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Murlough Nature Reserve
Murlough Nature Reserve is a dune heathland on the coast of County Down in Northern Ireland, near Newcastle, County Down, Newcastle. It is on a peninsula between Dundrum Bay and Murlough Bay () and has views of Slieve Donard, the highest peak in the Mourne Mountains. Its 6,000-year-old sand dune system has been managed by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, National Trust since 1967, when it became Ireland's first nature reserve. It is also home to Murlough Beach. Features At 697 acres, it is the largest dune heathland in Ireland, with a network of paths and boardwalks through the dunes. Breeding birds include meadow pipit, Eurasian skylark, common cuckoo, European stonechat, common linnet and common reed bunting. Shorehauling grey seal and common seals are also common in the area. Between 50 and 130 common and grey seals regularly use the area for moulting, resting and feeding. Rare plants local to the site are pyramidal orchid and Carlina, carl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth across Carlingford Lough to the southwest. In the east of the county is Strangford Lough and the Ards Peninsula. The largest settlement is Bangor, County Down, Bangor, a city on the northeast coast. Three other large towns and cities are on its border: Newry lies on the western border with County Armagh, while Lisburn and Belfast lie on the northern border with County Antrim. Down contains both the southernmost point of Northern Ireland (Cranfield Point) and the easternmost point of Ireland (Burr Point). It was one of two counties of Northern Ireland to have a Protestant majority at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 census. The other Protestant-m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grey Seal
The grey seal (''Halichoerus grypus'') is a large seal of the family Phocidae, which are commonly referred to as "true seals" or "earless seals". The only species classified in the genus ''Halichoerus'', it is found on both shores of the North Atlantic Ocean. In Latin, ''Halichoerus grypus'' means "hook-nosed sea pig". Its name is spelled gray seal in the United States; it is also known as Atlantic seal and the horsehead seal. Taxonomy There are two recognized subspecies of this seal: The type specimen of ''H. g. grypus'' ( Zoological Museum of Copenhagen specimen ZMUC M11-1525, caught in 1788 off the island of Amager, Danish part of the Baltic Sea) was believed lost for many years, but was rediscovered in 2016, and a DNA test showed it belonged to a Baltic Sea specimen rather than from Greenland, as had previously been assumed (because it was first described in Otto Fabricius' book on the animals in Greenland: ''Fauna Groenlandica''). The name ''H. g. g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pyrausta Cingulata
''Pyrausta cingulata'', the silver-barred sable, is a species of moth of the family Crambidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. It is found in Europe. The wingspan is 14–18 mm. The forewings are blackish with a narrow very slightly sinuate white fascia beyond middle; tips of cilia white. Hindwings are as forewings, but fascia slightly curved.Meyrick, E., 1895 ''A Handbook of British Lepidoptera'' MacMillan, Londopdf Keys and description The moth flies from May to August depending on the location. The larvae probably feed on wild thyme (''Thymus polytrichus''). References Further reading *Mark Parsons, Sean Clancy, David Wilson ''A Guide to the Pyralid and Crambid Moths of Britain and Ireland'': Atropos, England. External links * Lepiforum.de''Pyrausta cingulata'' at UKMoths cingulata Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra, is an order of armored New World placental mammals. The armadillos, whose species ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agrotis Ripae
''Agrotis ripae'', the sand dart, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1823. It is found in western Europe and North Africa and extends east across the Palearctic to steppe areas in Russia, Mongolia and Siberia. Description The wingspan is 32–42 mm. Forewing rufous brown or rufous grey, mixed with white; a costal streak and the veins whitish; stigmata outlined with brown, the reniform with the centre dark; marginal area often paler; hindwing in male white, in female with the veins and margin grey. It is a seacoast species or survives in wastes once washed by the sea; occurring in Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Russia; in Mongolia and Siberia, and in Egypt. It is a remarkably variable species of which the chief forms are ab. ''nebulosa'' Stph. a pale grey form, with the costa, base, and outer margin fuscous; ''desertorum'' Bsd. ow a full speciesfrom southern Russia, Siberia and Egypt is grey with the lines an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deilephila Porcellus
''Deilephila porcellus'', the small elephant hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Distribution It is found in Europe, North Africa and West Asia. Description The wingspan is . The moth flies from May to July depending on the location. The forewings are ochreous with a faint olive tinge; the front margin is edged and blotched with pinkish, and there is a broad but irregular band of the same colour on the outer margin. The hindwings are blackish on their upper margin, pinkish on their outer margin, and ochreous tinged with olive between. The fringes are chequered whitish, sometimes tinged with pink. The head, thorax, and body are pinkish, more or less variegated with olive; the thorax has a patch of white hairs above the base of the wings. It is highly variable in colouration. In drier and warmer and arid areas of Asia Minor and Central Asia the pink colouration is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lasiommata Megera
''Lasiommata megera'', the wall or wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae (subfamily Satyrinae). It is widespread in the Palearctic realm with a large variety of habitats and number of generations a year. Description ''P. megera'' L. Seitz. A. in Seitz, A. ed. Band 1: Abt. 1, ''Die Großschmetterlinge des palaearktischen Faunengebietes, Die palaearktischen Tagfalter'', 1909, 379 Seiten, mit 89 kolorierten Tafeln (3470 Figuren) Range The species lives in North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, western Siberia, northern Tian Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Kazakhstan and Dzungaria. Habitats Habitats include forest edges and clearings, shrubby areas in ravines and river valleys and sparse woodlands. It is also found in mountain habitats up to above sea level. Life history The imago flies from April to October in two or three generations depending on locality and altitude. The larva feeds on grasses in the genera ''Festuca'', '' Bromus'', '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leptidea Juvernica
''Leptidea juvernica'', the Cryptic wood white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. Taxonomy A 2011 study using karyotype analysis and analysis of mitochondrial nuclear DNA markers concluded that the complex of cryptic species that includes ''Leptidea sinapis'' and ''Leptidea reali'' also included a third, new species ''Leptidea juvernica''. Distribution ''L. juvernica'' ranges from Ireland and France in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. The population in Ireland was formerly thought to be ''Leptidea reali ''Leptidea reali'', the Réal's wood white, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. Taxonomy A 2011 study using karyotype analysis and analysis of mitochondrial nuclear DNA markers concluded that ''Leptidea reali'' is one of three members of a cr ...'', but is now known to be ''L. juvernica''. Appearance It has been noted that specimens of ''L. juvernica'' from Ireland, originally thought to be '' L. sinapis'', had a noticeably stronger green tinge. Gallery Leptidaer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grayling (butterfly)
The grayling or rock grayling (''Hipparchia semele'') is a species in the brush-footed butterfly family Nymphalidae. Although found all over Europe, the grayling mostly inhabits coastal areas, with inland populations declining significantly in recent years. The grayling lives in dry and warm habitats with easy access to the sun, which helps them with body temperature regulation. A grayling goes through four stages in its life cycle. The eggs hatch around August, and larvae grow in four instars from August to the following June. By June, the larvae begin to pupate by spinning a silk cocoon below the surface of the ground. The adult grayling emerges around August. The grayling migrates in small groups of two or three butterflies throughout most of August, typically moving southeast. ''H. semele'' engages in cryptic coloring, with their tan and brown colored wings helping them camouflage into their surroundings. The grayling exposes the eyespots on its wings when it believes to have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dark Green Fritillary
The dark green fritillary (''Speyeria aglaja'') is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The insect has a wide range in the Palearctic realm - Europe, Morocco, Iran, Siberia, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. Taxonomy The dark green fritillary was first formally described as ''Papilio aglaja'' in the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'' published in 1758 with its type locality given as Sweden. This species is now classified in the genus ''Speyeria'' which is classified within the subfamily Heliconiinae of the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. Subspecies *''S. a. aglaja'' Southern Europe, Central Europe, Caucasus, Altai, Sayan, West Siberia, South Siberia *''S. a. borealis'' (Strand, 1901) Europe, Siberia, Russian Far East, Kamchatka *''S. a. lyauteyi'' ( Oberthür, 1920) Morocco (Middle Atlas) *''S. a. excelsior'' (Rothschild, 1933) Morocco (Rif Mountains) *''S. a. ottomana'' (Röber, 1896) Armenia, Talys, Kopet Dagh *''S. a. gigasvitatha'' ( Verity, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marsh Fritillary
The marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval stage lasts for approximately seven to eight months and includes a period of hibernation over the winter. The larvae are dependent on the host food plant '' Succisa pratensis'' not only for feeding but also for hibernation, because silken webs are formed on the host plant as the gregarious larvae enter hibernation. Females lay eggs in batches on the host plant and are, like other batch-layers, selective about the location of oviposition because offspring survivorship levels for batch-layers are more tied to location selection than they are for single-egg layers. As of 2019 the butterfly's global conservation status is considered of least concern, but it has faced rapid decline and is considered regionally vulnerable or endangered over much o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arthur Hill, 4th Marquess Of Downshire
Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Wills Blundell Sandys Trumbull Windsor Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire Order of St Patrick, KP (6 August 1812 – 6 August 1868) was an Irish peer, styled Earl of Hillsborough until 1845. Life The eldest son of Arthur Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire, Hillsborough was educated at Eton College, Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1830. He was commissioned an ensign (rank), ensign in the Royal South Down Militia, of which his father was colonel, on 4 June, and was commissioned Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), lieutenant-colonel in the same on 10 September. He was appointed High Sheriff of Down, Sheriff of County Down for 1834. From 1836 until 1845, he represented Down (UK Parliament constituency), Down in Parliament, and was a justice of the peace for the county as well. He became Marquess of Downshire on 12 April 1845 on the death of his father, and was appointed to his father's Militia colo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue Flag Beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a Not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of more than 100 organisations spreading 81 countries. FEE's Blue Flag criteria include standards for quality, safety, environmental education and information, the provision of services, and general environmental management. The Blue Flag is hence sought as an indication of high environmental and quality standards. Certificates, which FEE refers to as awards, are issued on an annual basis to beaches and marinas of FEE member Country, countries by the Blue Flag international jury. For a beach to be awarded, it must meet at least thirty of the Blue Flag's criteria spanning four categories. Meanwhile, for a marina to be awarded, it must meet at least thirty-eight criteria spann ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
