Ciarán Byrne
@kiwibyrne.bsky.social
Ecologist | Field botanist 🌿 | Entomologist 🐞
Rhizophagus dispar (Monotomidae) under storm damaged Beech bark at Cuilaphuca Wood, Co. Carlow over the weekend.
November 3, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Rhizophagus dispar (Monotomidae) under storm damaged Beech bark at Cuilaphuca Wood, Co. Carlow over the weekend.
Ground bug (Lygaeidae) Stygnocoris fuligineus beaten from Rosemary at Cahore, Co. Wexford yesterday.
October 30, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Ground bug (Lygaeidae) Stygnocoris fuligineus beaten from Rosemary at Cahore, Co. Wexford yesterday.
Good day recording around Cahore, Co. Wexford today. Nephus redtenbacheri agg. was my 29th Irish ladybird. Rhyzobius litura was the most numerous species with 50 individuals seen, beaten from grass and rush tussocks.
October 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Good day recording around Cahore, Co. Wexford today. Nephus redtenbacheri agg. was my 29th Irish ladybird. Rhyzobius litura was the most numerous species with 50 individuals seen, beaten from grass and rush tussocks.
Pseudoscorpion Neobisium carcinoides from a disused sand and gravel quarry near Clonegal, Co. Carlow yesterday. Our most widespread and commonest pseudoscorpion species. There are 17 species of pseudoscorpion recorded in Ireland.
October 27, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Pseudoscorpion Neobisium carcinoides from a disused sand and gravel quarry near Clonegal, Co. Carlow yesterday. Our most widespread and commonest pseudoscorpion species. There are 17 species of pseudoscorpion recorded in Ireland.
Ground bug Stygnocoris sabulosus and tingid bug Acalypta parvula from a disused sand and gravel quarry near Clonegal, Co. Carlow yesterday.
October 27, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Ground bug Stygnocoris sabulosus and tingid bug Acalypta parvula from a disused sand and gravel quarry near Clonegal, Co. Carlow yesterday.
Few more images of the 13-spot Ladybird (Hippodamia tredecimpunctata) from cutover bog outside Banagher, Co. Offaly during the week.
October 19, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Few more images of the 13-spot Ladybird (Hippodamia tredecimpunctata) from cutover bog outside Banagher, Co. Offaly during the week.
Great day ladybird recording around Banagher, Co. Offaly today. Two new species for me in Scymnus nigrinus and 13-spot Ladybird. Pine Ladybird, Heather Ladybird, 7-spot Ladybird, 14-spot Ladybird and Rhyzobius litura also recorded.
October 16, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Great day ladybird recording around Banagher, Co. Offaly today. Two new species for me in Scymnus nigrinus and 13-spot Ladybird. Pine Ladybird, Heather Ladybird, 7-spot Ladybird, 14-spot Ladybird and Rhyzobius litura also recorded.
Flat-footed fly (Platypezidae) Paraplatypeza bicincta ♀️ from Edenvale Woods, Co. Wexford yesterday. Found new to Ireland in 2021 by Ryan Mitchell from Down. Since then there have been records from Knocksink Wood, Wicklow and Anne's Grove House & Gardens, Cork.
October 15, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Flat-footed fly (Platypezidae) Paraplatypeza bicincta ♀️ from Edenvale Woods, Co. Wexford yesterday. Found new to Ireland in 2021 by Ryan Mitchell from Down. Since then there have been records from Knocksink Wood, Wicklow and Anne's Grove House & Gardens, Cork.
Common Millet (Panicum miliaceum) at a building site in Ardcavan, Co. Wexford today @bsbiireland.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Common Millet (Panicum miliaceum) at a building site in Ardcavan, Co. Wexford today @bsbiireland.bsky.social
Platypezid Agathomyia cinerea ♀️ from Cuilaphuca Wood near Kildavin, Co. Carlow this afternoon.
October 4, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Platypezid Agathomyia cinerea ♀️ from Cuilaphuca Wood near Kildavin, Co. Carlow this afternoon.
Mirid bug Pantilius tunicatus from St. John's Wood, Co. Roscommon.
September 25, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Mirid bug Pantilius tunicatus from St. John's Wood, Co. Roscommon.
Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus) and Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa) from St. John's Wood on the shores of Lough Ree, Roscommon over the weekend. Both new for the site, also recorded 7-spot and 10-spot ladybirds. Unfortunately no 13-spot Ladybird.
September 23, 2025 at 7:01 AM
Heather Ladybird (Chilocorus bipustulatus) and Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa) from St. John's Wood on the shores of Lough Ree, Roscommon over the weekend. Both new for the site, also recorded 7-spot and 10-spot ladybirds. Unfortunately no 13-spot Ladybird.
Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) at St. John's Wood, Co. Roscommon yesterday. @bsbiireland.bsky.social
September 22, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) at St. John's Wood, Co. Roscommon yesterday. @bsbiireland.bsky.social
Witches' broom galls on Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) in Palatine, Co. Carlow recently. Likely caused by Taphrina carpini but phytoplasmas can cause similar broom symptoms.
September 13, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Witches' broom galls on Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) in Palatine, Co. Carlow recently. Likely caused by Taphrina carpini but phytoplasmas can cause similar broom symptoms.
22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) on seedhead of Nipplewort today in Kildavin, Carlow.
August 23, 2025 at 4:06 PM
22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) on seedhead of Nipplewort today in Kildavin, Carlow.
Nice aggregation of six x 22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) on mildewy Hogweed at Aghade, Co. Carlow today.
August 4, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Nice aggregation of six x 22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) on mildewy Hogweed at Aghade, Co. Carlow today.
Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri) larva off cypress in Clogh, Co. Wexford.
July 13, 2025 at 7:40 AM
Blair's Shoulder-knot (Lithophane leautieri) larva off cypress in Clogh, Co. Wexford.
Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa) swept from grassland at Tesco in Gorey, Co. Wexford yesterday.
July 12, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Red Marsh Ladybird (Coccidula rufa) swept from grassland at Tesco in Gorey, Co. Wexford yesterday.
Clockwise from top left: 10-spot, Cream-spot with 10-spot, 22-spot larva x 2, Rhyzobius litura, Coccidula rufa and 14-spot ladybirds from Craanford and Gorey, Co. Wexford today.
July 11, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Clockwise from top left: 10-spot, Cream-spot with 10-spot, 22-spot larva x 2, Rhyzobius litura, Coccidula rufa and 14-spot ladybirds from Craanford and Gorey, Co. Wexford today.
22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) at Tinryland, Co. Carlow yesterday.
July 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
22-spot Ladybird (Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata) at Tinryland, Co. Carlow yesterday.
Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) on Stachys byzantina at Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Carlow this yesterday.
July 10, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum) on Stachys byzantina at Huntington Castle, Clonegal, Carlow this yesterday.
Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) from the NBDC Insect Field Day at Tramore Dunes, Co. Waterford last weekend. Great to finally see this species.
July 8, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Bloody-nosed Beetle (Timarcha tenebricosa) from the NBDC Insect Field Day at Tramore Dunes, Co. Waterford last weekend. Great to finally see this species.
Teneral 10-spot Ladybird (Adalia decempunctata) from Killedmond, Co. Carlow.
July 4, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Teneral 10-spot Ladybird (Adalia decempunctata) from Killedmond, Co. Carlow.
Striped, 18-spot, Larch and 10-spot ladybirds off a roadside pine near Killedmond, Co. Carlow today.
July 2, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Striped, 18-spot, Larch and 10-spot ladybirds off a roadside pine near Killedmond, Co. Carlow today.
Ladybird pupa collected off Elder in Kildavin, Co. Carlow earlier this week. 14-spot Ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata) emerged today.
June 29, 2025 at 10:16 AM
Ladybird pupa collected off Elder in Kildavin, Co. Carlow earlier this week. 14-spot Ladybird (Propylea quattuordecimpunctata) emerged today.