Bird, bug, butterfly and a wild variety of photos from Belarus, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Scotland and Spain by Irish wildlife photographer Patrick J. O'Keeffe and invited guests

Showing posts with label Kildare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kildare. Show all posts

Friday 17 June 2022

KEELED SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Orthetrum coerulescens) or HEATLAND SKIMMER DRAGONFLY male and a LARGE RED DAMSELFLY or SPRING RED EYE DAMSELFLY (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) male in the foreground at Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly information
Click external link here for detailed Large Red Damselfly information

 The Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly (Orthetrum coerulescens) or Heathland Skimmer Dragonfly is of the family Libellulidae which is in the genus Orthetrum. This small to medium sized dragonfly commonly occurs in Europe, Western Asia as well as parts of North Africa. 
In Ireland it has a more patchy distribution and is uncommon. Although in western regions it is more abundant, as is the case in Britain. The main flight season is from June to August.
The Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) or Spring Red Eye Damselfly is of the family Coenagrionidae which is in the genus Pyrrhosoma. It is a common and widespread species in Europe as well as parts of Western Asia and North Africa. In Ireland, the flight season can extends from mid April into October.
 In recent times, the english names for most European species of damselflies and dragonflies have been changed. Here the older name is used first, to reflect common useage, follow by the new name.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Rawbirds 

Sunday 1 August 2021

FOURTEEN SPOT LADYBIRD (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata) on STINGING NETTLE (Urtica dioica) Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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 Click external link here for detailed Fourteen Spot Ladybird information
 Click external link here for detailed Stinging Nettle information
 Click external link here to see identification guide to Irish Ladybirds
 
The Fourteen Spot Ladybird (Propylea quatuordecimpunctata) is of the family Coccinellidae which is in the genus Propylea.

Wednesday 28 July 2021

KEELED SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Orthetrum coerulescens) male Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly (Orthetrum coerulescens) is of the family Libellulidae which is in the genus Orthetrum.

Tuesday 27 July 2021

KEELED SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Orthetrum coerulescens) female Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly (Orthetrum coerulescens) is of the family Libellulidae which is in the genus Orthetrum.

Monday 26 July 2021

Sunday 25 July 2021

COMMON CENTAURY WILDFLOWER or EUROPEAN CENTAURY WILDFLOWER (Centaurium erythraea) white form, Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Common Centaury Wildflower or European Centaury Wildflower (Centaurium erythraea) is of the family Gentianaceae which is in the genus Centaurium.

Saturday 24 July 2021

COMMON CENTAURY WILDFLOWER or EUROPEAN CENTAURY WILDFLOWER (Centaurium erythraea) Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Common Centaury Wildflower or European Centaury Wildflower (Centaurium erythraea) is of the family Gentianaceae which is in the genus Centaurium.

Thursday 22 July 2021

Thursday 15 July 2021

FLOWER CRAB SPIDER (Misumena vatia) female waiting to ambush a HEATHER COLLETES BEE (Colletes succictus) Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


 


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Click external link here for detailed
Flower Crab Spider information
Click external link here for detailed Heather Colletes Bee information
 
The Flower Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) is of the family Thomisidae which is in the genus Misumena.
The Heather Colletes Bee (Colletes succictus) is of the family Colletidae which is in the genus Colletes.

Sunday 11 July 2021

CINNABAR MOTH (Tyria jacobaeae) displaying Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae) is of the family Erebidae which is in the genus Tyria. This striking day flying macro moth occurs in Europe and western Asia. It is also found in North America, Australia and New Zealand as an introduced species. The larval food plant is Common Ragwort (Senecio Jacobea) and flight season peaks in June and July.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Saturday 10 July 2021

GREEN LONGHORN MOTH (Adela reaumurella) female on 11th May 2021, Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Green Longhorn Moth (Adela reaumurella) is of the family Adelidae which is in the genus Adela. In the Palearctic Region, it has a scattered distribution but it can be locally common. In Ireland, there are less than 50 records which probably doesn't reflect its true status. This day flying micro moth is on the wing from April to June. The larva (caterpillar) feeds on leaf litter and overwinters as a pupa (chrysalis).
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Friday 9 July 2021

EMPEROR DRAGONFLY (Anax imperator) male Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland

 
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Click external link here for detailed species information
 
The Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) or Blue Emperor Dragonfly is of the family Aeshnidae which is in the genus Anax. This large and powerful species is a voracious predator of other flying insects. Prey items including medium sized dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies and other flying invertebrates are captured on the wing but it tends to avoid predating bees, wasps and hard shelled flying insects such as beetles. Probably as a result of climate change, in the last 20 years or so it has greatly expanded its range north ward. Now relatively common throughout the Western Palearctic, excluding Iceland and the vast majority of Scandinavia. In the Eastern Atlantic it occurs on all the Macaronesian Islands. The first report for Ireland was from Co. Wexford in August 2000.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Thursday 10 June 2021

COMMON BANDED HOVERFLY or HUMMING SYRPHUS HOVERFLY (Syrphus ribesii) female, Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information
 Click external link here to see a Beginners Guide to Irish Hoverflies 
 
The Common Banded Hoverfly (Syrphus ribesii) or Humming Syrphus Hoverfly is of the family Syrphidae which is in the genus Syrphus. This is a common and widespread species which is found throughout the temperate regions of the Holarctic. Separate with care from Syrphus vitripennis and Syrphus torvus which are almost identical in appearance. 
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds
 
Reference and highly recommended reading: 
Britain's Hoverflies A field guide 2nd edition Stuart Ball and Roger Morris

Friday 4 June 2021

ORANGE TIP BUTTERFLY (Anthocharis cardamines) a male nectaring on Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed
Orange-tip Butterfly information
 
 The Orange-tip Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) is of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Anthocharis. This common and widespread species is on the wing from early May to late June. The larval food plant is Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis) which is also known as Lady's Smock. It overwinters as a chrysalis.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Thursday 3 June 2021

HAIRY HAWKER DRAGONFLY (Brachytron pratense) male, Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


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Click external link here for detailed species information

The Hairy Hawker Dragonfly is of the family Aeshnidae which is in the genus Brachytron. Alternative names include Hairy Dragonfly and Spring Hawker. It has a scattered distribution in Europe and parts of western Asia. It is absent from Iceland and other northern latitudes. In the warmer part of its range, it is on the wing from late March to early August but has a shorter flight season elsewhere.
 
Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

Monday 4 January 2021

HAIRY HAWKER DRAGONFLY (Brachytron pratense) female, Lullymore West Bog, Lullymore, Co. Kildare, Ireland


 


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Click here for detailed species information

The Hairy Hawker Dragonfly is of the family Aeshnidae which is in the genus Brachytron. Alternative names include Hairy Dragonfly and Spring Hawker. It has a scattered distribution in Europe and parts of western Asia. It is absent from Iceland and other northern latitudes. In the warmer part of its range, it is on the wing from late March to early August but has a shorter flight season elsewhere.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds