Irish Fauna Research Articles

Irish Jurassic brachiopods

A survey of brachiopod specimens recovered from the Jurassic of Ireland, and now preserved in the collections of National Museums Northern Ireland (Belfast) and National Museum of Ireland (Dublin), reveals a total of 23 species comprising 12 rhynchonellides, 6 terebratulides, 3 spiriferinides and 2 lingulides. The identity of some taxa remains uncertain, even to generic level, due to difficulties associated with identification from external morphology alone. Most specimens are from the Lower Jurassic, Hettangian to Upper Pliensbachian, of the Lough Neagh-Larne and Foyle-Rathlin basins in Northern Ireland, but the ultimate source of six Upper Pliensbachian species is unclear as they occur only in glacial erratics that may have been transported to north Antrim from the Hebrides Basin of western Scotland. Three species, all rhynchonellides, are recorded from Lower Pliensbachian strata intercepted in a borehole just off the coast of south Dublin. The Irish fauna overall is comparable with that encountered in similar mudstone-dominated facies in Britain, but these records are of interest in providing an extension of their geographic range further west. Small perforations encountered in two examples of Squamirhynchia from the Raricostatum Zone (Upper Sinemurian) may represent the earliest known examples of gastropod predation on Mesozoic brachiopods.

Irish Jurassic Brachiopods

A survey of brachiopod specimens recovered from the Jurassic of Ireland, and now preserved in the collections of National Museums Northern Ireland (Belfast) and National Museum of Ireland (Dublin), reveals a total of 23 species comprising 12 rhynchonellides, 6 terebratulides, 3 spiriferinides and 2 lingulides. The identity of some taxa remains uncertain, even to generic level, due to difficulties associated with identification from external morphology alone. Most specimens are from the Lower Jurassic, Hettangian to Upper Pliensbachian, of the Lough Neagh-Larne and Foyle-Rathlin basins in Northern Ireland, but the ultimate source of six Upper Pliensbachian species is unclear as they occur only in glacial erratics that may have been transported to north Antrim from the Hebrides Basin of western Scotland. Three species, all rhynchonellides, are recorded from Lower Pliensbachian strata intercepted in a borehole just off the coast of south Dublin. The Irish fauna overall is comparable with that encountered in similar mudstone-dominated facies in Britain, but these records are of interest in providing an extension of their geographic range further west. Small perforations encountered in two examples of Squamirhynchia from the Raricostatum Zone (Upper Sinemurian) may represent the earliest known examples of gastropod predation on Mesozoic brachiopods.

A catalogue of the species of Mesostigmata (Arachnida, Acari, Parasitiformes) recorded from Ireland including information on their geographical distribution and habitats.

The study of Irish Mesostigmata extends back for more than 100 years, and most of the principal Irish habitat types have been studied. In this paper we provide a catalogue of the species of Mesostigmata (Arachnida, Acari, Parasitiformes) recorded from Ireland over that time. The catalogue includes 329 species, information on the habitats and locations where they occurred and provides a comprehensive list of the literature related to the Irish fauna. This catalogue increases the number of Mesostigmata species known in Ireland by 40% over the number recorded in the most recent catalogue (Luxton, 1998).

Tardigrada of Ireland: a review of records and an updated checklist of species including a new addition to the Irish fauna.

The phylum Tardigrada was not recorded in Ireland until the Clare Island Survey of 1909–1911, with only rare subsequent reports on Irish tardigrade species. In recent decades, significant taxonomic revision has occurred within Tardigrada. This has resulted in the need for a review of all known historical records from Ireland and Northern Ireland in order to produce an updated checklist of valid taxa. The new checklist includes fifty-one tardigrade species and subspecies including a new addition to the Irish fauna reported herein, Echiniscus quadrispinosus quadrispinosus Richters, 1902 from Newtown, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare.

Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - Proctotrupoidea.

BackgroundA revised checklist of the British and Irish Heloridae and Proctotrupidae (Proctotrupoidea) substantially updates the previous comprehensive checklist, dating from 1978. Country level data (i.e. occurrence in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Isle of Man) is reported where known.New informationA total of three Heloridae and 39 Proctotrupidae (including only certainly recorded species) represents a 27% increase in the British list since 1978. Most species are still poorly known and there has been a dearth of taxonomic and faunistic work on the British and Irish fauna.

Checklist of british and irish hymenoptera - introduction.

The last complete checklist of the British and Irish Hymenoptera was that of Fitton et al. (1978). Much has changed in the intervening 36 years, including many changes to the higher classification of Hymenoptera and, of course, the discovery of many additional species. In producing this checklist we (the authors of the various chapters) have tried to provide a useful entry to the literature dealing with the identification and classification of the species involved, particularly for the less familiar parasitoid groups. The checklist also begins the process of summarising data on species' distribution on a country-level basis. I hope that this will serve to stimulate increased interest in this relatively neglected part of the British and Irish fauna. This volume serves as a standard reference point for the British and Irish Hymenoptera fauna, and, hopefully, provides a backbone to recording efforts and the underlying taxonomy. Having an endpoint to this project has stimulated much research in to our fauna, including the critical examination of museum collections, and thus pushed some checklist sections to a state they might not otherwise have reached. Of course, a checklist is never finished. The next incarnation will be digital, and the checklist is already in the process of migrating to a Scratchpad (Hymenoptera of the British Isles), where updates will be maintained as and when changes occur. Criteria for inclusion Additions to the British and Irish list since Fitton et al. (1978) are referenced (with a note 'added by...'). Species have been included that have not previously been formally published as being British or Irish but which are represented by reliably identified specimens in collections. For these species, collection depositories are listed so that the specimens can be traced. Known introductions, occasional or otherwise, including those species that are only able to sustain populations indoors, are also included, but noted as introduced. However, introduced or adventive species are not included in the counts of valid British and Irish species (Table ​(Table11). Table 1. Classification of Hymenoptera adopted in this checklist, with numbers of confirmed British and Irish species in the 1978 and current checklists (not including known introductions that have failed to establish in the wild). Note that the spelling of Trigonalidae and Trigonaloidea, as opposed to 'Trigonalyidae', follows Aguiar et al. (2013).

The slugs of Britain and Ireland: undetected and undescribed species increase a well-studied, economically important fauna by more than 20%.

The slugs of Britain and Ireland form a well-studied fauna of economic importance. They include many widespread European species that are introduced elsewhere (at least half of the 36 currently recorded British species are established in North America, for example). To test the contention that the British and Irish fauna consists of 36 species, and to verify the identity of each, a species delimitation study was conducted based on a geographically wide survey. Comparisons between mitochondrial DNA (COI, 16S), nuclear DNA (ITS-1) and morphology were investigated with reference to interspecific hybridisation. Species delimitation of the fauna produced a primary species hypothesis of 47 putative species. This was refined to a secondary species hypothesis of 44 species by integration with morphological and other data. Thirty six of these correspond to the known fauna (two species in Arion subgenus Carinarion were scarcely distinct and Arion (Mesarion) subfuscus consisted of two near-cryptic species). However, by the same criteria a further eight previously undetected species (22% of the fauna) are established in Britain and/or Ireland. Although overlooked, none are strictly morphologically cryptic, and some appear previously undescribed. Most of the additional species are probably accidentally introduced, and several are already widespread in Britain and Ireland (and thus perhaps elsewhere). At least three may be plant pests. Some evidence was found for interspecific hybridisation among the large Arion species (although not involving A. flagellus) and more unexpectedly in species pairs in Deroceras (Agriolimacidae) and Limacus (Limacidae). In the latter groups, introgression appears to have occurred in one direction only, with recently-invading lineages becoming common at the expense of long-established or native ones. The results show how even a well-studied, macroscopic fauna can be vulnerable to cryptic and undetected invasions and changes.

Atlantic floodplain meadows: influence of hydrological gradients and management on sciomyzid (Diptera) assemblages

Maintaining biodiversity is central to maintaining ecosystem functionality of wetlands. Hydrology has the strongest influence on wetland biodiversity, second to which agriculture is the most influential factor. This study investigates the influence of hydrology and farming practices on the abundance, species richness and composition of dipteran communities on temperate Atlantic floodplain hay meadows. Insects were sampled by sweep-net across twenty-four vegetation zones for which hydrological variables were calculated by combining river level data with fine-scale topographical data. Plant communities were surveyed using releves and land owners were interviewed to gather data on current and past management regimes. A total of twenty-two sciomyzid species were recorded; over one-third of the Irish fauna. Flood depth and duration were found to have the strongest influence on sciomyzids, syrphids and plants. Sciomyzid species richness and total abundance were both positively correlated with hydroperiod and flood depth while both plants and syrphids responded negatively to increases. The difference in response highlights the need to assess more than one taxonomic group, when assessing the impact of changing environmental variables on biodiversity. Whereas vegetation structure drives changes in sciomyzid indicator species, plant species richness and composition, past management regimes and current nutrient inputs do not appear to influence these species. Thus, while the maintenance of the hydrological heterogeneity and the diversity of mowing regimes is important in maintaining biodiversity, variation in nutrient inputs and previous management (at least within the range here investigated) is likely to be of lesser importance for Syrphidae and Sciomyzidae.

European phylogeography of the common frog (Rana temporaria): routes of postglacial colonization into the British Isles, and evidence for an Irish glacial refugium

We use phylogenetic techniques to investigate the postglacial re-population of Europe by the common frog and, in particular, the colonization of Ireland. Three main hypotheses have been proposed for the re-establishment of the Irish fauna after the last ice age: arrival across a late-glacial land bridge from Britain; expansion from a glacial refuge in the south of Ireland and, for some species, re-introduction by humans from Iberia. We examined the phylogeographic structure of 52 populations of the common frog (Rana temporaria) throughout Europe using 476-bp mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences. Our data replicate earlier studies in showing substantial sequence divergence (3%) between Eastern and Western European common frog haplotypes. However, we uncover a new evidence that these haplotypes co-exist in Spain, Switzerland and France, and infer an expansion of the eastern clade along the Mediterranean coastal corridor. All the British samples fall within the Western European clade, but the Irish data imply a different history. Genetically distinct haplotypes occur in populations from the south-west of Ireland. This local genetic differentiation may be a consequence of a local glacial refuge, possibly combined with natural colonization or introduction from Western Europe.

Rarity and decline in bumblebees – A test of causes and correlates in the Irish fauna

Bees are believed to be in decline across many of the world’s ecosystems. Recent studies on British bumblebees proposed alternative theories to explain declines. One study suggested that greater dietary specialization among the rarer bumblebee species makes them more susceptible to decline. A second study disputed this theory and found that declines in British bumblebees were correlated with the size of species’ European ranges, leading to the suggestion that climate and habitat specialization may be better indicators of the risk of decline. Here we use a new and independent dataset based on Irish bumblebees to test the generality of these theories. We found that most of the same bumblebee species are declining across the British Isles, but that, within Ireland, a simple food-plant specialization model is inadequate to explain these declines. Furthermore, we found no evidence of a relationship between declines in Irish bumblebees and the size of species’ European ranges. However, we demonstrate that the late emerging species have declined in Ireland (and in Britain), and that these species show a statistically significant westward shift to the extremity of their range, probably as a result of changing land use. Irish data support the finding that rare and declining bumblebees are later nesting species, associated with open grassy habitats. We suggest that the widespread replacement of hay with silage in the agricultural landscape, which results in earlier and more frequent mowing and a reduction in late summer wildflowers, has played a major role in bumblebee declines.

The Holocene British and Irish ancient forest fossil beetle fauna: implications for forest history, biodiversity and faunal colonisation

This paper presents a new review of our knowledge of the ancient forest beetle fauna from Holocene archaeological and palaeoecological sites in Great Britain and Ireland. It examines the colonisation, dispersal and decline of beetle species, highlighting the scale and nature of human activities in the shaping of the landscape of the British Isles. In particular, the paper discusses effects upon the insect fauna, and examines in detail the fossil record from the Humberhead Levels, eastern England. It discusses the local extirpation of up to 40 species in Britain and 15 species in Ireland. An evaluation of the timing of extirpations is made, suggesting that many species in Britain disappear from the fossil record between ca 3000 and 1000 cal BC (ca 5000–3000 cal BP), although some taxa may well have survived until considerably later. In Ireland, there are two distinct trends, with a group of species which seem to be absent after ca 2000 cal BC (ca 4000 cal BP) and a further group which survives until at least as late as the medieval period. The final clearance of the Irish landscape over the last few hundred years was so dramatic, however, that some species which are not especially unusual in a British context were decimated. Reasons behind the extirpation of taxa are examined in detail, and include a combination of forest clearance and human activities, isolation of populations, lack of temporal continuity of habitats, edaphic and competition factors affecting distribution of host trees (particularly pine), lack of forest fires and a decline in open forest systems. The role of climate change in extirpations is also evaluated. Consideration is given to the significance of these specialised ancient forest inhabitants in Ireland in the absence of an early Holocene land-bridge which suggests that colonisation was aided by other mechanisms, such as human activities and wood rafting. Finally, the paper discusses the Continental origins of the British and Irish fauna and its hosts and the role played by European glacial refugia.

The sciarid fauna of the British Isles (Diptera: Sciaridae), including descriptions of six new species

The results of a revision of the Sciaridae (Diptera: Nematocera) from the British Isles are presented, carried out as a preliminary to the preparation of a new Handbook for the identification of the British and Irish fauna of this family. A total fauna of 263 species is confirmed, including many species new to the British Isles: 111 new to Great Britain and 32 new to Ireland. Epidapus (Pseudoaptanogyna) echinatumMohrig & Kozanek, 1992, hitherto known only from North Korea, is newly recorded from Europe. Six species are described as new to science: Bradysia austera Menzel & Heller sp. nov., Bradysia ismayi Menzel sp. nov., Bradysia nigrispina Menzel sp. nov., Corynoptera flavosignata Menzel & Heller sp. nov., Corynoptera uncata Menzel & Smith sp. nov. and Epidapus subgracilis Menzel & Mohrig sp. nov. The following new synonymies are proposed: Leptosciarella nigrosetosa (Freeman, 1990) = Leptosciarella truncatulaMohrig & Menzel, 1997; Sciara nursei Freeman, 1983 = Sciara ulrichi Menzel & Mohrig, 1998. Many misidentifications in the previous literature are corrected. Details of the collection data and location of specimens examined are provided under each species. The localities from which Sciaridae were collected in the British Isles are documented by modern county and grid references and the habitat indicated where known, to assist in assessing the ecological requirements of each species. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 146, 1–147.

The Importance of Identifying Conservation Units: Brown Trout and Pollan Biodiversity in Ireland

The systematics and nomenclature of European freshwater fishes, especially salmonids, are in a chaotic state. The implications of this chaos for the conservation of Irish biodiversity are outlined with reference to pollan and brown trout. The recognition of Irish pollan as a postglacial relict of the Alaskan-Siberian species Coregonus autumnalis makes it one of the most unique components of the entire Irish fauna, not just the fish fauna. Brown trout (Salmo spp) shows considerable genetic diversity that is not adequately represented by designation as a single species, and it is more appropriate to regard it as either a species complex or as separate designated species in particular areas. One example of brown trout diversity is the occurrence in Lough Melvin of three types of brown trout, known locally as gillaroo, sonaghen and ferox. These three types are genetically distinct, due to independent ancestry and natal homing to separate spawning areas, which means that minimal hybridisation has occurred since sympatry was established. They differ also in their morphology and ecology. These three types therefore merit designation as separate species: gillaroo as Salmo stomachicus; sonaghen as Salmo nigripinnis and ferox as Salmo ferox. Their conservation importance needs to be recognised, and practical conservation measures need to be put in place as a matter of urgency. Long-lived piscivorous ferox trout, which probably share a common ancestry with Melvin ferox, are found in many of the larger Irish lakes. Further work will undoubtedly reveal other unique populations. Many threats to brown trout diversity exist, including the introduction of non-native fish and invertebrate species, such as the zebra mussel, and stocking with hatchery-reared brown trout. Although the Melvin brown trout types can be designated as distinct species, conservation activities should ideally be based on local populations and communities rather than formally described taxa. This approach is limited by current European legislation but may be achievable through other facets of national fisheries and wildlife legislation.

The Importance of Identifying Conservation Units: Brown Trout and Pollan Biodiversity in Ireland

The systematics and nomenclature of European freshwater fishes, especially salmonids, are in a chaotic state. The implications of this chaos for the conservation of Irish biodiversity are outlined with reference to pollan and brown trout. The recognition of Irish pollan as a postglacial relict of the Alaskan-Siberian species Coregonus autumnalis makes it one of the most unique components of the entire Irish fauna, not just the fish fauna. Brown trout (Salmo spp) shows considerable genetic diversity that is not adequately represented by designation as a single species, and it is more appropriate to regard it as either a species complex or as separate designated species in particular areas. One example of brown trout diversity is the occurrence in Lough Melvin of three types of brown trout, known locally as gillaroo, sonaghen and ferox. These three types are genetically distinct, due to independent ancestry and natal homing to separate spawning areas, which means that minimal hybridisation has occurred since sympatry was established. They differ also in their morphology and ecology. These three types therefore merit designation as separate species: gillaroo as Salmo stomachicus; sonaghen as Salmo nigripinnis and ferox as Salmo ferox. Their conservation importance needs to be recognised, and practical conservation measures need to be put in place as a matter of urgency. Long-lived piscivorous ferox trout, which probably share a common ancestry with Melvin ferox, are found in many of the larger Irish lakes. Further work will undoubtedly reveal other unique populations. Many threats to brown trout diversity exist, including the introduction of non-native fish and invertebrate species, such as the zebra mussel, and stocking with hatchery-reared brown trout. Although the Melvin brown trout types can be designated as distinct species, conservation activities should ideally be based on local populations and communities rather than formally described taxa. This approach is limited by current European legislation but may be achievable through other facets of national fisheries and wildlife legislation.

The Importance of Identifying Conservation Units: Brown Trout and Pollan Biodiversity in Ireland

ABSTRACTThe systematics and nomenclature of European freshwater fishes, especially salmonids, are in achaotic state. The implications of this chaos for the conservation of Irish biodiversity are outlinedwith reference to pollan and brown trout. The recognition of Irish pollan as a postglacial relict of theAlaskan / Siberian species Coregonus autumnalis makes it one of the most unique components of theentire Irish fauna, not just the fish fauna. Brown trout (Salmo spp) shows considerable geneticdiversity that is not adequately represented by designation as a single species, and it is moreappropriate to regard it as either a species complex or as separate designated species in particular areas.One example of brown trout diversity is the occurrence in Lough Melvin of three types of browntrout, known locally as gillaroo, sonaghen and ferox. These three types are genetically distinct, dueto independent ancestry and natal homing to separate spawning areas, which means that minimalhybridisation has occurred since sympatry was established. They differ also in their morphology andecology. These three types therefore merit designation as separate species: gillaroo as Salmostomachicus; sonaghen as Salmo nigripinnis and ferox as Salmo ferox. Their conservation importanceneeds to be recognised, and practical conservation measures need to be put in place as a matter ofurgency. Long-lived piscivorous ferox trout, which probably share a common ancestry with Melvinferox, are found in many of the larger Irish lakes. Further work will undoubtedly reveal other uniquepopulations. Many threats to brown trout diversity exist, including the introduction of non-nativefish and invertebrate species, such as the zebra mussel, and stocking with hatchery-reared browntrout. Although the Melvin brown trout types can be designated as distinct species, conservationactivities should ideally be based on local populations and communities rather than formallydescribed taxa. This approach is limited by current European legislation but may be achievablethrough other facets of national fisheries and wildlife legislation.INTRODUCTIONBiodiversity exists at all levels, from geneticvariation among individuals within a population,through species, to communities; and conservationat all levels is integral to the Rio Convention onBiological Diversity. Conservation of biodiversity,whether of freshwater fish or any other group oforganisms, requires correct identification of the unitto be conserved. How do we know whether anorganism is common or rare if its species or otherunit cannot be defined and recognised? If a fish thatis not recognised scientifically as being distinctbecomes extinct, there is no apparent loss.Incorrect taxonomy leads to the lack ofidentification of threats to the survival ofimportant components of biodiversity, i.e. badtaxonomy can kill! Conversely, conservationresources can be wasted by focusing onsupposedly rare species that are merely non-genetic phenotypic variants of a common species(Avise 1994).Traditionally, species is the main category onwhich conservation legislation and management arebased. However, for many organisms, speciesdesignation is still both arbitrary and subjectiveand is often based on the opinions of individualtaxonomists. Although there are at least 22 speciesconcepts that have been proposed by variousauthors (Mayden 1997), there are three main waysin which species are defined:1. Species are groups of individuals that aresimilar in their external or internal struc-ture (morphological or typological speciesconcepts).2. Species can be recognised on the basis ofreproductive discontinuities (biological speciesconcept). That is, species are groups ofindividuals that can interbreed with eachother but not normally with members ofother species.3. Species can be identified as groups ofindividuals sharing a common evolutionary

Threatened Irish Freshwater Fishes

F. Igoe e-mnail: igoeashrfb.com), Irish Char Conservation Group, 1i Poddle Green, Kimmage, Dublin 12. Some 17,000 years ago, as the last Ice Age finally retreated from Ireland (Bowen et al. 2002), freshwater fish species first reached the country's newly forming loughs and rivers, following cordors of saline waters or travelling directly by sea. For millennia these native fish species, the oldest of Ireland's surviving animal species, were the sole fish species in the country's freshwaters. The formation of the Irish sea between Britain and Ireland acted as barrier to fish species with more sedentary habits and lower salinity tolerance, prematurely severing their natural colonisation pathways (Charlesworth 1930), and it was not until sometime during the miiddle of the last millennium that these non-native species were introduced to Ireland by Homo sapiens (McCormick 1999). Much of this early postglacial fauna, which still persists in many Irish loughs, must have been prevalent throughout north-westem Europe immediately after the last Ice Age (Ferguson 1986) before more warm water species moved in from the south and east. These com munities pretty much reflect the Irish freshwater fish fauna first encountered by our early ancestors dunrng the Megalithic penrod. As such, these native freshwater fish species are highly significant, not just for Ireland, but also for much of western Europe, where in many such communities have been lost or altered. The Inrsh environment has changed since these early times, as humans made their mark on the landscape and waterscape. These changes have accelerated during the last few decades (Stapleton et al. 2000). A decline in water quality in many areas, the impacts of introduced non-native fish species, alteration to habitats, and changes in a range of land-use practices have modified and changed the complexion and composition of our freshwater fish fauna. However, even today, much of the country holds aboriginal postglacial fish com munities, particularly in mountain loughs and loughs in the south-west and north-west, reflecting the early period before the arrival of humans. Whether we value our native fish communities from a heritage, cultural, recreational or economical perspective, one thing is clear: currently we are losing discrete populations of some species (e.g. Arctic char) and, if we are not careful, we will lose actual species and/or unique genetic vanants soon, and by default lose a precious link to our past. From a conservation perspective some of these fish species are important internationally and in a European context. The importance of other fish species should be considered in the national context. In fact some of our native fish species (e.g. pollan, Killarney shad, ferox, gillaroo and sonaghen trout) are among the most unique components of the entire Irish fauna, not just the fish fauna. Consider the following:

The effects of the intensification of agriculture on northern temperate dung beetle communities

Summary There is growing concern that the intensification of agriculture within southern Ireland is having detrimental effects on Irish fauna through habitat loss, reduction in biodiversity and pollution‐related events. To assess the impact of farm management on one group of important insects, the dung beetles, their abundance, biomass, diversity and species richness were examined using dung‐baited pitfall traps in intensive, organic and rough grazing farms. We collected 39 631 dung beetles belonging to 24 different species. Eight species (Aphodius prodromus, A. sphacelatus, A. ater, A. rufipes, A. depressus, Sphaeridium lunatum, S. scarabaeoides and Margarinotus carbonarius) accounted for 94% of the captures, but their relative dominance varied with farm type. 54% of total individuals captured were from organic sites, 30% from intensive sites and 16% from rough grazing sites. Organic farms had significantly greater beetle biomass, diversity and species richness compared to intensive and rough grazing farms. Aphodius abundance on organic farms was significantly greater than on intensive and rough grazing farms in spring and autumn. Aphodius biomass on organic farms was significantly greater than on rough grazing farms in spring, late summer and autumn, and greater in autumn compared with intensive farms. A colonization experiment demonstrated that the variation in dung beetle abundance among different dung types depended on the farm type. This was not true for beetle biomass colonizing dung pads, where variation among different dung types and different farm types were independent. Multiple comparisons showed that under rough grazing and intensive management there was significantly greater beetle abundance and biomass found in dung from organic and intensive farms than from rough grazing farms. Dung from organic farms held a significantly greater beetle biomass than the intensive and rough grazing dung. Synthesis and applications. Intensive agricultural management including the use of chemical fertilisers, veterinary drugs (e.g. ivermectin) and removal of herbaceous field boundaries could be detrimental to dung beetle biodiversity and dung decomposition. Organic farming has beneficial effects on dung beetle communities. Patchy ecosystems characterized by a diversity of ungulate species increase dung beetle diversity and hence improve dung decomposition.

Moss Mites (Acari: Oribatida) in a Lichen Sample from Mount Leinster, Co. Carlow, Eire, and Their Bearing on a Land Connection Between Britain and Ireland During Quaternary and Post-Glacial Times

Species of moss mites (Oribatida) in a sample of lichens from the summit of Mt Leinster, Eire, at 790 m are listed. The list contains three species new to the Irish fauna and one species new to science, and in its make-up mirrors the montane oribatid fauna of mainland Britain. This fauna consists of three elements, arctic-alpine relict species, Euro- pean-alpine species, and a common group of species, which although appearing regularly on montane lists of British Or- ibatida, are also to be found widely distributed in the low- lands. The argument that the oribatid mites found on Mt Leinster reached Ireland via a low-lying landbridge from Scotland across the Malin Sea in late Quaternary and early Flandrian times is discussed and is found difficult to sustain. An alternative hypothesis, that the mites were transported to Ireland in Post-glacial times by some agent, is put forward. Transportation through the agency of wind, water, humans or birds is discussed in detail, and all these methods of trans- portation are found to have their own difficulties. The possi- bility that the Mt Leinster mites are a preglacial fauna, which survived the glacial periods in refugia, is also consid- ered. In spite of geological objections, the existence of a more southerly landbridge cannot be ruled out.

The American Mink Mustela vison in Ireland

AbstractThe American Mink Mustela vison was first introduced into Ireland in 1951 for commercial fur–farming and has successfully established itself in the wild from escaped stock. Initial concentrations of feral populations were in the north, north–west and in the Midlands, with scattered introductions in the south–west of the country. Data on mink farming and the species' present distribution were gathered from all available sources, including a survey conducted during 1984–1986. The feral mink is now widespread throughout the island with the exception of major portions of western counties, which it is currently colonizing. Populations are stabilizing in established zones and, although there is a need for control measures in certain situations, the overall threat to the limited Irish fauna does not appear as great as initially feared. The spread of the American Mink in other European countries is reviewed briefly.

A new species of Gobius (Teleostei: Gobiidae) from the western English Channel, with a key to related species in the British and Irish fauna

A gobiid fish known for some time from the English Channel, and found also at Madeira, is described as Gobius gasteveni sp. nov., and its affinities believed to be with species grouped about G. auratus Risso. Changes in abundance and the possibility of recovery are discussed for this offshore species in the Channel, but little is otherwise known concerning its biology. A key to the British and Irish species of Gobius L. and Thorogobius Miller summarizes those now recognized around the British Isles as the following (listed in chronological order of genus and species description): Gobius nigerL., 1758; G. paganellusL., 1758; G. cruentatus Gmelin, 1789; G. cobitis Pallas, 1814; G. couchi Miller & El‐Tawil, 1974; G. gasteveni sp. nov., and Thorogobius ephippiatus (Lowe, 1839).