The adult emperor moth is a truly spectacular insect. On the wing in April and May, the male of this large, day-flying moth species is a particularly striking sight, and can easily be mistaken for a butterfly due to its bright colours. It is a fairly widespread species, one that favours open scrub habitat on heath land, moorland, fens, along field margins and hedgerows, … [Read more...] about Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)
Species profiles | Ireland's Wildlife
Want to find out more about Ireland's wildlife species? Check out our ever growing collection of species profiles for Ireland's birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, plants, fungi and invertebrates.
These species profiles were originally written by Calvin Jones for the weekly back-page feature in Ireland's favourite family magazine, Ireland's Own.
Raven (Corvus corax)
Seen close up the raven is a truly magnificent bird. The largest member of the crow family, it is the biggest passerine (perching) bird in Europe, and occurs all over Ireland.Size is the raven's most distinguishing feature. At 54 to 68 cm long, with a wingspan doubling that, it dwarfs any other black bird found in Ireland. Its glossy plumage is entirely black. It has long … [Read more...] about Raven (Corvus corax)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
The hooded crow, grey crow or “hoodie” as it's sometimes called, is almost identical to the closely related carrion crow (Corvus corone) except for its distinctive grey and black plumage. The two birds are so similar in fact that until recently they were considered to be different races of the same species, but now hooded crows have been formally acknowledged as a species in … [Read more...] about Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Hawthorn, also known as the whitethorn and the May tree, is one of our most common native trees, and one that is steeped in legend and folklore. It grows quickly for the first fifteen years or so of its life, and it’s thorny, gnarled branches make an ideal barrier to livestock – a characteristic that led to its widespread use as a hedging plant for centuries. Larger specimens … [Read more...] about Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
With a flash of black and red wings the red admiral adds a splash of welcome colour to our gardens and woodland from late-spring to mid-autumn. This striking butterfly is a migratory species that makes its way up from the Mediterranean, moving north as the weather warms.Resident populations in North Africa and southern Europe breed early in the year. Then, as the weather … [Read more...] about Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
