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)
Invertebrates
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)
Bumblebees
The slow, lazy buzz of the bumblebee is a fundamental part of the Irish summer. These fat, furry, ponderous bees trundle from flower to flower, collecting pollen and nectar to support their growing colony. They liven up the summer garden, and provide an invaluable pollination service to the plants they visit.We have 18 species of bumblebee in Ireland, all of which have … [Read more...] about Bumblebees
Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera)
The freshwater pearl mussel is a bivalve mollusc that lives in clean, fast flowing rivers and streams. It is one of the longest lived invertebrates in the world, and with a lifespan of up to 130 years is Ireland’s longest living animal.Like all bivalve molluscs the freshwater pearl mussel has a shell that consists of two halves connected by a flexible hinge that can be … [Read more...] about Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera)
Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)
The butter-yellow wings of the male brimstone are a true herald of spring, and are credited by some as the inspiration behind the word “butterfly”. These pretty yellow butterflies are quite common, especially around open woodland, and are often the first butterflies to be seen in spring. Brimstones emerge from their winter hibernation as soon as weather conditions start to … [Read more...] about Brimstone Butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)
Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
The chirping of grasshoppers is a familiar sound from Irish meadows and roadside verges during the summer months. Undoubtedly contributing its song to this chorus is the Common Field Grasshopper, which is one of our most common and widespread grasshopper species. It is found throughout Ireland, although it does becomes scarcer in the far north. Common field grasshoppers belong … [Read more...] about Common Field Grasshopper (Chorthippus brunneus)
Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
The common octopus is an extraordinary creature. It's a molluscs – a relative of the slugs and snails you find in your garden, and along with the cuttlefish, squid and nautilus, belongs to a group of marine molluscs known as cephalopods. Literally translated the name means “head-footed”, and the bizarre-looking cephalopods certainly look as if their tentacle-like arms sprout … [Read more...] about Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris)
Common Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
Earwigs really don’t deserve their bad reputation. The name earwig is derived from the old English ‘earwicga’ which means ‘ear beetle’. These harmless little insects are plagued by the perpetuation of an age-old superstition that earwigs crawl into the human ears at night and burrow into the brain to lay their eggs. In reality any earwig in the vicinity of a human ear is … [Read more...] about Common Earwig (Forficula auricularia)
Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
There are few animals in Ireland that provoke as much negative sentiment in people as the common wasp. It’s right up there with the brown rat as one of the nation’s least favourite animals. In truth though wasps are only really a nuisance between late August and the end of September. For the rest of the year, unless we inadvertently disturb an occupied nest, we’re generally … [Read more...] about Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Woodlouse (sub order Oniscidea)
Woodlice are fascinating, often much maligned little creatures that are found all over Ireland. Turn over a rotting log or large stone in the garden and you’ll probably find a teeming mass of woodlice underneath, attracted by the moist conditions that they need to survive. There are some 3,500 species of woodlice in the world, with 32 recorded here in Ireland. The more common … [Read more...] about Woodlouse (sub order Oniscidea)
Common Frog Hopper (Philaenus spumarius)
Have you ever wondered what makes those little balls of froth, popularly known as “cuckoo spit”, that you find on plant stems during the summer? Blow gently on the froth and you'll find your answer. Inside the frothy mass you'll find one or more yellow-green insect nymphs – the young of the common frog hopper, also known as the cuckoo spit bug or spittle bug. The common frog … [Read more...] about Common Frog Hopper (Philaenus spumarius)
Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
The holly blue is a tiny blue butterfly that has a scattered distribution around Ireland. It is largely confined to the relatively scarce patches of native woodland that still support both holly and ivy. It is also found in urban and suburban gardens or parkland where these plants feature prominently. This attractive little insect exhibits a pronounced north-south divide when … [Read more...] about Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus)
Common Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)
This widespread jellyfish species is found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans across a variety of climate zones. Optimum water temperature for the species is between 9 and 19 degrees Celsius, but it can tolerate a much wider temperature range from -6 degrees Celsius to as high as 31 degrees Celsius. Also known as the moon jelly and saucer jelly, this is the most common … [Read more...] about Common Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita)
Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)
The common or European cuttlefish is one of the most amazing creatures living in the seas around Ireland. Favouring the warmer conditions found around our south west, south and south east coasts this close relative of the squid and octopus belongs to an advanced group of molluscs known as cephalopods – widely regarded as the most intelligent and active group of invertebrates on … [Read more...] about Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)
Acorn Barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
Barnacles are a common sight around Ireland's rocky shores. These tiny animals form the familiar off-white patchwork that often covers large swathes of rock between the high and low water marks. Barnacles are crustaceans, relatives of crabs, shrimps and lobsters, although they were not firmly accepted as part of that group until as late as the 1830s. Before that the sedentary … [Read more...] about Acorn Barnacle (Semibalanus balanoides)
Wolf Spider (Pardosa amentata)
If there is one type of creature that instils completely unwarranted fear into large numbers of people here in Ireland it has to be spiders. Such fear is completely unfounded, as none of the spider species found in Ireland are capable of harming humans in any way. If anything spiders perform an invaluable service in keeping down the number of insect pests in and around our … [Read more...] about Wolf Spider (Pardosa amentata)
Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)
The large, unmistakeable eye-spots on each of the hind-wings, which resemble those on a peacock's tail, are what give this striking butterfly its name. It is one of the largest and most colourful butterflies in Ireland, and is a welcome visitor to our gardens in early spring and late summer. The colourful, striking pattern on the wings is part of the adult butterfly’s defence … [Read more...] about Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)
