What’s this weird worm? Readers’ nature queries

Ethna Viney on a tapeworm from the land down under and regurgitated owl pellets

I came across this worm in my garden. It stayed like this for ages and then suddenly started to unravel into a black, thin, 10cm worm. – Tricha Blackburn, Thurles, Co Tipperary

It's an Australian flatworm, either Caenoplana coerulea, the blue garden flatworm; or C dendyi, Dendy's flatworm. It was introduced into several countries in Europe, including the UK. One was reported to Eye on Nature in 2017 in south Kerry.

I found this rare plant at the coast of south Wexford. Webb's Irish Flora names it as Narcissus biflora. The English name is primrose peerless. – Joe Flynn, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford

The National Biodiversity Data Centre has six reports of biflora, two each in Dublin and Wexford, and one each in Waterford and Cork.

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In this photo from our garden you can see the primrose in the foreground, the cowslip in the background and their progeny, the false oxlip in the centre. – Angela Mason, Kilcoole, Co Wicklow

The primula family are notorious for cross-breeding The primrose peerless is a hybrid escape from gardens. The primrose and cowslip are natives.

At the end of March this chap fell out of a primula, what is it? – Paul Kenny, Paul Kenny, Kimmage, Dublin12

It’s the caterpillar of the large yellow underwing moth. It can be coloured anything from ochre to bright green.

This dropping was left on our patio, It was about 10cm long and full of tiny bones. – Marie Ó Colmáin, Bantry, Co Cork

It is the regurgitated pellets of an owl.

We have a very tame robin we call Bunty living in the front garden of our new house. Bunty loves activity and waits for us to come out to play. He now has started landing on my hand and gets braver by the day. – Harriet Lynch, Sandymount, Dublin 4.

Ethna Viney welcomes observations and photographs at Thallabawn, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, F28 F978, or by email at viney@anu.ie. Include a postal address