I recently observed a lichen flourishing on a tree in Connemara, a testament to the region’s pure air. Paul Dunne of Co Galway has identified this particular lichen as Flavoparmelia caperata, a large foliose species that acts as an indicator for positive air quality, due to its intolerance of sulfur dioxide pollution. This lichen tends to find nourishment on trees with acidic bark and silica abundant rocks and is harmless to its hosts. As a unique symbiotic entity made up of alga and fungus, lichens don’t have root structures, instead, they absorb their nutrients directly from the air.
On an unrelated note, walking through the park, I was taken aback to see a large number of dead worms on the pavement. According to our readers, this phenomenon can be attributed to the conditions of this year’s rain-soaked March – which received nearly double the average rainfall. Earthworms, relying on the trans-cutaneous absorption of oxygen, require damp but not water-saturated soil for survival. When the soil is heavily waterlogged, worms have to surface. It is believed that they are able to sense the vibrations caused by rainfall, an instinct which predatory gulls exploit to locate their prey.
In a separate incident, a sizable insect was seen crossing a garden path in Wexford. Initially mistaken for a rove beetle due to its size, it did not exhibit the tail-raising defence mechanism. Ann Doran from Co Wexford is seeking more information about this mysterious visitor.
The Meloe Proscarabaeus, also known as the black oil beetle, has a unique life cycle. The female lays her eggs in crevices or pits in the ground. Once these eggs mature into the triungulin or long-legged larvae stage, they swarm over flowering plants. The larvae must secure themselves to a solitary visiting bee for survival. They journey to the bee’s nest where they feast on the eggs and larva in the brood cells, eventually morphing into grubs. They sustain themselves on the stored food in the nest until the following spring when the adult beetles emerge. Buttercups and dandelions serve as their primary food source before they mate and lay eggs.
The strange plant sprouting in our neighbourhood woodland is known as the arum lily. The purple shaft, or spadix, at the plant’s centre emanates a foul, rotten meat-like odour, which proves irresistible to flies. Believing it to be a source of nutrients, flies enter the flower only to be ensnared by hairs that bend downward. They remain trapped until another fly, laden with pollen from the lily, arrives to fertilise the female parts of the flower. With this operation complete, the hairs loosen their grip and release the flies – all now coated in pollen. The plant also goes by several less formal monikers in English and Irish, one of the less vulgar being cuckoo pint.
The creature spotted on Killiney beach above the regular waterline appears to be a common dolphin. Notable for its elongated, narrow snout and creamy patch between its head and dorsal fin, the common dolphin is different from the bottlenose dolphin which is larger with a blunter snout and bulbous head and lacks a distinctive body pattern. The common dolphin’s diet consists primarily of small fish and squid, and it is a fast swimmer, especially when on the hunt. These dolphins are commonly sighted around the southwestern and western coasts, as well as by Irish ferry passengers crossing the Irish Sea.