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Sheehy, E. and Lawton, C. (2015) Distribution of the non-native Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in Ireland. Irish Naturalists' Journal 34: 13-16.

Buckley, K.P., Byrne, E.B., & Sleeman, D.P.

Codron, D., Codon, J., Lee-Thorp, J.A., Sponheimer, M., De Ruiter, D., Sealy, J., Grant, R., and Fourie, N. (2007) Diets of savanna ungulates from stable isotope composition of faeces. Journal of Zoology 273: 21-29. Crawford, K.J. (2008) The trophic and spatial ecology of bats, inferred from stable isotope analysis. PhD thesis, Queen’s University, Belfast. Day, M.G. (1966) Identification of hair and feather remains in the guts and faeces of stoats and weasels. Journal of Zoology 148: 201-217. Day, M.G. (1968) Food habits of British stoats and weasels. Journal of Zoology 155: 485-497. Dayan, T. and Simberloff, D. (1994) Character displacement, sexual dimorphism, and morphological variation among British and Irish mustelids. Ecology 75(4): 1063-1073. Ersley, C. (1984) Look what the cat brought in. Outdoor Communicator 15(2): 37. Fairley, J.S. (1971) New data on the Irish stoat. Irish Naturalists’ Journal 17: 49-57. Fairley, J.S. (2000) A basket of weasels. Privately Published, Galway. Kavanagh, B. (1992) Irish grey partridge (Perdix perdix) population survey 1991, with special reference to population and habitat use in cutaway bogland. Gibier Fauna Sauvage 9: 503-514. Kavanagh, B., O’Gorman, C. and Buckley, K. (2001) The Irish Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) conservation strategy: an update: 1995-1998. In Farago, S. (ed.) Perdix VIII International Symposium on Partridges, Quails and Pheasants in the Western Palaearctic and Neartic 2629 October 1998. Ministry of Agriculture Department of Game Management and Fishery, Sopron, Hungary. King, C. and Powell, R.A. (2007) The natural history of weasels and stoats. Ecology behaviour and management. Oxford University Press, New York. King, C and Moody, J.E. (1982) The biology of the stoat (Mustela erminea) in the National Parks of New Zealand. II Food habits New Zealand Journal of Zoology 9: 57-80. Martinoli, A., Preatoni, D.G., Chiarenzi, B., Wauters, L.A. and Tosi, G. (2001) Diet of stoats (Mustela erminea) in an Alpine habitat: the importance of fruit consumption in summer. Acta Oecologica 22: 45-53. Martinková, N., McDonald, R.A. and Searle, J.B. (2007) Stoats (Mustela erminea) provide

evidence of natural overland colonization of Ireland. Proceedings of Royal Society B 274: 1387-1393. McDonald, R.A., Webbon, C. and Harris, S. (2000) The diet of stoats (Mustela erminea) and weasels (Mustela nivalis) in Great Britain. Journal of Zoology 252: 363-371. McGreal, E. (2010) Stoat obtaining fish, Clew Bay, Co. Mayo. Irish Naturalists’ Journal 31: 67. Murphy, E.C. and Dowding, J.E. (1994) Range and diet of stoats (Mustela erminea) In a New Zealand beech forest. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 18:11-19. Remonti, L., Balestrieri, A. and Prigioni, C. (2007) Role of fruits in the diet of small Mustelids (Mustela sp.) from the western Italian Alps. European Journal of Wildlife Research 53: 35-39. Reynolds, J.C. and Aebisher, J.N. (1991) Comparison and quantification of carnivore diet by faecal analysis: a critique, with recommendations. Mammal Review 21: 97122. Sleeman, D.P. (1986) Ireland’s carnivoresproblems with their arrival and survival. In Sleeman, D.P., Devoy, R and Woodman, P. (eds) (1986) Proceedings of the Postglacial Colonization Conference. Occasional Publication of the Irish Biogeographical Society 1: 42-48. Sleeman, D.P. (1987) The Ecology of the Irish stoat. Unpublished Ph.D thesis, University College, Cork Sleeman, D.P. (1992) Diet of Irish stoats. Irish Naturalists’ Journal 24: 151-153 Sleeman, D.P. (2008) Quantifying the prey gap for Ireland. In Davenport, J., Sleeman, D.P., and Woodman, P. (eds) Mind the gap: postglacial colonization of Ireland: 77-82. Irish Naturalists’ Journal, Belfast. Sleeman, D.P. and Yalden, D.W. (2008) Ireland’s mammals: an annotated list. In Finley, N., McCarten, S., Milner, N. and WickhamJones, C. (eds) Bann flakes to Bushmills: papers in honour of Peter Woodman. Oxbow Press. Tapper, S.C. (1976) The diet of weasels, Mustela nivalis and stoats, Mustela erminea during early summer in relation to predation on game birds. Journal of Zoology 179: 219-224. Wolfe, A. and Long, A.M. (1997) Distinguishing between the hair fibres of the rabbit and mountain hare in scats or red fox. Journal of Zoology 242: 370-375.

Distribution of the non-native Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in Ireland *Emma Sheehy1 and Colin Lawton1 Mammal Ecology Group, School of Natural Sciences, Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland, Galway We aimed to investigate the extent of the Hazel Dormouse’s range in Ireland by means of a sightings survey, in which only sightings supported by photographic evidence, or where an animal was captured, were considered valid. Eleven individual animals were recorded, bringing the total number of Hazel Dormice recorded in Ireland to fourteen between 2010 and 2014. A Minimum Convex Polygon was used to define a 29.6 km2 agricultural/stud farm region of Co. Kildare, within which all confirmed sightings have originated. Based on dispersal distances for the species in hedgerow habitat, we conclude that the species has been present for a minimum of seven years (i.e. since 2007) and has established a breeding population locally. 1

Keywords: alien, citizen science, hedgerow, Kildare, rodent Introduction Hazel Dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius Linnaeus, 1758) were first recorded as being present in Ireland in 2010, when two animals were photographed in Co. Kildare. This was followed by a live animal being captured in the same county in 2012 (Marnell et al. 2013). These were the first records of the species in Ireland since an unsuccessful attempt to introduce them in the 19th Century (Barrington 1885). The Hazel Dormouse is the first dormouse species to be found in the wild in Ireland. Up to that point, Ireland’s small mammal community included the Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus (Linnaeus, 1758)), Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758) and Pygmy Shrew (Sorex minutus Linnaeus, 1766) established in Ireland for a long time, and generally considered native; the House Mouse (Mus musculus domesticus Schwarz and Schwarz, 1943) Black Rat (Rattus rattus Linnaeus, 1758) and Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout, 1769), long established commensal rodents; and the Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus (Schreber, 1780)), Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin, 1788) and Greater White Toothed Shrew (Crocidura russula Hermann, 1780) introduced invasive species. The introduced species have caused problems through damaging crops and infrastructure (Lawton 2003) and competing with native species (Montgomery et al. 2012). Before it can be determined whether the Hazel Dormouse will become an invasive species in Ireland, or if it will fit in to an as yet unfilled *Corresponding author – [email protected]

12 Irish Naturalists’ Journal Vol. 34 Part 1

niche, it is necessary to establish the current status of the species, in particular the extent to which it has spread from its presumed point of introduction in Co. Kildare. Established methods of surveying for dormice in the field include searching for gnawed hazelnuts, installing nest-tubes, nest boxes or hairtubes, nest searches and live-trapping. However, the latter three techniques are considered inefficient and are therefore not recommended (Bright et al. 2006). Indeed, Bright et al. recommend the first course of action when surveying for dormice is to investigate with landowners whether the species is known to be present, and then to carry out a survey method that is appropriate for the habitat type. Public participation in scientific surveys, or ‘citizen science’ surveys are a useful and increasingly popular tool in monitoring the spread and distribution of species (Cooper et al. 2007, Devictor et al. 2010) particularly those that live at low densities and are difficult to detect by field surveys. The aim of this study is to determine the current range of the Hazel Dormouse in Ireland. As the presence of the dormouse was until very recently unknown, a national citizen science survey was launched to record public sightings of the species, in order to map their confirmed distribution. Methods In November 2012, previous reports of confirmed or suspected dormouse sightings made to the National Parks and Wildlife Service were retrieved Irish Naturalists’ Journal Vol. 34 Part 1 13

Sheehy, E. & Lawton, C.

Distribution of the Hazel Dormouse in Ireland

and respondents contacted where necessary. In July 2013, a national media campaign targeting members of the public was launched, giving details of Hazel Dormouse characteristics and ecology, and providing a dedicated telephone number and email address to report any suspected sightings. A press release was issued by NUI Galway, which resulted in national and local newspaper coverage of the campaign. Social media outlets were used to increase public awareness of the survey and numerous radio interviews on both local and national radio stations took place. In addition, posters advertising the survey were put up in population centres within a 20 km radius of the location of the first confirmed sighting. All respondents were encouraged to provide photographic evidence to support any dormouse sighting reported. Sightings were categorised as confirmed if they were accompanied by photographic or video evidence, or if there was a live animal captured. Those that could not be classified as confirmed but were deemed as possible dormouse sightings due to the description of the animal provided, and photographs which were submitted incorrectly as suspected dormouse sightings were also recorded. A Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) using all point locations of confirmed sightings was constructed to calculate the area of distribution. A second MCP, including unconfirmed but potential sightings within close proximity to the confirmed sightings was also constructed. Mapping was carried out using Arcview 9.3.

that the individual that was captured in 2014 was one of the individuals that had been seen at the site in previous years. A further four potential but unconfirmed dormouse sightings were recorded in close proximity to the confirmed range, potentially increasing the area of the species range to 58 km2 (Fig. 1). Further unconfirmed sightings were received from counties Dublin, Galway, Mayo, Laois and Kerry for the years 2012 and 2013, and single unconfirmed sightings from counties Dublin in 2007 and Tipperary in the 1990s were also received (Table 1). Five photographs of Wood Mice were submitted as suspected dormouse sightings. Discussion The media campaign generated interest on a national scale and as such the survey was well advertised around the country. However, many of the sightings that were reported were clearly not of the Hazel Dormouse, and several photographs of Wood Mice were submitted that had been mistakenly assumed to be the target species. This highlights the need for verification of sightings reported by members of the public of a newly introduced, non-native, and therefore potentially unfamiliar species. There were some moderately convincing (but unverified) reports from around the country of one-off sightings dating as far back as 1990 (Table 1), however all of the confirmed sightings, n = 14 (including the three previously recorded animals, Marnell et al. 2013) came from the Naas-Newbridge region of Kildare within the last 4 years. The number of confirmed sightings within this area would suggest that there is in fact a breeding population of the non-native species in a 29.6 to 58 km2 area of county Kildare. Furthermore the 29.6 km2 area of occurrence is a predominantly stud farm/agricultural area where hedgerow and rural gardens are the only suitable Hazel Dormouse habitat present (Bright et al. 1996). The radius of the area of occurrence is slightly greater than 3 km, suggesting that

Results A total of fourteen Hazel Dormice were confirmed as having been photographed, videoed or captured by members of the public at eleven locations within a 29.6 km2 area of the Newbridge-Naas region of county Kildare between 2010 and 2014. At one location, a Hazel Dormouse was first seen in 2011, a pair photographed in 2013, and a single animal was then captured in 2014. This was recorded as two animals due to the potential Table 1. All confirmed and unconfirmed records received of dormice following the sightings survey. Confirmed records were accompanied by photographic evidence, or the animal itself was captured. Unconfirmed reports were not accompanied by a photograph but the record could not be discounted from the description given of the animal. Discounted reports are not included.


County

No. of confirmed records

No. of unconfirmed reports

Kildare

14

5

Dublin

-

3

Laois

-

1

Tipperary

-

1

Clare

-

1

Galway

-

1

Mayo

-

1

Kerry

-

1

Figure 1. Map of Ireland (inset) highlighting the region in Co. Kildare displaying confirmed records of dormice and year of sighting (main). Potential but unconfirmed sightings (unsupported by photographic evidence, or captured animal) in the same region are also displayed. Irish Naturalists’ Journal Vol. 34 Part 1 15


Distribution of the Hazel Dormouse in Ireland

and respondents contacted where necessary. In July 2013, a national media campaign targeting members of the public was launched, giving details of Hazel Dormouse characteristics and ecology, and providing a dedicated telephone number and email address to report any suspected sightings. A press release was issued by NUI Galway, which resulted in national and local newspaper coverage of the campaign. Social media outlets were used to increase public awareness of the survey and numerous radio interviews on both local and national radio stations took place. In addition, posters advertising the survey were put up in population centres within a 20 km radius of the location of the first confirmed sighting. All respondents were encouraged to provide photographic evidence to support any dormouse sighting reported. Sightings were categorised as confirmed if they were accompanied by photographic or video evidence, or if there was a live animal captured. Those that could not be classified as confirmed but were deemed as possible dormouse sightings due to the description of the animal provided, and photographs which were submitted incorrectly as suspected dormouse sightings were also recorded. A Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) using all point locations of confirmed sightings was constructed to calculate the area of distribution. A second MCP, including unconfirmed but potential sightings within close proximity to the confirmed sightings was also constructed. Mapping was carried out using Arcview 9.3.

that the individual that was captured in 2014 was one of the individuals that had been seen at the site in previous years. A further four potential but unconfirmed dormouse sightings were recorded in close proximity to the confirmed range, potentially increasing the area of the species range to 58 km2 (Fig. 1). Further unconfirmed sightings were received from counties Dublin, Galway, Mayo, Laois and Kerry for the years 2012 and 2013, and single unconfirmed sightings from counties Dublin in 2007 and Tipperary in the 1990s were also received (Table 1). Five photographs of Wood Mice were submitted as suspected dormouse sightings. Discussion The media campaign generated interest on a national scale and as such the survey was well advertised around the country. However, many of the sightings that were reported were clearly not of the Hazel Dormouse, and several photographs of Wood Mice were submitted that had been mistakenly assumed to be the target species. This highlights the need for verification of sightings reported by members of the public of a newly introduced, non-native, and therefore potentially unfamiliar species. There were some moderately convincing (but unverified) reports from around the country of one-off sightings dating as far back as 1990 (Table 1), however all of the confirmed sightings, n = 14 (including the three previously recorded animals, Marnell et al. 2013) came from the Naas-Newbridge region of Kildare within the last 4 years. The number of confirmed sightings within this area would suggest that there is in fact a breeding population of the non-native species in a 29.6 to 58 km2 area of county Kildare. Furthermore the 29.6 km2 area of occurrence is a predominantly stud farm/agricultural area where hedgerow and rural gardens are the only suitable Hazel Dormouse habitat present (Bright et al. 1996). The radius of the area of occurrence is slightly greater than 3 km, suggesting that

Results A total of fourteen Hazel Dormice were confirmed as having been photographed, videoed or captured by members of the public at eleven locations within a 29.6 km2 area of the Newbridge-Naas region of county Kildare between 2010 and 2014. At one location, a Hazel Dormouse was first seen in 2011, a pair photographed in 2013, and a single animal was then captured in 2014. This was recorded as two animals due to the potential Table 1. All confirmed and unconfirmed records received of dormice following the sightings survey. Confirmed records were accompanied by photographic evidence, or the animal itself was captured. Unconfirmed reports were not accompanied by a photograph but the record could not be discounted from the description given of the animal. Discounted reports are not included.


County

No. of confirmed records

No. of unconfirmed reports

Kildare

14

5

Dublin

-

3

Laois

-

1

Tipperary

-

1

Clare

-

1

Galway

-

1

Mayo

-

1

Kerry

-

1

Figure 1. Map of Ireland (inset) highlighting the region in Co. Kildare displaying confirmed records of dormice and year of sighting (main). Potential but unconfirmed sightings (unsupported by photographic evidence, or captured animal) in the same region are also displayed. Irish Naturalists’ Journal Vol. 34 Part 1 15


the species is likely to have been present in the region for a minimum of 7 years (i.e. since 2007), based on juvenile dispersal rates of up to 500 m in habitat mosaics (Büchner 2008). Their range may be continuing to expand locally (Fig 1). Unlike other hibernators such as bats and hedgehogs which are active at times during their hibernation period, Hazel Dormice are not usually active until Spring (Bright et al. 1996). Of the eleven records confirmed in the current survey, the timing of some sightings was somewhat unusual, with animals photographed or caught alive by a human or cat in November, December, February (3 records) and March (2 records). These animals may have been disturbed while hibernating, or may have been behaving uncharacteristically for the species in being active during the winter. It is highly unlikely that the Hazel Dormouse has been present in Ireland for a long period (i.e. having established naturally), given their confirmed confined range and the lack of records prior to the recent flurry of sightings. Genetic investigations may allow conclusions to be drawn on the origins of the Hazel Dormice found in Ireland, however the means by which the species arrived in Ireland in the first place is the point of some conjecture. It may have been brought in accidentally (e.g. Marnell et al (2013) suggested the transfer of horses and horse feed to and from Britain may have played a role), or it may have been deliberately introduced for reasons unknown. It is difficult to draw further conclusions on the species at this stage, in particular predicting the consequences of this latest addition to the Irish mammalian fauna and further work is required to examine the demographics of the species in their non-native range in Ireland. We recommend that nest tube surveys, focussing on hedgerows and rural gardens, to identify signs of Hazel Dormice will be the most efficient survey technique to determine the presence of the species at specific sites, however this technique will not permit an estimation of population densities unless detailed work to calibrate the method is carried out (Bright et al. 2006). Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank all those who reported suspected dormouse sightings. Thanks also to Ferdia Marnell (NPWS), Dan Donaher (Kildare Animal Foundation, Wildlife Unit), and James Gahan for assistance with the survey. We would also like to acknowledge the constructive comments from an anonymous reviewer which helped improve the Manuscript.

References Barrington, R.M. (1885) Attempted acclimatization of the Dormouse in Ireland. Zoologist 9: 479. Bright, P., Morris, P. and Mitchell-Jones, A.J. (2006) The dormouse conservation handbook. 2nd edition). English Nature, Peterborough. Büchner, S. (2008) Dispersal of common dormice Muscardinus avellanarius in a habitat mosaic. Acta Theriologica 53: 259-262. Cooper, C.B., Dickinson, J, Phillips, T, and Bonney, R. (2007) Citizen science as a tool for conservation in residential ecosystems. Ecology and Society 12: 11. Devictor, V., Whittaker, R.J., and Beltrame, C. (2010) Beyond scarcity: citizen science programmes as useful tools for conservation biogeography. Diversity and Distributions 16: 354-362. Lawton, C. (2003) Controlling grey squirrel damage in Irish broadleaved woodlands. COFORD Connects, Silviculture/Management No. 7. Coford, Dublin. Marnell, F., Donoher, D., Sheehy, E., and Lawton, C. (2013) First confirmed record of Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in the wild in Ireland. Irish Naturalists’ Journal 33: 78-79. Montgomery, W., Lundy, M., and Reid, N. (2012) ‘Invasional meltdown’: evidence for unexpected consequences and cumulative impacts of multispecies invasions. Biological Invasions 14: 1111-1125.

First Irish records for seven species of Heteroptera (Hemiptera: Miridae, Anthocoridae) and records of some rarely reported species *Brian Nelson1, Dik Hermes2 and Berend Aukema2

National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, 7 Ely Place, Dublin 2 2 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands Seven species of Heteroptera are reported new to Ireland: Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur), Acetropis gimmerthalii (Flor), Megacoelum cf. beckeri (Fieber), Megaloceroea recticornis (Rambur), Lopus decolor (Fallén) and Anthocoris simulans Reuter. Records are also provided of species which have shown range extensions or have been rarely recorded in Ireland. The issue of whether the new species have been introduced or overlooked is discussed. 1

Keywords: Heteroptera, Ireland, Acanthosomatidae, Alydidae, Anthocoridae, Berytidae, Dipsocoridae, Lygaeidae, Miridae, Pentatomidae, Veliidae Introduction

Species new to Ireland

The Heteroptera comprise approximately 2.5 % of the Irish insect fauna (Regan et al. 2010) and is arguably the most ecologically diverse insect group in Ireland. Species of Heteroptera can be found in Ireland in virtually every terrestrial and aquatic habitat including the intertidal zone. Identification of many of the species is achievable using external characters and this is helped by the availability of many excellent, reliably determined photographs of living and set specimens on web sites and books such as British Bugs (Bantock and Botting 2013), Wachmann et al. (2004, 2006, 2007, 2012) and Rintala and Rinne (2011). Given this, it is somewhat surprising therefore that the Heteroptera have not been better studied and documented by ecologists and naturalists. It is certainly the case in Ireland, that their study has been neglected relative to that of other more species-rich insect orders. Halbert (1935) produced the first and to date only account on the Irish species, listing 253 Irish species. The most recent checklist (O’Connor and Nelson 2012) lists 309 species although several of these are still of uncertain status in Ireland due to the absence of records for many decades. This paper presents records of some of these species, reports the first additions to the Irish list since the 2012 checklist and documents notable range extensions and records of rarely reported species.

Macrolophus rubi Woodroffe, 1957 (Miridae) CORK: Glengarriff, Bantry Demesne (now Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve), V9157, 16 July 1924, swept in woodland, coll. J.N. Halbert, voucher in NMI, Dublin, det. BN. ARMAGH: Derryadd Lough, H918606, 1 ♂ 18 August 2012, 2 ♀ 31 August, 1 ♀ 24 August and 1 ♀ 30 September, all beaten from Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), coll. BN, det. BN/BA

*Corresponding author – [email protected] 16 Irish Naturalists’ Journal Vol. 34 Part 1

A single male specimen of a Macrolophus was beaten from a large thicket of Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.) growing on the edge of the wet woodland that encircles Derryadd Lough. Subsequent visits to the same location produced further female specimens. The date and host plant were suggestive of M. rubi rather than of M. pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839), the only Macrolophus species on the Irish list (O’Connor and Nelson 2012). M. rubi is a late summer species found on Bramble whereas M. pygmaeus is an early summer species on Hedge Woundwort (Stachys sylvatica Linnaeus, 1753). A visual examination and comparison with published pictures supported the provisional determination of M. rubi. However, although the specimen appeared in perfect condition segment 4 on both antennae was missing. This is one of the key distinguishing features of the species used in keys in Southwood and Leston (1959), Wagner and Weber (1964) and Woodroffe (1957). This prevented a definitive Irish Naturalists’ Journal Vol. 34 Part 1 17