News from Biodiversity Ireland
April 2026

This monthly newsletter provides an update on some of the work of the National Biodiversity Data Centre and highlights upcoming events, recording initiatives, and career opportunities. 

New Asian Hornet Reporter Launched
 

The National Biodiversity Data Centre has recently launched the Asian Hornet Reporter, a new system for reporting Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) sightings in Ireland. The Asian hornet, also known as the yellow-legged hornet, is a highly invasive species that poses a serious threat to honeybees and other pollinators. To stop the spread and establishment of the Asian hornet in Ireland, it is important that the public become aware of what it looks like and how to report suspected sightings.

The Asian hornet can be recognised by its dark antennae and elongated orange face, a dark brown to black thorax without stripes, and a predominantly black abdomen marked by a distinctive yellow band on the fourth segment with orange colouring on the lower segments. Its legs are noticeably yellow at the tips. While the species does possess a sting, it is small, thin, retractable, and typically not visible. In terms of size, queens can grow up to 3 cm long, whereas workers usually reach up to 2.5 cm.

Suspected Asian hornet sightings can be reported via the Asian Hornet Reporter directly through a web browser, which is the quickest option, or by downloading and using the ArcGIS Survey123 app for the best user experience. A photograph is required with every report, as images are essential for verification by the National Biodiversity Data Centre, particularly because several native species closely resemble the Asian hornet.

Pic: Asian Hornet (Vespa Velutina) by Jean Haxaire

New Resource: Irish Marine Mollusc Checklist
 

A new resource for marine biologists, biodiversity enthusiasts and citizen scientists has just been released. A checklist of the marine Mollusca for the island of Ireland and adjacent waters by Julia D. Nunn is now available to download and explore via the Taxonomic Groups section of Biodiversityireland.ie. This comprehensive list provides an up-to-date inventory of Ireland’s marine mollusc species, listing 940 marine mollusc species recorded in the coastal waters of the island of Ireland, and offshore and adjacent waters. The Checklist offers an invaluable tool for recording and monitoring molluscan species around our coasts.

Marine molluscs, including familiar groups such as nudibranchs, bivalves, gastropods, and cephalopods, play vital roles in our marine ecosystems. They contribute to nutrient cycling, provide food for other species, act as predators, and as indicators of environmental change. Having an accurate, accessible, and up-to-date checklist allows marine biologists to cross-check their Irish records with a known reference list of species recorded from Irish waters.

This checklist includes historical records (but not fossils) along with more recent findings and serves as both a reference guide and a motivation to look more closely at Ireland’s rich marine life. The checklist was created by Julia Nunn with input from other experts including Bernard Picton and Anna Homes. Data from the National Biodiversity Data Centre, Explore Your Shore!, and CEDaR were among the resources utilised during the species list compilation.

If you are aware of any marine mollusc species, recorded from Irish waters, that are not on the current checklist, please email [email protected] with details.

Pic: Violet Snail (Janthina janthina) by Ann Haigh.

Which food plants were most popular with wild bees in 2025?
 

Every year, the National Biodiversity Data Centre receives thousands of bee sightings. In 2025, 1,728 records were submitted, including information on what flower the bee was feeding on. A huge thank you to everyone who sent in foraging data as it allows us to get as sense of what flowers they prefer. This year’s data again shows the importance of native plants and of simple actions like reduced mowing. Once again, Dandelions came out on top - evidence that this often overlooked native wildflower plays a vital role for hungry wild bees.

Find out more in the blog below, including a summary of which plants are key each month and how you can grow them.

Pic: A bumblebee forages on white clover by Cathal Noonan.

Video participants needed: Share your low-mow lawn
 

The All-Ireland Pollinator Plan is looking for a small garden in the east or south-east to feature in a series of short videos about creating mini meadows. These will be shared as short clips online from 2027 onwards to encourage more people to mow less across the summer and help native wildflowers grow.

We’re looking for gardens where the grass is mown once a month or less in all areas or in strips, patches or margins. We would visit once a month between April and August to film the progress of your low-mow lawn over the summer, identify the plants that appear, and interview you about your reduced mowing journey. For this project, we’re particularly interested in small gardens, for example those in urban or suburban areas, and ideally in the east, midlands, or south-east of the country.

This is a great opportunity to get involved in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and inspire others to help biodiversity. To find out more, contact Kate Chandler, Communities Pollinator Officer: [email protected]