Download Ireland-only species

IRELAND-ONLY
INVERTEBRATES
What are they and
where do they occur?
IRELAND-ONLY
INVERTEBRATES
What are they?
Species within the
geographical area of Britain
and Ireland that have :

 X

A only ever been recorded in
Ireland
B present in Ireland but
extinct/not established in
Britain
C present in Ireland and one
other island
Burren Green Calamia tridens
• Central European species
• Feeds on Blue Moor-grass
Sesleria caerulea
characteristic species of
Burren grasslands
Selatosomus melancholicus
• A click beetle. Discovered but misidentified
on the Mullet peninsula by Stelfox
• Northern European species montane in
Alps/Pyrenees above 1500m
Limnoporus rufoscutellatus
• Large north Eurasian pondskater
• Found at low densities in lakes and large
ponds throughout Ireland
Irish Bluet Coenagrion lunulatum
• Main distribution
Ireland, Netherlands,
Finland, probably
Russia, Mongolia
• Northern temperate
species mesotrophic
ponds
Kerry Slug Geomalacus maculosus
Caddis fly Limnephilus pati
70N
Described from Irish
specimens
Larvae undescribed
Extinct Britain
60N
Since 1980 has been seen
at one site in Tipperary,
one on Isle of Man and two
in Germany
50N
Calcareous fens
10W
0
10E
20E
What are they?
Number of species by Insect order
45
40
40
35
30
25
20
15
14
10
5
6
6
7
1
1
Microcoryphia
Odonata
4
4
Phthiraptera
Trichoptera
0
Coleoptera
Diptera
Hemiptera
Hymenoptera
Lepidoptera
Cumulative number of species
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1800
-1899
-1950
-1960
-1970
-1980
-1990
-2000
-2012
Occurrence by Habitat
35
Wet
30
Dry
25
20
15
10
5
0
Peatlands
Freshwater
Grassland &
Marsh
Coastland
Cultivated & built
land
Exposed rock &
disturbed ground
Heath & dense
bracken
Not applicable
D iver sity
1 (196)
2 (48)
3 (10)
4 (6)
5 (3)
6 (3)
7 (0)
8 (1)
9 - 15 (2)
Lough
Neagh
The
Burren
Pollardstown
Fen
Killarney
National Park
Grassland species
Wetland species
D iver sity
1
2
D iver sity
3
1
4
2
5
3
6
4
7
5
8
6
Ireland-only Insects
D iver sity
Ireland-only Vascular Plants
D iver sity
1 (196)
1
2 (48)
2
3 (10)
3
4 (6)
4
5 (3)
5
6 (3)
6
7 (0)
7
8 (1)
8
9 - 15 (2)
Praeger on turloughs
• ‘The animals of the turloughs have not
been examined but the abrupt changes
of water-level would not seem to be
favourable to the presence of any
varied or characteristic fauna.’
Praeger on The Burren
• ‘The fauna (not yet fully examined)
offers little of remark.’
Fairy Shrimp Tanymastix stagnalis
•
•
•
•
Primitive freshwater crustacean
Lives in temporary cool water pools with no fish
7 Irish sites; most in the east Burren wetlands
Eggs survive drying, hatch after rewetting