Buglife Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is home to many nationally rare and threatened bee species and supports the largest population in the UK of Northern Colletes (Colletes floralis). Important populations of the Globally threatened White-clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) and Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) can be found here. Three threatened species of whorl snail can also be found in Northern Ireland: Geyer’s Whorl Snail (Vertigo geyeri), Narrow-mouthed Whorl Snail (Vertigo angustior) and Desmoulin’s Whorl Snail (Vertigo moulinsiana).

Buglife Northern Ireland’s priorities include identifying invertebrate-rich brownfield sites and advising others to better manage coastal and wetland habitats for invertebrates. We are also leading surveys and conservation work for some of our most threatened species – such as the Northern Colletes and Narrow-mouthed Whorl Snail on the North Coast with the National Trust, and the Zircon Reed Beetle (Donacia aquatica) in Upper Lough Erne.

Through our project work we have engaged with thousands of people through talks, workshops, bug walks and other events to raise awareness of the importance of invertebrates, the essential services they provide and how we can all do our bit to help them.

Buglife Northern Ireland has achieved many successes so far, including:

• Producing ‘The Northern Ireland Threatened Bee Report’ and Terrestrial and Freshwater Invertebrates At Risk Of Extinction In Northern Ireland Within The Next 20 Years.
• Mapping the Northern Ireland B-Lines.
• Helping to deliver the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan by restoring wildflower-rich habitats, and training people to undertake pollinator surveys and monitoring.
• Completing of Buglife’s first B-Lines project in Northern Ireland, ‘Belfast’s Buzzing! Creating B-Lines for pollinators and people’.
• Producing ‘The state of Belfast’s brownfields: nature under threat’ 2024 report in collaboration with Wild Belfast to highlight the loss of wildlife-rich brownfield habitat across Belfast.