Beetle Species
in DUnsany
Beetles are vital indicators of ecosystem health at Dunsany, playing a key role in nutrient cycling, soil health, and supporting the wider food web essential for successful rewilding.
Beetle Species in Dunsany
Importance of Beetles in rewilding
Beetles are vital to rewilding at Dunsany Estate, enriching soil, recycling nutrients, controlling pests, and even aiding pollination.
From predators like the Devils Coach Horse to decomposers such as the Banded Sexton Beetle, each species supports healthy habitats across the estate’s peatlands, woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands, making them key to restoring a balanced ecosystem.
Beetle Species in Dunsany Estate
- Size: 18 to 22 mm long
- Habitat: peatlands, woodlands, and heaths
- Size: 8 to 9.5mm long
- Habitat: Marshes, muddy lakeshores and riverbanks
- Size: 5 to 8 mm long
- Habitat: Upland peat and wetlands
- Size: 8.5 to 10.5 mm long
- Habitat: marshes, muddy ponds and lakes
- Size: 6 to 8 mm long
- Habitat: upland peatlands
- Size: 7.5 to 9 mm long
- Habitat: marshes, peatlands, and wet meadows
- Only species in Ireland with 1 or 2 pale basal segments of antennae
- Size: 6 to 8 mm long
- Habitat: hedgerows and gardens
- Most common in spring
- Size: 3.5 to 4.5 mm long
- Habitat: water edges, lakes, riverbanks, and marshlands
- Size: 3 to 5 mm long
- Habitat: open garden soil
- Not commonly found in Ireland
- Size: 6 to 9 mm long
- Habitat: open habitats and mountains
- Size: 8.5 to 10.5 mm long
- Habitat: woodlands and hedgerows
- Size: 16 to 23 mm long
- Habitat: wetlands, river margins, peat, lakeshores
- Size: 22 to 26 mm long
- Habitat: agricultural lands and gardens
- Size: 5.5 to 6.5 mm long
- Habitat: under stones and in leaf litter in open grounds
- Size: 5.5 to 8 mm long
- Habitat: gardens, parks, woodlands, and urban areas
- Irish name: Bóín Dé sheachtbhallach
- Size: 11 to 15 mm long
- Habitat: grasslands and agricultural areas
Size: 10 to 17 mm long
Habitat: gardens, grasslands, and arable lands
- Size: 6 to 8.5 mm long
- Habitat: gardens, mountain stream side, sand and gravel areas
Size: 10 to 14 mm long
Habitat: heath moorlands, woodlands, and hedgerows
- Size: 15 to 25 mm long
- Habitat: woodlands and meadows
- Size: 5 to 6 mm long
- Habitat: Arable lands and gardens
- Size: Up to 3 cm long
- Habitat: grasslands, woodlands, and hedgerows
- The Devil’s coach horse beetle is not poisonous, but it can inflict a painful bite and secrete a foul-smelling fluid when threatened.
- Size: 9 to 12 m long
- Habitat: dry grasslands and sandy areas
- Size: 3.5 to 4.5 mm long
- Habitat: woodlands, gardens, meadows and hedgerows
- Irish name: Bóín Dé ceithre bhall déag
- One of the most common beetles in Ireland
- Size: 15 to 20 mm long
- Habitat: arable land and gardens
- Size: 12 to 20 mm long
- Habitat: wet grasslands, peatlands, and woodlands
- Size: 15 to 20 mm long
- Habitat: arable land, gardens, and woodlands
- Predatory
- Size: 10 to 15 mm long
- Habitat: lowland marshes and water edges
- Predatory
- Size: 5 to 7 mm long
- Habitat: arable lands, gardens
- Predatory
- Size: 6 to 7.5 mm long
- Habitat: lakeshores, wet meadows, and pastures
- Size: Up to 1 cm long
- Habitat: wetlands, grasslands, and woodlands
- Named due to pattern similar to a soldier’s uniform
- Size: 8 to 15 mm long
- Habitat: grasslands, woodlands, and sandy areas
- Size: 3.5 to 4 mm long
- Habitat: peatlands, gardens and, hill lands
