Records were added and distribution maps up-dated for 60 species including a map being added for the following species:

• Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

The 18 records added to the National Invasive Species Database for the Pacific oyster were provided by Judith Kochmann and Tasmin Crowe (University College Dublin) and Francis O’Beirn (Marine Institute). View metadata for the survey records:  http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/#/DataSet/66/Survey/410

Knowledge on the distribution of the feral ferret  was greatly enhanced by submission of 134 records by  Dr. Daniel Buckley to create the National Feral Ferret (Mustela putoris furo) Database.  View metadata for the database: http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/#/DataSet/164

Records were also added to the following databases:

• Irish wire weed (Sargassum muticum) Database
• Irish New Zealand flatworm Database

Access interactive maps and species profiles for invasive species in Ireland through the Access Database button

Species inserted to the database: Ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

Date inserted: October, 2012

Reason for was insertion:

• receipt of a verified sighting of the species
• Ring-necked parakeet was risk assessed by Invasive Species Ireland as having the potential to be a high impact invasive species if it became established in the wild in Ireland

Additional notes: just one individual seen. No subsequent reports of additional species so no species alert was issued.

Interactive map link: http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/#/Species/11749

Distribution maps for 17 species have been updated including a map being added for the following species:

• ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri).

The riparian plants Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) and giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) remain the species with most sighting submissions.

Freshwater aquatic invasive plants continue to be recorded in areas where they were previously unknown from. This includes sightings for water fern (Azolla filiculoides) and parrott’s feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum).

Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and American mink (Mustela vison) maintain their status as the most commonly recorded invasive mammals.

Access interactive maps and species profiles for invasive species in Ireland through the Access Database button

Distribution maps for 49 species have been updated including a map being added for the following species:

• Trachemys species which is a turtle species

Of particular interest are additional sighting records being added for species recently seen in the wild in Ireland including:

• Wild boar/wild pig/hybrids (Sus scrofa) – 22 records added

Also of interest is the continued recording of species in areas/counties where they were previously unknown from:

• zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) – mostly for Northern Ireland but also Limerick and Sligo
• the freshwater shrimp Crangonyx pseudogracilis – Kildare, Carlow and Sligo
• floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) – Comber, Co. Down
• African curly waterweed (Lagarosiphon major) – Louisburgh, Co. Mayo
• European or brown hare (Lepus europeaus) – Tyrone and Donegal
• feral ferret (Mustela furo) – Tyrone, Down
• Australian flatworm (Australoplana sanguinea) – Cork and Wicklow
• wire weed (Sargassum muticum) – Louth and Dublin

A significant number of records have been submitted through the Atlas of Mammals in Ireland 2-10-2015 for the following species:

• American mink (Mustela vison)
• grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)
• brown rat (Rattus norvegicus)

There are now 25,711 records for 98 invasive and potentially invasive species in Ireland

Download a pdf of static Quick View distribution maps for the 98 invasive species or access their interactive maps and species profiles through the Access Database button

Reed sweet grass (Glyceria maxima) has been deleted from the National Invasive Species Database listing as it a native species.