I believed I’d proportion this photograph of an ermine moth sunning itself in my grassland at the start of Might. – Margaret Quigley, Co Cork
And why no longer? This is a good-looking creature. We’ve got a number of species of ermine-type moths. This one is in reality a muslin moth, a related relative of our white and buff ermines, which has some distance fewer spots than the ermines. The furry brown caterpillar feeds on nettles, dandelions, plantains and stitchworts.
I got here throughout two of those beetles on the carpark beside Thallabawn strand in Co Mayo in the midst of Might. They briefly separated on my manner, and one cocked up its tail relatively – within the method of the satan’s schoolteacher horse beetle. However those have been a lot smaller and had totally other colour. What have been they? – E Maloney, Dublin
They’re rove beetles – the similar workforce that the satan’s schoolteacher horse belongs to. This one is Staphylinus caesareus. They have a tendency to inhabit revealed farmland and moorland, particularly on hillsides uncovered to the solar, so you can miracle how those survived one of these rainy spring in west Mayo. Adults happen year-round, peaking in plethora from Might till July, and they’re lively over a protracted season from early spring. They predate fly larvae and so are steadily related to dung and carrion, however additionally they happen amongst compost and leaf-litter. They’re normally most effective hardly encountered, however adults would possibly once in a while be evident operating on pathways. This appears to be the primary Irish file in recent years.
What is that this decorative umbellifer, which used to be rising somewhat abundantly in an worn disused graveyard in Co Galway? I’m usual with the cow parsley this is lately flowering abundantly alongside the roadsides, however that is smaller and much more magnificent. – Catriona Hand, Athenry, Co Galway
It’s pignut, Conopodium majus, which belongs to the umbellifer nation, as does the cow parsley. This is a ordinary plant of jungles, and farmlands and it has tubers at the roots which might be fit to be eaten and certainly may also be eaten uncooked. If you happen to ever questioned how “We go gathering nuts in May”, that is the solution. The “nuts” have been pignuts, that have been accumulated as a reliable addition to the nutrition.
[ If you have this ivy in Ireland, try planting a seed from the berry to see if it breeds true ]
I realized this weevil presen visiting the North just lately. Are you able to backup me determine it and inform me a little extra about it please? – John Duncan, Ballymoney, Causeway Coast and Glens, Co Antrim
That is the immense pine weevil (Hylobius abietis), which is able to purpose very considerable tree plant mortality to conifer timber on reforestation websites. Felling a coniferous shorten produces a immense build up in breeding subject material for the pine weevil, which is able to assault or even execute younger timber old for restocking. The duration right through which vegetation stay at risk of harm varies significantly. Normally, later two rising seasons sitka spruce will now not be at risk of harm presen Douglas fir extra inclined for a number of rising seasons.
The timber within the jungles at Impaired Head related Louisburg, Co Mayo are lined in lichens reminiscent of worn guy’s beard and parmelia, in addition to a number of mosses. However this appears neither like a lichen nor a moss. It used to be rising on birch in addition to at the oak timber. – S O’Toole, Co Donegal
It’s certainly a lichen – lungwort, Lobaria pulmonaria. It most effective grows on timber in historic jungles and jungles and Impaired Head forest could be very historic certainly. It’s a hallmark of very blank, unpolluted breeze. Historical jungles are biodiversity scorching spots, and this forest is a Particular Section of Conservation. As a result of the life of the timber and an overly wet microclimate, it additionally has a in particular affluent prosperous bryophyte (moss) flowers. Such habitats at the moment are exceedingly uncommon – and so too is that this lichen.
[ If this lichen is growing in your area, it means the air you breathe is clean ]
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