When walking the Camino de Santiago recently, in an area of fields and woodlands, my friend and I were amazed to see a pine marten cross our path and turn to look at us. It had huge black pupils, surrounded by a thin orange circle, and underneath its chin and on its chest a strong amber colour. The rest of it was silvery brown.
Carmel Shaw
Greystones, Co Wicklow
It sounds more like a western polecat.
In my frog pond I saw a large brown beetle that moved very fast under cover of growth.
Malachy Daly
Aillemore, Co Mayo
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It was great diving beetle. Its larvae are shrimplike and prey on everything in the pond.
I'm sending you a photograph of a creature that I think stung me today. What is it?
Rachel McCloskey (aged nine)
Drogheda, Co Louth
It is the pupa of a moth, which is the last stage of the caterpillar before it hatches with wings. It is probably a night-time moth. Watch it until the moth emerges.
I found the creature in my photograph on a polytunnel. I thought it was thread, but when I picked it off it was alive. It was about 4in long.
Tommy Higgins
Dublin
It is a thunderworm, a member of the roundworm family. They emerge from the soil after a shower or heavy dew to lay their eggs on vegetation or on the ground. The hatched-out worms are parasites on insects, boring into grasshoppers or beetles, for example. They normally live curled up in the soil, and can reach a length of up to 20in (50cm).
Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Please include a postal address