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75
[The Coleopterist 22(2), September, 2013]
Observations on the status of Hippodamia tredecimpunctata
(Linnaeus) (Coccinellidae) in Ireland, with three new records
Roy Anderson
1
, Maria P. Long
2
and John T. Brophy
3
1
1 Belvoir View Park, Belfast BT8 5BL, N. Ireland
2
Newtownshandrum, Charleville, Co. Cork, Ireland
3
BEC (Botanical, Environmental & Conservation) Consultants Ltd, Ground Floor Offices, Loft 31,
South Cumberland Street, Dublin 2
The thirteen spot ladybird Hippodamia tredecimpunctata (Linnaeus) is recorded by Roy et
al. (2011) as a migrant species in Britain with fleeting and impermanent establishment along
the south coasts of England. In Ireland, as in Britain, it was widely but very sparingly
distributed as a resident in the nineteenth century and recorded from Antrim in the north-east
through to Cork and Kerry in the south-west (Roy et al., 2011: map, p. 79). The species was
not recorded at all in Ireland between 1911, when G.W. Nicholson found it on a bog at
Balrath, Co. Meath, and the discovery of a colony on All Saints Bog, Co. Offaly in 1988 by
Speight (1990). It was subsequently refound at All Saints, in relict birch woods in the centre
of the bog, by Myles Nolan (pers. comm.) in September 2008. Mike Howe (pers. comm.)
swept a single adult from marginal vegetation on limestone at Lough Bunny, Co. Clare on 25
July 2009, Brian Nelson swept a singleton off lakeshore reeds at Lough Kinale (N395809),
Co. Westmeath on 21 May 2010 and then two off shoreline vegetation at Lough O’Flynn
(M586802), Co. Roscommon on 7 September 2011.
To these records we can add the following, made during a survey funded by National
Parks and Wildlife Service, RoI (NPWS) of the lower Shannon catchment for the rare
riparian mollusc Oxyloma sarsii (Esmark) in November 2012: one example (coll. MPL)
beaten off Phalaris arundinacea and Glyceria maxima at Gortachallow (M96801519), River
Shannon, Co. Offaly, 6 November 2012; one example (coll. MPL) on Glyceria maxima,
Phragmites australis, margin of deep water, R. Shannon banks, Ballymacegan (M90531046),
North Tipperary, 6 November 2012; one example (coll. JTB), beaten off marginal Phalaris
arundinacea, River Shannon at Belle Isle, Portumna (M87100421), North Tipperary, 8
November 2012.
Of note is the late occurrence of Hippodamia at these locations. Nineteenth century
records, where dates are available, are entirely for the period May to July. No less than six of
the more recent records are for September or later. Indeed the tendency towards lateness of
occurrence may help explain the paucity of records in the twentieth century. The species is
clearly resident and widespread in central Ireland, from Co. Westmeath in the north to the
lower reaches of the River Shannon in the south. It also quite clearly prefers reedy margins
of large water bodies such as lakes and large rivers in contrast to observations in Britain (Roy
et al., 2011) where it has occurred in marshes, riverbanks and dune systems. On the
Continent it may be abundant in dense and humid stands of crops (Roy et al., 2011).
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the National Parks and Wildlife Service, RoI and Brian Nelson in
particular for their support in the conduct of this work.
76
[The Coleopterist 22(2), September, 2013]
References
ROY, H., BROWN, P., FROST, R. & POLAND, R. 2011. Ladybirds (Coccinellidae) of
Britain and Ireland. Shrewsbury: Field Studies Council.
SPEIGHT, M.C.D. 1990. Hippodamia 13-punctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and other
insects from All Saints Bog, Co. Offaly, Ireland. Bulletin of the Irish Biogeographical
Society 13: 200-212.