Unbelievable weather

We have just been through the warmest couple of weeks in recent years. This has brought out an incredible number of insects and has affected our wildlife in some very interesting ways.

The year was very late in getting started, with a long-term and very cold east wind that delayed spring by 4-6 weeks. As an example, queen bumblebees were seen hunting for nesting spots some 4 weeks later than usual. But by the middle of June I was seeing new queens and males, which is weeks earlier than usual. Bumblebee nests go through a fixed cycle. First, the queen can be seen gathering pollen which will be eaten by the larvae from her initial batch of eggs. These workers then emerge and can be seen foraging for pollen to take back for subsequent batches. The next stage is when the nest is mature, and new queens and males are created. These then emerge and start up new nests. Many nests this year have gone through those stages much more quickly than usual, and after a delayed start the nests are now actually ahead of the normal schedule. In the last two weeks I have seen fewer new queens and males, so it is clear that new nests have already been established. It seems as if the bumblebees were able to predict that we were going to experience a hot summer: so much so that they accelerated the production of males and new queens in order to produce two generations, rather than a single one. I checked my findings with the national database, and this phenomenon has been recorded throughout the country: it's not just local to me.

I accidentally discovered a new (to me) orchid site last week. Donegal International Airport is situated on a strip of land that extends out into the atlantic on our North West coast, and I had an opportunity to explore the sand dunes while waiting for a delayed flight. Coastal grassland behind dunes is often a good hunting ground for orchids and I quickly found Northern Marsh Orchid:

Northern Marsh Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid:

Pyramidal Orchid

And Fragrant Orchid:

Fragrant Orchid

These orchid species were present in their hundreds, with orchids as far as the eye could see, but what intrigued me particularly was the fact that the Northern Marsh Orchids were very 'pure': they all appeared to have no influence from other spotted orchids. This is in direct contrast to the specimens in my home location, where the Northern Marsh Orchids can have toothed lips or paler flowers. This led me to deduce that the more frequent Heath Spotted Orchid and Common Spotted Orchids were not in the close vicinity. Then I found the following specimen, which is clearly Northern Marsh Orchid in origin, but has three very well-developed lobes in the lower lip:

Hybrid Orchid

My first conclusion was that this was a hybrid between Northern Marsh and one of the other two orchids from the immediate vicinity, with Pyramidal being the most likely in terms of shape. Intergeneric hybrids are known (which tells me that the definition of genera in these orchids is wrong!), but the hybrid between Northern Marsh and Pyramidal orchids has not been documented (and I don't even know if it's possible).

Much discussion ensued (and is still ongoing), and one possible candidate that was suggested was Southern Marsh Orchid, which has strong similarities to the specimen shown. I checked the distribution map for Southern Marsh, and it is clearly a south-eastern species, and hasn't (yet!) been recorded from Ireland:

Distribution of Southern Marsh Orchid

I hunted around a bit more, and discovered that there is another orchid that I have never seen - Western Marsh Orchid. This has 3 lobes, red-purple flowers and has the correct (mainly western) distribution:

Distribution of Western Marsh Orchid

Western Marsh Orchid is known to hybridise with Northern Marsh Orchid, and the literature says that the hybrid has been discovered in Anglesey and Scotland, and 'probably exists in Ireland'. Once the various authorities have delivered their verdict, I'll update this page.

Late note: The specimen has now been identified as Dactylorhiza hebridensis, otherwise known as Dactylorhiza fuchsii subsp. hebridensis, the Hebridean Spotted Orchid.

As an aside, here's the distribution of another orchid that I have never knowingly seen:

Distribution of Narrow-leaved Marsh Orchid - Dactylorhiza traunsteineri

Compare that with the other distributions shown above, and it will be seen that this has no clear rationale behind the distribution: it goes from north to south and east to west. I cannot see anything that would govern distribution other than a bias towards coastal habitat. It seems to have a specific requirement which is scarcely found, but can be found anywhere. When I see a distribution map that looks like that I just know something is wrong. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

Coastal grassland is also home to some of the day-flying moths, with the Burnet family being very prominent. This is the 6-Spot Burnet from the same location:

6-spot Burnet Moth

The larvae and pupal cases from these can be found in vast numbers on the grasses near the coast. (The flower is Lady's Bedstraw, another coastal plant in this area)

Spotted Orchids (better late than never)

I saw a few spotted orchids during a rainy walk yesterday, so I thought I would try to get a representative sample while the lowest flowers were just opening. In my opinion, this is when an orchid plant looks best: once the higher flowers are open, the lower ones can look very untidy and spoil the overall look. As usual, I will give my assessment of what species are present in each specimen, with rationale. The three 'species' photographed are Common Spotted Orchid (CSO), Heath Spotted Orchid (HSO) and Northern Marsh orchid (NMO). 

Characteristics used:

CSO has white to pink flowers with a clearly pointed centre lip and pointed outer lips

HSO has white to pink flowers with a continuous frilled lip and only a small point, if present

NMO has purple flowers with a smooth continuous lip. Flowerhead usually squat. Flowers earlier than the previous two species.

This first one looks to be pretty well 50/50 CSO/HSO due to the pale colour and the fringed outer lips with a spiked centre lip.

Common Spotted Orchid x Heath Spotted Orchid

This specimen looks to be pure CSO due to the three-pointed lip:

Common Spotted Orchid

This appears to have all three parents, with a central tooth, frilled outer lip and darker colour:

Hybrid Spotted Orchid

This appears to be mostly NMO, due to the darker colour and continuous, unfrilled, toothless lip, but the upper flowers are tending to pale and the spike is quite tall:

Hybrid Spotted Orchid

This paler specimen is mostly CSO, with a touch of HSO due to the slightly frilled/rounded outer lip:

CSO/HSO

This looks to be a very clean NMO, due to the short spike, already fully-open flowers, darker colour and continuous lip, but there is a tiny hint of frilling, so we have to consider some HSO:

NMO/HSO

A good, clean CSO (triple teeth with almost no frilling):

Common Spotted Orchid

This is clearly part CSO (long central tooth) and HSO (frilled outer lips):

CSO/HSO

Note that the central flower in the above spike is still rotating clockwise into its 'upright' position.

This last shot shows, I think, a triple hybrid between HSO, CSO and NMO. There is a clear frill round the lip, there is a central tooth and the colour is quite dark with a shorter spike:

Triple hybrid Spotted Orchid

I cropped that last shot to include the Heath Woodrush on the left.

Please note: the differentiation between Dactylorhiza orchids is contentious at best and uncertain at worst. I also believe that they tend to vary according to micro-habitat, with specimens with wet feet tending towards HSO and those with dry feet tending towards CSO. The variability in your area might well be different.

Gap in the clouds

An unexpected gap in the clouds prompted me to visit our highest local point in search of orchids.

Northern Marsh Orchid is the first of our local Dactylorhiza orchids to open:

Northern Marsh Orchid

All of the Dactylorhiza orchids freely hybridise with each other in a fertile manner, so I always like to assign a percentage of the three local 'species' which appear in any specimen. The first specimen, above, is very close to the 'clean' specification, (short spike, dark flowers, clean edge to lip of flower) so it is mostly Northern Marsh orchid.

The next specimen is paler and has a slight tooth to the front edge of the lip, so I'll give it 90% Marsh and 10% Common:

Northern Marsh Orchid with signs of Common Spotted Orchid

This third specimen is clearly a hybrid with Common Spotted Orchid (tall spike, still paler flowers, visibly sharp tooth):

Northern Marsh Orchid x Common Spotted Orchid

I'm pretty sure that third one has some Heath Spotted Orchid in it too.

Interestingly enough, the hybrids tend to follow the flowering dates of their major partner: Northern Marsh Orchid is always around 3 weeks earlier than Common Spotted or Heath Spotted, with hybrids somewhere in between, so it's not only physical characteristics that are shared. My 'clean' Spotted orchids are only starting to make spikes now.

I was astonished to also find a Common Twayblade orchid in this location:

Common Twayblade

I strongly associate Common Twayblade with limestone, so the road in this area must have been fortified or built with limestone chips, since this location is in a strongly acidic heath area. We need to be alert to just how much our actions can affect populations of plants (and hence insects).

Staying with the theme of habitat alteration, this part of the heath has become overrun with False Salmonberry:

False Salmonberry

False Salmonberry is an american rubus species that was introduced in Northern Ireland to support game birds for shooting. I first saw it locally about 5 or 6 years ago as isolated specimens, but now it has covered acres of heath, eliminating native species as it spreads. It is clear that this is yet another highly mobile and invasive plant.

Bumblebees that are brighter than usual tend to be males, especially if they have yellow hair where black would be expected.

Male Bombus lucorum

The tuft of yellow hair on its 'nose' is a clear indicator, but the overall colouring (in association with the absence of pollen bags from the hind legs) leaves little doubt. The flower is Common Catsear.

The hoverfly Sericomyia silentis is an excellent wasp mimic:

Sericomyia silentis hoverfly

It's quite a common hoverfly, but I rarely see it in large numbers.

A dry day!

Today was the first dry day since 28th April, so I wasted no time.

The Orange Tip larva continues to graze on the Cardamine seedpods:

Orange Tip larva on Lady's Smock

The micromoth in the next image is the first of two new species for me on today's page. It's Coleophora albicosta, which feeds on Gorse, spinning up inside the flowers and then, eventually, a seedpod.

The micromoth Coleophora albicosta

I like the configuration that Coleophora specimens have....very elegant.

The 6mm micromoth Elachista apicipunctella is a leaf-miner on a number of grasses:

The micromoth Elachista apicipunctella

Moth Flies, or Owl Midges have the most amazing hairy wings. The drag must be immense for such a small (4-5 mm wingspan) creature:

Owl Midge

I thought this close-up of the Banded Snail Cepaea hortensis was worth showing:

Banded Snail Cepaea hortensis

Because of the incessant rain, I missed the very start of the local orchid season. Some specimens of Northern Marsh Orchid already have open flowers:

Northern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella

With all the wet weather we've had, it's no surprise that the fungal rusts are so prominent. Puccinia urticata is specific to Nettle, and can cause these swellings on leaves and stems:

Nettle rust Puccinia urticata 

Fungi are quite expert at manipulating the shape of plants for their own benefit; in this case to maximise the surface area for spore production and dispersal.

Athous haemorroidalis is one of the Click Beetles. Click Beetles have a mechanism (clearly shown in the picture below) whereby they can trap and release a notch on their pronotum with a sudden click and go flying up in the air to right themselves if they get stuck on their back.

Click Beetle Athous haemorroidalis

An identification that has been bothering me for perhaps 8 years has finally been resolved. The Sawfly below is a male Tenthredo livida, which can be distinguished from other Tenthredo species that have white-banded antennae by the two-tone (pale v-shaped) stigma on the wings. You can just make out the red abdomen which identifies it as a male:

Sawfly Tenthredo livida (male)

As larvae, Tenthredo livida eat a wide range of plants, but the most likely candidate in this location is Raspberry. Now that I know what it is, I can check back on Sawfly larvae that I have previously photographed on Raspberry and check them for a match. I like tying up these connections, even if they take 8 years to resolve.

St. Marks Flies continue to appear through the year, and it's now time for Bibio pomacaeus, which is readily identified by the red legs:

St. Mark's fly Bibio pomonae

(The leaf it's resting on belongs to another Northern Marsh Orchid.)

Flies belonging to the Empidae are sometimes known as Dance Flies because they gather in swarms and move up and down in the air as they fly around each other. This is Empis stercorea, which spends its time between dances by catching other insects and sucking out their body fluids with that long proboscis:

Snipe Fly Empis stercorea

Agromyza nana mines Red Clover leaves, and the single larva can be seen right in the centre of the leaf.

Leaf miner Agromyza nana on Red Clover

I think I have a new favourite picture, but I rather suspect I'll get a new favourite, soon.

A right mixture

It's always a good time of year when the orchids return. The first on my patch is usually the Northern Marsh Orchid - Dactylorhiza purpurea:


I did find a couple of Spotted Orchids in bud, but nothing worth showing yet.

Butterwort is also out. The pale yellow-green leaf rosettes always remind me of a sickly starfish.

Fungi aren't usually associated with summer, but I often find new growth of Dryads Saddle - Polyporus squammosus - at this time of year.


This batch was about 60 cm tall.

You can just make out the black 'bootlace' on the upper right of the image. This is caused by an infestation of Honey fungus, which probably killed the tree in the first place.