Chalcid Wasp

There are over 450 species of Chalcid wasp found in Ireland and they are common in every garden. These beautiful insects are tiny, less than 2mm in length, and usually completely overlooked. At first glance they appear to be tiny midges but on closer inspection their metallic bodies are unmistakable. They are very active and this along with their size make them difficult to photograph. Most species are parasitic on the eggs or larvae of other insects such as butterflies, moths, flies and beetles.

Foraminifera on 1 Cent

This picture shows sand grains from Dog's Bay beach near Roundstone in Connemara. The sand is made up of the tests (shells) of microscopic single celled Protozoa called Foraminifera. There are over 100 species of Forominiferan tests found on the beach. The great Irish naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger described the Foraminifera of Dog's Bay in his book 'The Way That I Went' (1937). He wrote "To lie down on one's face on the beach and examine the sand with a strong lens is a revalation to those unaquainted with the Foraminifera, for their almost microscopic shells are of great beauty and display remarkable variety of design. Some are curled spirally, some appear plaited, some are shaped like a lemonade bottle, some are spherical, some flat, many are delicately sculptured. A sample brought home and examined under a microscope shows an astonishing range of beautiful forms, which these tiny creatures - mere specks of translucent jelly - have evolved in their protective coating".

Bumblebee in Flight

The shutter speed for this picture was 1/5000th of a second showing that this bee's wings beat more than 5,000 times per second! There are 101 species of bee found in Ireland and identification can be extremely difficult. A useful website to help in identifying Irish bees is http://www.tcd.ie/Zoology/research/Bees/index.php

Parasitic Fly (Dexia rustica)

There are around 200 species of parasitic flies found in Ireland. This one lays its eggs in beetle larvae. When the young hatch out they proceed to eat the unfortunate host alive. They leave the vital organs until last to keep the host alive until the fly larvae is ready to pupate.