by the Leverhulme Trust. It was undertaken with Eva Panagiotakopulu in the Department of Archaeology & Prehistory at the University of Sheffield. When both Paul and Eva moved on to other posts, Peter continued his joint research with them, contributing not only to work on fossil Diptera but also to Coleoptera, where his modern collecting and taxonomic expertise helped to expand both collections and identifications.
Peter’s palaeoentomological research saw expression in numerous publications (e.g. McGovern et al. 1983, Buckland et al. 1983, Buckland et al. 1994, Panagiotakopulu et al. 1997, Panagiotakopulu, Skidmore & Buckland 2007). More than anything else, Peter’s work demonstrated that Diptera remains can be regarded as an interpretive tool comparable with Coleoptera and pollen. In 1995, Peter completed his doctoral thesis, A Dipterological Perspective on the Holocene History of the North Atlantic Area, and gained his doctorate in the following year. As noted, Peter became Leverhulme post-doctoral fellow in Sheffield’s Department of Archaeology & Prehistory. He added not only to the fossil record, but also substantially revised the modern Egyptian dipterous fauna with Samir el-Zawri, and described the immature stages of the Diptera of Greenland for a volume edited by Jens Böcher. This work, along with much else, has still to come to fruition, and Peter’s colleagues are determined that it should not be lost.
One of Peter’s longest-running projects was a new set of keys to the identification of British Coleoptera. These are illustrated by a series of superb ink drawings, many of which unfortunately remain incomplete. Peter saw that the way forward was to utilize the www to disseminate information for comment before final publication. To that end, he placed his keys, as far as he had taken them, on to the Bugscep www site maintained by Phil Buckland (www.bugscep.com). In a future version, it is intended to include Peter’s illustrations.
A fundamental result of the work on fossil and living insects of Thorne and Hatfield Moors has been the conclusion, unavailable from any other source, that these moors are western outliers of a mire type otherwise typical of sites in Poland, Germany and the Baltic states. This, combined with the very low rainfall of eastern England, suggests that Thorne and Hatfield Moors are better regarded as the sole surviving British examples of a largely non-British biotope, rather than damaged and impoverished 'Atlantic' mires such as occur frequently in western Britain (Eversham, Skidmore & Buckland 1995).
Inevitably, this tribute to Peter Skidmore is highly selective, focused on his involvement with Thorne and Hatfield Moors. His other work, publications and activities were numerous, but there is little space to devote to them. Peter's leisure interests, and visits abroad, can also be barely referred to. His interests included family and general history, astronomy, philately and classical music. I remember Peter’s amusement on learning of the derivation of his surname as he researched family history. Peter had a particular interest in the biography of naturalists. For example, he studied the Doncaster botanists Thomas Tofield (Skidmore, Dolby & Hooper 1981) and Samuel Appleby (Skidmore 1972), and was instrumental in forging the long-term Museum project to document two early Doncaster taxidermists, William Beilby and Hugh Reid (Limbert in prep.).
However, two further scientific publications have to be referred to here. The first is the outcome of Peter’s study of the ecology of cow dung (Skidmore 1991b), entertainingly described by one of his Field Studies Council students (Tate 1994). However, Peter’s most important work, extending to 550 pages, is ‘The biology of the Muscidae of the world’, published as volume 29 of Series Entomologica (Skidmore 1985b). It began as a master's dissertation from the University of York. This latter examined taxonomic and biological aspects of the immature stages of Palaearctic Muscidae, and commenced whilst Peter was still studying for a BA with the Open University. After the eventual appearance of ‘The biology of the Muscidae of the world’, one reviewer (Disney 1985) described it as "a most scholarly book...a resource for specialists for years to come."
It is gratifying - and significant - that Peter maintained his links with Thorne and Hatfield Moors throughout much of his life. The Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum, to mark its first decade, and in recognition of over four decades of dedicated endeavour and support, granted Peter Honorary Membership (Limbert 2003). He was hailed as one of the region's most notable and dedicated entomologists and conservationists. Peter was regarded as one of those rare naturalists who provided the scientific basis and inspiration for what the Forum and others sought - and indeed still seek - to achieve.
It is fitting to close by saying that Peter would be the first to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Heather, his wife. The muscid tome, and the review of Western Isles Diptera, were dedicated to her. Heather’s continued support was appreciated by many more than Peter alone.
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Ackland, D.M. (1996) Zaphne proxima Mall. Anthomyiidae Newsletter 2: 3.
Ball, S.G. (1992) The Importance of the Invertebrate Fauna of Thorne and Hatfield Moors: an Exercise in Site Evaluation. Thorne and Hatfield Moors Papers 3: 34-65.
Buckland, P.C. (1979) Thorne Moors: A Palaeoecological Study of a Bronze Age Site. A contribution to the history of the British Insect fauna. University of Birmingham Department of Geography Occasional Publication No. 8.
Buckland, P.C., T.H. McGovern, J.P. Sadler & P. Skidmore (1994) Twig Layers, Floors and Middens. Recent Palaeoecological Research in the Western Settlement, Greenland. In: B. Ambrosiani & H. Clarke (editors), Developments around the Baltic and the North Sea in the Viking Age (The Twelfth Viking Congress). Birka Studies 3: 132-143. Stockholm: Swedish National Heritage Board.
Buckland, P.C., G. Sveinbjarnardöttir, D. Savory, T.H. McGovern, P. Skidmore & C. Andreasen (1983) Norsemen at Nipáitsoq, Greenland: a Palaeoecological Investigation. Norwegian Archaeological Review 16: 86-98.
Bunting, W., M.J. D[o]lby, C. Howes & P. Skidmore (1969) An Outline Study of the Hatfield Chase the Central Electricity Generating Board Propose to Foul. [Part One]. Unpublished report.
Caufield, C. (1991) Thorne Moors. St Albans: The Sumach Press.
D[isney]., R.H.L. (1985) Book Reviews. The biology of the Muscidae of the world. The Naturalist 110: 155.
Disney, R.H.L. (1993) Notes on European Phoridae (Diptera). British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 6: 107-118.
Eversham, B.C. & P. Skidmore (1991) Changes in the Invertebrate Fauna of Thorne and Hatfield Moors. Thorne & Hatfield Moors Papers 2: 25-38.
Eversham, B.C., P. Skidmore & P.C. Buckland (1995) Invertebrates as indicators of lowland bogs in eastern England: some British bogs in a European context. In: P.T. Harding, I. Valovirta & D. Kime (editors) Threatened species and bioindicators at the Pan-European level. Proceedings of the Ninth International Colloquium of the European Invertebrate Survey, Helsinki, 3-4 September 1993. Helsinki: World Wide Fund for Nature.
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McGovern, T.H., P.C. Buckland, D. Savory, G. Sveinbjarnardöttir, C. Andreasen & P. Skidmore (1983) A study of the faunal and floral remains from two Norse farms in the Western Settlement, Greenland. Arctic Anthropology 20(2): 93-120.
Muggleton, J. (1999) Coccinula l4-pustulata (L.) and Exochomus nigromaculatus (Goeze) (Col., Coccinellidae) in Britain. The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 135: 169-172.
Panagiotakopulu, E., P.C. Buckland, P. Day, C. Doumas, A. Sarpaki & P. Skidmore (1997) A lepidopterous cocoon from Thera and evidence for silk in the Aegean Bronze Age. Antiquity 71: 420-429.
Panagiotakopulu, E., P. Skidmore & P.C. Buckland (2007) Fossil insect evidence for the end of the Western Settlement in Norse Greenland. Naturwissenschaften 94: 300-306.
Rimington, E. (1992) Butterflies of the Doncaster District. Sorby Record Special Series No. 9.
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Skidmore, P (1970b) Entomology. In: [Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1970]. Thorne Moor, V.C. 63, - 6th and 7th June. The Naturalist 95: 141-144.
Skidmore, P. (1970c) Sandall Beat Wood. Doncaster: Doncaster Museum.
Skidmore, P. (1971) The Insect Fauna of a Bog Oak found near Askern. The Naturalist 96: 111-112.
Skidmore, (1972) Samuel Appleby, Doncaster Botanist. The Naturalist 97: 55-57.
Skidmore, P. (1979) On the Diptera of Gibraltar Point, Lincolnshire. Transactions of the Lincolnshire Naturalists’ Union 19: 192-196.
Skidmore, P. (1982) Appendix 16. Diptera (flies). In: P. Wormell (editor) The Entomology of the Isle of Rhum National Nature Reserve. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 18: 382-401.
Skidmore, P. (1983) The Ecology of Sandall Beat Local Nature Reserve. Unpublished report, Directorate of Education Services, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council.
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Skidmore, P. (1991b) Insects of the British Cow-dung Community. Field Studies Council Occasional Publication No. 21. Shrewsbury: Field Studies Council.
Skidmore, P. (1992) Balaam's Donkey and the Hairy Canary: Personal Reflections on the Changing Invertebrates of Thorne and Hatfield Moors. Thorne & Hatfield Moors Papers 3: 66-70.
Skidmore, P. (1996a) The Haunts of the Hairy Canary. The Naturalist 121: 41-49.
Skidmore, P. (1996b) Eutaenionotum guttipennis (Stenh.) var.? olivaceum Oldenberg (Dipt., Ephydridae) in Britain. Dipterist's Digest 3 (Second Series): 24-27.
Skidmore, P. (1996c) Alexis de Porochin (Poronen) 1911-1980. Recollections by Peter Skidmore. In: R. Underwood (compiler and editor) The Raven Entomological and Natural History Society. Fifty Years 1946 to 1996. [Ormskirk]: Raven Entomological and Natural History Society.
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Skidmore, P. (2001) A Provisional List of the Insects of Hatfield Moors. THMCF Technical Report No. 7.
Skidmore, P. (2003) Some Entomological Recollections of Baron Alexis de Porochin (1918-1980). The Coleopterist 12: 21-22.
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Skidmore, P. (2008) Delphax crassicornis (Panzer 1798) (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha, Delphacidae) new to Britain. Entomologist’s Gazette 59: 261-266.
Skidmore, P. (2009) A review of the Diptera of the Western Isles of Scotland. Dipterists Digest 15 (Second Series): 99-194.
Skidmore, P. & D.M. Ackland (2006) Zaphne proxima (Malloch) (Diptera, Anthomyiidae) confirmed as a British species. Dipterists Digest 13(Second Series): 43-46.
Skidmore, P., M.J. Dolby & M.D. Hooper [1981] Thomas Tofield of Wilsic Botanist & Civil Engineer 1730-1779. Doncaster: Museums & Arts Service.
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Skidmore, P., M. Limbert & B.C. Eversham (1987) The Insects of Thorne Moors. Sorby Record 23 (Supplement): 89-[153].
Skidmore, P. & R.J. Marsh (2001) Invertebrate survey of Thorne & Hatfield Moors 2000 with specific reference to Zaphne proxima (Diptera: Anthomyiidae). Unpublished report issued to Thome & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum by English Nature.
Tate, A. (1994) Naturalist Summers. Pages from a Field Studies Journal. London: Blandford Press.
Woodruffe-Peacock, E.A. (1920-21) The Ecology of Thorne Waste. The Naturalist 45: 301-304, 353-356, 381-384; 46: 21-25.
Written by Martin Limbert, with specialist assistance from Paul Buckland
Thanks are also due to Andrew Grayson, Colin Johnson, Peter Kendall and Bob Marsh
© Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum, 2010
PO Box 879, Thorne, Doncaster, DN8 5WU
A full list of Peter Skidmore's publications is in preparation, an interim compilation is available, corrections and extensions very welcome.
During his lifetime Peter Skidmore accumulated a considerable collection of books reflecting his specialist interests. His widow, Heather, has asked his good friend Paul Buckland to dispose of the collection for her. Peter's wish would have been that the books would pass on to people with similar interests to himself.
Following the popular publication of his Monograph "An Inventory of the Invertebrates of Thorne and Hatfield Moors" the Forum decided to publish a set of high quality art prints produced from Peter's original paintings which richly illustrate the volume. Some sets are still available for purchase.
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During his lifetime Peter Skidmore accumulated a considerable collection of books reflecting his specialist interests. His widow, Heather, has asked his good friend Paul Buckland to dispose of the collection for her. Peter's wish would have been that the books would pass on to people with similar interests to himself.
A full list of Peter Skidmore's publications is in preparation, an interim compilation is available, corrections and extensions very welcome.