Disappearances in a strange summer

Damien Enright reports further on our lack of insects.

LAST month, I wrote about the disappearance of bees and the dire consequences humanity would face were these industrious pollinators to continue their alarming decline. Later, I mentioned the buddleia (aka Butterfly Bush) was in bloom and not a butterfly or bee anywhere to be seen.

I’ve since had numerous reports from readers of the scarcity of butterflies and bees. Equally worrying are reports of the absence of other insects that would normally be present in myriads at this time of year.

In my July 14 column, I quoted Einstein’s comment that should bees disappear from the earth, mankind would follow within four years. At the time, I wondered how a physicist would come to predict a possible cause-and-effect in natural history, which no eminent entomologist or botanist had apparently perceived.

Recently, I decided to research it. I now learn that nowhere in Einstein’s writings can the statement be found, albeit it may be true. Some commentators say it was dreamed up by EU beekeepers lending authority to their 1994 Brussels protest against imported honey and higher sugar prices, their contention being that, as wild bees were disappearing, their bees would be necessary to replace them in the work of pollination and should be supported. Colony Collapse Disorder in bee populations has been attributed to insecticides, global warming, a fungus and to radiation from mobile phone towers. Readers wishing to learn more about the alarming demise internationally and the possible effects of mobile phones on bee’s homing instincts will find a highly informative article, entitled The disappearing bees: CCD and electromagnetic radiation, by Colin Buchanan at http://inthesenewtimes.com.

Meanwhile, herewith some comments from readers.

An angler says: “Three or four nights a week, after dark, I fish for sea trout in the Argideen river in west Cork. Pipistrelle bats roost under the bridge in the summer and emerge at dusk, fly around the pool for half an hour and then seem to go back into roost, emerging when hungry again.

“In April and May, there were big hatches of upwing flies from the river, clouds of caenis in the air at dusk. Now, there is hardly a fly to be seen. The bats emerge and fly off in rapid direct flight to some other venue.

“We’ve not had to use midge cream on one night this year. Usually, particularly on damp evenings, the midges bite incessantly from dusk onwards. In the garden, we can stay working till dark without interference from midges, a scenario never known in 35 years living in west Cork.”

A perceptive nature-watcher, who works in Dublin but spends her weekends in the wilds of Kerry and Connacht, says: “You are right about the butterflies. On three visits to Inis Mean this year, I never saw a single hawkmoth or dark green fritillary, both normally abundant, and no red-tailed bees.

“Likewise in Ringsend, there is part of the park which would normally teem with butterflies but not this year. Last summer, I had very few hawk moth caterpillars on my window — three years previously, they covered it and overwintered around it, but not last year. I’ve seen a large number of cabbage whites around. It has been a brilliant year for ladybirds and the swarming ants were out in Dublin last week but only for 48 hours.”

Lynn Daly, conducting a module of the Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme at Manch Estate, near Ballineen, Co Cork, counts butterflies weekly on two walks, one through old woodland, the other in new plantation. She believes this summer’s overcast conditions have delayed hatchings, but says ringlet butterflies seem to be coping well. Visitors are welcome on the walks on Manch Open Days.

Noticing the absence of moths flying into the house at night from our garden jungle, I spoke to Philip Strictland of Moths Ireland. Moths were scarce this summer but are now appearing, he says. He’s put photos of 400 species of moth found in Ireland on his website: www.moths.ie. It is a sight to behold! Now, when a weird moth flies in, we can quickly identify it. Long may they remain with us, the moths, butterflies and bees. And even the midges, playing their part in the food chain — even if we are part of theirs.