ORCHID BEETLE (Dascillus cervinus) at Saint Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, Clontarf East, Raheny, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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Click external link here for detailed Orchid Beetle information

Click external link here to see a list of beetles found in Ireland 

 The Orchid Beetle (Dascillus cervinus) is of the family Dascillidae which is in the genus Dascillus.

GREEN VEINED WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris napi) at Saint Anne's Park and Rose Gardens, Clontarf East, Raheny, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 

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The Green-veined White Butterfly (Pieris napi) is of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Pieris. It commonly occurs in Eurasia as well as North America. This species is on the wing from March to October, over several generations, but in Ireland the normal flight season extends from mid April to mid September. It overwinters as a chrysalis.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

LARGE WHITE BUTTERFLY or LARGE CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY (Pieris brassicae) nectaring on a Dandalion (Taraxacum Officinale agg.) at Ardgillan Demense, Balbriggan, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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The Large White Butterfly (Pieris brassicae) or Large Cabbage White Butterfly is of the family Pieridae which is in the genus Pieris. It occurs very commonly through out Eurasia and North Africa as well as an introduced species in South Africa. Although larger, it can be confused with the Small White Butterfly (Pieris rapae) which has a much reduced black edge to the upper forewing.

 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

BLOTCH WINGED HOVERFLY (Leucozoba lucorum) male at Ardgillan Demense, Balbriggan, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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Click external link here to see a Beginners Guide to Hoverflies 

 

The Blotch winged Hoverfly (Helophilus pendulus) is of the family Syrphidae which is in the genus Helophilus. This is a very distinctive species that mimics the Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum). Orange hairs on the thorax and an orange yellow scutellum are among the features that help separate it from Volucella hoverflies. In Ireland the normal flight season extends from May to August.

 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

 

Reference and highly recommended reading:

Britain's Hoverflies A field guide 2nd edition Stuart Ball and Roger Morris

SCARLET LILLY BEETLE (Lilioceris lilii) at Ardgillan Demense, Balbriggan, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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  The Scarlet Lilly Beetle (Lilioceris lilii) is of the family Chrysomelidae which is in the genus Lilioceris. It is native to parts of mainland Europe as well as Asia and occurs as an invasive species/ horticultural pest in many other countries. This leaf beetle overwinters as an adult and in late spring emerges to lay its eggs, in small clusters, on lillies and fritillaries. Subsequently both adults and larvae can cause extensive damage feeding on all parts of these plants. In Britain it was first recorded in 1839 and is now widespread. There were no reports from Ireland until 2001 and it has since been reported from a number of counties.

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds

RED MASON BEE (Osmia bicornis) on Green Alkanet Wildflower (Pentaglottis sempervirens) at Ardgillan Demense, Balbriggan, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) on Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) and infected with Phoretic Mites

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis)  infected with a large cluster of  Phoretic Mites

 

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Click external link here for detailed Red Mason Bee information

Click external link here for detailed Green Alkanet Wildflower information

The Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) is of the family Megachilidae which is in the genus Osmia. This solitary bee commonly occurs in Europe, including Britain. It was first reported from Ireland in 2003 and has become widespread in the eastern region. The flight season extends from April into June.

  Phoretic mites form a non permanent relationship with their host. This is known as phoresis or phoresy, in which one organism attaches itself to another species solely for the purpose of travel to new habitat and then drop off. In this case the phoretic mites have attached themselves to the bees thorax.

 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe / Raw Birds 

 

References and highly recommended reading:

https://irishnaturalist.com/bees/red-mason-bee-osmia-bicornis/ 

Field guide to the Bees of Great Britain And Ireland by Stephen Falk and illustrated by Richard Lewington

BLACK LEGGED KITTIWAKE (Rissa tridactyla)[from 3rd to 8th May 2022] in 1st summer/ 2nd calandar year plumage at the Horse Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

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Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls

The Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is of the gull family Laridae which is in the genus Rissa. The only other member of the genus Rissa is the Red-legged Kittiwake (Rissa brevirostris) where less than 200,000 pairs breed on some of the Bering Sea Islands between Russia and Alaska,USA.

 

Patrick J. O'Keeffe /Raw Birds

LITTLE GULL (Hydrocoloeus minutus) [from 1st to 6th May 2022] in 1st summer/ 2nd calendar year plumage at the Horse Marsh, Broadmeadow Estuary, Swords, Fingal, Co. Dublin, Ireland

 Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) in 1st summer/ 2nd calendar year plumage.

        

 Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) on the left and Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus), both in 1st summer/ 2nd calendar year plumage.

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 Click external link here to see distribution map and to hear calls

 

The Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) is of the family Laridae which is in the genus Hydrocoloeus.