I came across drops of jelly on a tree stump in the Glen of Imaal in Wicklow. Google suggests they fell from the stars during the meteor showers, but surely that can’t be true? – Hélène Lawless
You are right; it is a tale of old women. These are the oviduct glands of frogs left uneaten by frog predators, so they must taste really terrible. When exposed to moisture, they swell, burst and break down into clumps of jelly. With no other frog traces nearby, no wonder Google is confused.

It grows under a tree in an old church. The photo was taken in November. – Daniel Challoner
These are clusters of Armillaria mellea – the lace or honey fungus – which causes root rot in trees and shrubs. It colonizes wood by means of black cord-like structures and can be a destructive pathogen in gardens and woodlands.

I found this on the beach near Newcastle, Co. Wicklow, and I can’t find it in any of my books. Can you tell me what it is please? – Angela Mason
It is the common slater, Ligia oceanica, a small crustacean that lives high on the upper shore. It has 14 legs.

While clearing the leaves from a drain, this green insect escaped along the wall, unfortunately without half of its hind leg. What is that? – Anita Fenouil
It is a male bush cricket, which has antennae much longer than its body and has its hearing organs on its front legs. It has been recorded in the southern and western coastal counties.

I regularly find these guys on my porch – almost always dead! What are they and why are they dead? – Gérard Lovett
They are woodlice, and obviously your porch does not suit them. They can’t survive very dry conditions, or maybe you’re washing the porch with something that’s toxic to them.

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