Why are robins so friendly? On a visit to very bird-friendly Inishbofin this robin landed on my shoe, staying there for about 30 seconds. It was not put out by my movements to extract my iPhone for this photo. Sean Tomkins, Galway
Robins see humans as meal tickets – particularly gardeners who work the ground in “their” territory. They feed on grubs, worms and insects disturbed by the fork or spade and can become very tame. They can often be cajoled into eating mealworms from an outstretched hand.
Interestingly, it seems that it is only robins in these islands that behave like this. In mainland Europe they are shy birds which keep to deep woodland.
I spotted this not-so-little creature on a walk in our estate some time ago. What is it? It looks almost too exotic to be native here. Louie PJ, Terenure, Dublin
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This is a female emperor dragonfly – Anax imperator – our largest dragonfly species. First recorded in the southeast of Ireland in 2000, it is a southern European species spreading northwards as a result of climate change.
It had reached Dublin by 2023, where it was first recorded eating another new Dublin arrival, the comma butterfly, in the Phoenix Park – as I mention in my recently published updated edition of Wild Dublin.
Do you know what these spores are on the backs of our oak leaves? Are they damaging to the tree? Geraldine Gahan, Kilcullen, Co Kildare
I do. They are not spores, but silk-button galls made by a tiny wasp, Neuroterus numismalis. Each “button” is a single cell gall holding one wasp and can be seen from August to October, until the leaves fall in autumn.
The wasp larva will mature in August but remain in the gall on the ground throughout the winter, emerging the following year from February to April. They don’t damage the tree unless the infestation is very heavy indeed and causes early leaf fall.
I noticed this insect on my wing mirror when I returned from a visit to Fernhill Park and Gardens near Enniskerry. My passenger was happily released on my return to Dublin. Can you identify it? Francis Leahy, Dublin
This is an oak bush-cricket, Meconema thalassinum. It occurs on oak and other broad-leafed trees in woods and hedges. This is a male, as females have an up-curved ovipositor half as long again as the body. They are mainly carnivorous and feed on soft-bodied invertebrates which live on the leaves of the trees.
Males produce short bursts of sound by drumming one hind leg very rapidly on a leaf. No doubt it has now taken up residence in your garden as they are only capable of weak flight rather than long-distance commuting.
I saw what seems to be a dragonfly in Correl Glen, Co Fermanagh. Because of its dull, wood-like colour and that it was not near water I am wondering if it really is a dragonfly and if so, is it one that is unique to woodland. Laurence Speight, Derrygonnelly, Co Fermanagh
These are two mating daddy-long-legs – Tipula paludosa. These are crane flies which have two wings rather than dragonflies which have four wings. But at 25mm long they are certainly as big as several of our damselfly species.
Damsel flies have their wings folded when at rest, not outstretched like your crane flies or indeed like the much larger dragonflies.
Females lay their eggs in the soil where they hatch out into leatherjackets which feed on the roots of grasses and cereal crops. Adult craneflies don’t feed at all – the adult stage is for courting, mating and egg laying.
Please submit your nature query or observation, ideally with a photo and location, via irishtimes.com/eyeonnature or by email to weekend@irishtimes.com
