Live Stranding and Return of Striped Dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen) to the Sea in CoDonegalAuthor(s): D. P. Sleeman, R. Bartley, C. Griffin, C. Staunton and G. LevySource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 28, No. 5 (Apr. 22, 2006), pp. 220-221Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25536717 .

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Ir. Nat J. Volume 28 No 5 2006

A living bottlenose dolphin with vertebral deformities has been frequently observed along the south-west coasts of England. It was first observed in October 1991 as a neonate with a severe deformity of its spine, resulting in the dorsal fin becoming bent through nearly 90? (Nick Tregenza pers. comm..). Two stranded bottlenose dolphins (a female calf measuring 165cm in

length in 1993; and an adult female in 1998) with scoliosis have been recovered from the Moray Firth, north-east Scotland. The latter was only 260cm in length, which compares with a normal

adult length of 320-330cm, demonstrating the amount of curvature of the spine (Bob Reid pers. comm.). Scoliosis has been observed in bottlenose dolphins stranded in separate incidences in the Thames (Paul Jepson pers. comm.). One with mild spondylosis (spinal osteoarthritis leading to partial or complete bony fusion) in 1999 and a case of mild kyphoscoliosis in 2001.

Vertebral column malformities have been associated with a diverse range of causative

factors. Physical abnormalities in belugas Deiphinapterus leucas (Pallas) from the St Lawrence Estuary, Canada, were tentatively linked to high levels of organochlorines found in their tissues. Stress or exertion is also considered a potential causative factor along with spondylodiscitis as a

result of a bacterial infection (Berghan & Visser 2000 op.cit). Congenital malformities have also been reported and are the most likely cause in those described here (Paul Jepson pers. comm.).

They are likely to be hereditary and genetic studies may be revealing, although samples would be difficult to obtain.

The longevity of malformed dolphins is largely unknown. The dolphin off south-west

England was first reported as a neonate in 1991 and is now adult. It was still observed up to 2003 with a visible twist to the spine. In the Moray Firth study, calves, sub-adults and adults were observed with deformities. A bottlenose dolphin in Sarasota Bay, Florida with scoliosis in the caudal penduncle region has been observed for the last 20 years (Berghan & Visser 2000 op.cit.) but longevity is probably determined by the severity of the malformity. Given the severity of the

scoliosis in the Shannon Estuary dolphin it is unlikely this dolphin survived weaning; however the dolphin reported from Galway Bay might have survived for a number of years.

We encourage observers to report incidences of vertebral column malformities in dolphins in Ireland so as to determine the extent of this condition. Records of malformed dolphins could give

an insight into the movements of bottlenose dolphins as they are relatively easily recognised individuals.

We would like to thank Deirdre Noonan of Widervision for obtaining video footage of the dolphin in the Shannon Estuary, the National Parks and Wildlife Service for funding to JO'B and Dr Don Cotton for considerably improving this note.

Simon Berrow

Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation, Merchants Quay, Kilrush, Co Clare

Joanne O'Brien

School of Science, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Galway

Live stranding and return of striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen) to the sea in Co Donegal

On the morning of 28 August 2005 at about 11:10 am we observed two dolphins close to the south-west shore of Rutland Island, Co Donegal (B7113). The animals had long beaks and the characteristic markings of striped dolphins; observations were verified by still and video

photography. A common seal Phoca vitulina and a grey seal Halichoerus grypus were seen in the

same vicinity. After circling around the area for about an hour the adult dolphin stranded on a

sandy beach. Within about one minute three of us returned it to the sea. About 10 minutes later we came upon the calf, which was about 0.5m in length, stranded on rocks nearby. It had possibly been there from before the time the adult stranded. It was also returned to the sea. This incident was all over by 12:00 am. Since then, there have been no reported strandings of this species nearby, that we are aware of (Dave Duggan, Dave Friel and Padraig Whooley pers. comm.), which

suggests the efforts to 'rescue' these animals were not in vain.

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Ir. Nat J. Volume 28 No 5 2006

We wish to thank Dave Friel of Donegal County Council, Dave Duggan of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Padraig Whooley of the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group for advice. Johnny Logan for entertainment, taking the photographs and helping return the adults

D. P. Sleeman

Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science, University College, Cork

R. Bartley, C. Griffin, C. Staunton and G. Levy

Crossing the Line Films, Sommerville House, Church Road, Greystones, Co Wicklow

Field Records - Insects

Fleas from bank voles {Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber) near

Foynes, Co Limerick

One of us (PS) trapped small mammals in woodland scrub near Foynes Port, Co Limerick (R2352) to provide tissues for genetic research. Thirty break back traps were set in each night on 8, 9 and 10 of March 2005 and as any traps that went missing were replaced on each day, a total of 90 trap nights was realized. In an effort to catch voles, the traps were set in dense cover which was

mainly provided by ivy Hedera sp. Twenty one voles Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber and five wood mice Apodemus sytvaticus (L.) were captured. When the voles were examined several days later a total of 13 fleas were recovered:- 2<$<$ Ctenophthalmus nobilis vulgaris Smit, $

Ctenophthalmus nobilis (Rothschild) (the females cannot be identified to subspecies), c?4$? Nosopsyllus fasciatus (Bosc) and c?2$$ Rhadinopsylla pentacantha (Rothschild). While N. fasciatus is common throughout Ireland, R. pentacantha was regarded as rare (Sleeman, D. P.,

Smiddy, P & Moore, P., 1996 Irish Naturalists' Journal 25: 237-248). However, J. S. Fairley's observations (1997 Irish Naturalists' Journal 25: 341-342) that this species is common in the area is confirmed by our sampling.

P. Stuart and D. P. Sleeman

Department of Zoology, Ecology and Plant Science, University College, Cork

A second Irish record of Copidosoma cervius (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)

The encyrtid Copidosoma cervius (Walker) (Hymenoptera) was recently added to the Irish list (Guerrieri, E. & Noyes, J. 2005 Systematic Entomology 30: 97-174). However, no data are given

other than "Eire". Recently, while curating the entomological collections in the National Museum of

Ireland, the author found nine unnamed encyrtids mounted on a single card by A. W. Stelfox. The

material had been reared by E. S. A. Baynes in May 1948 from a larva of the foxglove pug Eupithecia pulchellata Stephens (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from Co Dublin. Using Guerrieri &

Noyes (2005 op cit), the specimens were identified as C. cervius. Although E. pulchellata appears to be a new host record, C. cervius has been reared from other Geometridae, being a common and

widely distributed species in Europe. Guerrieri & Noyes (2005 op cit) also added C. aretas

(Walker), C. genale (Thomson), C. thebe (Walker) and C. radnense Erdos, bringing the known Irish fauna of Copidosoma to 14 species (O'Connor, J. P., Nash, R. & Boucek, Z. 2000 A catalogue of

the Irish Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera). Occasional Publication of the Irish Biogeographical Society No. 6). It is probable that the above larva was taken at Glenageary as that site is the only Dublin one mentioned for the species in Baynes' notebook housed in the Natural History Museum, Dublin.

J. P. O'Connor

National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 2

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