News from Biodiversity Ireland
August 2025

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

Upcoming Biodiversity Training Events

📅Plant Identification Field Day - 23rd August
     Tramore Strand, Co. Waterford

Join expert botanist Paul Green at Tramore Beach and the Backstrand SPA, Waterford, for a hands-on coastal plant identification walk. Learn how to identify common coastal plants using botanical identification keys, and follow a handy checklist to mark the species you find. You'll take this checklist home with you, perfect for continuing to build your plant ID skills long after the outing!

Seashore Splash! for Heritage Week 2025

From Aug 16–24, Explore Your Shore is asking everyone to join in the fun and photograph and record as many marine species as you can on your local shore! Upload your records for our Seashore Splash! using our Seashore Spotter form, do a Big Beach Biodiversity Survey, try The Great Rocky Shore Bioblitz or Adopt-a-Rockpool!

 Biosecurity Alert Issued for Asian Hornet

Last week, the National Parks and Wildlife Service confirmed the capture of an Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) in the Cork area, triggering a biosecurity alert for Ireland. While not a major public health threat, Asian Hornets pose a serious risk to native biodiversity, especially honeybees, with even a single nest capable of significant damage.

A new government-led Asian Hornet Management Group (AHMG), chaired by NPWS and including the Department of Agriculture, National Biodiversity Data Centre, and the National Museum of Ireland, has been formed to coordinate the response. The hornet was first reported via the Invasive Species Record Form by a member of the public, triggering the NBDC alert system. A photograph included in the record was used to confirm identification by entomologists. A survey team was deployed immediately, and an individual hornet was trapped on August 12. Monitoring actions are ongoing.

This is Ireland’s second confirmed sighting; the first occurred in Dublin in 2021. The public is urged to stay alert and report sightings through the NBDC portal with a photo if possible. Do not approach or disturb the insect. Though not aggressive, it may sting if provoked. Asian Hornets, native to Southeast Asia, were first recorded in Europe in 2004 and have since spread widely. Early detection remains key to preventing establishment in Ireland.

Thank you to the public, beekeepers and local communities for your cooperation.

Check, Clean, Dry at the World Cup Trout Fly Angling Championship

We are delighted to introduce the newest member to our Invasive Species Unit! Chantel Carr, the new Shared Island Biosecurity and Citizen Science Officer, had the pleasure of attending the World Cup Trout Fly Angling Championship 2025 in beautiful Ballinrobe, Co.Mayo with Kate Moore, Invasive Species Engagement Officer.

We were representing the National Biodiversity Data Centre for just one of the five competition days, but what a day it was. With near 100 anglers that day from all across Ireland, Great Britain and beyond, there was a buzz in the air. We engaged with the anglers to raise awareness about the importance of biosecurity measures in the angling sport and promote our Check, Clean, Dry campaign.

Many anglers were well informed of the damage of zebra mussels but surprised to learn about some other freshwater invasive species threatening Ireland’s river catchments. The enthusiasm to learn more and do more was ‘catching’. Several anglers expressed the hope that clubs and competition organisers would adopt and enforce better biosecurity practices going forward.

A huge thank you to Ballinrobe and District Anglers Club for being such welcoming hosts. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with a passionate community and we hope to be back next year.

Ladybirds of Ireland Dataset

Data Validation for the project is completed on a monthly basis and is up to date for this season, with data from March being uploaded to Biodiversity Maps soon. Currently, the Ladybirds of Ireland dataset has 21,365 records across 34 species. This includes the “inconspicuous” ladybird species, which are validated and added to the dataset on a quarterly basis. Cleaning of the dataset is taking place on a continuous basis. There’s still lots of exciting work to go, including the updating of our “Adopt A Square” mapping, combining our dataset with the CEDaR dataset and the digitization of museum records.

All of these activities will go on to inform our Ladybird Atlas 2025 project which is now in its final few months of recording. Remember if you see any ladybird species, you can record them through Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal.

August’s Seeds Feed Next Year’s Bees

Long-flowering meadows (one cut and lift a year) are entering an important part of their cycle. Soon, their seeds will drop into the soil and join the seedbank for next year's meadow. Once developed they are fabulous habitats, bursting with native wildflowers and grasses, and supporting an abundance of life above and below ground. If you have a long-flowering meadow, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan ask you not to cut yet. Wait until September; don't forget to remove the cuttings to reduce soil fertility; and leave some areas totally uncut to help overwintering insects. August's seeds feed next year's bees!

Vascular Plants Dataset

There has been an update to the Vascular Plants dataset, which is now updated with data from the start of 2025. Due to the large volume of records, data from Q2 is still currently under validation, but will also be uploaded to Biodiversity Maps upon completion. It’s been a particularly active season for plant recording as we have received 16,988 records across 1,100 different taxa from 894 individual recorders across all 32 counties.

The vascular plant dataset now has 326,470records across 1,768 taxa. A huge thank you to all of our botanical recorders for continuing submit large amounts of quality data through Ireland’s Citizen Science Portal.

Cuckooflower/Lady’s Smock (Cardamine pratensis) was the most recorded plant species through Ireland's Citizen Science Portal in the second quarter of 2025.