23 September 2020
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
The Irish Ladybird Research Project calls on the public to help log records
Fota Wildlife Park along with the Irish Research Council co-fund the Irish Ladybird Research Project and the project scholar, Gill Weyman, is based at Fota Wildlife Park and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences in University College Cork. Gill is now calling on the public in the Glanmire, Ballincollig and Cork City areas to send in their sightings of ladybirds this Autumn. Images and the address details of the ladybird sightings can be emailed to ladybird@fotawildlife.ie to be in with a chance to win one of several fun spot prizes including a family day-ticket to Fota Wildlife Park.
Gill Weyman, research scholar said: “We are currently asking residents living in the Glanmire, Ballincollig and Cork City areas to send us in any sightings of ladybirds this season. When a member of the public spots a ladybird in their gardens or while out on a walk, we are asking them to email a clear photo showing the wing cases and head of a ladybird to ladybird@fotawildlife.ie. Don’t forget to also send in the address and Eircode as this is a crucial part of the research but also to enter the draw for a chance to win a fun prize. The closing date is the 1st October so there’s plenty of time and you can enter as many times as you like of course.”
The ladybird research project is funded by the Irish Research Council and Fota Wildlife Park. It is a citizen science project which means that the public nationwide is needed to get involved and record the sightings of ladybirds wherever and at whatever time of the year they see them; this will help give a greater understanding of the impact of the invasive species, the Harlequin, on the native ladybirds.
The Irish Ladybird Research Project is part of research towards a PhD degree and involves a wider group of participants, including Fota Wildlife Park; University College Cork; The Irish Research Council; National Museums Northern Ireland (CEDAR); National Museum of Ireland; Dr Roy Anderson and www.biology.ie.
