Ireland's Incredible Invertebrates!

Argonemertes dendyi, and the tip of a ball-point pen!

This specimen is encapsulated in a transparent cocoon to prevent it from drying out.

Argonemertes dendyi

Argonemertes dendyi, a terrestrial proboscis worm from Australia, is now found across Europe. These worms capture and envenomate prey by ejecting a web-like structure from their mouths. Currently, it is in a stasis-like state, having built a cocoon to prevent drying out. Fascinating creatures! 🤯

Male Andrena clarkella

Queen Bombus lucroum agg.

Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Spring is here for sure... Some finds from today and yesterday.
Andrena clarkella (Clark's Mining Bee)
Bombus lucorum agg. (White-tailed Bumblebee)
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

It's time for you to go out and explore!

I've been working on building this app over the last month or so. If you're interested in biological recording, you might like it. It does cost (€4.99 a month), but just enough to cover the server costs. Works on mobile and desktop.

Would love to hear what you think? bionexus.pro

Me signing my name for the community members of DeafVillageIreland.ie while the amazing Caroline O'Leary looks on.

I had a fantastic experience yesterday, as I was invited to DeafVillageIreland.ie to talk to the deaf community members about Irish bees. I've never felt so welcome nor witnessed so much interest in my talks.

Special thanks to Caroline (who also invited me) and Aoife for signing my talk.

A pseudoscorpion feasting on a bark louse

Serendipity allowed me to catch the exact moment a tiny (1.5mm) Chthonius ischnocheles pseudoscorpion caught and ate a bark louse (Psocoptera).

For some reason, I assumed it would use its palps (pincers) more, but it didn't. It just chomped away with its chelicerae (jaws).

Artioposthia exulans, a terrestrial flatworm

Meet Artioposthia exulans
This flatworm specimen was sent to me to photograph and share it with you all. A non-native visitor to this island, it seems to be located primarily in the south-west and most likely arrived on horticultural goods, once again, highlighting the importance of biosecurity.

Mitostoma chrysomelas harvestman

I was out surveying today, Blessington lakeside, and turned a stone only to find not one but two really scarce harvestmen (and you know I liove my harvestmen).

The last time Mitostoma chrysomelas was recorded in the Republic of Ireland was way, way back in 1997.

Isn't it a little stunner!!!?

Don't forget, tonight you can join me for a 90-minute chat about Ireland's Incredible Invertebrates. Grab your ticket here while you can:

inverts-2025.eventbrite.ie

There are so many things to talk about, 116 slides' worth of things to be exact! 🙂

Irish Bumblebees for Beginners 2025 - The Magnificent Seven plus a few more A 90-minute run through Ireland's most common Bumblebee species. Where do they live and nest? And how to identify them to species level.

Just one day before we settle down for a detailed yet accessible chat about Irish Bumblebees. There are still some places available if you'd like to get on board.

Just follow the link to get your ticket...

irish-bumblebees-2025.eventbrite.ie

A Torymus species wasp laying an egg

Last chance to grab a ticket to this evening's webinar, The Weird & Wonderful World of Irish Wasps.

I promise you some mind-blowing facts and anecdotes.

irish-wasps-2025.eventbrite.ie

It's only 2mm long. You wouldn't even know you'd licked it. 🤣

Yessssss!

Plus, even though they have legs, they seem to float along.

A pseudoscorpion on a white background

There's very little that matches the excitement of finding a pseudoscorpion for me. They are so few and far between that they always warrant a mini celebration.

This stunning specimen is Chthonius ischnocheles (get your tongue around that!).

Have you ever seen a pseudoscorpion? Let me know...

Ireland's Incredible Invertebrates Join us for an exploration of some of Ireland's tiny but mighty invertebrates!

And the final webinar for the moment... this time it's Ireland's Incredible Invertebrates. This started out as a presentation to entomology students in Trinity. 🙂

Monday, September 15th @ 19:30

Grab your ticket here: inverts-2025.eventbrite.ie

Noooooooooooooooooooo

A hand drawn image of a bumblebee with some information

Monday, 8th September, will see me hosting a webinar on Irish Bumblebees for Beginners, showcasing the most common 7 bumblebees plus a few extra to boot.

Learn about their lifestyles as well as how to identify them.

Get your ticket here: irish-bumblebees-2025.eventbrite.ie

Chrysis ignita agg. wasp

The Weird & Wonderful World of Irish Wasps

Come join me for this webinar, next Monday, 1st September.

Tickets are Pay What You Can: irish-wasps-2025.eventbrite.ie

Thanks, Steph. And, can I just say that I have built two beetle boxes in microWild based on your thesis!!!

100% agree, and one thing I didn't mention is the potential for new species to carry diseases which they may be immune to, but which can affect other species or fauna, which is why biosecurity is so important.

https://www.gbif.org/species/2203739 A distribution chart showing A. nasatum's distribution in European countries.

No. They are detrivores, like all the other woodlice in Ireland. There is plenty of dead leaves and rotting wood to go around. They aid in the decomposition and return of nutrients to the soil.

Most likely, it hasn't spread more because our climate just isn't suitable, but that is changing...

Armadillidium nasatum woodlouse from the side

Armadillidium nasatum woodlouse from the front, showing its raised 'snout'.

Armadillidium nasatum woodlouse - a dorsal view showing its colouration.

A really exciting find for me this weekend in my parents' front garden.

Say hello to the Nosy Pill Woodlouse, Armadillidium nasatum.

This is the first record of it in the wild in Ireland (i.e. outside of a garden centre). Keep an eye out for strange things; you never know what you'll find.

An adult sheep tick in a dormant state

An adult sheep tick waking up

An adult sheep tick reaching out its legs in an attempt to latch on to a host

Every field surveyor's worst nightmare.

This is an adult tick (Ixodes ricinus).

Photo 1: Dormant
Photo 2: It smelled my breath or felt the heat of my finger using special organs (Haller's Organ) on its forelegs and started to wake
Photo 3: It tried to give me a hug 😬

Amazing creatures.

A 2mm long jumping spider sitting on a stone

This is the tiniest little jumping spider I came across yesterday while surveying my parents' front garden.

I know it's anthropomorphic, but jumping spiders always look a little worried to me. I want to help them, but I'm not quite sure how... 🙂

Vanna got there first! :)

The face of a brown hawker dragonfly

This is the business end of a Brown Hawker Dragonfly. If you are a flying invertebrate, you do not want to see this up close.

Dragonflies are exceptional on-the-wing hunters with a success rate that is unmatched in the animal kingdom.

I know there are a few that look similar. But if it came off a Nettle then it might be this one... :)

A white crab spider sitting on a thistle flower head

Last spider pic for a while, I promise... 👀

This beautiful Flower Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) was spotted hiding out on some Thistle flowers, waiting for an unsuspecting meal. We saw it eye up an Eristalis tenax (Drone Fly), but it opted out as the fly was quite large.

Meta menardi (Cave Spider)

@collieennis.bsky.social and I went on a special adventure yesterday, including checking on a population of Cave Spiders (Meta menardi). Hunched over, walking down a smelly underground tunnel and trying desperately to avoid badger poo, I eventually got face-to-face with this stunning specimen.

Trochosa species spider

Just look at this beautiful Trochosa species spider, found under a granite rock, lakeside in Valleymount, West Wicklow. These are bigger than your average wolf spider!

Not Spiders! Irish Harvestmen for Beginners Get ready to discover the fascinating world of Irish Harvestmen in a beginner-friendly session full of interesting facts and surprises!

irish-harvestmen.eventbrite.ie

Don't forget, this is tonight at 7:30pm... tickets (Pay What You Can) are still available for the next few hours.