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BD ead ECan OR eR ye oF ‘ wae eG Pudi a RTE tena eee rk mete eat at a NA iar Mta ite dace ie Me Ml ee ene Serre a) Ceonat ey Cees Oak ner cre ts pe apa Pade “sy ee eee ee ad) deta AS Me ae hae Me ae ce MH we ship ko ps ag! vacates toh pe Aes ha MAS trot eee’ Sante Ween a te eee day Aa AW NT Tain Sen Wer rete cree ee NN Fae tU ene Bo rE ve Re Set oe PEDO e Fate ee ehene Se LR RR EE ee Ne Ort re ea ee Cb oO ot Pte FRE Se eo er a SB MPA Ee sa er, Penner arr ie eee rte ln ar a De ee ere eer on en) De ne eee 2 he ee eee ee ee ee ee Ae a la ON aoe Pah RT EN l Sat ee OT BS aw eng wet a! rate re wore nee wate oe eee aN eluaper pte sare efter oa n OY thes Bee SS ee aS PN Maer Ma My tee Baer gg LTS nn oo os Oe eS ci / : Serbs Gyrus ee Sar 8 ‘ * sem toate Nig Me Rk Beta g MNTNE say er ae Aa 2%, Pee Hy Mek tke MEE Pee ee get e oe ya ee Were been’ 2 eye te Pie a Ae ee wee eet ere # ree fret eae fue aE re meen op elle nen we ne wt he a or anes PREM aR ta heim Tee EE QT UT mae gr meta Veneer. bora eye TATE By FE re se ne ee RS TE We ae QE Ie as we son gned . ern rs SS eT TS at Hoyggtteg eae arte PN tae era Sats 28 Peanee Sw re fe feta gengts Ore Sarre Tony eur ee er ee ee ee ee ee Sete re ee Pee aa aa Meroe Te a Ed " Sor tend tare oe Pred Cn Ree a ae IO ete te a HARVARD UNIVERSITY e Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology A om a ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by P.A. SOKOLOFF res. Assistant Editors J.A. OWEN, F.R.E.S. & A. SPALDING FE.R.ES. Vol. 103 1991 CONTENTS Abundance of Omphaloscelis lunosa Haw.., the Lunar Underwing (Lep.: Noctuidae) in 1989 and 1990. M. Parsons, 276 Adaptation to a hostile environment by changing ovipositing cues by females of the Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma L.). K. Willmott, 247 Additional notes on melanic specimens of the Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia L.) in North Dorset. R. Barrington, 181 Agrilus pannonicus Pill. & Mitter. (Col.: Buprestidae) recorded from Mitcham Common, Surrey in 1990. R.K.A. Morris, 161 Agrotis ripae Hbn., Sand Dart (Lep.: Noctuidae) an adaptation to shifting sands. B.P. Henwood, 157 Alevonota aurantiaca Fauv. (Col.: Staphylinidae) recaptured at Mickleham, Surrey, with short notes on two of its congeners. A.A. Allen, 100 Alternative larval foodplant for Coleophora prunifoliae Doets. H. Smith, 209 Amphipoea lucens Frey., the Large Ear, and A. fucosa Frey., the Saltern Ear (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Hertfordshire. A.M. Riley, 249 Anaspis bohemica’ Schilsky (Col.: Scraptiidae) at Loch Garten, Inverness- shire. M.L. Luff & JA. Owen 48 Aneuropria foersteri (Kief.) (Hym.: Diapriidae) — a species and genus new to Britain. D.A. Prance, 262 Apion modestum Germar (Col.: Apionidae) in West Cumbria. R.W.J. Read, 157 Apion simile Kirby (Col.: Apionidae) in Cumbria R.W.J. Read, 96 Aplocnemus pini Redt., not nigricornis F. (Col.: Melyridae) in Epping Forest, Essex. A.A. Allen, 306 Argyrotaenia ljungiana Thunb. a surprising foodplant. D. Agassiz 277 Art of feigning death — thanatosis in Euploea (Danainae) and other aposematic butterflies. 7.B. Larsen, 263 Barberry Carpet moth, Pareulype berberata D. & S.: the discovery of a second breeding colony in Britain and other records. P. Waring, 287 Batrisodes adnexus (Hampe) (B.buqueti Auctt. Brit.) and B.delaporti (Aube) (Col.: Pselaphidae) in Britain. H. Mendel, 293 Beetles taken at a dead blackbird, Broadway, Worcs, spring 1990. P.F. Whitehead, 159 Blastobasis phycidella Zell. and other Lepidoptera in Guernsey. D.J.L. Agassiz & J.R. Langmaid, 155 Book reviews, 52-56, 110, 164, 211-215, 277-278, 332-334 Borneo Hawk Moths (Lep.: Sphingidae) including Eupanacra hollowayi Sp.N. and Macroglossum amoenum Roth. & Jord. new to Borneo. W.J. Tennent, 223 Brachysomus hirtus (Col.: Curculionidae) rediscovered in Surrey, with a note on its ecology. J. Owen, 185 Brassolinae (Lep.: Satyridae) in Britain and Europe. C.R. Bristow, 257 Breeding site of Anthiscus bifasciatus Rossi (Col.: Anthicidae) at Broadway, Worcestershire. P.F. Whitehead, $1 Brief notes on some Coleoptera from the Liverpool area. P.F. Whitehead, 39 Butterflies in Lanzarote — April 1988-April 1989. G.G. Baldwin, 79 Butterflies in the Woolwich (S.E.London) district. A.A. Allen, 77 Celastrina argiolus L. (Lep.: Lycaenidae): its foodplants and its frequency. R.G. Ainley, 46 Chrysodeixis chalcites Esp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) observations on the life cycle in captivity. B. Goodey, 111 Cis festivus Panz. and C.vestitus Mell. (Col.: Cisidae). J.A. Owen, 158 Cold tolerance of the immature stages of Autographa gamma L. (Lep.: Noctuidae). J. Bowdrey, 328 Coleoptera in the diet of two bird species in Worcestershire. P.F. Whitehead, 81 Colydium elongatum (F) (Col.: Colydiidae) in Wiltshire, Berkshire and Surrey. I.S. Menzies, D.R. Nash, J.A. Owen, 62 Comma (Polygonia c-album ) apparently feeding on honey-dew. A.S. Boot 20 Comparison of light trap catches using two types of discharge lamps. S. Dewick , 135 Continued notes on a North Dorset colony of the Meadow Brown butterfly, Maniola jurtina L. R.D.G. Barrington, 7 Convolvulus Hawk-moths in West Sussex. R.C. Dening, 109 Cyphostethus tristriatus F. (Hem.: Acanthosomatidae) in S.E.London, and its occurrence on Thuja orientalis L. A.A. Allen, 296 Dawn flight of Mompha propinquella Staint. (Lep.: Momphidae) and others. B. Goodey, 45 Delayed wing inflation in Orthosia incerta Hufn. (Lep.: Nogtuidae) Clouded Drab. R. Leverton, 38 Description of the adult and early stages of Phyllonorycter platani (Staudinger, 1870) (Lep.: Gracillariidae). AM. Emmet, 279 Dichrorampha senectana Guen. bred from C.leucanthemum L., Ox-eye daisy. M. Sterling, 106 Distribution and occurrence of Acanthocinus Dej. and Agapanthia Serv. (Col.: Lamiidae) in the British Isles. R.R. Uhthoff-Kaufmann, 189 Distribution and occurrence of the genus Saperda (Col.: Lamiidae) in Great Britain. R.R. Uhthoff-Kaufmann, 129 Distribution and occurrence of the Tanner Beetle, Prionus coriarius L. (Col.: Prionidae) in Great Britain. R.R. Uhthoff- Kaufmann, 3 Distribution mapping with IBM-compatible personal computers. A. Morton, 325 Distribution maps of the British microlepidoptera — a service to lepidopterists. AM. Emmet, 201 Early hibernators in 1991, D. Dey, 140 Early sighting of the Small White (Pieris rapae L.) at Niton, Isle of Wight. S.A. Knill-Jones, 128 Early sightings on Macroglossum stellatarum in East Sussex. D. Dey, 271 Early Spring moths in June. S.A. Knill- Jones, 329 Early Stag beetles (Lucanus cervus L.) in Colchester. J. Bowdrey, 300 Enargia paleacea (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Kent. B.K. West, 16 Epiphyas postvittana Walk. (Lep.: Tortricidae) and Anomoia purmunda (Harris) (Dipt.: Tephritidae) in Bristol R.J. Barnett, 42 Eremobia ochroleuca D. & S. Dusky Sallow, (Lep.: Noctuidae) in North Wales. H.N. Michaelis, 210 Eriogaster lanestris L., the Small Eggar (Lep.: Lasciocampidae) in south Norfolk. M.R. Hall, 274 Eulamprotes phaeella Heckford & Langmaid (Lep.: Gelechiidae) in Kent. D. O'Keeffe, 286 Eupithecia dodoneata Guenee (Lep.: Geometridae) the Oak Tree Pug, in Co. Durham. A.M. Riley, 45 Eupithecia valerianata Hb. and E. pygmaeata Hb. (Lep.: Geometridae) in Scotland. B.K. West, 258 Exceptionally early date for the Stag beetle, Lucanus cervus. R.K.A. Morris, 106 Extraordinary abundance of Omphaloscelis lunosa Haw. the Lunar Underwing (Lep.: Noctuidae) in 1990. R. Fairclough, 40 Farmland ecology light trap network: interesting Lepidorptera records for September 1990. A.M. Riley, 242 Further evidence of Yponomeuta evonymella L. (Lep.: Yponomeutidae) migrating into Southern England. A.P. Foster, 45 Further note on Scolopostethus pictus (Schill.) (Hem.: Lygaeidae). P.F. Whitehead, 262 Further observations on Aderus populneus (Creutzer) (Col.: Aderidae). P.F. Whitehead, 139 Further record of Pelosia muscerda Hufn., the Dotted Footman (Lep.: Arctiidae) in Kent. A.M. Riley, 236 Further records of "suicidal" lepidoptera. /. Koryszko, 118 Green-veined White (Pieris napi) ovipositing on parsley piert (Aphanes arvensis). M.H. Smith, 270 Hazards of butterfly collecting — the Monarchs of Mexico 7.B. Larsen, 205 Hazards of butterfly collecting — Nigeria 1989. T.B. Larsen, 94 Hazards of butterfly collecting — Samburu, Kenya, 1979. T.B. Larsen, 154 Hazards of butterfly collecting — the art of playing dead India, 1952. T.B. Larsen, 268 Hazards of butterfly collecting — Yemen, 1981. T.B. Larsen, 15 Hazards of butterfly collecting — Brazil, May 1989. T.B. Larsen, 322 Hedychridium coriaceum (Hym.: Chrysididae) and other less common aculeate Hymenoptera from Mitcham Common, Surrey. R.K.A. Morris, 127 Hentomological spelling. A.A. Allen, 207 Hentomological spelling. P. Roper, 97 Hitherto unrecorded foodplants for Simyra albovenosa (Goeze) (Lep.: Noctuidae). A.P. Foster, 2 Holly Blue in N.W.Kent. P. Roper, 210 Hornet, Vespa crabro L. breeding in Richmond Park, S.London. R.K.A. Morris, 159 Host records of some West Palaearctic Tachinidae (Diptera). T.H. Ford & M.R. Shaw, 23 Hummingbird Hawk-moth in West Cumbria. R.W.J. Read, 82 Hyles galii Rott. (Lep.: Sphingidae) in Inverness-shire. P. Baker, 108 Leptacinus intermedius Donis. (Col.: Staphylinidae) at Monks Wood, Cambs. R.C. Welch, 108 Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger) (Hym.: Formicidae) outdoors in a rural Northamptonshire garden. R.C. Welch, 98 Immigrant moths recorded from Sussex and Norfolk in October 1990. A.P. Foster, 160 Interesting lepidoptera records from North- East Fife. J. Clayton, 297 Lamia F., Mesosa Latr. and Leiopus Serv., (Col.: Lamiidae) in the British Isles. R.R. Uhthoff-Kaufmann, 73 Larva of Celastrina argiolus L. Holly Blue (Lep.: Lycaenidae) feeding on sallow. B.P. Henwood, 134 Larvae of Coleophora therinella Teng. (Lep.: Coleophoridae) in Britain D.H. Sterling, 105 Larval diet of Dryops ernesti de Gozis (Col.: Dryopidae). P.F. Whitehead, 42 Larval foodplants of the Burnished Brass Moth, Diachrysia chrysitis (Lep.: Noctuidae). P. Waring, 107 Late and partial second and third broods of moths in the autumn of 1990 in the Isle of Wight.S.A. Knill-Jones, 101 Late captures of Hepialus fusconebulosa De Geer, the Map-winged Swift (Lep.: Hepialidae). A.M. Riley, 109 Ledra aurita (L.) (Auch.: Cicadellidae) at light in Worcestershire. H.S. Hemsley- Hall, 70 Leopoldius signatus Wied. (Dipt.: Conopidae) in outer London. R.K. Morris, 103 Lepidoptera observed on the Isles of Scilly in 1989. R.J. Heckford, 17 Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. 6th appendix. R.M. Palmer & M.R. Young, 125 Leptura sanquinolenta L.(Col.: Ceram- bycidae). J.A. Owen, 49 Life history of Blastobasis decolorella Woll. (Lep.: Blastobasidae) .D. O'Keeffe, 282 Liliocerus lilii Scop. (Col.: Chrysomelidae) in surburban N.W.Kent A.A. Allen, 47 Limnaecia phragmitella in the stems of bulrush. B. Goodey, 330 Lithophane leautieri hesperica Bours. (Lep.: Noctuidae) larvae feeding on common juniper. L.K. Ward, 261 Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata L.) in North Cheshire. P.B. Hardy, 242 Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata L.); a change of status? B.K. West, 89 Magpie Moth in Scotland. D.C. Hulme, 188 Magpie Moth, Abraxas grossulariata L. (Lep.: Geometridae) and other caterpillars on gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa, in south Cumbria. M.R. Shaw, 272 Mate competition on Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Large Yellow Underwing. R. Leverton, 18 Melanic form of Carabus arvensis Herbst. (Col.: Carabidae). P.F.Whitehead, 236 Meligethes haemorroidalis Forst. (Col.: Nitidulidae) in Surrey. D.A. Prance, 276 Metoecus paradoxus L. (Col.: Rhipiphoridae) in London (Middlesex) .K.G.V. Smith, 6 Microlepidoptera review of the year 1989.. D. Agassiz, 141 Migrant lepidoptera in Cornwall, September and October 1990. C. Hart, 208 Migration of lepidoptera in South Devon, Autumn 1990. P.J. Baker, 203 Moths in Brittany and Cornwall A. Spalding, 259 Nascia cilialis Hb. (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Hampshire. J.W. Phillips, 270 National review of the recording and conservation of the rarer British macro- moths. P. Waring, 193 Nationally uncommon ground beetles (Col: Carabidae) from Welsh wetlands. P.R. Holmes, D.C. Boyce & D.K. Reed, 301 New records for British ants. C. Collingwood, 93 New subsepecies of Jolus (Epamera) alienus Trimen (Lep.: Lycaenidae) from South- West Africa/Namibia S.F. Henning & G.A. Henning, 83 Nomenclatural comment. A.A. Allen, 331 Notes on the behaviour of Luperina nickerlii leechi, the Sandhill Rustic, Lep.: Noctuidae) at its site in Cornwall. A. Spalding, 323 Notes on the voltinism of Hylaea fasciaria L., Barred Red (Lep.: Geometridae) A.M. Riley, 187 Notes on two British Bagous spp. (Col.: Curculionidae). A.A. Allen, 326 Nycteola revayana Scop. (Lep.: Noctuidae) during the summer. B. Goodey, 330 Obituary: Jeremiah Briggs, 165 Obituary: R.F.Bretherton, 215 Obituary: Cynthia Longfield, 334 Observations on a_= gathering of Thaumatomyia notata Mg. (Dipt.) in Cardiganshire. P.M. Miles, 163 Observations of Dioctria cothurnata Mg. (Dipt.: Asilidae) in Dorset. A. Stubbs, 283 Observations on the genus Sepedophilus (Col.: Staphylinidae) in Worcestershire.. P.F. Whitehead, 43 Oligostigma polydectalis Walk. (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Cambridgeshire J.N. Greatorex- Davies, 209 Omosita depressa L. (Col.: Nitidulidae) apparently new to Kent A.A. Allen, 327 On the hibernation of Tissue moths, Triphosia dubitata L. and the Herald moth Scoliopteryx libatrix in an old fort R.K.A. Morris & G.A. Collins, 313 Orthoptera around Birmingham J. Paul, 167, 237 Pabulum of Ancylis tineana Hiibn. (Lep.: Tortricidae) confirmed as Birch in Britain. K.P. Bland, 100 Pale ochreous form of Herminia tarsipennalis Treit., the Fan-foot (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Dumfries. A.M. Riley, 95 Pammene agnotana Reb. (Lep.: Tortricidae) resident in Kent. D. O'Keeffe, 327 Pammene suspectana Zell. in Hunting- donshire. B. Dickerson, 157 Patrobus atrorufus Strom and P. assimilis Chaud. (Col.: Carabidae) A.A. Allen, 71 Peridea anceps Goeze, the Great Prominent, f. fusca Cock. (Lep.: Notodontidae) in Stirlingshire. A.M. Riley, 97 Photedes pygmina Haw, Callistege mi Cl., Laspeyria flexula D. & S. and Rivula sericealis Scop. (Lep.: Noctuidae) observed feeding. R. Leverton, 217 Phyllonorycter leucographella (Zell.) (Lep.: Gracillariidae) in Derbyshire. H.E. Beaumont, 99 Phyllonorycter platani (Staudinger, 1870) (Lep.: Gracillariidae) New to Britain. A.M. Emmet, 1 Plea for legal protection for the Sandhill Rustic (Luperina nickerlii leechi) (Lep.: Noctuidae) at its site in Cornwall. A. Spalding, 250 Plodia interpunctella Hiibn., the Indian meal moth (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Bedforshire. A.M. Riley, 72 Pogonocherus Zett. (Col.: Lamiidae) in the British Isles. R.R. Uhthoff-Kaufmann, 243 Polistichus connexus Fourc. (Col.: Carabidae) at light in suburban West Kent. A.A. Allen, 6 Vi Protected British butterflies: interpretation of Section 9 and Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. A.E. Stubbs, 197 Psammotis pulveralis Hbn. (Lep.: Pyralidae) and other migrant Lepidoptera in the Dungeness area, 1990. S. Clancy, 51 Pterostichus rhaeticus Heer. (Col.: Carabidae) in Kent and Radnorshire. A.A. Allen, 160 Pupation site of Limnaecia phragmitella Staint. (Lep.: Cosmopterigidae). A.S. Boot, 330 Recent range extensions of some Auchenorrhyncha. P.F. Whitehead, 99 Record of Utetheisa pulchella L. at m.v. light in Surrey. C. Hart, 246 Relative abundance and flight period of Mesapamea spp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) at three English localities. M.J.R. Jordan, 57 Remarkable assemblage of beetles under one stone. A.A. Allen, 235 Reminiscences of an amateur lepidopterist, 1920-90. E.P. Wiltshire, 63, 119, 175, 251, 307 Rothamstead farmland light trap network: interesting Lepidoptera records for June, 1990. M.C. Townsend & A.M. Riley, 22 Rothamsted farmland light trap network: interesting records for August 1990. A.M. Riley & M.C. Townsend, 184 Rothamsted farmland light-trap network: interesting Lepidoptera records for July, 1990 A.M. Riley & M.C. Townsend, 104 Rum, Roum, or Rhum? J.L. Campbell, 329 Schrankia taenialis Hbn. (Lep.: Noctuidae) in N.W.Kent. B.K. West, 43 Scolopostethus pictus (Schill.) (Hem.: Lygaeidae) new to Worcestershire P.F.. Whitehead, 82 Scotopteryx peribolata Hb., the Spanish Carpet (Lep.: Geometridae) at Studland, Dorset. D.A. Young, 275 Second brood of Spilosoma lubricipeda L.., the White Ermine (Lep.: Artciidae) in Ayrshire. A.M. Riley, 174 Second capture of Perigona nigriceps Del. (Col.: Carabidae) in N.W.Kent A.A. Allen, 46 Second generation of Scopula imitaria (Hbn.) (Lep.: Geometridae). /.V. Beavis, 192 Sedina buettneri Her., Blair's Wainscot (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Kent. A.M. Riley, 266 Separation of Semiothisa notata L. and S. alternaria Hiibn., the Peacock and Sharp- angled Peacock moths (Lep.: Geometridae). A.M. Riley, 19 Small Eggar Eriogaster lanestris L. in Wiltshire in 1990. M.H. Smith, 88 Social wasps Vespula spp. attacking Aeshna hawker dragonflies and Silver Y moth Autographa gamma L. (Lep.: Noctuidae). J.F. Burton, 199 Sparganothis pilleriana D. & S. (Lep.: Tortricidae) in North Wales. H.N. Michaelis, 196 Spodoptera cilium Guen. (Lep.: Noctuidae) a species new to Britain, and other rare migrants at the Lizard. J. Clarke, 69 Stout Dart, Spaelotis ravida D. & S. (Lep.: Noctuidae) a recent record from south- east Scotland. K.P. Bland, 262 Suicidal behaviour in invertebrates. D. Townsend, 270 Survey of Pamber Forest Nature Reserve. M. Davey, 41 The Swallowtail (Papilio machaeon) and Large Copper at Wicken Fen: B.O.C. Gardiner, 200 Thera juniperata L. (Lep.: Geometridae) in North London (Middlesex). K.G.V. Smith, 47 Thera juniperata Thunb. in Eastern Ireland. K.G.M. Bond & J.K. Early, 207 Thereva plebea L. (Dipt.: Therevidae): a recent find in E. Kent. A.A. Allen, 300 Third brood Holly Blue butterfly? M.A. Easterbrook, 16 Towards a safe and practical pest-repellent. P.F. Whitehead, 50 Two noctuids probably new to Worcestershire. H.S. Hemsley-Hall, 88 Two notable staphylinidae (Col.) at light in (1976. A.A. Allen, 46 Two species new to the Isle of Wight. S.A. Knill-Jones, 158 Unseasonal Colostygia multistrigaria Haw. (Lep.: Geometridae). /.J.L. Tillotson, 209 Unusual dates for imagines of Mythimna straminea Treit. and M. comma (Lep.: Noctuidae) in 1990. P. Baker, 105 Unusual pupuation site for Cerula vinula L. (Lep.: Notodontidae). K.P. Bland, 99 Unusual wing-drying posture in Orthosia species (Lep.: Noctuidae). R. Leverton, 42 Unusually early emergence of lepidoptera in spring 1990 noticed as far North as Banffshire. R. Leverton, 49 Urocerus gigas (Hym.: Siricidae) patrolling a bare hilltop. R. Leverton, 327 Utetheisa pulchella L., the Crimson-speckled Footman (Lep.: Arctiidae) in the Channel Isles. R. Long, 273 Vil Utetheisa pulchella L., the Crimson-speckled Footman (Lep.: Arctiidae) near Exeter A.M. Riley, 100 Vintage Watkins & Doncaster A. Archer- Lock, 16 Wasps, mantises, and the acme of inverte- brate predation P.F. Whitehead, 41 Welsh record of Hadrognathus longipalpis (Muls. & Rey) (Col.: Staphylinidae). PF. Whitehead, 271 Worth a dig. B.R. Baker, 20 Xylena vetusta Hb., the Red Sword-grass (Lep.: Noctuidae) in South Essex in December 1990. S. Dewick, 270 CONTRIBUTORS Abdulla, A., 213 Agassiz, D., 141, 155, 277 Ainley, R.G., 46 Allen, A.A., 6, 46, 47, 71, 77, 100, 160, 207, 235, 296, 300, 326, 327, 331 Archer-Lock, A.A., 16 Baker, P., 105, 108 Baker, B.R., 20 Baker, P.J., 203 Baldwin, G.G., 79 Barmett, R.J., 42 Barrington, R., 7, 181 Beaumont, H.E., 99 Beavis, I.V., 192 Birkett, N.L., 165 Bland, K.P., 99, 100, 262 Bond, K.G.M., 207 Boot, A.S., 20, 330 Bowdrey, J., 300, 328 Boyce, D.C., 301 Bristow, C.R., 257 Burton, J.F., 53, 199 Campbell, J.L., 329 Clancey, S., 51 Clarke, J., 69 Clayton, J., 297 Collingwood, C., 93 Collins, G., 313 Davey, M., 41 Day, D., 271 Dening, R.C., 109 Dewick, S., 135, 270 Dey, D., 140 Dickerson, B., 157 Early, J.K., 207 Easterbrook, M.A., 16 Emmet, A.M., 1, 201, 279 Fairclough, R., 40 Ford, T.H., 23 Foster, A.P., 1, 45, 160 Gardiner, B.O.C., 200 Goodey, B., 45, 111, 330 Greatorex-Davies, J.N., 209 Hall, M.R., 274 Hardy, P.B., 242 Hart, C., 208, 246 Heckford, R.J.,. 17 Hemsley-Hall, H.S., 70, 88 Viil Henning, G.A., 83 Read, R.W.J., 82, 96, 157 Henning, S.F., 83 Reed, D.K., 301 Henwood, B.P., 134, 157 Riley, A.M., 19, 22, 72, 45, 95, 97, 100, 104, 109, Holmes, P.R., 301 174, 184, 236, 242, 249, 266 Hulme, D.C., 188 Roper, P., 97, 210 Jewess, P., 110, 164 Shaw, M.R., 23, 272 Jordan, M..R., 57 Smith, H., 209 Kaufmann, R.R. Uhthoff-, 3, 73, 129, 189, 243 Smith, K.G.V., 6, 47 Knill-Jones, S.A., 101, 128, 158, 329 Smith, M.H., 88, 270 MUDSEG is Le Sokoloff, P.A., 212, 215, 332, 333 Tanemaid eR; 155 Spalding, A., 250, 259, 323 Larsen, T.B., 15, 94, 154, 205, 263, 268, 322 Leverton, R., 18, 38, 42, 217, 327 Long, R., 273 Luff, M.L., 48 Mendel, H., 293 Menzies, I.S., 62 Michaelis, H.N., 196, 210 Sterling, D.H., 105 Sterling, M., 106 Stubbs, A.E., 197, 283 Tennent, W.J., 223 Tillotson, L.J.L., 209 Townsend, M.C., 22, 104, 184 Miles, P.M., 163 Townsend, D., 270 Morris, R.K.A., 103, 106, 127, 159, 161, 313 Waring, P., 107, 193, 287 Morton, A., 325 Welch, R.C., 98, 108 Nash, D.R., 62 West, B.K., 16, 43, 89, 258 O'Keeffe, D., 282, 286, 327 Whitehead, P.F., 39, 41, 42, 43, 50, 81, 82, 99, Owen, J.A., 48, 49, 62, 158, 185, 278, 333 ISO 15952305 20227 Palmer, R.M., 125 Willmott, K., 247 Paul, J., 167, 237 Wiltshire, E.P., 63, 119, 175, 251, 307 Phillips, J.W., 270 Young, D.A., 275 Prance, D.A., 262, 276 Young, M.R., 125 Eee ee Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: 0277-224610 UBLISHED DBI-MIUNLHLY — VOL 103 | mMcios 1 — 2 Biel) > am a 2 6 199] ~~. Aree ) | UNIVERSITY THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION ld Edited by P. A. SOKOLOFF, rres. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1991 ISSN 0013-3916 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’ RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Editor P.A. SOKOLOFF M.5Sc., C.Biol., M.I-Biol., F.R.E.S. 4 Steep Close, Green Street Green, Orpington, Kent BR6 6DS Editorial Panel A.A. Allen B.Sc., A.R.C.S. P.J. Chandler B.Sc., F.R.E.S. N. Birkett M.A., M.B. C.A. Collingwood B.Sc., F.R.E.S. E.S. Bradford A.M. Emmet M.B.E., T.D., F.R.E.S. J.D. Bradley Ph-D., F.R.E.S. C.J. Duckens; MB: ChB, D5R-C OG: J.M. Chalmers-HuntF.R.E.S. B. Skinner Registrar C.C. Penney F.R.E.S. 109 Waveney Drive, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex CMI 5QA Hon. Treasurer P.J. Johnson B.A., A.C.A. 31 Oakdene Road, Brockham, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7JV WHERE TO WRITE EDITOR: All material for publication and books for review REGISTRAR: Changes of address and non-arrival of the Journal HON. TREASURER: Subscriptions, advertisements and subscribers’ notices Notes for Contributors It would greatly help the Editor if material submitted for publication were typed and double spaced. Two copies are preferred. Please DO NOT use block capitals and DO NOT underline anything except scientific names. Word-processed text should not use italic, bold or compressed typeface. References quoted within the text can be abbreviated (eg Ent. Rec.), but those collected at the end of a paper should follow the standard World List abbreviations (eg Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var.). When in doubt try to follow the style and format of material in a current issue of the Record. Illustrations must be the original (not a photocopy) without legend which should be typed on a separate copy. Photographs should be glossy, positive prints. Authors of long papers, or submit- ting valuable originals are advised to contact the Editor first. Contributors are requested not to send us notes or articles which they are sending to other magazines. Whilst all reasonable care is taken of manuscripts, illustrations etc, the Editor and his staff can- not hold themselves responsible for any loss or damage. Readers are respectfully advised that the publication of material in this Journal does not imply that the views and opinions expressed therein are shared by the Editor, the Editorial Board or the publisher. PHYLLONORYCTER PLATANI ] PHYLLONORYCTER PLATANI (STAUDINGER, 1870) (LEPIDOPTERA: GRACILLARIIDAE) NEW TO BRITAIN A.M. EMMET Labrey Cottage, Victoria Gardens, Saffron Walden, Essex CBI] 3AF IN RECENT autumns it has become easy to recognise a microlepidopterist when he is walking in the streets of London. His eyes are cast down as he scrupulously searches the carpet of plane leaves beneath his feet for the mines of Phyllonorycter platani. This is a native of south-eastern Europe but, like its relative P. leucographella (Zeller), it has steadily been extending its range northwards and westwards and its arrival in Britain was deemed to be just a matter of time. The car park of Imperial College, London, where the Annual Exhibition of the British Entomological & Natural History Society was held on the 27th October 1990, is shaded by plane-trees. On disembarking there, I adopted the behaviour pattern of my kind and at once astounded my companions by executing an octogenarian war dance whilst brandishing a leaf aloft and chanting ‘‘New to Britain!’’. I duly placed the mined leaf, appropriately annotated, amongst the exhibits. The post-exhibition field meeting used to be one of the most popular events in the Society’s calendar, often being attended by 30 - 40 members. Now, sadly, it has been discontinued, but 1990 saw its revival: the Annual Exhibition was to become exhibition and field meeting all in one. Out trooped the microlepidopterists to the car park and, when that proved unproductive, they migrated onwards to the garden surrounding the British Museum (Natural History). There the mines were found in some plenty, mainly in leaves that were still on the trees and within a man’s reach. I was unable to join this expedition but was kindly presented with their prize find, a single leaf bearing no fewer then eight mines. Since then, mines have been found elsewhere in the neighbourhood and also at Kew Gardens. This is not surprising, since many of the leaves swept up from the London streets are taken to Kew to make compost. I hope to write a more substantial article next spring when the moths have emerged, giving a full description of them and of their early stages. However, since my discovery has already received such widespread publicity, a preliminary notice seems desirable. Hitherto unreported foodplants for Simyra albovenosa (Goeze) (Lep.: Noctuidae). The catholic tastes of this species in captivity are well known e.g. Allan (1949) and Heath & Emmet (1983) quote Salix cinerea, S. repens and Rhamnus catharticus as suitable foodplants for rearing. In addition, Skinner (1984) notes that broad-leaved grasses are also accepted. However, in the wild Phragmites australis is the more usual foodplant, though Heath 2, ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.i.1991 & Emmet (Joc. cit.) also record Catabrosa aquatica and Carex elata as alternative hosts. During an invertebrate survey on some fen sites in Norfolk, funded by the Nature Conservancy Council, Deborah Procter and myself encountered larvae of S. albovenosa feeding on a range of wetland plants. Most often P. australis, but in additdion, four hitherto unreported foodplants were noted: Single larva on Carex paniculata, 1.viii.1988, Great Cressingham Fen; single larva on Cladium mariscus, 8.ix.1988, Swangey Fen; single larva on Rumex hydrolapathum, 12.vii.1988, Old Buckingham Fen; single larva on Lysimachia vulgaris, 19.vi.1989, Bure Marshes NNR. The first aforementioned larva was in its final instar, the remaining three in lesser stages of development. In all instances the larvae were observed in the wild to feed on the plants listed, and were successfully reared to the adult stage in captivity by providing the same host plant as recorded in the field. Incidentally, the larvae on C. paniculata and C. mariscus showed a preference for these respective hosts, when simultaneously given the choice of P. australis, though the latter was eaten when provided on its own. At each of the localities cited above P. australis was present in the sward. Indeed in the case of Old Buckingham Fen it was the dominant plant in a commercially harvested reed bed cut for thatch, whereas R. hydrolapathum was present only as isolated plants, mainly at the fringe of the reed bed. Whilst P. australis was the most frequently recorded foodplant, these observations suggest, that in Norfolk at least, larvae of S. albovenosa utilise a variety of wetland plants as hosts.—A.P. FOSTER, c/o Nature Conservancy Council,60 Bracondale, Norwich, Norfolk NR1 2BE. References: Allan, P.B.M. (1949). Larval Foodplants. London. Heath, J. & Emmet, A.M. (Eds.) (1983). The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 10. Harley Books, Colchester. Skinner, B. (1984). Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles. Viking, London. Editorial assistant wanted We are seeking an assistant editor to help with the production of the Record. The post would suit someone with a little time to spare each month and an interest in or flair for entomological publishing. The tasks include working with the editor in forward planning, preparing text for the printer, editing and/or rewriting contributions and helping with proof reading. The only skills required are a reasonable working knowledge of the English language (with, preferably, a better grasp of grammar and spelling than the current editor!), a love of entomology, and a ‘‘feel’’ for the style of the Record. A word processor would be useful, but not essential. As with all other posts with the Record, the position is voluntary (!), although all expenses will be met. If you are interested, please drop the editor a line. THE TANNER BEETLE IN GREAT BRITAIN 3 THE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE OF THE TANNER BEETLE, PRIONUS CORIARIUS L. (COL.: PRIONIDAE) IN GREAT BRITAIN RAYMOND R. UHTHOFF-KAUFMANN 13 Old Road, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0HB ALPHABETICAL symbols in use are those advocated by Balfour-Browne (Kaufmann, 1989); italicised ones indicate widespread captures; bracketed letters signify that confirmatory evidence is still lacking. A dagger (+) represents an imported specimen. Prionus coriarius L. This, our largest and heaviest Longhorn, measuring up to 4.5 cm long, is the only indigenous representative of the large family of Prionidae. Local, sometimes not uncommon, it is found mainly in well-wooded regions where one of the principal growths is oak, a tree with which Prionus is frequently associated. The beetle occurs in two defined areas: west-north-westerly to Lancashire and Westmorland, and from the south-west peninsula along the whole of the Channel coast (but excluding the Isle of Wight), the Home Counties, and then eastwards to include East Anglia as far as the Wash. Mansfield in Nottinghamshire loosely links these two regions. A more careful search may indicate that this handsome insect is more widespread in the Midland counties than is at present known. Welsh records are very scarce, due perhaps to the beetle’s nocturnal habits, landscape changes in arboriculture, and not many Welsh Coleopterists. The Tanner Beetle is unknown in Scotland or Ireland. ENGLAND: BK BX CB CH DTEC EK EN ES EX GE GW HF HTLMX ND NE NH NM NW SD SE SH'SL SP SRSS ST (SW) SY+ WC WK WL WN WO WALES: DB GM Although more often found in the moist roots and lower parts of dying and decaying oak trees, the larva of Prionus is amphixylophagous; it also occurs in the rotting stumps of alder, apple, ash, beech, birch, cherry, elm, hazel, holly, hornbeam, horsechestnut, plane, plum, Scots pine, silver fir, spruce, willow and very occasionally even telegraph poles and old posts. As the larvae prefer rotten roots they will tunnel through the soil in search of a new and edible pabulum. Very rarely are they found higher than a foot or so in upright trunks. When fully grown the larva is over 8cm long. It is parasitised by the Hymenopteron Deuteroxorides albitarsus Grav. and by several species of Diptera, namely, Parasarcophaga aratrix Pand., Billaea microcera Rond., B. pectinata Mg, and B. subrotundata Rond. Predators include the centipede, Lithobius, which will devour the eggs and young larvae, and possibly the larva of the Coleopteron Melanotus rufipes 4 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Herbst. It is unlikely that the larvae of Prionus are preyed upon by woodpeckers as the former do not tunnel sufficiently high up the boles to attract these birds’ attentions. Pupation usually takes place in an ample soft earthen cocoon, 4.5cm long by 3cm wide, quite smooth inside, and some 1 to 3 inches underground somewhere near the roots of the host plant. This customary form of pupal chamber is sometimes encountered in the ground underneath a fallen log upon which the larva has fed. There are a few records of cocoons made from earth and wooden fragmenis bound together with larval secretions but this form of pupal cell is most unusual. Metamorphosis takes from three to four years, the imagines emerging from May onwards until as late as October; however, the main eclosion months are mid-July and August. Their exit holes round the base of the host tree resemble those made by mice and are almost one inch in diameter. In general, the males emerge before the females; neither sex survives beyond a month. Dead beetles, probably those that have ecloded in the autumn, are sometimes found apparently sheltering from the cold among exposed roots and in leaf drifts; there is no evidence to suggest that they hibernate or overwinter. , Prionus is crepuscular in habit, sluggish, and hides in the daytime. It appears at dusk, preferably on hot or sultry, even rainy evenings. In some southern localities it is still not uncommon, taking — not surprisingly in view of its size — to a somewhat heavy undulating flight. It has been found in the open on fennel and privet flowers, or at rest on old stumps and posts. Prionus is not a nectar seeking beetle; nevertheless, it is attracted to entomologists’ ‘‘sugar’’. There are also records of its capture while circling round household lights. The sexes are dimorphous; the male has very conspicuous 12-jointed serrate antennae; those of the female are 11-jointed, noticeably more slender and shorter. A pugnacious beetle, Prionus stridulates loudly when picked up and during copulation. If several are found, they should always be boxed separately, the males in particular being ferocious fighters. This beetle is not regarded as an economic pest despite that its larvae do reduce to frass the roots and boles of some standing delicate or partly diseased ornamental and parkland trees. P. coriarius is figured among others by Martyn (1792), Donovan (1809) and Curtis (1838), but it was known to naturalists much earlier. Dr Thomas Moffet, whose young daughter had, it is recalled, a most fearsome encounter with an Arachnid as she partook of a 16th century version of yoghurt, writing well over three centuries ago about Prionus stated ‘‘It hath a little broad head, great ox eyes, almost three fingers overthwart in length; it hath a forked mouth, gaping and terrible, with two very hard, crooked teeth: with these, while he gnaws the wood (I speak from experience) it THE TANNER BEETLE IN GREAT BRITAIN 5 doth perfectly grunt aloud like a young pig . . . and being wearied with flying, she useth them [the ‘‘horns’’] for feet: for knowing that his legs are weak, he twists his horns about the branch of a tree, and so he hangs at ease .... The late Evelyn Duffy, who made a special study of the habits of P. coriarius (1946), never observed the Tanner Beetle suspended by its antennae! Acknowledgements Cordial thanks for their information and records are extended to A.A. Allen, Esq, D.B. Atty, Esq, J. Cooter, Esq, Mrs B. Leonard, Librarian, Royal Entomological Society, D.R. Nash, Esq, C. MacKechnie Jarvis Esq and Professor J.A. Owen. References Bily, S. & Mehl, O., 1989. Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) of Fennoscandia and Denmark, Fauna Ent. Scand. 22. Leiden and New York. Box, H.E., 1915. Prionus coriarius F. (sic) in Epping Forest, Entomologist’s mon. Mazg., (3) 1: 310. Curtis, J., 1838. British Entomology, 15. London. Demelt, C. von, 1966. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands, 52: 2. Bockkdfer oder Cerambycidae, 1. Jena. Donovan, E., 1809. The natural history of British Insects, 14. London. Duffy, E.A.J., 1946. A contribution towards the biology of Prionus coriarius L. (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae), Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond., 97, part 17: 419-442. Two plates. —, 1953. A monograph of the immature stages of British and imported Timber Beetles (Cerambycidae). London. Fowler, W.W., 1890. The Coleoptera of the British Islands, 4. London. Hansen, V., 1966. Biller, 22. Traebukke. Danmarks Fauna. Copenhagen. (Text in Danish.) Kaufmann, R.R. Uhthoff-, 1946. The distribution of Prionus coriarius L. (Col.: Cerambycidae) in Great Britain, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 82: 251-252. One map. —, 1948. Notes on the distribution of the British Longicorn Coleoptera, Ibid., 84: 66-85. Klausnitzer, B. & Sander, F., 1981. Die Bockkdfer Mitteleuropas. Wittenberg Lutherstadt. Kloet, G.S. & Hincks, W.D., 1977. A check list of British Insects, 11(3), Coleoptera and Strepsiptera: 70. 2nd ed. London. Lameere, A., 1913. Coleopterorum Catalogus, 52, Cerambycidae: Prioninae: 72 in Junk, W. and Schenkling, S. Berlin. Martyn, T., 1792. The English Entomologist, p|.24, f.4. London. Moffet, T., 1658. Insectorum Theatrum. Posthumous edition. Nash, D.R., 1976. Some interesting Coleoptera from North-East Essex, Entomolo- gist’s Rec. J. Var., 88: 39-43. Villiers, A., 1978. Faune des Coléoptéres de France, 1. Cerambycidae. Paris. 6 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Polistichus connexus Fourc. (Col.: Carabidae) at light in suburban West Kent Four specimens of this very local uncommon ground beetle flew to my m.v. lamp on the warm night of 3rd August 1990 — a most unexpected and remarkable occurrence. Its British headquarters used to be the Isle of Sheppey, where it was occasionally plentiful during the last century (cf. Fowler, Col. Brit. Isl. 1: 147); but its recorded range extends from Dorset to Norfolk, chiefly on and near the coast. I have seen no published record of Poiistichus for West Kent, but have myself taken it in the extreme east of the vice-county: Isle of Grain, May 1935, two in different spots under stones in a pasture field. Nor have I heard of recent finds in the Thames Estuary area, but it has occurred on the coast of East Sussex in later years. The sole inland county from which it is known is Berkshire: Donisthorpe (1939, Pre. List Col. Windsor Forest: 20), records two from roots of elm trees (14.v.24), and I have found odd specimens there (the Great Park) from time to time in the late 1930s and 40s in similar situations, but never since. . One may speculate on the origin of the Charlton beetles. As far as we know, the only previous capture anywhere near London was of a single individual on the Chingford side edge of Epping Forest by the late H.W. Forster in the 1940s (I believe, unpublished) — possibly a straggler from the Essex coast. The occurrence of four examples is evidence of local breeding. There are, indeed, certain restricted spots on the south bank of the Thames a good two miles distant where a colony might conceivably exist; being difficult of access, they are perhaps sufficiently undisturbed. It is hard to imagine P. connexus flourishing, in present conditions, at any nearer site. Has it, then, spread up the Thames from the estuary region in very recent years? Or has it always been present in my area but never seen until now? Or has it just established itself in one of the parks at Charlton (and if so, how?), as it did in Windsor Park for a time? All three alternatives seem about equally implausible.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, Loudon SE) 7QG. Metoecus paradoxus L. (Col.: Rhipiphoridae) in London (Middlesex). I found a moribund male of this widely distributed but rarely encountered beetle on my garden path on 14th August 1990. There are no subterranean wasps’ nests in the immediate vicinity though several neighbours have nests in their lofts. Mr A.A. Allen’s notes (1984, Ent. Rec. 96: 184; ibid. 100: 93) suggest that the nearest to London the beetle had previously been recorded was by Mr Ford from his loft in Bexleyheath, Kent. The same record confirms Fowler & Donisthorpe’s finding (1913, Coleoptera of the British Islands 6: 299) that the beetle is not confined to subterranean wasps’s nests as even recent standard works of reference still suggest.— K.G.V. SMITH, 70 Hollickwood Avenue, London N12 OLT. MEADOW BROWN IN DORSET 7 CONTINUED NOTES ON A NORTH DORSET COLONY OF THE MEADOW BROWN BUTTERFLY MANIOLA JURTINA L. RUPERT D.G. BARRINGTON Old College Arms, Stour Row, Shaftesbury, Dorset. TWO previous articles (Ent. Rec. 96: 259-263 and 99: 97-102) have discussed variation in an exceptional colony of M. jurtina from an area of hay meadow in the Blackmore Vale of North Dorset. The following continues the observations up to the 1989 season and, after nine years of more or less intensive study of the colony, a few conclusions are drawn regarding the extent of variability of this population. In the last article reference was made to a population study conducted in the area and further details are given below. Population census The population size was assessed during 1985 using the mark - release - recapture technique (details of method and statistical analysis of raw data are given by Ford, 1951). Windsor & Newton picture varnish was used to mark specimens, a spot being applied to a different area of the wing each day so that the previous date/s of capture of recaptured specimens could be recorded. The technique requires a well confined colony. The accompanying photograph of the area shows that hedges bound the fields on three sides, the fourth side being a garden and buildings. Fig. 1 shows the change in daily population size through the season and Fig. 2 the changing proportions of the sexes. The graphs show a long trickle of males emerging in late June and a large burst of female emergence in the second week of July coinciding with the population peak on 13th July. From Fig. 1 this peak is very marked as it is when observed in the field (although the peak was some ten days early in 1989). Analysis of daily population size gave a total of about 13,500 individuals. Certainly on sunny days in 1985 very large numbers of butterflies rose from the grass as one walked through (often after catching the day’s random sample of specimens for marking — a small proportion of specimens seen — I would be surprised to find over 100 specimens in my boxes), and this figure is probably not far from the mark. After a series of good summers, 1985 produced the highest population of the species in the nine years of study from 1981 to 1989, although numbers in 1989 may have approached this figure. Regarding the sex ratios, jurtina is well known to be a species that carries the ‘‘male first’? emergence pattern to an extreme. I have reared a brood in which all males have emerged before the first female, although this pre- female emergence usually seems to be more in the region of 75% of the males. One would imagine that some males might die before having the opportunity to mate. Assessing length of life is difficult, but in the present 8 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 ad I a NS SS eee 8000 Number of butterflies 8000 4000 2000 247,726) 28/530) 2 4 8 Bie MOP 1200-145 516 1B cO ss 22) e245 JUNE aa mae i= = < Fig. 1. Population of Maniola jurtina in a North Dorset colony during 1985. study the longest time between initial marking and subsequent recapture of a specimen was 17 days; this for a female. In captive conditions males live for about eight days, so almost certainly some of the earliest males will never meet a female. The seasons of 1986 - 1989 In mid-June 1986 the fields were cut unexpectedly early for hay. At this time the first males are emerging and most of the population would be pupae or large larvae. Cutting at this time must destroy these stages in some numbers, especially with the practise of cropping the grass tight like a lawn (in the breeding cage although some larvae pupate at the base of the grass stems a fair proportion will pupate several inches up the stem and would be vulnerable). However, jurtina has remarkable powers of recovery and the population the following year was probably not far below average. It has sometimes been stated that jurtina will rarely cross a hedge. I now feel that this statement needs qualification. Whilst jurtina seems to be a MEADOW BROWN IN DORSET 9 % of population Female Fig. 2. Male/female distribution of Maniola jurtina in a North Dorset colony during 1985. basically sedentary insect and a hedge will undoubtedly provide some sort of barrier which they will not often cross if conditions in the area are favourable (ie plenty of flowers), when conditions are unfavourable (eg a newly cut field with few flowers) the butterflies become more restless. In this state they are often to be seen crossing hedges to reach new fields where they will lay eggs and search for flowers. A new area was required in 1986 as our fields would be of no use until the following season. Most of the meadews locally are cut early, but near a woodland half a mile away a beautiful spot was found. Normally well grazed and with jurtina sparse, this year grazing had been relaxed with only four Jersey cattle and two horses in the two acre field. The grass was long in parts with dense stands of thistles, and jurtina numbers had exploded. The best area was the sloping end of the long, rectangular field backing onto the woods. With the majority of the thistles it was also sheltered but still had the sun until about 6pm. This was the most attractive situation in which I have been fortunate to look for butterflies. The very English scenery of old oak 10 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 201-1991 woodland and meadows in all directions, a few farm buildings and a field lined by huge oaks, maple and hawthorn was augmented by Silver-washed Fritillaries and White Admirals visiting a thistle stand in a damp corner of the field. I was able to work the area for several days in July and the first aberration, taken on the 3rd, was a female ab. antiaurolancea Leeds with the forewing fulvous of the upperside broken into bands by darker scaling. The 10th was a sultry day and the best method of collecting was to stand still in the centre of a large thistle patch and quietly observe the specimens coming in to feed. A fresh male ab. anticastanea Leeds was taken in this way. This form has the fulvous of the underside of the forewings of a deep brick-red colour and the wing fringes very pale. The following day was warm with patchy sun, and a strongly marked female ab. fracta Zweiglt was quickly spotted at rest on the ground. Several hours of further search revealed nothing when, with the shadows of the oak trees beginning to stretch across the thistles bringing an end to the best collecting conditions, I saw a butterfly that, even from 40 feet, was clearly visible as a gynandromorph. It flashed a curiously incomplete area of fulvous as it flew towards me. It proved to be a perfect example, halved on the upperside but with the apical spot on the underside of the male half mainly female. A further antiaurolancea female was taken on 13th. In another local field with a fair population of jurtina a number of forms were taken over the next two days including a good female fracta, a female ab. addenda Mousley and a male ab. postmultifidus Lipscomb, a form rather indistinct in the male despite being a striking female variety. 1987 and 1988 were disappointing years with seemingly continuous wind and rain during the emergence period, and time was very limited. The only specimens of note from the usual area in 1987 were an asymmetrical female antiaurolancea with forewing fulvous reduced on one side, an asymmetrical female postmultifidus with two darkened veins across the median band of one hindwing, a female ab. antiobscura Leeds with the forewing fulvous dusted over with ground colour and an unusual colour form of the female underside. The closest description to this aberration (of which three female examples have been taken over nine years) that I have come across is that of ab. antiultrafulvescens Leeds (Leeds, 1948-9). It is described as having the forewing basal area of a pronoucedly darker but somewhat brightish- brown colour, occasionally with a reddish tinting. The present examples are certainly reddish, but additionally the forewing fulvous is restricted to a smaller area by dark scaling, the ground colour is a rich reddish-chocolate and the hindwing median band is of a pure grey with little of the normal flecking of darker scales. I have not seen this form anywhere else and so assume it to be a rare aberration. A more appropriate name may simply be ultrafulvescens. Two dull mornings were available for collecting in 1988. On 10th July, at the point when lethargy was beginning to set in after two or three hours of MEADOW BROWN IN DORSET 1] Fig. 3. The jurtina meadow st Stour Row, Dorset, June 1989. - damp, fruitless effort trying to net the jurtina that were shooting past on the strong wind, I scarcely bothered to examine a female on a flower head exhibiting a typical upperside. It turned out to be the most extreme fracta I have ever seen. Also an unusual female was taken with the light central hindwing band invading the darker basal area (Fig. 4). One of the few butterflies feeding from knapweed on the 15th was a female with homoeosis on the underside of one hindwing, this consisting of a thick streak of orange scales. Fine, warm and dry conditions made 1989 a more productive year, advancing the emergence by ten days with the population peak being at the start of July. Numbers were probably up on the previous two years although it was difficult to assess the 1987 and 1988 populations as the adults rarely fed from flowers in any numbers, when it is easiest to observe them. The first day in the fields was 17th June and there were good numbers of butterflies, mainly male, on the wing, when I would normally expect to see only the first few emergences. Little variation was evident. The following day an interesting observation was made. At 10am, in a part of the field well grazed by a horse, many male jurtina, evenly spread over the short grass, were flying low and slowly, landing frequently but not to feed. This is quite different from their normally frenetic flight between flower patches. They appeared to be searching for newly emerged females. Although at this time of year males far outnumber females, the two sexes were feeding from flowers in equal numbers, most males being involved in the searching flight. This phenomenon was only noticeable in the morning, 12 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 ee ee SS ee after which presumably, the day’s new emergence is almost over. With up to 100 males visible from a standing position this behaviour was quite striking. Once recognised in the short grass it could be seen to be happening over all the area. I have since heard that work in Holland has confirmed this to be mate-searching behaviour. The only aberration of note was a lightly marked male postmultifidus from a knapweed head. Some free time in the week starting 24th June coincided with the only poor weather for weeks or months either side. The 24th produced a male ab. atrescens Leeds flying over knapweed, the hindwings being strongly black. A very worn male ab. subtus - albida Silb. was seen feeding from bramble in the hedge. This was the fifth example of the form (four male, one female) seen in the area over the nine years. The weather was windy and wet until the 28th which, although drizzling was at least still, but cold. The only jurtina seen were those kicked out of the grass, which were examined until the net became so wet that I risked damaging any captures. A fresh female ab. fracta was taken. In previous years I have seen jurtina captured on the wing by the swallows that breed in some old stables at one end of the fields. On this cold day, after an hour of looking at the browns, I was surprised by a swallow that swept past no more than four feet away to capture a jurtina I had just disturbed from the grass. This bird returned every few minutes (doubtless having fed a chick) continually taking butterflies almost in front of my nose. Half an hour later another swallow twigged on to this unexpected bonus and did the same. It was a rare privilege to see, at such close quarters, their aerial acrobatics. If they missed a specimen first time around they would turn at an acute angle with little loss of speed and come back for it. I saw few butterflies escape and one wonders how much use the deflective apical spots can be against such an adversary. On hot days when jurtina are flying of their own accord, five or more swallows may be seen racing over the grass and flowers. Their chicks must be raised on a diet high in Meadow Browns. The 30th was, at last, a fine day and jurtina were up and feeding in good numbers. They were best worked by walking slowly from one flower patch to another using the net only to examine something that looked unusual. This is an easy method except that jurtina appears to have a sense of hearing. Some moths are known to have hearing structures but their existence in butterflies is less well known. When near a patch of flowers covered in feeding jurtina a slight movement of a foot (invisible to the butterflies) may cause a trapped grass stem to snap audibly, and most butterflies will immediately take off. The hearing sense of a moth is, at least partly, related to the need to hear approaching bats, but its use is less clear in butterflies. A good female ab. crassipuncta-addenda Leeds (Fig. 5) was taken with the apical spot considerably larger on the upper than underside, and a female with a black suffused patch on the underside of one hindwing (Fig. 6). This appears to be a partial expression of atrescens (a similar specimen MEADOW BROWN IN DORSET 13 Figs. 4-9. Aberrations of Maniola jurtina L. 4. Female with reduced hindwing basal area, Stour Row, Dorset, 10.7.1988 (RDGB). 5. Female crassipuncta-addenda Leeds, Stour Row, 30.6.1989. (RDGB). 6. Female with partial expression of atrescens Leeds. Stour Row, 30.6.1989 (RDGB). 7. Male, unnamed aberration, Gomshall, Surrey, 28.8.1944 (J.C.B. Craske). 8. Female atrescens Leeds. Stour Row, 2.7.1989 (RDGB). 9. Female showing homoeosis, Stour Row, 8.7.1989 (RDGB). taken by J.C.B. Craske in 1944 is illustrated for comparison (Fig. 7) — this does not seem to be an expression of atrescens but may be a form of homoeosis or some other very unusual unevenly patterned aberration). Just how atrescens is inherited is not clear but it has some lethal effect, and captured specimens almost invariably exhibit some degree of wing 14 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 deformation (of the 12 or so specimens exhibiting melanism that have been seen in this locality, only one was without any deformity). I have found specimens with one side or one wing more blackened than the others (such insects have usually been very badly deformed), although the distinct black patch of this specimen is a form I have not had before. The upperside of the present specimen is of a washed-out grey-black with reduced forewing fulvous, characteristic of all the female atrescens I have seen and there is a small deformity in the black area, so there seems little doubt that this insect shows an unusual expression of the atrescens complex. Another female taken in flight was transitional to atrescens but with crumpled wings. She laid a few ova but no larvae have survived. A male ab. sinis-anommata Vty, and a female transitional to fracta were observed. A warm day on 2nd July produced an extreme female homoeotic form with orange streaks over half of the underside of one hindwing. This is almost certain to be an inherited aberration (five such examples have been taken, all showing orange streaks on the underside of the left hindwing). The 8th July was the last day I was able to work the area. Conditions were perfect and butterflies very abundant. In a two hour search several aberrations were found including a good female atrescens (with a small ‘*shot-hole’’ in one forewing) (Fig. 8), a female antiobscura with virtually no upperside fulvous, a well marked female addenda and a female showing hindwing homoeosis with brown streaks on the underside of one hindwing (Fig. 9). Some conclusions Almost every form of variation known in jurtina has occurred in the hay meadows of this area of North Dorset. This includes spotting variation with extra spots on all wings and both surfaces, reduced, absent or enlarged apical spots (the specimens referrable to ab. crassipuncta Leeds that have been taken are not extreme and other areas are known to produce more striking examples). Ground colour forms have varied from creamy through a range of insects paler and darker than type to the heavily melanic atrescens. The forewing fulvous varies from white to a reddish-brown and in extent on the upperside of the female from extensive with a hindwing band to total absence. The hindwing ‘‘banded”’ aberrations with darkened veins across the median band of the underside occur as two forms: fracta with a single heavy band, and postmultifidus with several, but lighter, bands (they do not appear to be related). The aberration postaurolancea Leeds with all veins darkened (Russwurm, 1978, pl.39, Figs. 7 and 8 as opposed to Fig. 6 which has since been separated and named postmultifidus) has not been found. To my knowledge it has only ever been seen in two downland localities, in one of which it is now a great rarity. I have no information on the other area. Homoeotics and a gynandromorph have been taken, and the whole range of bleached ab. partimtransformis Leeds. The only major aberrant form that has not been found is albinism. There MEADOW BROWN IN DORSET 15 are three albino types: white, grey and ‘‘gold’’. All three have sometimes been found as recurrent forms. Having not found any in the hay meadows after nine years I would be surprised now to do to as it is likely that the necessary aberrant genes simply do not exist in the population. References Barrington, R.D.G., 1984. Notes on variation in a North Dorset colony of the Meadow Brown: Maniola jurtina L. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 96: 259. — , 1987. Further notes on variation in a North Dorset colony of the Meadow Brown butterfly (Maniola jurtina L.). Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 99: 97. Ford, E.B., 1951. The experimental study of evolution. Report of the Brisbane meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science. XXVIII: 143. Russwurm, A.D.A., 1978. Aberrations of British Butterflies. Classey. Hazards of butterfly collecting — Yemen, 1981. It is an acknowledged, world-wide hazard of butterfly collecting that it is often difficult to make local people understand why one is engaging in such an activity. Only in places where money is being made from butterflies is it possible to escape questions on the subject, and the questions are usually at their most intense where one’s familiarity with the language is weakest. I was therefore very happy to visit a remote hot spring in Yemen in the company of an American friend whose mastery of Arabic much surpassed mine. He had long wished to swim in the covered baths with hot, sulphurous water. They had been used by generations of the Imams who had kept Yemen isolated till the revolution of 1961. We were well received by a group of men at the usual soft drink store, and as so often in Yemen the drinks were on the house. The genuine hospitality and courtesy of rural folk in Yemen was not changed by the revolution. After the necessary pleasantries, my friend descended to swim in the ancient, dungeon like building. I elected to check for butterflies first and to swim later. There was good butterfly collecting to be had. It was in one of those places in Yemen where many African and endemic species are found that do not occur elswehere in Arabia. Three hours later I approached the bath house, waving to my friend and his new found Yemeni entourage.The result was somewhat unexpected — the unmistakable sound of Kalashnikov rifles being cocked. I smartly altered course, waved, smiled and approached the group. I had almost blundered into a very dangerous situation. It was now women’s bath-time, and Yemeni men guard their women well. Had I opened the door, that would have been it. But there were no hard feelings — an excusable error of judgement, fortunately stopped in time. What was I doing with this thing (my butterfly net)? I seized on the opportunity of having a good translater on hand to expound on the marvels of the Yemeni butterfly fauna and its extremely interesting zoogeographical 16 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 implications. The highest peaks of Yemen have Palaearctic butterflies like the Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) and the Bath White (Pontia daplidice) as well as many Afrotropical species and quite a few species only found in Arabia or even just in Yemen. I showed them one or two Yemeni endemics: ‘‘Only found in Yemen — nowhere else in the world!’’ Murmurs of approval indicated that the impromptu lecture went well; there were several questions from the audience. So many Yemeni men have worked abroad that the zoogeography was seized upon. Cola and Fanta flowed freely, still on the house (cold beer, alas, is in very short supply in most of Arabia). We also talked about local ecology and climate and its relation to butterflies. I think they were impressed with my obvious dedication and knowledge, but the summing-up of the senior citizen present was still sobering: ‘‘Well, that was very interesting. But, you know, it is very funny with you nasrani (Christians). You all seem to know an incredible amount about practically nothing. It is very different for us. We know a something about practically everything’’.— TORBEN B. LARSEN, 358 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL. Enargia paleacea Esp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Kent. A further specimen of this insect, only the second to be reported for West Kent (vice-county 16) in over a century, came to my garden m.v. light on 29th July 1990, the previous example being at the same location on 15th July 1987 (Ent. Rec. 99: 267). Curiously this latter was somewhat ambiguously reported in the annual review by R. Bretherton and C. Chalmers-Hunt of immigrants (Ent. Rec. 100: 227) the date being stated as 15/16.7, for elsewhere in the review where two dates are so given it indicates that specimens were observed on both dates, and on dates between that they are not consecutive. I wish to reiterate that in 1987 I observed only one specimen; the date 15th July.— B.K. WEST, 36 Briar Road, Dartford, Kent DAS 2HN. Vintage Watkins and Doncaster Has anyone any interesting recollections regarding the renowned firm of Watkins and Doncaster, pre-war? What species of butterfly was depicted on the hanging sign — was it Swallowtail of Camberwell Beauty? A thrilling shop for a youngster to visit!— A. ARCHER-LOCK, 4 Glenwood Road, Mannamead, Plymouth, Devon. Third brood Holly Blue butterfly? I would like to record a sighting of the Holly Blue, Celestrina argiolus L., on 16th October 1990 near East Malling, Kent. In view of the exceptional weather this year, it seems likely that this was a third generation individual.— M.A. EASTERBROOK, 26 Orchard Grove, Ditton, Ayleford, Kent. ; LEPIDOPTERA ON ISLES OF SCILLY 17 LEPIDOPTERA OBSERVED ON THE ISLES OF SCILLY IN 1989. R.J. HECKFORD 67 Newnham Road, Plympton, Plymouth PL7 4AW. RECORDS of lepidoptera from the Isles of Scilly up to about 1980 were collated by Agassiz (1981). In 1987 I published a list of certain species I had found in May 1986 (Heckford, 1987). Although no doubt other entomologists have visited the area in the last decade I do not know of any additions to those lists. A further opportunity to investigate the lepidoptera occurred between 19th August and Ist September 1989 when I enjoyed a family holiday on St Mary’s. The garden of the house where we stayed was very small and dominated by a narrow leaved willow which was covered in honeydew for the whole of our stay. This attracted several Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus) and Pararge aegeria (Linnaeus) during the day and at night quite a number of macrolepidoptera including Mythimna l-album (Linnaeus) and M. unipuncta (Linnaeus). I noted seven species of microlepidoptera not included in Agassiz’s list and three macrolepidoptera of which there are few Scillonian records. These and some other species are listed at the end of this paper. An asterisk denotes a species not previously recorded from the islands as far as I am aware. The words in brackets are comments from Agassiz’s list. Also on 20th August I found two larvae and considerable evidence of feeding in seedheads of Jasione montana on a wall in Hugh Town, St. Mary’s. The larvae appeared to agree with the description of Cochylis pallidana Zeller, which would be a new record. Unfortunately I failed to rear them and so cannot confirm my tentative identification. Selected species *Psychoides filicivora (Meyrick): Porth Minnick. St Mary’s, several larvae on Asplenium marinum 29.viii, moths bred; Higher Town Bay, St Martin’s several larvae on A. marinum 31.viii, moths bred. *Tinea dubiella Stainton: Hugh Town, St Mary’s, one adult 19. viii, confirmed by dissection. Oinophila v-flava (Haworth): Old Town, St Mary’s. Larvae under dead bark of Pittosporum crassifolium 20.viii, moth bred. In May 1986 (Heckford, 1987) I found larvae in similar circumstances in the same area suggesting the species is bivoltine on Scilly. * Bedellia somnulentella (Zeller): Holy Vale, St Mary’s. A few larvae one pupa and several empty mines on Calystegia sepium 24.viii; near Porthloo Beach, St Mary’s a few larvae and several empty mines on C. sepium 26. viil. Coleophora argentula (Stephens): near Porth Minnick, cases not uncommon on Achillea millefolium 24.viii. Not recorded from St Mary’s by Agassiz. 18 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Scrobipalpa obsoletella (Fischer von Réslerstamm): Porthcressa Beach, St Mary’s one adult 24.viii; Porthcressa Beach a few larvae in stems of Atriplex sp. 1.ix; New Grimsby Harbour, Tresco, many larvae in stems of Atriplex sp. 1.ix. This species was omitted in error from Agassiz’s list, Richardson & Mere (1958) having described it as common. * Blastobasis lignea Walsingham: Hugh Town, one adult at actinic light 27.viil. *Blastodacna hellerella (Duponchel): Bar Point, St Mary’s, larvae in Crataegus berries 26.viii, moths bred. *Cydia janthinana (Duponchel): Pelistry Bay, St Mary’s, larvae in Crataegus berries 26.viii, moth bred. *Sitochroa palealis ([Denis & Schiffermiiller]): Porth Minnick, one larva on Daucus carota 24.viii and another on 29.vili, moth bred. Emmelina monodactyla (Linnaeus): Gugh, several larvae on Calystegia soldaneila 29.viii, moths bred. A foodplant not previously noted in the British Isles. Xanthorhoe spadicearia ({[Denis & Schiffermiiller]): Hugh Town, three at actinic light 21.viii. (One, St Mary’s, 30.v.74.) Eupithecia phoeniceata (Rambur): Hugh Town, one at actinic light 19.viii. (One, Tresco 17.ix.74.) Plusia festucae (Linnaeus): Hugh Town, one on Buddleia bloom 28.viii. Recorded as ‘‘Rare’’ by Agassiz but Richardson & Mere (1958) state ‘“‘Rare Tresco, uncommon St Mary’s.”’ References Agassiz, D.J.L., 1981. A revised list of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) of the Isles of Scilly, 20pp., 1 map. Isles of Scilly Museum Association [Publication No. 14]. Heckford, R.J., 1987. Lepidoptera recorded from the Isles of Scilly in May 1986. Entomologist’s Rec.J. Var. 99: 268-270. Richardson, A & Mere, R.M., 1958. Some preliminary observations on the Lepidop- tera of the Isles of Scilly with particular reference to Tresco. Entomologist’s Gaz. 9: 115-147 2 pls. Mate competition in Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Large Yellow Underwing. At dusk in July 1988, near Lewes in East Sussex, I saw a fairly worn Noctua pronuba fly towards a small hawthorn bush and settle on it about 1.5m from the ground. It began to run urgently among the twigs. About 30cm from where the moth had landed I then noticed a newly-emerged female pronuba together with a male in fresh condition which was attempting to mate with her. All its attempts were unsuccessful, apparently because it persistently approached at the wrong angle, facing in the same direction as the (compliant) female. Eventually the latecoming male found the female SEPARATION OF SEMIOTHISA SPECIES 19 and literally shouldered her incompetent suitor out of the way by brute force before coupling almost instantaneously with her. I wondered whether, being fairly worn, this male had had previous experience of mating. Preseumably similar little dramas happen frequently, but are seldom witnessed.—ROY LEVERTON, Whitewells, Ordiquhill, Cornhill, Banffshire AD45 2HS. Separation of Semiothisa notata Linnaeus and S. alternaria Hubner, the Peacock and Sharp-angled Peacock moths (Lep.: Geometridae) Previous authors state that the shape of the triangular sub-apical patch on the upperside of the forewings distinguish these species. Although this is usually reliaable for specimens in good condition it is not always useful as a sole means of separation, particularly for worn individuals. Reference to the underside markings reveals additional characters which help identification and these are shown in the accompanying figure. In S. notata the dark inter-nervural markings at the termen form elongated streaks which are broken only by the nervures themselves. In S. alternaria these markings are reduced to small dots except at the terminal indentation where they form bold blotches. Superficially these bold marks appear to be an extension of the dark wing fringes at this point, thus enhancing the sharply angulated apex characteristic of this species. Further, the forewing discal spots in S. alternaria are smaller but more clearly defined than those of S. notata.— ADRIAN M. RILEY, Dept. Entomology and Nematology, AFRC Inst. Arable Crops Research, Rothamsted Exp. Stn, Harpenden, Herts ALS 2JQ. Fig. 1. Semiothisa spp. S. notata L. S. alternaria Hiibn. 20 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 The Comma (Polygonia c-album) apparently feeding on Honey-dew. This butterfly cannot be classed as a common species in my own neighbourhood, so it is always a pleasure to watch one when it turns up. Such was the case on Saturday, 8th September 1990, here in the local country park, a warm day with prolonged sunshine interspersed with very short periods of cloud cover. Walking along one of the bridle paths at approximately 13.30 I saw a Comma perched on one of the oak leaves a few yards ahead of me and a couple of inches below my eye level. This had its wings fully open with the tips in contact with the leaf surface. I very carefully approached to within twelve to fourteen inches and was surprised to see the proboscis fully extended onto the leaf surface and being manoeuvred into different positions as though it were imbibing the thin film of honey-dew on the leaf. After a couple of minutes it flew up to another leaf a few feet away but remained on this for only a few seconds before coming back down to another close to the original leaf, where it again resumed the probing activity described earlier. I observed this Comma at close quarters for a full five minutes and gained the distinct impresssion that it was actually feeding on the honey- dew. A possible contributory factor to this unusual behaviour by this species, may have been the fact that there was virtually no other source of nectar left within the confines of the park at this date, save for a few desultory-looking flowerheads of thistles, though even these were completely devoid of any type of ‘‘nectar-seeking’”’ insects.—A.S. BOOT, 38 Balmoral Road, Colwick, Nottingham NG4 2GD. Worth a dig Much has happened to Lithophane leautieri hesperica Bours. since the mid- fifties when the late Dr H.B.D. Kettlewell and the late Robin Mere wrote of their exploits in the Isle of Wight with the then termed L. /apidea (Hiibn.). The moth’s subsequent dramatic spread is well chronicled in MBGBI Vol. 10 but when, in 1959, Ron Parfitt and I recorded the first Dorset specimens (Ent. Gaz. 11: 15-17) little did we realise that thirty years later we would have the moth commonly at light in our respective gardens in Hampshire and Berkshire. Although many lepidopterists must by now have bred /eautieri ab. ova the only note that I have found referring to the cocoon in the wild is Haggett’s 1968 paper (Proc. Brit. ent. nat. Hist. Soc. 1 (2): 73-76). Haggett, who refers to Wightman’s belief that the cocoon was spun on the tree, also cites the finding by Goater and Lorimer of a cocoon with an empty pupa on the bark of a cypress. This seemed an invitation to do some fieldwork, particularly so, as MBGBI points out, casualties may be high if the cocoons in which the larvae rest for several months before pupating are kept too damp. A tall isolated Cupressus macrocarpa on the roadside half a mile from DIGGING FOR PUPAE 21 home had long looked inviting and, though rather under the public gaze, seemed worth a try. On 19th September I sought permission from a nearby resident, then dug steadily round the trunk. The ground was very dry and the earth came up in small nodules, one of which looked rather cocoon- like. It was well covered with tiny soil particles though flexible to the touch and required gentle, but firm, tearing to open it. An old, but well preserved, pupa was inside. The end result from this one tree was four old cocoons and two fresh ones — all were a few inches down in the soil and could have easily been overlooked among the soil nodules. On 26th September I tried in the opposite direction and, with the permission of the vicar, dug round two Chamaecyparis lawsoniana growing in his churchyard. The ground was much harder than at the macrocarpa site but an old cocoon was soon unearthed. Shortly afterwards a fresh pupa was exposed with no sign of a cocoon, but by feeling carefully round the base of the trunk one was found attached to the wood. I had inadvertently sliced its end off and in so doing had ejected the pupa.Thus forewarned I continued digging round the trunk, taking care every few inches to feel against the wood. Two more cocoons were found so attached and these had coatings of small pieces of dead Chamaecyparis foliage as weil as soil particles. From these two trees came five full and three empty cocoons. From both sites all cocoons were similarly shaped — a regular ovoid measuring c.25mm x 15mm. The first moth emerged at 8.25 pm on 30th September and took fifty minutes from the time of eclosion to the lowering of its wings. I will be recounting nothing new to those who have already tried this exercise but for others who may still require one or two bred /eautieri without having to wait too long for results, a dig could prove worthwhile. — (For those not requiring the moth, a dig in the winter months would still reveal old cocoons in situ and recording these against named tree species might produce evidence of foodplants so far unrecorded in this country: I suggest that anyone trying this line of investigation should, unless they are very experienced horticulturalists, seek the help of a tree specialist. Mine was invaluable when explaining Cupressus, Chamaecyparis and ‘their hybrid genus Cupressocyparis — but even she shied at tackling the cultivars!) On 8th October I tried another tack and, furnished with a permit front BBONT, investigated Juniperus communis L. on the Berkshire Downs. In the morning results were nil, so finding a clearing among the junipers I had a break. For company there was a party of busy long-tailed tits and‘then an unexpected weasel who rushed here and there under the bushes.’ As-=I walked back down the slope to recommence digging, a microlite aircraft flew over very low and the pilot waved as if in encouragement. But the afternoon produced very little — two Carabus violaceus L. and just one lepidopterous pupa which was adorned with long filaments of Cerdycéps. Even so one’s hopes were raised, but there was no sign of a cocoon and the 22 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 cremaster was wrong for /eautieri. Digging around juniper, as those who have tried will know, is very different from working textbook macrocarpa. Most of the bushes need to be crawled under and the acicular leaves have a great tendency to go down the back of the neck. Then, as the hours go by, one remembers that the Berkshire Downs are noted for their abundance of soil nodules (every one of which mimics a /eautieri cocoon) and you resolve to try another day. Nevertheless, the larva has been found on a garden Juniperus (David Agassiz in MBGBI) and, perhaps most encouraging, it was in this isolated spot that David Young took one /eautieri on 17th October 1986. I like to believe that it wasn’t the only one to fly in this quiet valley.— B.R. BAKER, 25 Matlock Road, Caversham, Reading RG4 7BP. Rothamsted Farmland light trap network: interesting Lepidoptera records for June, 1990. As stated by Woiwod, Riley and Townsend (Ent. Rec. 102: 200-201), notes of unusual Lepidoptera records from the farmland light trap network on the Rothamsted Estate in Hertfordshire will be published in this journal at regular intervals. The following are noteworthy observations for June 1990: Advanced flight periods were less evident during June as the effects of the warm spring were partially counteracted by relatively cooler weather. However, /daea seriata Schr., I. dimidiata Hufn., Cosmia trapezina Linn. and Mythimna ferrago Fabr. were all caught about a fortnight before the expected emergence (Skinner, B. (1984) Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles. Viking, Harmondsworth). A dark form of Calliteara pudibunda Linn. conforming to ab. concolor Stdgr was caught on the 15th June and had not previously been recorded from Harpenden. A further first record for the area was Idaea vulpinaria H.-S., one of which was caught on the 29th. A single individual of Gastropacha quercifolia Linn. was recorded on the 18th. This species was trapped frequently on the Rothamsted Estate during the 1930s and ’40s but had not been seen since 1949. Several assumed migrants were caught, including small numbers of Udea Jerrugalis Hb. and one Phlyctaenia perlucidalis Hb. The latter is usually associated with fenland in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire and coastal localities on the east coast between Yorkshire and Kent (Goater, B. (1986) British Pyralid Moths. Harley, Colchester). The Harpenden specimen was trapped on the 24th and further singletons were caught in the Rothamsted Insect Survey light traps at Lydd, Kent (Site No. 462, OS grid ref. 044 203) on 22nd June and Cockayne Hatley, Bedfordshire (Site No. 336, OS grid ref. TL 253 494) on 11th July. Thanks are extended to A. Heath for operating the trap at Lydd.— MARTIN C. TOWNSEND and ADRIAN M. RILEY, Dept. Entomology and Nematology, AFRC Inst. Arable Crops Res., Rothamsted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Herts ALS 2JQ. HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE 23 HOST RECORDS OF SOME WEST PALAEARCTIC TACHINIDAE (DIPTERA) T.H. FORD! and M.R. SHAW’ ' 39 Ashbury Drive, Sheffield, S8 8LE 2 National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF The following list is the result of numerous rearings of Tachinidae by ourselves and various correspondents over the past twelve or thirteen years. Many of the records are of previously recorded hosts, but serve to confirm earlier records which in some cases are rather sparse. Others appear not to have been recorded in the past. The nomenclature and arrangement of the Tachinidae is according to Herting (1984), except for the genus Phytomyptera Rondani which follows Andersen (1988). The lepidopterous hosts are listed according to Kloet and Hincks (1972). Unless otherwise indicated: (i) records are British, (ii) hosts are Lepidoptera and have been determined by the collector whose initials are given in parentheses at the end of the entry, (iii) British tachinids were identified by T.H. Ford, but all non-British specimens were submitted to Dr B. Herting for determination by him and by Dr H-P. Tschorsnig. Under the heading of the tachinid, each entry shows (where full data are available): the number and sex of the parasitoids, which is as far as is known also the number of hosts killed unless the word ‘‘brood’’ is used; the stage at which the host was killed; up to three dates, indicating (a) date of collection of the material, (b) emergence of the parasitoid larva from the host, (c) eclosion of the parasitoid imago, [only two dates = (a) and (c), and only one date = (a)]; the locality (given in full only for the more notable records); the initials of the collector, or collector/identifier if not the same person. The following abbreviations are used in the entries; l.=larva, pp. =prepupa, p. =pupa, a. =adult, b. = brood, em. =emerged. The notes on each species are derived chiefly from Herting (1960). Tribe EXORISTINI Exorista fasciata (Fallen). Zygaena filipendulae (L.) 2 males, 1 female, pp., 25.vii.76, 27.vii-3.viii.76, Cornwall (M.R.S.); b. of 3 females, pp., 7-8.vili.89, 15.vili.89, Dorset (J.H.P.); Z. filipendulae or lonicerae (Scheven): 1 male, 1 female, 1. or pp., 19.vii.85, 14-20.viii.85, Skye (J.W.); Arctia caja (L.): b. of 3 males, 4 females, p., 10.vi.85, 28.vi.85, vii.85, Ayrshire (M.A.H.); Dasychira fascelina (L.): b. of 1 male, 1 female, p., 24.vi.60, 31.vii-4.viii.60, Hampshire (E.C.P-C.). Lasiocampidae are the chief hosts of this species, but it has been reported previously from Arctiidae and Zygaenidae. A rearing from Lymantriidae therefore comes as no surprise: 24 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Exorista larvarum (L.). Trichiura crataegi (L.). 1 male, 1., 29.v.49, 15.vii.49, Huntingdonshire (E.C.P-C.); Philudoria potatoria (L.): b. of 3 males, pp. or p., em.ix.34, Argyll (A.M.M.); Parasemia plantaginis (L.): 4 males, 5 females, |., p. and pp., 16.vi.84, vii.84, vii-viii.84, Ailsa Craig (I.C.C.); Tyria jacobaeae (L.): 2 males, 1 female, pp. and p., 12.viii.77, 25.viii.77, 24.ix.77, Guernsey (T.H.F.). A polyphagous parasitoid of many macrolepidoptera. Exorista segregata (Rondani). Zygaena carniolica (Scopoli): 1 male, pp. or p., xi.73, LEBANON [Jabal Kesrouan] (T.B.L.). Recorded especially from Lymantriidae, Lasiocampidae and Arctiidae: we are not aware of previous records from Zygaenidae. Exorista grandis (Zetterstedt). Saturnia pavonia (L.): b. of 3 males, pp. or p., 22.viii.74, 8.ii.75, Aviemore, Inverness-shire (W.A.E.); b. of 2 males, 1 female, pp., em. 7.vi.70, Roxburghshire (A.B.). S. pavonia is the principal host, but records from Papilio machaon L., Inachis io (L.), Smerinthus ocellata (L.) and Zygaena purpuralis (Brunnich) also exist. Exorista sorbillans (Wiedemann). Minucia lunaris (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, 1., on Quercus suber, 9.vi.89, 19.vii.89, FRANCE [Cavalaire, Var] (T.H.F.). Widespread in the subtropics of the Old World and has been recorded from many different Lepidopteran hosts. It is much more polyphagous than E. grandis, but the two species are very closely related and difficult to distinguish (B. Herting, personal communication). Exorista nova (Rondani). Zygaena carniolica (Scopuli): 2 females, pp. or p., xi.73, LEBANON [Jabal Kesrouan] (T.B.L.). A specific parasitoid of Zygaenidae. Parasetigena silvestris (Robineau-Desvoidy). Lymantria dispar (L.): 14 males, 15 females and 2 bs of 1 male, 1 female, 1., 6.v.87, vi.87, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.). A common and important parasitoid of L. dispar and L. monacha (L.). Bessa parallela (Meigen). Yponomeuta padella (L.): 1male, |., 29.vi.60, 25.vii.60, Kent (E.C.P-C.). Primarily parasitic on larvae of microlepi- doptera, especially Yponomeuta species, but it has also been recorded from some Geometridae. Tribe BLONDELIINI Medina luctuosa (Meigen). Haltica lythri (Aubé) (Col.: Chrysomelidae): 1 male, a., 4.viii.79, Burton-on-the-Wolds, Leicestershire (W.M.P.). Apparently confined to Halticinae (Col.). Medina separata (Meigen). Adelia decempunctata (L.) (Col.: Coccinellidae): 1, a., em. 3.vii.87, Holt Heath NNR, Dorset (M.M.B.). This is the second record from A.decempunctata that we have, and it has HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE 25 also been bred in numbers from Phyllodecta vitellinae (L.) (Col. Chrysomelidae) from Yorkshire (Ford, 1989). Compsilura concinnata (Meigen). Zygaena carniolica (Scopoli): 3 males, 2 females, pp. or p., ix.73, LEBANON [Jabal Kesrouan] (T.B.L.); Heterogynis penella (Hiibner): 1 male, pp. or p., 26.vii.84, viii.84, 25.viii.84, FRANCE [Alpes de Haute Provence] (M.R.S.); Gonepteryx rhamni (L.): 1 male, p., vi.80, 29.vi.80, 1980, Berkshire (M.R.B.); Pieris brassicae (L.): 1 male, p., 2.iv.76, iv.76, 17.1v.76, Yorkshire (W.A.E.); P. rapae (L.): 1 female, p., 26.ix.75, 8.vi.76, Lancashire (M.R.S.); Apatura ilia (Denis & Schiffermiiller) semi-captive culture: 1 male, p., 1983, Gloucestershire (J.McF.); Ag/ais urticae (L.): 2 males 1 female, p., 13.viii.83, 9.ix.83, Middlesex (B.T.P.); Nymphalis antiopa (L.): 2bs of 3 (3 males, 3 females overall), 1., 2.vili.87, 8.viii.87, 25.viii.87, FRANCE [Alpes-Maritimes] (M.R.S.); Danaus chrysippus (L.): 1 male, p., em. 1.73, LEBANON [Beirut] (1.B.L.); Malacosoma neustria (L.): 3 males (?b.), |., 1985, Sussex (A.R.C.); Smerinthus ocellata (L.): b. of 2 females, 1., 17.vili.86, 29.viii-1.ix.86, 1987, Hampshire (B.T.P.); Laothoe populi (L.): 1 male, |., viii.79, 1979, Berkshire (B.T.P.); Phalera bucephala (L.): 19 bs of 1-2 but only 5 males, 2 females, em., 1., 9.viii.83, vii.83, ix.83, Hampshire (B.T.P.); 1 female, 1., 1985, Sussex (A.R.C.); Euproctis similis (Fuessly): 1 male, l., 16.vi.77, 7.vii.77, Nottinghamshire (F.H.); 1 male, |., 16.vii.76, 11.vii.76, Somerset (M.N.); 1 female, 1., 22.vi.57, 16.vii.57, Suffolk (E.C.P-C.); Leucoma salicis (L.): b. of 1 male, 1 female, |., 4. vili.73, 13.viii.73, 27.viii.73, Lancashire (M.R.S.); Lymantria dispar (L.): 2 males, |., 4.vi.85, 1985, FRANCE [Loire-Atlantique] (N.H.); Cucullia asteris (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 male, 1., 31.vii.49, 28.vili.49, Surrey (E.C.P-C.); Acronicta aceris (L.): 1 female, pp., 28.vii.78, vili.78, 26.vili.78, Middlesex (I1.K.B./M.R.S.); A. tridens (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, p., 13.ix.77, 5.vi.78, Lancashire (M.R.S.); A. psi (L.): b. of 4 males, 1., Lancashire (S.C.); b. of 1 male, 1 female, p., 8.ix.76, 8.vi.77, and 1 male, 1 female, p., 8.vii.76, Lancashire (W.A.W.); 3 males, 1 female, p., viii-ix.76, v-vi.77, Lancashire (M.R.S.); A. rumicis (L.): 1 male, p., 22.viii.82, iv.83, Hampshire (B.T.P.); plusiine noctuid sp.: 1 female, ?1., 16.viii.85, 16.ix.85, Somerset (E.C.P-C.). Perhaps the most polyphagous of the British Tachinidae, attacking many medium to large sized lepidopterous larvae and some sawflies, especially in the upper field layer and on bushes. Usually solitary but gregarious development in small broods regularly occurs in its larger hosts. Curiously, butterflies nearly always pupate before they are killed, whilst moths are usually killed as larvae. A regular exception to this pattern is seen when the host is an Acronicta species, whose overwintering pupae often carry C. concinnata through hibernation. Factors other than the means of overwintering seem to be involved, however, one of which may be the difficulty of escape from the dense cocoons or subterranean pupation sites of certain moths. 26 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Tribe WINTHEMIINI Smidtia conspersa (Meigen). Epirrita sp.: 1 male, 1., on Quercus, 30.v.65, 7.v.66, Palnackie, Kirkcudbrightshire (E.C.P-C.). A species not commonly reared, but 1 female previously recorded from E. dilutata (Denis & Schiffermiiller) from Buckinghamshire (Ford, 1976). Winthemia quadripustulata (Fabricius). Cucullia verbasci (L.): b. of 5 males, 2 females, p., 8-16.viii.85, Warwickshire (K.C.G.). Cucullia species are the chief hosts, with a few records from other large lepidopterous larvae. Nemorilla floralis (Fallen). Agonopterix sp. on Peucedanum: | male, l., 30.vii.88, 12.viii.88, 23.vili.88, Norfolk (M.R.S.); Anthophila fabriciana (L.): 2 males, 1., 22.v.82, 2.vi.82, 7.vii.82, Oxfordshire (M.R.S.); ? Clepsis spectrana (Treitschke): 1 female, p., 9.v.82, v.82, 21.vi.82, London (R.A.S.); Pleuroptya ruralis (Scopoli): b. of 3 males, 1 female, p., vi.89, vii.89, Northamptonshire (C.D./J.H.P.); ? Orthosia gothica (L.): b. of 2 females, 1., 12.vii.88, 23.vii.88, Oxfordshire (M.C.S./M.R.S.). This and the following species are probably polyphagous on many microlepidoptera and occasionally on some Noctuidae. Nemorilla maculosa (Meigen). Pterophorid sp.: 1 male, p., 1.vili.87,, 14.viii.87, FRANCE [Alpes Maritimes] (M.R.S.). This species and floralis probably have the same range of hosts, but vary in their habitat requirements. In the warmer and drier regions of southern and eastern Europe maculosa occurs more commonly, but it has not been recorded from Britain. Tribe ERYCIINI Aplomyia confinis (Fallen). Lycaenid sp. on low legumes: 2 females, 1., 24.vii.74, by 9.vill.74, 21.vill.74, FRANCE [Valderoure, Alpes Maritimes] (M.R.S.). A specific parasitoid of Lycaenidae. Nilea hortulana (Meigen). Acronicta tridens (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 4 males, 2 females and 2 not em. in 4 bs of 1-3, l. and pp., 13-16.ix.77, 20-30.vi.78, Lancashire (M.R.S.); Acronicta psi (L.): 1 male, 2 females, |., 10.ix.77, 14.ix.77, 1.vii.78, Yorkshire (W.A.E.); 4 males, 4 females in 4 bs of 1-3, 1. and pp., 20.viii-16.1x.77, ix.77, 22.vi-10.vii.78, Lancashire (M.R.S.); b. of 1 male, 1 female, |., vili.81, 1982, and b. of 5 (2 males, 2 females em.), ix.81, 1982, Cornwall (J.L.G.); b. of 2 males, 2 females, I., 29.vill.84, 15.1x.84, 7-8.vili.85, Edinburgh (M.R.S.); b. of 4 (1 male, 2 females em.), l., 21.vii.79, 1.viii.79, 19-21.vi.80, Berkshire (M.R.S.); b. of 2 males, 1 female, |., 28.viii.76, ix.76, vii.77, Kirkcudbrightshire (T.H.F.). All the species of Nilea are chiefly parasitic on Acronicta species. Epicampocera succincta (Meigen). Pieris rapae (L.): Imale, 2 female, p., Autumn 83, Spring 84, 28.v-6.vi.84, Crieff, Perthshire (J.R.M.); Hadena bicruris (Hufnagel): 1 male, |., ix.88, v.89, Derbyshire (F.H.). Previously HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE Di bred from P. rapae (Richards, 1940), ,attacking the young larvae. Cavalieria genibarbis Villeneuve. Biston strataria (Hufnagel): 1 female, |., on Quercus, 10.vi.86, vii.86, iv.87, FRANCE [Cavalaire, Var] (T.H.F.). This is apparently the first host record for genibarbis (B. Herting, personal communication). Phryxe erythrostoma (Hartig). ee pinastri (L.): b. of 4 males, 4 females, p., 30.vii.86, 26.vi-6.vii.87, FRANCE [Villars-Colmars, Alpes de Haute Provence] (M.R.S.). P. erythrostoma is a specific parasitoid of H. pinastri, as many as eighteen examples being recorded from one host pupa. Phryxe heraclei (Meigen). Philudoria potatoria (L.): b. of 3 males, 1., 30.iv.86, 6.v.86, Berkshire (B.T.P.). This species is a specific parasitoid of potatoria and has been reared on many occasions. Broods of up to 13 have been recorded (Ford, 1976). Phryxe hirta (Bigot). Heterogynis penella (Hiibner): 1 male, |., 23.v.74, 24.v.74, 16.vi.74, FRANCE [Digne, Alpes de Haute Provence] (M.R.S.); Heterogynis sp.: 1 male, pp., vi.88, 1988, SPAIN [Biel, Zaragosa] (N.H.). The type of P. hirta was bred from H. penella (see Herting, 1960 for notes on previous misidentifications). Phryxe magnicornis (Zetterstedt). Zygaena filipendulae (L.): 1 male, 2 female, pp., 25.vi.78, 13.vii.78, 29.vii.78, Wiltshire (M.R.B.); 1 male and b. of 2 males, pp., 27.vi.76, 28.vi.76, 6-7.vii.76, Gloucestershire (R.R.A.); Zygaena trifolii (Esper): 1 male, 2 females, p., 20.vi.48, 2-10.vii.48, Somerset (E.C.P-C.); Zygaena sp.: 4 males, 1 female, pp. or p., 18.vi.62, 9-18.vii.62, Gloucestershire (E.C.P-C.); b. of 1 male, 1 female, pp. or p., 1.vi.74, 20.vi.74, Caernarvon (E.C.P-C.); Opisthograptis luteolata (L.): 1 male and b. of 1 male, 1 female, p., 2.viii.76, 30.viii.76, 3-19.ix.76, Cornwall (M.R.S.); Erannis defoliaria (Clerck): 1 female, 1., 15.v.89, 19.v.89, 4.vi.89, FRANCE [Fontainbleau Forest] (T.H.F.). Rather specialised, usually attacking larvae of Zygaenidae and Geometridae. Phryxe nemea (Meigen). Zygaena graslini Lederer: 1 female, |., 9.iv.74, LEBANON [Beirut] (T.B.L.); Gonepteryx rhamni (L.): 1 female, p., 5.vii.82, 18.vii.82, Hampshire (B.T.P.); Aporia crataegi (L.): 1 female, p., 1962, FRANCE [Herault] (M.R.S.); Anthocharis cardamines (L.): b. of 3 males, p., 23.vi.88, 29.vi.88, 17.vii.88, and 1 female, p., 1986, iv.87, v.87, Hampshire (B.T.P.); Quercusia quercus (L.): 1 male, 2 females, from 2 1., vi.85, 16.vi.85, vii.85, Suffolk (M.A.H.); Strymonidia pruni(L.): 1 female, p., larva in open culture, vi.86, 23.vi.86, 1.vii.86, Hampshire (C.L.W.); 3 males, 1 female, v.83, v.83, 15-27.vi.83, WEST GERMANY [Bavaria] (H.G.S.); Vanessa atalanta (L.); b. of 1 male, 1 female, 1., 2.viii.76, 10.vili.76, 23.viii.76, Cornwall (M.R.S.); Epirrita dilutate (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 male, 2 females, pp., 1.vi.78, 25.vi.78, 1978, London (R.A.S.); Operophtera brumata (L.): 1 female, pp., 1.vi.78, 10.vi.78, 27.vi.78, Berkshire (M.R.S.); Abraxas grossulariata (L.): 11 bs of 1-3 (7 28 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20n- 199i males, 9 females em.), 1. and pp., 6.v.79, 5-22.vi.79, 25.vi-10.vii.79, Buckinghamshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, 1., 2.vi.80, 29.vi.80, vii.80, Oxfordshire (M.R.B.); 2 males, 1., 2-8.vi.81, Durham (T.C.D.); 1 male, 1 female, 1., 24.v.82, 12.vii.82, Berkshire (B.T.P.); 1 male, 1., 20.v.74, FRANCE [Seine Maritime] (G.S.); Apocheima pilosaria (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, 1., vi.80, 15.vi.80, 1980, Middlesex (M.R.B.); Erannis defoliaria (Clerck): 1 male, pp., 12.vi.75, 24.vi.75, 8.vii.75, Cheshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, 1 female, 1., 11.v.75,-23.v.75, 6.vil.95, Kirkcudbrightshire (T.H.F.); 1 female, 1., 2.vi.80, 13.vi.80, 1980, Berkshire (M.R.B.); Agriopis aurantiaria (Hiibner): 1 female, 1., 15.v.89, 26.v.89, 31.vi.89, FRANCE [Fontainbleau Forest] (T.H.F.); ? Alcis repandata (L.): b. of 2 females, I., 1§.v.80, 1980, Berkshire (M.R.B.); indet. geometrid: 1 female, 1. 3i-v.7i, “Sivii.7!, County Clare (E-C°P-C.);. Dasychira pudibunda (L.): 1 female, 1., ix.31, Hampshire (T.E.D.P.); Mamestra brassicae (L.): b. of 4 males, 2 females, p., 18.ix.75, 24.11.76, 6-18.iv.86, Yorkshire (T.H.F.); Lacanobia oleracea (L.): b. of 1 male, 2 females, p., 1987, v.1988, Dorset (M.M.B.) ? L. oleracea: 1 female, 1|., vili.83, 3.x.83, Pembrokeshire (A.N.B.S.); ? Amphipyra sp.: I male, |., vi.81, 1981, Berkshire (N.H.); ? Euplexia lucipara (L.): b.of 2 males, 1 female, |., 15.viii.76, 1-4.x.76, Lancashire (M.R.S.); Plusia gamma (L.): b. of 2 females, p., 30.ix.75, 18.i.76, Cumbria (M.R.S.); 1 male, 1., 26.viii.87, x.87, Gwynnedd (T.H.F.). A polyphagous species, commonly bred in numbers from A. grossulariata in Britain. Phryxe prima (Brauer & Bergenstamm). Zygaena graslini Lederer: 1 female, 1., 9.iv.74, LEBANON [Hazimiiye, Beirut] (T.B.L.). A specific parasitoid of Zygaenidae. Phryxe vulgaris (Fallen). Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda): 2 male, 1 female, 1., 25.vi.78, 11.vii.78, 28.vii.78, Wiltshire (M.R.B.); Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer): 2 females, 1., 20.vi.87, 4.vii.87, vii.87, Middlesex (P.W.C.); Pieris rapae (L.): 1 male, 4 females, p., x.78, 20.x.78, Berkshire (P.R.W.); 1 male, 3 females, p., 29.viii.78, Derbyshire (F.H.); 1 female, p., 9.ix.73, 4.v.74, 28.vc.74, Cheshire (M.R.S.); Anthocharis cardamines (L.): 1 male, p., 30.v.75, 2.v.76, 27.v.76, Gloucestershire (R.R.A.); 1 male, p., vi.83, iv.84, Berkshire (B.T.P.); 1 female, p., 2.vii.86, vii.86, 30.vii.86, Hampshire (B.T.P.); 1 female, p., vi.89, 16.vii.89, Clwyd (D.S.); 1 female, p., 3l.v.74, 3.11.75, 21.11.75, FRANCE [Var] (M.R.S.); Aglais urticae (E.): bof I male, 2 females;p:, 27.v.62, LS.vi.c2, Oxfordshire (B. ioe )sel female, p., 3.viii.87, 20.vili.87, FRANCE [Alpes Maritimes] (M.R.S.); Hadena bicruris (Hufnagel): 1 male, 1 female, 1., ix.88, v.89, Derbyshire (F.H.); Eremobia ochroleuca (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, pp., 25.vi.78, 15.vil.78, 4.viii.78, Wiltshire (M.R.B./M.R.S.). A parasitoid of larger butterfly, noctuid and geometrid larvae in the field layer, not usually attacking small, hairy or arboreal species. Several generations occur annually from May to October in gardens, waste places and other open habitats. HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE 29 ? Phryxe vulgaris. Evergestis extimalis (Scopoli): 1 female, 1., 3.ix.74, 19.vi.75, Essex (E.C.P-C.); Cucullia asteris Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, 1., 31.vi.49, ix.49, Surrey (E.C.P-C.). The identity of these specimens follows E.C.P-C. but their condition is now too poor for confirmation. Bactromyia aurulenta (Meigen). Philereme transversata (Hufnagel) or Phigalia pilosaria (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 2 males, 1., 28.v.77, 3.vi.77, 12.vi.77, Hampshire (A.D.); Dasychira pudibunda (L.); 1 male, 3 females, l., ix.31, Hampshire (T.E.D.P.). A fairly polyphagous species, apparently with a preference for larvae of the Drepanidae. Pseudoperichaeta nigrolineata (Walker). Archips xylosteana (L.) 1 male, p., 23.v.89, 19.vi.89, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.); Archips rosana (L.): 1 male, p., 24.vi.76, 30.vi.76, 8.vii.76, Lancashire (M.R.S.); Cnephasia stephensiana (Doubleday): 4 males, 2 females, em. 29.vi-9.vii.42, locality uncertain (L.T.F.); Eurrhypara hortulata (L.): 1 male, 15.ix.81, 20.v.82, London (R-A:S.:);°l female, pp:,, 1x76, 23..v.77, Youkshire-()-HCE.): Eurrhypara terrealis (Treitschke): 1 male, 1., 18.vii.89, 3.viii.89, 21.viii.89, Cumbria (M.R.S.); indet. tortricid on Quercus: 1 male, p., 15.vi.78, 11.vii.78, Berkshire (M.R.S.); Laspeyresia pomonella (L.): 8.vii.755, vi.76, Kent (H.B.). A parasitoid of numerous microlepidoptera. Lydella stabulans (Meigen). Nonagria typhae (Thunberg): 1 male, p., em. 4.vili.85, Matlock, Derbyshire (F.H.). Chiefly parasitic on the wainscot moths. Cadurciella tritaeniata (Rondani). Callophrys rubi (L.): 2 males, 11 females, p., 8.vii.83, v.84, vi.84, Suffolk (M.R.S.); 2 males, 1 female, 22-24.vii.78, 5-10.v.79, 4-7.vi.79, Buckinghamshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, p., 28.vi.78, 9.v.79, Oxfordshire (M.R.S.); 1 female, p., 25.vi.78, 14.v.79, 14.vi.79, Wiltshire (M.R.S.). A specific parasitoid of C. rubi. Parasitised host larvae were both swept from open downland and beaten from Sarothamus in heathland scrub. The larva overwinters in the host pupa, but erupts to pupate externally in spring. Drino inconspicua (Meigen). Minucia lunaris (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 male, 1 female and b. of 2 (1 male em.), 1., on Quercus suber, 9.vi.89, 16.vii.89, FRANCE [Cavalaire, Var] (T.H.F.). Primarily a parasitoid of Diprion species (Hymenoptera, Diprionidae), also attacking larvae of macrolepidoptera, especially those feeding on Pinus. Apparently not previously recorded from J/unaris. The puparia of Drino species are remarkable in being covered in dense, short pilosity. Drino lota (Meigen). Deilephila elpenor (L.): 1 male, possibly part of a larger brood, |., 1976, Hampshire (A.D.). Sphingidae are the chief hosts, with brood sizes of up to 27 known. Other large lepidopterous larvae have also been recorded as hosts. Carcelia gnava (Meigen). Malacosoma neustria (L.). 1 male, |., vi.64, Devon (A.D.); Dasychira pudibunda (L.): 1 female, 1931, Hampshire 30 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 (T.E.D.P.). Double-brooded, the May/June generation attacking neustria and the July/August emergence attacking pudibunda. Has also been recorded from Phalera bucephala (L.). Leucoma salicis (L.) and Arctia caja (L.). Carcelia lucorum (Meigen). Arctia caja (L.): b. of 5 females, pp., Tyne and Wear (D.A.S.); b. of 1 male, 4 females, pp., Devon (J.H.P.); b. of 5 males, 1 female, pp., Yorkshire (P.W.); 1 male, |. or pp., em. 4.vii.87 (K.C.G.); 7 males, 4 females in 2bs, pp., 3.vi.89, vi.89, vi-vii.89, Cambridgeshire (D.Y.); Phragmatobia fuliginosa (L.): b. of 1 male, 3 females, pp., iv.84, v.84, Buckinghamshire (B.T.P.); b. of 2 males, 1 female, |. or pp., Derbyshire (B.S.); ? P. fuliginosa: b. of 3 males, 2 females, pp., 17.vii.88, as cocooned prepupa, 18.vii.88, 10.viii.88, Cumbria (M.R.S.). Parasitic on the larger Arctiidae, passing the winter in the host larva and emerging in May or June to pupate, usually in the host cocoon. There appears also to be at least a partial midsummer generation. Senometopia pollinosa (Mesnil). Bupalus piniaria (L.): 2 males, 1 female, p., 27.ix.78, v-vi.79, 9.vi.-6.viil.79, Burghfield Common, Berkshire (M.R.S.). A British record from this host is given by Wainwright (1940), and there are continental records by several authors. A specialist parasitoid of piniaria but also recorded from Semiothisa liturata (Clerck). Senometopia sussurans (Rondani). Indet. geometrid on low plants: | male, p., vii.87, viii.87, ITALY [lesa, 40 km. south of Siena, Tuscany] (M.R.S.). There appears to be no host record for this species. Erycia festinans (Meigen). Melitaea cinxia (L.): 1 female, p., iv.77, v.77, FRANCE [Dordogne] (R.R.A.). A specific parasitoid of genera related to Melitaea and Euphydryas. Erycia furibunda (Zetterstedt). Euphydryas aurinia (Rottemburg): 1 female, p., ix.75, vi.76, 24.vi.76, Pengwern Common, Gower, Glamorgan (R.R.A.). This species is very similar to festinans. It has been reared from E. aurinia in Britain previously (Wainwright, 1928, as E. fatua). Tribe GONIINI Eumea linearicornis (Zetterstedt). Indet. noctuid, probably Agrochola litura (L.) or Orthosia gracilis (Denis & Schiffermiiller), in spun shoots of Michaelmas Daisy (Aster sp.): 2 females, 24.vi.78, 15-16.viii.78, Abney Park Cemetery, London (R.A.S.). Recorded from several micro- lepidoptera larvae; also from Cosmia pyralina (L.) (Hammond & Smith, 1955). Pales pavida (Meigen). Zygaena lonicerae (Scheven): 2 males, |., 14.vi.83, 9.vii.83, and b. of 3 (1 male, 1 female em.), 25.v.88, 15.vi.88, 5.vii.88, also b. of 3 (1 female em.), 1., 25.vi.88, 5.vii.88, Berkshire (B.T.P.); 7 males, 9 females, pp., vi.88, 20-30.vi.88, Yorkshire (T.H.F.); 3 males, l., 7.vi.88, HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE 31 4.vii.88, Warwickshire (K.C.G.); Vanessa atalanta (L.): 1 female, p., 15.vii.70, FRANCE [Corsica] (M.R.S.); Ag/ais ichnusa (Hiibner): 1 female, p., 15.vii.70, FRANCE [Corsica] (M.R.S.): Malacosoma neustria (L.);. 1 males 1 female.....25.vi6L,.6.vi1.6, County, Clare (B-€:B-C_): Polyploca ridens (Fabricius): 1 male, 1., 24.vi.89, 9.vii.89, Northamptonshire (B.S.); Agriopis leucophaearia (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, pp., 13.vi.78, 28.vii.78, London (R.A.S.); A. leucophaearia or Theria rupricapraria (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, l., 2.vi.80, 13.vi.80, 1980, Berkshire (M.R.B.); Phalera bucephala (L.): 1 female, pp., vili.76, 23.viii.76, Derbyshire (F.H.); Ptilodon capucina (L.): 1 male, |., 18.vi.80, 1980, Berkshire (B.T.P.); b. of 1 male, 1 female, 1., 24.vii.78, Buckinghamshire (M.R.S.); Leucoma salicis (L.): 5 (1 male, 4 unsexed), 1., 29.vi.73, 3-14.vii.73, 20-30.vii.73, and 1 male, p., 29.vi.73, oii: 73), 324 vie 73,4 also: -lnimale? aden 232vie7 3.6 26.viied 3.6 Li vitied 5 Lancashire (M.R.S.); Noctua pronuba (L.): b. of 6 (2 males, 1 female em.) ]., 22.ix.75, xli.75, 25-29.ii.76, Yorkshire (P.W.); Orthosia cruda (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 5 males, 4 females, 1., vi.87, 10-21.vii.87, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.); Orthosia stabilis (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 2 males, 2 females, l., vili.82, 10-14.vii.88, Yorkshire (T.H.F.); 1 male, 1., 10.vii.82, vii.82, viii.82, Dumfriesshire (M.R.S.); 2 males, |., vi.87, 7-12.vii.87, and 1 male, 1 female, 1., 9.vi.89, 10.vii.89, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.); Orthosia sp.: 2 males, 1 female, 1., 12.vii.80, 1980, Berkshire (B.T.P.); Mythimna strammea (ireitschke): “Il male, Vl rieniale, "12; 3. vi.89)" 30-vi789, Cambridgeshire (B.S.); Mythimna ? pallens (L.): b. of 2 females, I., 19.vi.75, 16.vi.75, Hampshire (M.R.S.); Mythimna sp.: 1 female, l., 4.v.79, 25.vi.79, 3.vii.79, Berkshire (M.R.S.); 1 female, 1., 23.v.84, 24.v.84, 14.vi.84, Berkshire (B.T.P.); Acronicta alni (L.): 1 female, p., 13.vii.76, 1.vili.76, 22.vili.76, Essex (G.B./M.R.S.); Acronicta rumicis (L.): 1 female, 1., 17.viii.77, 10.ix.77, Britain (origin otherwise obscure); Agrochola litura (L.): 1 male, 1., 10.vii.78, 14.viii.78, London (R.A.S.); Catocala nymphagoga (Esper); 1 male, 1 female, 1., 16.vi.88, 23.vi.88, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.). A common polyphagous species, recorded from numerous macrolepidopterous larvae. Cyzenis albicans (Fallén). Ypsolopha vitella (L.): 1 male, p., on Ulmus glabra, 31.v.88,15.iv.89, Edinburgh, Midlothian (M.R.S.); Operophtera brumata (L.): 1 male, 1 female, p., 6.vii.77, 22.iv.78, Nottinghamshire (F.H.); 6 males, 2 females, p., 7.vi.73, 10-26.iv.74, Derbyshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, 1 female, p., 31.v.73, 7-9.iv.74, Oxfordshire (M.R.S.); 1 female, p., 31.v.73, 17.iv.74, Buckinghamshire (M.R.S.); Operophtera fagata (Scharfenberg): 3 males, p., 25.v.66, 19.ili.-2.iv.67, Caernarvon (E.C.P-C.). A common parasitoid of brumata, the larva pupating inside the host pupa. Cadurcia casta Rondani. Choreutis nemorana (Hiibner); 3 (1 female, 1 unsexed em.), p., 9.viii.82, 8.ix.82, FRANCE [Serignan Plage, Herault] 32 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 (M.R.S.); Nycteola revayana (Scopoli): 1 female, p., 9.vi.89, 16.vii.89, FRANCE [Cavalaire, Var] (T.H.F.). This small distinctive species appears hitherto to have been reared only from C. nemorana, which feeds on Ficus carica. This plant was growing within a few metres of the Quercus suber from which the above revayana was collected. Pupation takes place inside the host pupa. Elodia morio (Fallén). Gelechia sororculella (Hiibner): 2 females, v.80, 1980, Middleyard Coppice, Worcestershire (A.N.B.S.). Has been bred from numerous microlepidoptera, but we cannot find any records for sororculella. Pupation takes place inside the host pupa. Sturmia bella (Meigen). Vanessa atalanta (L.): 1 male, 3 females, p., 15.vii.70, FRANCE [Corsica] (M.R.S.); Aglais urticae (L.): 2 males, p., 3.viii.87, 23.viii.87, FRANCE [Alpes Maritimes] (M.R.S.); Ag/ais ichnusa (Hiibner): 1 male, 2 females, p., 15.vii.70, 18.vii.70, 29.vii.70, FRANCE [Corsica] (M.R.S.); Inachis io (L.): 2 males, p., FRANCE (J.H.J.). A common parasitoid of Vanessinae, the larva usually emerging from the host pupa. Blepharipa pratensis (Meigen). Lymantria dispar (L.): 1 male, p., 10.vi.86, 6.vii.86, iv.87, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.); Catocala nymphagoga (Esper): 1 male, pp., v.87, iv.88, and 1 female, p., 9.vi.88, 10.11.89, FRANCE [Cavalaire, Var] (T.H.F.). An important parasitoid of dispar on the continent, which has been introduced into North America for the biological control of dispar, but apparently otherwise only recorded from Dendrolimus pini(L.). Masicera pavoniae (Robineau-Desvoidy). Saturnia pyri (Denis & Schiffermiiller): b. of 18 (1 male, 8 females seen), p., 30.vii.86, iv.87, 14.v.87, FRANCE [Gard] (G.N.B.). Usually reared from Saturnia species but has also been recorded from Acherontia atropos (L.) and Notodonta ziczac (L.) Masicera sphingivora (Robineau-Desvoidy). Nymphalis polychloros (L.): b. of 1 male, 1 female, p., on Prunus, 31.v.74, 20.vi.74, 8-10.vii.74, FRANCE [St Maximin, Var] (M.R.S.); 3 males, 2 females, p., on Celtis australis, 20.v.74, 4.vi.74, 20.vi.74, FRANCE [Les Arcs, Var] (M.R.S.). Members of the genus Deilephila are the most favoured hosts, but it has also been recorded from other Lepidoptera including one butterfly, Aporia crataegi (L.). Frontina laeta (Meigen). Smerinthus ocellata (L.): b. of 10 (Z males, 4 females dissected from puparia), 30.viii.87, parasitoid larvae emerged 22.ix.87, Bramshill, Hampshire (B.T.P.). In Britain this uncommon species has been recorded only from S. ocellata (Hammond & Smith, 1953), but on the continent also from Laothoe populi (L.) and Sphinx ligustri(L.). HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE 33 Tribe TACHININI Tachina grossa (L.). Lasiocampa quercus (L.): 1 male, p., 1982, Surrey (B.T.P.). The largest European tachinid, regularly attacking larvae of the Lasiocampidae, and emerging as an adult from the host pupa. Tribe NEMORAEINI Nemoraea pellucida (Meigen). Orthosia stabilis (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, p., vi.89, 18.vii.89, FRANCE [Cavalaire, Var] (T.H.F.). Previously recorded from stabilis by Wainwright (1928), but known also from other medium sized macrolepidoptera. Tribe LINNAEMYIINI Linnaemyia vulpina (Fallen). Lycophotia porphyrea (Denis & Schiffer- miiller): 1 male, 3 females, pp., 31.i11.79, vi.79, 29.vi-15.vii.79, Berkshire (M.R.S.). Commonly bred from porphyrea, occasionally from other noctuid species. Linnaemyia rossica Zimin. Xestia agathina (Duponchel): 1 male, 1., 3.iv.85, 31.v.85, Glen Affric, Inverness-shire, (E.C.P-C.). This is the first British host record for rossica. Audcent (1942) lists only continental records for Linnaemyia haemorrhoidalis (Fallen), which has not been shown to occur in Britain. Lypha dubia (Fallén). Operophtera brumata (L.): 2 males, pp., 31.v.73, 7-11.iv.74, Buckinghamshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, pp., 31.v.73, 14.iv.74, Oxfordshire (M.R.S.); indet. tortricid larva in folded frond of Pteridium under Quercus: 1 male, pp., 26.vi.83, 1984, Inchcailloch, Loch Lomond (K.P.B.). A common and important parasitoid of brumata, flying in spring from April until June. It is often seen sunning itself on tree trunks in deciduous woodland. Tribe ERNESTIINI Ernestia rudis (Fallen). Orthosia stabilis (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 male, 1., 6.vi.88, 4.v.89, FRANCE [Cavalaire, Var] (T.H.F.). On the continent a very important parasitoid of Panolis flammea (Denis & Schiffermiiller). In view of the fact that Ernestia vagans (Meigen) and E. rudis are easily confused, and that a series of parasitoids reared from flavicornis which was examined by him and found to consist solely of vagans, Dr Herting considers that the record of rudis from this host cited by Lundbeck (1927) is more likely to be vagans. The specimen bred from Polyploca ridens (Fabricius) by Taylor (1938) as rudis was later determined by Dr Herting to be vagans, (Herting, 1965). Ernestia vagans (Meigen). Achlya falvicornis (L.): 1 male, 2 females, pp., 11.vi.81, 25.iv.-8.v.82, Flanders Moss, Stirlingshire (M.R.S.). Bred only from Achlya, and from Polyploca by Taylor (1938), (see under rudis). 34 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Eurithia consobrina (Meigen). Lacanobia oleracea (L.): 2 females, 1., 1.x.80, 9.viii.81, Broad Street Station, London (R.A.S.); Xanthia gilvago (Denis & Schiffermiiller). 1 female and b. of 2 females, 1., 3.vi.84, 6.vii.84, 20.v.85, Preston, Lancashire (P.S.). Apparently a specialist parasitoid of Mamestra and related genera, but also reported from Cosmia trapezina (L.) and Abrostola triplasia (L.). Tribe PELATACHININI Pelatachina tibialis (Fallén). Ag/ais urticae (L.): imale, |., 8.vi.80, 18.vi.80, em. 1980, Perthshire (J.R.M.); Aglais ichnusa (Hiibner): 3 bs of 1-2 (unsexed), 23.vii.73, FRANCE [Corsica] (M.C.S.). Parasitic chiefly on vannessine larvae but also recorded from some noctuids. Tribe NEAERINI Neoplectops pomonellae (Schnabl & Mokrzecki). ? Gypsonoma sp. in shoots of Populus nigra: 1 female, 19-31.vii.87, ix.87, ITALY [lesa, 40 km S. of Siena, Tuscany] (M.R.S.). We do not know of previous rearing records for this species. Phytomyptera cingulata (Robineau-Desvoidy). Nemopogon cloacella (Haworth): 11 males, 12 females, |. or pp., in Phellinus pini on live Pinus, 1.v.82, 5.vi-4.vii.82, Perthshire (M.R.S.); N. cloacella or Schiffermulleria similella (Hiibner): 1 female, 1. or pp., in rotting Pinus, 9.iv.82, 22.iv.82, Perthshire (M.R.S.); Nemopogon personella (Pierce & Metecalfe): 3 males, 7 females, e., or pp., in bracket fungus on live Quercus, ix.81, vi.82, Berkshire (J.A.O.); Esperia sulphurella (Fabricius): 6 males, 8 females, |. or pp., 16.iv.76, 25.v-30.vi.76, in dead Prunus bark, Warwickshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, 1. or pp., in Malus bark, v.87, Dorset (M.M.B.); oecophorid in dead Quercus bark: 1 male, 1 female, |. or pp., 20.iv.85, 10-17.v.85, Kent (E.C.P-C.); Teleiodes sequax (Haworth): 1 female, 1., 23.vi.84, 17.vii.84, Aberdeenshire (E.C.P-C.); Acleris variegana (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 female, 1. or pp., on Berberis, 19.vii.70, 12.viii.70, Aberdeenshire (E.C.P-C.); indet. tortricid on Teucrium: 1 male, l., 23.vii.70, 12.viii.70, Aberdeenshire (E.C.P-C.). This species is recorded from a wide range of microlepidopterous larvae, but especially those feeding in fungi or dead wood. Phytomyptera nigrina (Meigen). Ca/optilia elongella (L.): 3 female, |., em. vi.76, SWITZERLAND [Egglisgraben, BL] (S.E.W.); Caloptilia rufi- pennella (Hiibner): 1female, 30.vi.79, 17.vii.79, FRANCE [Le Fays, Haute Saone] (S.E.W.); Epinotia immundana (Fischer von Ro6slerstamm): 3 males, |., 12.vii.79, vii.79, viii.79, Hampshire (M.R.S.); Archips rosana (L.): 3 males, |., (origin obscure); Adaina microdactyla (Hiibner): 1 male, 1., 23.iv.79, 15.v.79, Oxfordshire (M.R.S.). Known from a range of microlepidoptera. HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE 35 Tribe SIPHONINI Ceromyia bicolor (Meigen). Lasiocampa trifolii (Denis & Schiffermiiller): b. of 3 males, 6 females, mature |., 1983, Hayling Island, Hampshire (A.R.C.); Lasiocampa quercus (L.): 1 female, young |., 12.viii.75, 20.vili.75, 11.1x.75, Loch Achilty, Ross and Cromarty (M.R.S.); b. of 24, mature 1., Hoy, Orkney (R.I.L.). This species seems to be solitary in small host larvae, but to develop in sizeable broods in the large ones from which it is more commonly reared. It can overwinter as a puparium. Actia crassicornis (Meigen). Depressaria conterminella (Zeller): 1 male, 1., 30.v.61, 24.vi.61, Ballyshannon, Donegal (E.C.P-C.). The larvae of depressariine oecophorids are the usual hosts. Actia pilipennis (Fallén). Anthophila fabriciana (L.): 2 males, 4 females, |., 30.v.61, 24.vi.61, Perthshire (M.R.S.); 2 males, 3 females, 13.vi.81, 1.vii.81, vii.81, Selkirkshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, 2 females, 2.vii.77, 11.vii.77, 20-28.vii.77, Yorkshire (T.H.F.); Eutromula pariana (Clerck): 1 female, 1., 26.vii.84, 29.vii.84, 29.vii.84, FRANCE [Alpes Maritimes] (M.R.S.); Hypatima rhomboidella (L.): 1 female, 1., 29.vi.83, 19.vii.83, Cornwall (J.L.G.); Lozotaenia forsterana (Fabricius): 2 females, |., 23.v.84, Cornwall (J.L.G.); Acleris rufana (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 1 male, 1., 22.vill.54, 24.ix.54, Argyllshire (E.C.P-C.). Known to parasitise a wide range of microlepidoptera. Peribaea tibialis (Robineau-Desvoidy). Cyclophora puppillaria (Hiibner): 1 male, 1., 18.v.89, 19.v.89, 9.vi.89, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.); Pachycnemia hippocastanaria (Hiibner): 1 female, 1., 23.v.88, 2.vi.88, 16.vi.88, and 1 male, 1 female, 1., 29.v.89, 31.v.89, 11-16.vi.89, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.); indet. geometrid on Cytisus: 1 female, 1., 16.v.89, 20.v.89, 31.vi.89, FRANCE [Dr6éme] (T.H.F.). Herting (1968) showed that what had hitherto been regarded as P. tibialis was a complex of two species, P. tibialis and P. apicalis (Robineau-Desvoidy). He gives Lithosia complana (L.), Phragmatobia fuliginosa (L.) and Lacanobia oleracea (L.) as definite hosts of tibialis, whose host range therefore appears to be broad. Ceranthia abdominalis (Robineau-Desvoidy). Cyclophora puppillaria (Hiibner): 2 females, 1., on Myrtus communis, 18.v.89, 23.v.89, 14.vi.89, FRANCE [Var] (T.H.F.).Previously reared from Cyclophora pendularia (Clerck), C. annulata (Schulze) and C. porata (L.). Ceranthia lichtwardtiana (Villeneuve) (det. Stig Andersen). Eupithecia sp. on Betula: 1 male, 1|., viii.87, vili.87, 27.vi.88, Hoy, Orkney (R.I.L.). We can find no reference to previous rearings, but its congener C. tristella Herting has been reared from Eupithecia silenata Standfuss (Herting, 1966). Siphona cristata (Fabricius) (det, Stig Andersen). Mamestra brassicae (L.): baroinss (2 sales, “ie fenale;. 4.cunsexed “emi.), Wk, 4 321x825, 1451x872, 26.vii-4.viil.83, South Edinburgh (M.R.S.); b. of 12 (6 females, 6 unsexed) 36 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 l., ix.73, x.73, vii.74, East Didsbury, Manchester (M.R.S.); indet. noctuid on Clematis montana: b. of 17 (3 males, 4 females, 3 unsexed em.), l., 28 .viii.80, 2.ix.80, 2-18.viii.81, Reading, Berkshire (B.T.P.); indet. noctuid on low plants: b. of 23 (8 males, 12 females, 3 unsexed), 1., 9.viii.82, 12.vili.82, 4.viii.83, Drayton St. Leonard, Oxfordshire (M.C.S.). A gregarious parasitoid of large lepidopterous larvae, particularly Noctuidae. Tribe VORIINI Campylochaeta inepta (Meigen). Dendrolimus pini(L.): b. of 3 (1 female, 1 unsexed em.), |., 30.vii-4.viii.86, 10.ix.86, 1987, FRANCE [Villars- Colmars, Alpes de Haute Provence] (M.R.S.); Ematurga atomaria (L.): 6 males, 1 female, |., 28.vii.81, -12.viii.81, 3.vi.82, Cors Goch NR, Anglesey (M.R.S.); Anarta myrtilli (L.): 1 male, 1., em. 21.11.77, Meathop Moss NR, Cumbria (W.A.W.). Parasitic chiefly on geometrid larvae occurring on heaths and moorland, but known also from other macrolepidoptera occurring in similar habitats. Blepharomyia pagana (Meigen). Erannis defoliaria (Clerck): 2 females, pp., 20.v.75, 21.iv.76, Hampshire (M.R.S.); 1 male, 1 female, pp., em. 1985, Sussex (A.R.C.). Has been reared from various spring-feeding geometrid larvae. Ramonda spathulata (Fallen). Ochropleura praecox (L.): 1 male, 1 female, p., em. 28.vi-1.vii.87, Lancashire (K.C.G.); ? Noctua pronuba (L.): b. of 2 males, 3.11.78, 11.11.78, 1978, London (R.A.S.); Xestia xanthographa (Denis & Schiffermiiller): 6 males, 12 females and b. of 2 males, |., 2.i11.79, 6-14-iv.79, 16-24.v.79, Berkshire (M.R.S.); b. of 2 males, xii.77, 26.11.78, 7.v.78, and b. of 2 males, 3.ii1.78, 20.i1i.78, 15.v.78, also 1 male, 1 female, 3.iv.79, 13.iv.79, 13.v.79, London (R.A.S.); 1 female and b. of 2 females, 3.11.76, 10.11.76, 20-23.11.76, Northumberland (D.A.S.); Mythimna ? pallens (E22 bd. of 6) @ females ‘em:); 1:, S:vi.755 12svis/ See vieos Lancashire (M.R.S.): Apamea ? crenata (Hufnagel): 1 female, 1., 2.ix.75, xii.75, 1976, Yorkshire (P.W.). A regular parasitoid of low-feeding noctuid larvae in grassland. Athrycia impressa (Wulp). Anarta myrtilli (L.): 1 male, 5.vii.78, 19.vii.78, Surrey (M.R.S.). This specimen was determined by Dr Herting and is the first record of impressa from Britain. Athrycia trepida (Meigen). Orthosia gothica (L.): 1 female and 2 bs of 1 male, 1 female, pp., 22.vi-8.vii.78, 15.v-3.vi.79, London (R.A.S.). Parasitic on larvae of various Noctuidae. Voria ruralis (Fallen). Autographa gamma (L.): b. of 4 (1 male, 2 females em.), 1., 6.viii.89, 19.viii.89, Cornwall (J.L.G.); Abrostola triplasia (L.): b. of 2 females, 1., 30.vii.76, 1.x.76, Kirkcudbrightshire (T.H.F.); plusiine sp. on Mentha: b: of 5 males, 3 females, 1., 31.x.87, 4.v.88, 15-20.v.88, Midlothian (K.P.B.). A specialist parasitoid of Plusiinae, but also recorded HOST RECORDS OF TACHINIDAE aH from some other noctuids, Arctia species, and once from Vanessa cardui (L.). In the broods recorded here the puparia formed in the host’s larval skin side by side, and in the largest brood the row of puparia extended along the entire length of the host’s body. Cyrtophleba ruricola (Meigen). Pachycnemia hippocastanaria (Hibner): b. of 2 females, |., 23.v.88, 2.vi.88, 16.vi.88, and b. of 2 females, |., 9.vi.89, 14.vi.89, also b. of 1 male, 2 females, 1., 28.v.89, 14.vi.89, 25.vi.89, FRANCE [8km N. of Frejus, Var] (T.H.F.); Ceramica pisi (L.): b. of 5males, 6 females, pp., 1.vi.86, 19-23.iv.87, FRANCE [St Paul-en-Forét, Var] (T.H.F.). Usually parasitic on larvae of Noctuidae. The puparium is strikingly rotund, smooth and very glossy, with the terminal tubercle displaced dorsally. Thelaira nigripes (Fabricius). Diaphora sordida (Hiibner): 1 female, l., 3.viii.87, 13.viii.87, 22.vi.88, FRANCE [Valdeblore, Alpes Maritimes] (M.R.S.). Recorded from various Arctiidae but, so far as we know, not previously from sordida. Also recorded from some Noctuidae and Lasiocampidae. Most of the foregoing material is now in the collections of the National Museums of Scotland, a few specimens remaining with T.H. Ford. One specimen each of Exorista nova and Cadurcia casta were retained by Dr Herting for the collections of the Staatliches Museum fiir Naturkunde, Stuttgart. Acknowledgements We are grateful to Dr B. Herting and Dr H-P. Tschorsnig of the Staatliches Museum fiir Naturkunde, Stuttgart and Dr S. Andersen of the Zoologiske Museum, Copenhagen, for help with identification, and also the following for preserving and supplying much of the material: R.R. Askew, H. Bates, K.P. Bland, M.R. Britton, M.M. Brooks, G. Bryan, I.K. Buchanan, A. Buckham, G.N. Burton, S. Campbell, P.W. Cribb, I.C. Christie, A.R. Cronin, C. Davidson, A. Dobson, T.C. Dunn, W.A. Ely, L.T. Ford, K.C. Greenwood, J.L. Gregory, N. Hall, F. Harrison, M.A. Hope, J.H. Johnson, T.B. Larsen, R.I. Lorimer, J. McFeely, A.M. Maclaurin, J.R. Miller, M. Noble, J.A. Owen, B.T. Parson, J.H. Payne, E.C. Pelham- Clinton, T.E.D. Poore, W.M. Phillips, M.C. Shaw, D.A. Sheppard, H.G. Short, A.N.B. Simpson, G. Sircoulomb, R.A. Softly, B. Statham, D. Stokes, P. Summers, W.A. Watson, S.E. Whitebread, P.R. Wiles, P.Winter, C.L. Wiskin, J. Wormell, D. Young. Many thanks, too, to Sharon McKay for heroic typing. References Andersen, S., 1988. Revision of European species of Phytomyptera Rondani (Diptera Tachinidae). Ent. scand. 19: 43-80. 38 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Audcent, H., 1942. A preliminary list of the hosts of some British Tachinidae. Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent. 8: 1-42. van Emden, F.I., 1954. Diptera Cyclorrhapha. Calyptrata (I) Section (a). Tachinidae and Calliphoridae. Handbk. Ident. Br. Insects 10 (4a): 133pp. Ford, T.H., 1976. Some records of bred Tachinidae —2. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 88: 68-71. —, 1989. Medina separata (Meigen) (Dipt., Tachinidae), new to Britain, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 125: 139-140. Hammond, H.E. & Smith, K.G.V., 1953. On some parasitic Dipitera and Hymenoptera bred from lepidopterous hosts, Part 1. Entomologist’s Gaz. 4: 273-279. Hammond, H.E. & Smith, K.G.V., 1955. On some parasitic Diptera and Hymen- optera bred from lepidopterous hosts, Part 2. Emtomologist’s Gaz. 6: 168-174. Herting, B., 1960. Biologie der westpalarktischen Raupenfliegen (Dipt., Tachinidae). Monogrn angew. Ent. 16: 188pp. — , 1965. Die Parasiten der schadlich auftretenden Spanner- und Eulenraupen. Zeitschrift fiir angewandte Entomologie. 55: 236-263. — , 1966. Beittrage zur Kenntnis der europdischen Raupenfliegen (Dipt. Tachinidae). IX. Stuttg. Beitr. Naturk. 146: 1-12. — , 1968. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der europdischen Raupenfliegen (Dipt. Tachinidae). XI. Stuttg. Beitr. Naturk. 196: 1-8. — , 1984. Catalogue of Palaearctic Tachinidae (Diptera). Stuttg. Beitr. Naturk. (A) 369: 228pp. Kloet, G.S. & Hincks, W.D., 1972. A check list of British insects, 2nd edition (revised), part 2. Lepidoptera. Handk. Ident. Br. Insects 11(2): 153pp. Richards, O.W., 1940. The biology of the small white butterfly with special refer- ence to the factors controlling its abundance. J. anim. Ecol. 9: 243-288. Taylor, E., 1938. Some records of bred Tachinidae (Diptera). J. Soc. Brit. Ent. 1: 221-223. Wainwright, C.J., 1928. The British Tachinidae. Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. 76: 139-254. — , 1940. The British Tachinidae, Second Supplement. Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. 90: 411-448. Delayed wing inflation in Orthosia incerta Hufnagel (Lep.: Noctuidae) Clouded Drab. In January and February 1990 I dug many pupae of O. incerta from the bases of deciduous trees (especially alder and white poplar) near Banff, Grampian region. Moths began to emerge in March, invariably in the morning between 08.00 and 11.00 hours GMT. On 6.3.90 two moths emerged about 10.00 hours. One inflated its wings normally after the usual few minutes rest, but the other, a male, hid in a dark corner of the breeding cage with its wings uninflated until I disturbed it at 19.00 hours. Then it became active, and started to inflate its wings at 19.15 hours. Apparently it had some difficulty, the hind wings being inflated first, but by 20.30 hours all the wings were fully expanded and the resulting moth was An in spite of the delay except that the forewings were not quite flat. All the other moths which emerged were normal in every way.— ROY LEVERTON, Ordiquhill, Cornhill, Banffshire AB45 2HS. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 39 Brief notes on some coleoptera from the Liverpool Bay area The purpose of this brief note is to provide information on a number of characteristic beetles of coastal habitats in this area, based on the author’s observations, and with reference to background studies kindly provided for me by Mr T. Eccles and the regional office of the Nature Conservancy. The general area is recognised for the quality of its fauna which was dealt with by Chaster, G.W. & Burgess Sopp, E.J. (1903) in their Coleoptera of the Southport District, and by Sharp, W.E. (1908) in his Coleoptera of Lancashire & Cheshire. All of the following species are either rare of localised, or are, in the general area, reduced to fragments of their original populations. Dyschirius thoracicus (Rossi). Fine silty sand below high water mark, Hoylake, Cheshire (SJ28), August 1988. Laemostenus terricola (Herbst). Relict population by rabbit warrens, dune fragment in Mersey mouth, Seaforth, Lancs (SJ39), August 1987. Olisthopus rotundatus (Paykull). On wet bare ground amongst rubble and ferrous metal waste, Seaforth, Lancs (SJ39), August 1987. Amara praetermissa (Sahlberg). Freshfield, Lancs (SD20) long-established population extant on isolated mobile dunes in driest areas. Most northerly western British station. Amara lucida (Duftschmid). Freshfield, Lancs (SD20), May 1985. Harpalus neglectus Serville. Dunes, Point or Air, Flintshire (SJ18), August 1987. Dromius notatus Stephens. Tall herb fen, Hoylake, Cheshire (SJ28), August 1987. Hypocaccus rugiceps (Duftschmid). Freshfield dunes (SD20) extant. Known from other north-west coast dune systems. Quedius fulgidus (Fabricius). Taken very locally in Creeping Willow thickets, Hightown, Lancs (SD20), August 1987. Quedius nigriceps Kraatz. Pine woods on leached dunes, Freshfield, Lancs (SD20), August 1987. Quedius pallipes Lucas. A largely southern species (widespread in western Mediterranean) but frequent around north-western estuaries. My northernmost record is for Hesketh Marshes on the Ribble (SD42). At Hightown (SD20) occurs inland on sparsely vegetated sand flats. Gabrius keysianus Sharp. Dee mouth, Hoylake, Cheshire (SD28), August 1987. Staphylinus brunnipes (Fabricius). Fixed dunes, Freshfield, Lancs (SD20) June 1964 presumed extant. Point of Air, Flintshire (SJ18), August 1987. Diglotta mersa (Haliday). Below high water mark, Point of Air, Flintshire (SJ18), August 1987. Aphodius distinctus (Miller) Hightown dunes, Lancs (SD20), May 1985. Declining. Psammodius caelatus (Leconte). Added to the British list by Colin Johnson 40 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 (Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 111: 177-183) in 1976, and now firmly established at the site, Freshfield, Lancs (SD20). Rhizobius litura (Fabricius). Hoylake, Cheshire (SJ28), August 1988. Elytra brown, otherwise black; possibly unique form. Nephus redtenbacheri (Muslant). Tall herb fen, Hoylake, Cheshire (SJ28). Cteniopus sulphureus (Linnaeus). South-west Anglesey (SH36), August 1988. Characteristic of British southern maritime heaths, it occurs on Anglesey together with other such faunal elements (e.g. the heteropterans Corizus hyscyami (L.) and Phytocoris varipes (Boh.)) but appears not to have crossed Liverpool Bay. Notoxus monoceros (Linnaeus). Hightown dunes, Lancs (SD20), May 1985. Arhopalus tristis (Fabricius). Freshfield, Lancs (SD20), extant in Pinus sylvestris L. Dispersed locally in shore drift. Sitona lineellus (Bonsdorf). Ainsdale, Lancs (SD20), fixed dunes, June 1967.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcs WRI1O03EP. [Further work during August 1990 revealed: Anisodactylus binotatus (F.) sandy pasture (littoral) Leasowe, Wirral, Cheshire (SJ29); spoil heaps, River Weaver, Weston Point, Cheshire (SJ48). Dromius notatus Ste. Extant, Hoylake. Under foliage Cakile maritima Scop., on beach. Staphylinus brunnipes (F.). Viable populations, Freshfield and Birkdale, Lancs (SD31). Fixed dunes and dune-slacks. Notoxus monoceros (L.). Swarming (50+ imagines), foredunes, Hoylake, Cheshire, 8.viii. 1990. Sitona lineellus (Bons.). Extant, Freshfield, Lancs (SD20). At Birkdale, Lancs, (SD31) 5.viii.1990. Fixed dunes, sheltering, with many other phytophagous beetles, under logs from substrate temperature over 40°C. A record of Agonum thoreyi Dejean from reedswamp, Hoylake, 8.viii.1990, is of a species somewhat more localised in Western Britain. P.F.W.] Extraordinary abundance of Omphaloscelis lunosa Haw., the Lunar Underwing (Lep.: Noctuidae) in 1990. Although this is always a common moth in my trap here, the nights of late September 1990 gave unusually large numbers, culminating in 950 /unosa out of 1000 moths trapped on 29th September.— R. FAIRCLOUGH, Blencathra, Deanoak Lane, Leigh, Surrey. R.F. Bretherton c.B., M.A., F.R.E.S. We are saddened to hear, as we go to press, of the death of Russell Bretherton on 10th January 1991. A distinguished entomologist, Russell was an authority on the Noctuidae and will be well known to readers of the Record for his joint papers with Michael Chalmers-Hunt published each year on the immigration of Lepidoptera into the U.K. P.A.S. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 41 A survey of Pamber Forest Nature Reserve, North Hampshire. The Pamber Forest/Silchester Common SSSI comprises a range of habitats consisting of ancient woodland, heathland and unimproved meadows, some 700 acres in extent. Local nature reserve status is currently only afforded to the 500 acre Pamber Forest complex for which I am responsible. Traditionally, Pamber was well known to many entomologists though interest waned with the cessation of coppicing in the early 1960s and the subsequent decline in many of the invertebrate populations. Since 1980, nature reserve management has been aimed at improving habitat conditions for a range of invertebrate groups coupled with the gradual compilation of species lists and specialist survey work — currently on Diptera, Aculate Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera. Needless to say, many of the less well known groups are poorly documented and few old records exist. Major gaps occur in the following groups: Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera, Parasitica, Neuroptera, Mecoptera and Megaloptera. I am seeking past insect records of Pamber Forest from any readers who may have worked the area in the last few decades. Although prime interest is in the groups mentioned above, all insect records are useful, especially if dated or related to Red Data Book species. If anyone can help, please contact me.— MARTIN DAVEY, 1 Vicarage Cottages, Church Road, Mortimer West End, Berks RG7 2HX. Wasps, mantises, and the acme of invertebrate predation. I can cite a parallel for Mr C. Gibson’s interesting observation (Ent. Rec 102: 85-86) recounting the predation of a mantis by a wasp. On the Greek island of Zakynthos on 7.x.1985 (Bull. Hellenic Soc. for the protection of nature (1987) 39: 65-68) I became aware of a pending battle between hornets (Vespa orientalis L.) and a mature mantis (Mantis religiosa L.). A hornet had recognised the mantis as a valuable food resource. The mantis viewed the hornet which in a short time was joined by two others, with total disdain. The entire mass of insects fell to the ground and in the resulting mélée, the head of the mantis was removed by a hornet and carried off, followed by the disarticulation of the rest of it. The ranges of Vespa crabro L. and V. orientalis L. overlap on Zakynthos, although they tend to occupy different niches, and the latter is a scavenger in addition to being a singularly aggressive predator. Arguably more deadly as a predator of invertebrates are females of the spider Steatoda paykulliana (Walckenaer) that I first encountered on Mallorca, Spain, in April 1987. This large, strikingly coloured black and red terrestrial spider lurks under stones, and when exposed tends to approach the source of its disturbance with methodical deliberation. The way that this spider deals with large predatory beetles is truly remarkable, suggesting a bite of exceptional potency. It is able to overcome the large 42 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 Carabus morbillosus F., the accomplished predator Staphylinus olens Mill. and the robust scarab Pentodon algirinum Hbst. Anyone encountering this spider should give it a wide berth. Water boatmen are recognised as efficient predators in Britain. On 8.ix.1990 in our ponds at Little Comberton, I noticed a water boatman (Notonecta glauca L.) take a worker wasp (Vespula vulgaris L.) from the surface. The wasp was held across the body of the bug, obviating its inclination to sting. Although the wasp was eventually killed (by piercing the membranes behind the head) death was not a rapid process. In contrast a frog 21mm long that was caught by a mature N. glauca on the same day succumbed almost at once and was carried down over two feet by the bug, a demonstration of their considerable power. On the following day as a third significant observation, a larvae, normally noxious, of a Large White (Pieris brassicae L.) fell into the pond and was rapidly despatched by an adult N. glauca. Most of it was eventually consumed by a large dystiscid Acilius sulcatus (L.) with evident alacrity.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 13EP. Unusual wing-drying posture in Orthosia species (Lep.: Noctuidae). In spring 1990 I had many pupae of three Orthoisia sp. collected from the foot of trees near Banff, Grampian Region, and was able to observe the behaviour of the emerging moths. Although the breeding cage was furnished with twigs and had roughened sides to facilitate climbing, a minority of the O. incerta Hufn. and O. gothica L. successfully inflated and dried their wings whilst resting on the floor of the cage. For O. stabilis D.&. S. this seemed almost the preferred method, and many crawled but a centimetre or two from the empty pupal case before doing so. All other Lepidoptera I have bred seem to need a vertical or even overhanging surface from which to cling when inflating and drying their wings, otherwise these are deformed or bent. Perhaps the ability to use a horizontal surface is an adaptation to enable these newly-emerged Orthosia species to remain hidden if necessary in the ground litter at a season when there is little vegetation to conceal them if they climbed.— ROY LEVERTON, Whitewells, Ordiquhill, Cornhill, Banffshire AB45 2HS. The larval diet of Dryops ernesti des Gozis (Col.: Dryopidae). On 20th March 1990 I observed a few larvae of this species in shallow pools at Saintbury, Gloucestershire. They were actively consuming super- saturated wood tissue of elm (U/mus procera Salsb.) logs submerged in the pools, amongst adults of the same species. —P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcs WR10 3EP. Epiphyas postvittana Walk. (Lep.: Tortricidae) and Anomoia purmunda (Harris) (Dipt. Tephritidae) in Bristol. 3 My colleague Andy Pym purchased a Heath-style light trap earlier this year and after its first operation in his garden in Filton, Bristol (ST 60799), on NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 43 23rd April 1990, brought me a micro-moth which he did not recognise. This was a male E. postvittana. This record adds another vice-county (34, West Gloucestershire) to those from which this moth has been taken and reinforces the impression given by recent reports (Ent. Rec. 101: 277 and 102: 73) that it is currently expanding its range northwards. I have since observed other specimens in my own Bristol garden (ST 5875), within the same vice-county, and it would appear to be well established here. I was also interested to find in my garden on 30th August 1990 a tephritid fly, A. purmunda. White, in his RES Handbook Vol. 10, pt. 5(a), (1988) gives no Gloucestershire or Somerset records and reports no recent records from the west of England. Audcent (Proc. Bristol Naturalists’ Soc.) 28 (1950) pt. 1: 65) lists his own captures for Somerset at Clevedon as 5.8.40 and 26.8.44. He also gives Gloucestershire records from Bainbridge Fletcher at Rodborough 2.6.36 and from d’Assis-Fonseca at Durdham Down, Bristol 4.9.47. The Audcent collection, now housed in the City Museum & Arts Gallery, Bristol (Ac. No. 3/1983), has further specimens taken at light in Clevedon by H. Bird on 17.7.50 and 22.7.50. My own capture and these others are of interest as White’s information suggests the adult is only usually seen from April to June.— R.J. BARNETT, City Museum & Art Gallery, Queen’s Road, Bristol BS8 1RL. Schrankia taenialis Hbn. (Lep.: Noctuidae) in N.W. Kent. After reporting the arrival of a specimen of this moth at my garden m.v. light on 13th July, 1987 (Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 99: 239) I suggested that taenialis might still be a resident of this area despite the previous sighting being as long ago as 1984, for Bexley Park Woods. Further evidence for this suggestion was the arrival of another specimen on 10th August, 1990 at the same light.— B.K. WEST, 36 Briar Road, Dartford, Kent DA5 2HN. Observations on the genus Sepedophilus (Col.: Staphylinidae) in Worcestershire. The following notes provide many new records for Worcestershire and the West Midland region. In some cases the ecology of the species is difficult to quantify. At some sites elsewhere in England, Sepedophilus littoreus occupies exclusively* the more usual niche of Sepedophilus bipunctatus (dead, soft, often water-saturated heartwood); the association with ants is presumed to be facultative. Sepedophilus bipunctatus (Gravenhorst). Decayed willow (Salix fragilis L.) Evesham (SP04) 30.ix.1988 with S. testaceus (F.), new to vice-county. In felled ash on Bredon Hill (SO94) quiescent with ants Leptothorax acervorum (F.) 19.ii.1989. Almost certainly northernmost British records. S. testaceus (Fabricius). Recorded in January, February, March, June, 44 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 September, December, in fungoid hardwood trees (although on Mallorca, Spain, it occurs in Pinus halepensis Mill.) namely Castanea, Salix, Ulmus, Quercus, Fraxinus, Populus. Characteristic of delignified hardwood stumps and logs, in which adults overwinter by deep penetration of the tissues. S. pedicularius (Gravenhorst). A hygrophilous terricolous species sensitive to land-use change. Sporadic in riparian woods in the Avon Valley e.g. near Tewkesbury, 3.11.1990. S. littoreus (Linnaeus). Relatively eurytopic but sporadic. In pile of cut lavender, Broadway (SP03) 9.ix.1988; under pile of Cypress foliage, Evesham town (SP04) 12.x.1988. S. nigripennis (Fabricius). Near Childswickham (SP03) this widespread essentially xerophilous species occurs repeatedly in early spring with ants Myrmica rubra (L.) and in the almost constant company of the pselaphid Brachygluta fossulata (Reichenbach). A Coleopterist’s Handbook (Amcteur Ent. Soc. 1954) makes no reference to any such association.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcs WR10 3EP. *In the experience of most of us there is nothing exclusive about the ecological preferences of this species, which is found (usually singly) in a variety of habitats as Mr Whitehead suggests below. I have seen no sign of myrmecophily in any of our species. — A.A. ALLEN. [The identity of a Sepedophilus from Little Brockhampton, Gloucs (SP03) has, as far as possible,now been established. The specimen, which was not teneral, was taken in a decaying ash log on 13.11.1989, and was a clear bright orange throughout, apart from darkened middle antennomeres; no British Sepedophilus normally exhibits such coloration. Dr R. Madge has recently ascribed the specimen to S. testaceus (Fabricius), of unusually pale colour. S. festaceus occurs widely in the general area of this specimen.— P.F.W.] Further evidence of Yponomeuta evonymella (Linn.) (Lep.: Ypono- meutidae) migrating into southern England. Col. Emmet’s article (Ent. Rec. 102: 65-69) suggesting that Y. evonymella is a migrant to southern England, is further supported from a large influx of this species noted by myself and other entomologists in Norfolk and Suffolk, which coincided with the widespread migration reported further south and occurring in July 1989. I have summarised this East Anglian invasion below, and would like to thank those fellow recorders who have allowed me to quote their records herein. East Suffolk (vc25), near Beccles, 6/7 July, none, 7/8 July, approxi- mately 190, 9/10 July, none, 10/11 July, 25, between two and seven recorded nightly until 15/16 July (N. Muddeman); St Olaves, 7/8 July massive invasion of Small Ermines, 8/9 July, less than 50 Small Ermines (late H. Jenner). These observations likely to be for Y. evonymella. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 45 East Norfolk (vc27). Brundall, 6/7 July, abundant, 9/10 July, more than 200 (no trap 7/8, 8/9 July) (A.P. Foster); Burgh Common, 7/8 July, many, singletons noted up to 25/26 July (K. Saul). West Norfolk (vc28), Magdalen, near Kings Lynn, 10/11 July, five (no trap 6/7 or 9/10 July) C. Sheppard); Ringstead, 8/9 July, one, 9/10 July, 17, then ones and twos between 22/23 and 25/26 July; Docking, 10/11 July, four, 11/12 July, three, then singletons on 12/13 and 14/15 July; Titchwell, 6/7 July, two, and 7/8 July, two (R. Skeen).— A.P. FOSTER, c/o Nature Conservancy Council, 60 Bracondale, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 5QN. Eupithecia dodoneata Guenée (Lep.: Geometridae), the Oak Tree Pug, in Co. Durham. A single female E. dodoneata was caught in the Rothamsted Insect Survey light trap at Shildon, Co. Durham (Site No. 477, O.S. grid ref. NZ 239 262) on 4.v.1990. Its identity was confirmed by examination of the genitalia. This species has not previously been recorded in Co. Durham (T.C. Dunn, pers. comm.) though it is known to be locally common in parts of Yorkshire and has been noted in the bordering Watsonian vice-counties of North-west and North-east Yorkshire (Sutton, S.L. and Beaumont, H.E. (1989). Butterflies and Moths of Yorkshire. Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, Doncaster). Thanks are extended to D. Kipling for operating the trap at Shildon and to T.C. Dunn for confirming the status of this species in Co. Durham.— ADRIAN M. RILEY, Dept. Entomology and Nematology, AFRC Inst. Arable Crops Res., Rothamsted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ. A dawn flight of Mompha propinquella Staint. (Lep.: Momphidae) and others. Although dawn tends to be a time rather neglected by lepidopterists it can nevertheless be an occasion when certain species perhaps thought of as being locally scarce are in fact found to be surprisingly common. My appetite for the early hours was whetted one June morning when, at Friday Wood, Colchester, I chanced upon a number of Telechrysis tripuncta Haw. (Oecophoridae) flying along a mixed hedgerow in company with the Coleophorids C. serratella L. and an early C. lineola Zell. During the hot spell in August 1990 and unable to sleep I instead enjoyed a dawn foray at High Woods, Colchester, and observed around twenty Mompha propinquella Staint. flying in a five-year old plantation of mixed trees, with a reasonable ground flora still evident. Previous to this I had only encountered this moth twice in the same area, once at dusk and once at light. Dawn may therefore be the favoured flight time for this species. — B. GOODEY, 298 Ipswich Road, Colchester, Essex CO4 4ET. 46 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 A second capture of Perigona nigriceps Dej. (Col.: Carabidae) in N.W. Kent (S.E. London). On the night of 23rd August last I was pleased to find, among vast numbers of Bradycellus verbasci Duft, at my m.v. lamp, a single specimen of the diminutive carabid Perigona nigriceps De}. I had not met with the species since 1949, when, on 25th July, one occurred in my former garden at Blackheath near here (Allen, 1950, Ent. mon. Mag. 86: 89-90) — apparently the first in Britain, though it later transpired that the insect had at some previous time been found as an importation in a cargo in the docks. Since the Blackheath occurrence, a mere handful of records of P. nigriceps have appeared (I believe, always singletons) from scattered localities in England and Wales. Being a native of warmer countries, this cosmopolitan species is probably having difficulty in establishing itself in the open in Britain. There is nothing surprising about its flying to light, as this appears to be a known habit of the beetle abroad.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. Celastrina argiolus L. (Lep.: Lycanidae): its foodplants and its frequency. It is not quite clear whether Colin Plant (Ent. Rec. 102: 244) considers that his observation of the Holly Blue’s choice of foodplant is noteworthy because it is Euonymus or because it is E. japonica. Frohawk (1914) recorded E. europaeus as a foodplant. Sandars (1939) mentions Spindle Tree (E. europaeus) as does Carter (1986). I agree with the recent correspondents to the Record that 1989 was an unusually good year for argiolus, even in Cheshire. Perhaps 1990 will prove to have been equally good. On 19th July 1990 I found fresh males to be common along the cliff path west of Ventnor, Isle of Wight. Returning home on 20th July I found several males in the Oxfordshire part of the Bernwood Forest where I collected regularly in the 1940s (without recording argiolus). Later the same day I observed scores of specimens flying along ivy-covered Cotswold stone walls in the village of Islip, Oxon, especially in the churchyard and the garden of the Red Lion in the main street. The beer was quite good too.— Dr R.G. AINLEY, ‘‘Burford’’, Briardale Road, Willaston, S. Wirral, Cheshire L64 1TB. References: Frohawk, F.W. (1914). Natural History of British Butterflies vol. I, p.118. London, Hutchinson. Sandars, E. (1939) Butterfly Book for the Pocket, p.218. London, Oxford University Press. Carter D.J. & Hargreaves B. (1986). Field Guide to Caterpillars in Britain & Europe, p.47. London, Collins. Two notable Staphylinidae (Col.) at light in 1976. The two species recorded hereunder both visited my m.v. lamp during the very hot spell in the summer of 1976 beginning in late June, when insects, including species not seen here before and seldom or never since, abounded at the lamp. Both were single males, oniy lately set and securely identified. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 47 Leptacinus intermedius Donis. (25.vi.) (Allen, 1990, Ent. Rec. 102: 239). Probably the first recognised occurrence in Kent and the London area — published records being almost nil. As I point out in the paper just cited, I have seen none since the species was described in 1936 from Windsor, but have a note of two finds (Surrey and Cheshire); though only males are determinable with certainty, it is likely to prove widespread. Local habitats have yielded me only the common L. pusillus Steph., but I have had batychrus Gyll. a little farther out, at Plumstead. Brachyusa concolor Er. (27.vi.) A rare species previously found by me only in Windsor Park very sparsely on mud round a pond, in 1936 (cf. Donisthorpe, 1939, Prel. List. Col. Winds. For.: 34). This appears to be the typical habitat. To the records, all in the London area, given by Fowler (1888, Col. Brit. Isl. 2: 145) I have added the following: ‘‘In dead leaves and rubbish, courtyard of British Museum (E.A. Waterhouse)’’ — a curious record (source not noted) suggesting a casual stray. The supplementary volume (1913, 6: 225) includes one as far north as Bredon, Worcs (Blatch), and it is interesting that in the last few years Mr P.F. Whitehead has met with it in the same district.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Chariton, London SE7 8QG. Thera juniperata L. (Lep.: Geometridae) in North London (Middlesex). A male Thera juniperata (Juniper Carpet) was taken in my North London garden which abuts Coppetts Wood Nature Reserve (TQ 276 916) on 22nd October 1988. De Worms (1957, The Moths of London and its surroundings Part IV, Lond. Nat. 1956: 81) gives only T.D.A. Cockerell’s (1891, A preliminary list of the insect fauna of Middlesex, 2. Entomologist 224: 29-33) ‘‘Whitton’’ record for Middlesex and Colin Plant (London Natural History Society Lepidoptera Recorder for the London area) informs me that there have been only two subsequent records for the county viz. Potters Bar 1964 (Jackson) and Hampstead Heath 1985 (Ray Softly). Native Juniper (J. communis L.) was formerly native on heaths and commons in the county (e.g. Harefield, Hampstead and Finchley) but has long been extinct (last record 1746) according to D.H. Kent (1975,. The Historical Flora of Middlesex, Ray Society, London). Recent notes in the Record (95: 64; 100; 93, 237) suggest that introduced juniper cultivars in gardens may be serving as foodplants for this widely distributed but very local species.— K.G.V. SMITH, 70 Hollickwood Avenue, London N12 0LT. Lilioceris lilii Scop. (Col. Chrysomelidae) in suburban N.W. Kent. After sweeping vegetation (G/yceria etc.) in the dried -out bed of a pond at the edge of Oxleas Wood, Shooters Hill, near here during a warm spell in the afternoon of 26th September last, I was astounded to see clinging to the 48 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 side of my net a specimen of this beautiful insect. Its occurrence in such an unusual situation, far from a known foodplant, was possibly not unconnected with the fact that the site is but a stone’s throw from a major motorway. However it may have reached the spot — whether flown from a garden not far off, or accidentally transported from an indefinite distance — the beetle can doubtless only be regarded as a stray. Records of the Lily beetle from Kent seem very few. I have no definite information on occurrences in the county since 1957, but before that date it had been found at Chattenden near Rochester in 1895 (Fox-Wilson, 1943, Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. (A) 18: 85), and there are ancient records from localities on the Kent side of London: Deptford, Camberwell, Peckham (Stephens, and cited by Fowler); I have an example marked ‘‘Mr Groves/Lewisham/1859’’. The Shooters Hill find is evidently not the first in this general area, since my late friend A.W. Gould once told me that it turned up in the garden of an acquaintance somewhere in the Blackheath district; but the infestation, I understood, was short-lived. As pointed out by B.J. Southgate (1959, Ent.Gaz. 10 (4): 139), the species has for many years been centred on the district around Chobham in Surrey, where alone ~ I had previously taken it; other records being (as is probably still the case) only sporadic.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. Anaspis bohemica Schilsky (Col.: Scraptiidae) at Loch Garten, Inverness-shire. On a visit to the RSPB Loch Garten Reserve on 7.vi.90, we beat from young pine trees carrying male blossoms a number of Anaspis which proved later to be a mixture of A. bohemica and A. rufilabris in roughly equal proportions. Both sexes of bohemica were present (three males and five females). As far as we are aware, this is only the third time the species has been recorded in Britain. In bringing the species forward as British, our good friend Mr A.A. Allen (1975 Ent. Rec. 87: 269) recorded that the species was taken by the late G.H. Ashe at Forest Lodge in a part of Abernethy Forest about 7km distant from where we found it. Some years later, one of us (Owen Ent. Rec. 100: 191) captured a female near Coylumbridge at a distance of about 12km from Forest Lodge. Ashe’s specimens were beaten from broom whereas the Coylumbridge specimen was beaten from dead pine branches in an area which had been clear-felled. The occurrence of the species on male pine blossom has been noted previously in Denmark (Allen 1975 loc. sit.). Most, if not all, Anaspis species develop in dead wood. The association of A. bohemica with pine in Scotland and elsewhere suggests that this species develops in dead pine wood. It may be that, where we found our specimens, there was a considerable quantity of dead pine branches which NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 49 had arisen from thinning operations on young pine trees and which had been deliberately left lying on the ground in small stacks as a conservation measure. We thank Mr Stewart Taylor, Warden for permission to study beetles on the RSPB Loch Garten Reserve. M.L. LUFF, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, The University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU. J.A. OWEN, 8 Kingsdown Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3PU. Unusually early emergence of Lepidoptera in spring 1990 noticed as far north as Banffshire. No doubt most observers witnessed the unusually early emergence of many moths in the warm spring of 1990. However, this was not confined to southern Britain, but was very noticeable as far north as Banffshire (vc94). As there are few recorders in that area, especially in spring, the following April records from the favoured Deveron valley near Banff may be of interest: Nut-tree Tussock (Colocasia coryli L.) 20.iv.90 (two) Garden carpet (Xanthorhoe fluctuata L.) 22.iv.90 Scalloped Hazel (Odontopera bidentata Cl.) 23.iv.90 Brown Silver-line (Petrophora chlorosata Scop.) 24.iv.90 Peppered Moth (Biston betularia L.) 28.iv.90 (three) Lunar Thorn (Selenia lunularia Hb.) 28.iv.90 White Ermine (Spilosoma lubricipeda L.) 28.iv.90 Small Phoenix (Ecliptopera silaceata D.& S.) 29.iv.90 Common Pug (Eupethicia vulgata Haw.) 29.iv.90 Puss Moth (Cerura vinula L.) 30.iv.90. Most of these would be exceptional dates for first sightings even in Sussex, and I suspect that northern population are adapted to respond to relatively lower temperatures than are populations of the same species further south.— RoOyY LEVERTON, Ordiquhill, Cornhill, Banffshire AB45 2HS. A note on Leptura sanquinolenta Linnaeus (Col.: Cerambycidae) This beetle has been recorded in Scotland by various observers but, apart from its occurrence in areas with long established woods of Scots’ Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and the fondness of the adults for blossoms, very few original observations seem to have been made on its life history in Britain and practically nothing published. Fowler (1922 Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 58: 208) records the successful rearing of two specimens from larvae taken at Nethy Bridge in 1921 but does not mention the pabulus in which the larvae were found. In view of the paucity of this information, it seems worth recording that, on 8.vi.90, I came across pupae of the species in the trunk of a fallen dead pine in Abernethy Forest, Scotland and reared adults from some of them. 50 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 The trunk in which the pupae were found was without bark and had a well weathered surface. From its appearance and from the soft texture of the wood, the tree was estimated to have been dead for between 10 and 20 years. The diameter of the trunk at the relevant point was about 40cm and the pupae occurred in chambers arranged along the axis of the trunk 2 - 3 cm under the surface of the wood on the side of the trunk which was exposed to the sun. About 30cm of the trunk was examined and this contained six pupae. There could well have been other pupae on either side of the section examined. No larvae or adults of this or any other species were found but there were holes in the surface of the wood which were probably made by the weevil Eremotes ater Linnaeus. The emergence holes made by the adults (in captivity) were approximately round and 3 - 4mm in diameter. Duffy (1952 A Monograph of the immature stages of British and imported Timber beetles (Cerambycidae), British Museum, Natural History) states that the eggs of the species are laid in stumps and boles of pine, especially those of young dead pines with bark charred by fire. The site of these observations is not mentioned but, as Duffy states that he had no British larvae or pupae to examine, it was probably in Scandinavia or continental Europe. Duffy’s comments suggest that the eggs are laid in relatively freshly dead wood with bark adhering. This contrasts with my observations for, estimating the development period at 3 - 4 years, the eggs in this instance would have been laid in a log which was already well rotted and almost certainly without bark. I thank Mr E.M. Mathew, Regional Officer, Nature Conservancy Council for permission to undertake studies in the Abernethy National Reserve and Mr Stewart Taylor for helpful discussion on the age of the wood.— J.A. OWEN, 8 Kingsdown Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3PU. Towards a safe and practical pest-repellent Mr A.A. Allen, in his contribution to this subject (Ent. Rec. 102: 184-185), must surely have struck a major entomological nerve. It is a matter to which I too have been attending for some little time, and on which Mr Allen had previously advised me. Conditions here are such that the term self-contained is hardly an euphemism; quite a bit of time is spent in the company of my specimens and their fumigant-saturated air. This is an introductory note only and much remains to be done. I have been using, since the early part of this year Camphor and Peppermint Oils impregnated on high-pinned natural sponge cubes. Recently other essential oils have been added to the range. My response to breathing naphthalene- enriched air appeared to have been one of increasing minor irritation. In addition I had observed a mature larva of Anthrenus alive but ‘‘worried’’ in naphthalene-saturated conditions, all of which have led me now -to dispense with it. The first thing to be said about the essential oils is that it is a pleasure to NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 51 work with them (in fact I can confirm chemotropism!). It is however their aromatic nature which is a measure of their volatility, and here there may be one source of difficulty; the application frequency may be considerable, particularly in the case of Peppermint Oil. The efficacy of these oils may be tested in various ways, by observations within cabinet drawers and by experimentation with live Anthrenus larvae. In the drawer, Camphor Oil applied to a sponge cube definitely slowed the metabolic rate of last instar Anthrenus larvae. I have not yet gauged the effect of these oils as a deterrent and this is crucial, for a first instar larval Anthrenus can wreak havoc without detection. As painful proof of it, I have what are now only the splendidly arranged tarsi of Coryphinium angusticolle Ste. The final instar larvae of Anthrenus are surprisingly tenacious. I introduced adult larvae to substrates saturated with (a) Clove Oil to which they showed no reaction, (b) Camphor Oil by which they were deterred, and (c) Cedarwood Oil.* In the last case death ensued, but this could have been aided by blockage of the spiracles. Much more experimentation is required and the spectrum of materials may have to be widened. Those wishing to conduct their own trials may like to know of the following sources: The Body Shop (most city high streets for their perfectly designated ““Aromatherapy’’ range). Lavender and Peppermint Oils. Bio-Science Supplies, 4 Long Mill North, Wednesfield, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV11 1JD. (Tel: 0902-725531). Northern Biological Supplies Ltd, 3 Betts Avenue, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich IP5 7RH. Cedarwood Oil, Methyl Benzoate. I wish to thank Mr J. Eric Marson (Northern Biological Supplies) and Mr G. Ashton (Bio-Science Supplies) for information and comment.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3EP. *On this oil, see Allen, Ent. Rec. 102: 297.— A.A.A. [Since writing the above, the Research Department of The Body Shop (whom I gratefully thank) have acknowledged my request for clarification of a specific matter. They have confirmed that the carriers of their essential oils are either Almond Oil or Soya Bean Oil which may volatilise more slowly than the essential ingredients. This suggests that pure Cedarwood Oil should be the principal object of further experimentation. P.F.W.] Psammotis pulveralis Hbn. (Lep.: Pyralidae) and other migrant Lepidoptera in the Dungeness area, 1990. On the morning of 4th August 1990, whilst examining the catch of the m.v. trap run at the Bird Observatory, Dungeness, Kent, both myself and David Walker, the warden, noticed a small, unfamiliar sandy-coloured moth fluttering under the perspex. It proved to be an example of Psammotis pulveralis, a pyralid moth last taken in Britain in 1903. Around this period, several other interesting species were taken in the Dungeness area, most not By ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 traditionally recognised as migrants, none known to breed in the area, and all suggestive of a short distance, cross-channel migration. Among the most interesting were the sixth British record of the Marbled Grey, Cryphia raptricula D. & S. and the first Kent record of the Pyralid Pediasia fascelinella Hbn., both at Dungeness; three specimens of Pelosia muscerda Hufn., from Dungeness, Greatstone and Ham Street; two Orthonama obstipata Fab. and single examples of Cyclophora linearia Hbn., Hyloicus pinastri L. and Photedes fluxa Hbn. all at Dungeness. Single examples of Jdaea vulpinaria H.-S. from Greatstone and Dungeness. All the above were taken between 27th July and 4th August 1990. Other noteworthy migrants taken at Dungeness during the year included an early Trichoplusia ni Hbn. on 23rd February (sharing the trap with one Orthosia gothica!), a male Catocala fraxini L. on 27th September, the eighth or ninth British, and first Kent record of the pyralid Hymenia recurvalis Fab. on 17th October.— SEAN CLANCY, Delhi Cottage, Dungeness, Kent TN29 9NE. BOOKS AND JOURNALS Paperback reprints from Harley Books Harley Books are continuing the welcome policy of issuing their major works in paperback format at most reasonable prices. The term paperback is a little misleading — the books are stitched and bound in an illustrated, tough and durable limp covering. The two volumes considered here are not exact reprints of the originals, but the differences are noted below. The butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae) edited by A.M. Emmet and J. Heath. Illustrated by Richard Lewington and Tim Freed. 380pp, 24 coloured plates. 22 figs, 83 maps. 1990. Price £24.95. Originally reviewed in Ent. Rec. 101: 282-284 under the title The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, the reference to moths has been dropped to reflect the free-standing text of this volume. The text has been reprinted with a few minor revisions, but the plates are the original printing. At around half the price of the hardback edition, a bargain. Grasshoppers and allied insects of Great Britain and Ireland by J.A. Marshall and E.C.M. Haes. 254pp, 12 coloured plates, 22 figs, 102 maps. 1990. Price £15.95. Originally reviewed in Ent. Rec. 101: 41-44 this printing contains additional significant records as a postscript to the preface, and an addendum to the off-shore island and vice-county records and to the gazeteer. Minor corrigenda are also included. The inside back cover carries life-size silhouettes of representative species. The bookmark is available for extra cost, as is the Sound Guide. BOOKS AND JOURNALS 53 The moths and butterflies of Exmoor National Park by John Robbins. 66pp. AS booklet, wire stitched. Exmoor Natural History Society 1990 (available from ENHS 26 Alcombe Road, Minehead, Somerset, price £2.50 inc. p&p.) This latest publication of the Exmoor National History Society decribes itself as a check-list, recording some 1030 species of Lepidoptera noted from within the boundaries of the National Park. The introduction includes a brief treatment of habitat and remarks on the Lepidoptera in general. The bulk of the publication is devoted to the systematic list. For the butterflies and larger moths entries give the scientific and English names, status (with a choice of 13 categories) and the vice-county — the park spanning v.c. 4 and 5. For the microlepidoptera the foodplants are also given. There are brief remarks on each of the families. It is gratifying to see such a comprehensive list covering all of the Lepidoptera. It would have been instructive to know the dates, localities and recorders for some of the more interesting species, but this no doubt would have been beyond a work of this scope.The major criticism must be in the citation of foodplants for the microlepidoptera — the text does not make it clear if a species has actually been bred from the cited foodplant on Exmoor — in most instances I suspect that this is not the case. Despite these comments, this is a worthy publication, very reasonably priced. Paul Sokoloff Oedippus: a new journal devoted to the conservation of Lepidoptera. Oedippus is a new journal launched by the Gesellschaft fiir Schmetterlings- schutz (the Society for the Conservation of Butterflies and Moths) which itself was founded as recently as 30th October 1988. Named after the False Ringlet Coenonympha oedippus Fab., a butterfly considered to be one of the most threatened of all European species and already extinct in Germany, it is being edited by Dr Otakar Kudrna, well known to British entomologists, and is expected to appear at least once a year. Oedippus will be devoted to comprehensive original papers on all aspects of the scientific conservation of Lepidoptera, especially practical measures, and such related topics such as ecology and biogeography, which will be published in either German or English with summaries in both languages. This first issue of Oedippus is almost entirely devoted to a comprehensive paper by the editor and Lothar Mayer on the establishment of a practical aid programme for the conservation of the last remaining populations of the Danube Clouded Yellow Colias myrmidone (Esper) in Bavaria, a seriously endangered species in Germany. Although in German, there is a long summary in English and the paper is illustrated throughout with black and white photographs, and clear maps and tables. C. myrmidone is at the western limit of its range in Bavaria. A survey by the authors in 1988 and 1989 revealed that it survives for certain on only three sites north of Regensburg which contain small discrete breeding 54 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 populations situated on south-facing grassland in the valley of a tributary of the Danube. Here they face probable extinction from the natural successional climax of the vegetation and their isolation in intensively cultivated land. In response to representations to the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment, support was forthcoming for a study of which the Oedippus paper is a more detailed version. It not only analyses the former and current status of C. myrmidone in Bavaria, but also elsewhere within its European range. Much information is also given on its taxonomy and ecology, and the paper concludes with practical recommendations for its conservation and re-introduction into at least two former localities once the habitat has been restored to the right condition. Reviews of Emmet & Heath’s The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 7, part 1: The Butterflies and E.J.M. Warren’s The Country Diary of Creating a Butterfly Garden occupy the final two pages of this issue, which costs DM15 from Dr Otakar Kudrna, Karl-Straub-Str. 21, D-8740, Bad Neustadt-Salz, West Germany. The Gesellschaft fiir Schmetterlingsschutz (GfS), registered as a charity, is a learned society concerned with the conservation of indigenous Lepidoptera, especially those of central Europe, but membership is open to entomologists from all nations. Since 1988 it has organised the inter- national Rhéner Symposium fiir Schmetterlingsschutz, held each year in the Naturpark Rh6dn Oberelsbach, Bavaria, and plans to establish a research station for Lepidoptera conservation there. Further information, including subscription rates, can be obtained from Dr Kudrna at the above address. John F. Burton Provisional atlas of the hoverflies of Essex by R.G. Payne 32pp. 161 maps. A4, paper. Essex Biological Records Centre’s publication No. 7. 1989. Price £2.40 inc. post, from Central Museum, Victoria Avenue, Southend- on-Sea, Essex. This large format work presents the current outcomes of a nine-year survey of Essex hcverflies, mapping their distribution on a 10km square basis. Only records made since 1970 are included, but there are notes on the 13 pre-1970 species. There is a detailed ‘‘gazeteer’’ of good hoverfly sites followed by a distribution map and brief comment for each of the 161 recorded species. A considerable amount of work must have gone into compiling these records for insects which are often local, rare or very rare in Essex. This publication should provide a useful stimulus for further study. An atlas of the butterflies of Northumberland and Durham by N.J. Cook. 71pp. Numerous maps. A4 duplicated, spiral bound. Northumberland Biological Records Centre special publication No. 5. 1990. Price £6.00. - In 1987 Dunn and Parrack produced The butterflies and moths of Northumberland and Durham (reviewed Ent. Rec. 100: 96). This larger BOOKS AND JOURNALS 55 format publication treats the butterflies in Atlas format, with the text simplified for the general reader, and introducing hints on identification for each of the species described. As a self-contained publication for the reader interested particularly in the butterflies it has some value — the maps are full page size rather than the ‘‘thumbnail’’ size in the original publication and, of course, contains additional records. Apart from this the publication adds little for those who already have the definitive list. Recent publications from the Nature Conservancy Council The NCC continue to produce inexpensive and useful publications for the non-specialist. All of those noted below are attractively produced, well written and superbly illustrated for books of their price. They provide an excellent introduction to their respective topics, and are available from Publications Dept BRV, Nature Conservancy Council, Northminster House, Peterborough PE] 1UA. Coppiced Woodlands: their management for wildlife by R.J. Fuller and M.S. Warren. 32pp, many figs and colour illustrations. AS, paper. 1990. Price £2.50. This booklet deals with one of the traditional methods of managing the trees themselves, in which they are cut down periodically and allowed to regrow from the cut stumps or “‘stools’’. It covers the history of coppicing and its decline, its value for wildlife, ways of managing coppice for wildlife and the options for managing neglected coppice. Woodland rides and glades: their management for wildlife by M.S. Warren and R.J. Fuller. 32pp. Many figs and coloured illustrations. AS, paper. 1990. Price £2.50. This booklet explains the importance of open areas in woodlands for many species of wild plants and animals, discussing the flora of rides and glades, their invertebrate life (especially butterflies and moths), reptiles and amphibians, birds and mammals. It goes on to describe management techniques designed to benefit wildlife, concentrating on regimes of ride cutting. Climatic change and nature conservation by S. Woodin. 133pp. Several figs. AS, paper. Price £0.95p. This little booklet, intended for the general public, explains the basic concepts behind the global warming story very clearly with the aid of graphic drawings and tables, and quotable facts and figures. Plants, animals and birds are used to illustrate the likely effects of climatic change on wildlife in Britain. Practical tips are offered on ways to save energy and avoid harmful products.The booklet concludes by suggesting what we can do to help our wildlife ourselves. 56 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 20.1.1991 STUDIES ON VARIATION IN BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA THE COCKAYNE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP The Cockayne Trust, founded by E.A. Cockayne in 1951, was set up for the promotion, encouragement and study of entomology by making improvements to and furnishing information about the Rothschild- Cockayne-Kettlewell Collection. The ‘‘RCK’’, devoted solely to the study of British Lepidoptera, is part of the National Collection of Insects and is maintained by the Natural History Museum at South Kensington. Within the spirit of the original Cockayne Trust Deed, the Trustees have now set up The Cockayne Research Fellowship, a separate charity linked to and supported by the Cockayne Trust, to stimulate new work on British Lepidoptera. Applications are invited to The Cockayne Research Fellowship for awards to support original research on variation in British Lepidoptera. Awards are limited to a maximum of £1,000 per year and, depending on progress, may be renewable annually for a maximum of three years. Applications are welcome from amateur and professional lepidopterists alike. Projects must concern original research on variation (genetic, phenetic, taxonomic, geographical or phenological) affecting one or more species of Lepidoptera within the British Isles. Successful applications are likely to involve proposals to work on early stages in addition to adults, and at least some breeding or experimental investigations. Projects should, at least in part, be based on, re-interpret, or otherwise take into account, information already stored in the RCK collections, and will be expected to add new material to it. A yearly report will be required by the Trustees, on which any consideration of renewal will also depend. At the end of the project (maximum of three years), a final report will be required and publication of the results will be expected, if appropriate. A further grant could be requested to assist with publication, if required. Anyone interested should obtain an application form by writing to the Trustees of The Cockayne Research Fellowship, c/o The Keeper of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. The Trustees of the Fellowship have sole responsibility for all matters connected with disbursement of Fellowship funds, and their decisions on all matters, including choice of candidates, levels of award and renewals, will be final. Applications should be received by Ist March each year. Donations, or other contributions, to either the Cockayne Trust or The Cockayne Research Fellowship are also invited; enquiries about contributions should be directed to the Keeper of Entomology, at the same address. Contents — continued from back cover Further evidence of Yponomeuta evonymella L. (Lep.: artim cama migrating into southern England. A.P. Foster. . . oe ae 45 Eupithecia dodoneata Guenee (Lep.: Geometridae) the Oak Tree Pues in Co. Durham. A.M. Riley. . one Ms 45 A dawn flight of Mompha proumanela Staint. (Lep.: Momphidae) Aud others. B.Goodey. . . 1 ek eon 45 A second capture of moore ~appfeece Del. (Col.: eaeidae) in N.W. Bene A-A. Allen «.. % 5 Seat dvs 46 Celastrina argiolus L. Cae Leesiieae - “5 foodplants it ts Geanede RiGee Ainley... Pen et eee ee ee 46 Two notable a epbyhande (Col. vee light i in 1976. A. A. AE ee a Pe ety te ois 46 Thera juniperata L. (Lep.: Geometridae) in North London (Middlesex). KiGVeoSmiht «2... ALS eeame 47 Liliocerus lilii Scop. (Col.: Banysemiekdae) fa soeesies NW. ene AA, Allen. . 47 Anaspis bohemica Schilsky (Col.: re munes at Loch Garten, Inverness-shire. VEE EU SEI-A Owen <2. .2 a eer i 48 Unusually early emergence of atleast in cae 1990 noticed as ae north as Banffshire. R. Leverton . . . ge OS eet: 49 A note on Leptura sanquinolenta L. (Col.: Senuaaveize. fe A. One. Se anon er 49 Towards a safe and practical pest-repellent. P.F. Whitehead . . . ope 50 Psammotis pulveralis Hbn. (Lep.: Pyralidae) and other migrant Legon inthe DUunpehessabed, 1990" S:ClanNey2 eo 4 2s oe ee Se eS it RUPE OER UNCTUOI EMIS 0) ies bc Ma ane ori hs gre ek ae nek See oe Cords as om: a2 40 BOOKS ANG VOUDTAISEA. crs) se en Mien bial eee allay ek DA te) eee i et 2 SEE THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY The Society was founded in 1935 and caters especially for the younger or less experienced Entomologist. For details of publications and activities, please write (enclosing 30p towards costs) to AES Registrar, 22 Salisbury Road, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 5OP. BACK NUMBERS OF THE RECORD We currently have limited stocks of second-hand issues of all volumes from 69 (1957) to 96 (1984) including those with volumes 1 and 2 of the Butterflies and moths of Kent, which were published as supplements. Prices a very reasonable £6.50 per volume — £8 each for 1960 and 1961 volumes. Also a few of the scarce early volumes as follows: 2 (1891) and 3 (1892) at £12 each; 14 (1902), 16 (1904), 19 (1907), 20 (1908), 21 (1909), 23 (1911), 24 (1912), 57 (1945), 58 (1946), 61 (1949), 62 (1950) — all at £10 each. We also have new copies of volumes from 1984 to date at the issue subscription price (£10 for 1984 - 1987; £15 for 1988 - 1990) — with a 20% discount on two or more volumes purchased. Postage extra on all orders — please write first to the Editor, or telephone on 0689-859034. THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J.W. TUTT on I5th April 1890) Contents Phyllonorycter platani eau 1870) (Lep.: Ce eae New to Britain. ALM: Emmet)... .; ape 1 The distribution and occurrence oo the ion Breda Eon coriarius o, (Col.: Prionidae) in Great Britain. R.R. Uhthoff-Kaufmann . ..... . 3 Continued notes on a North Dorset colony of the Meadow Brown butterfly, Maniola jurtinaL. R.D.G. Barrington. . . oe as 7 Lepidoptera observed on the Isles of Scilly in 1989. R.J. Record og lr 17 Host records of some West Palaearctic Tachinidae (Diptera). ee: FOr & MaRASHNIWs «2S Pe Nae Nel oe 1b DS a eee 23 Notes and Observations Hitherto unrecorded foodplants for Simyra albovenosa (Goeze) (Lep.: Noctuidae. ASP FOSICn. 5... oo Ra wma e OR ae er So AGE Polistichus connexus Bours (Col.: Crete at light in suburban West Kent. AwAG ANE 6 ... 6 Metoecus paradoxus L. (Col.: Piershoeiae in Landes (Middlesex). KGW. Smith: =. : 2 4 6 Hazards of butterfly palleeanes — Rene 1981. T. B. LaSE . 2? 12 oe 15 Enareia paleacea (Lep.. Noctuidae) in Kent: BiK. West. 2. 2) 5 eee 16 Vintage Watkins & Doncaster: A: Archer-Lock .. °. 3. see 16 Third brood Holly Blue butterfly? M.A. Easterbrook . . 4 ae 16 Mate competition on Noctua pronuba (Lep.: Noctuidae) Lanes Yellow Underwing. R. Leverton. . . bah 18 Separation of Semiothisa notata L. ae s. eee apne the Persoct aa Sharp-angled Peacock moths (Lep.: Geometridae). A.M. Rey ye shai 19 The Comma (Polygonia c-album) apparently feeding on honey-dew. A.S. Boot ie 20 Worthadig. B.R. Baker . . Die 20 Rothamstead farmland light trap nolarke interesting Legos sescrds ts June, 1990. M.C. Townsend& A.M. Riley. . . apes 22 Delayed wing inflation in Orthosia incerta Hufn. ee Necuidee: Glended nae Re Leverton’ 2 ae 38 Brief notes on some oleapier Geel the Gaeecaal area. Pp. F Whitehead 2 ee 39 Extraordinary abundance of Omphaloscelis lunosa Haw. the Lunar Underwing (ep: Noctuidae) inl$90"- Kh. Fairclough . 2. 2... = 2 eee 40 A survey of Pamber Forest Nature Reserve. M. Davey . . i eee 41 Wasps, mantises, and the acme of invertebrate predation. P. F. Whitehead. Peed. 41 Unusual wing-drying posture in Orthosia species (Lep.: Noctuidae). R. Leverton. . 42 The larval diet of Dryops erneseti de Gozis (Col.: Dryopidae). P.F. Whitehead . . 42 Epiphyas postvittana Walk. (Lep.: Tortricidae) and Anomoia purmunda (Harris) (Dipt.: Tephritidae) in Bristol. R.J. Barnett sate = oe 42 Schrankia taenialis Hbn. (Lep.: Noctuidae) in N.W. Kent. B.K. West . a ee 43 Observations on the genus Sepedophilus ae SE ae in Worcestershire. P.F. Whitehead . . . 2 = 43 Coat ued on inside back cover SPECIAL NOTICE. The Editor would be willing to consider the purchase of a limited number of back issues. Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: 0277-224610. s2> PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY Neds 4 LIBRA 2y VOL 103 MAY ¢ , “ 2 8 199 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by P. A. SOKOLOFF, rres. MARCH/APRIL 1991 ISSN 0013-3916 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’ RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Editor P.A. SOKOLOFF M.Sc., C.Biol., M.I.Biol., F.R-E.S. 4 Steep Close, Green Street Green, Orpington, Kent BR6 6DS Editorial Panel A.A. Allen B.Sc., A.R.C.S. P.J. Chandler B.Sc., F.R.E.S. N. Birkett M.A., M.B. C.A. Collingwood B.Sc., F.R.E.S. E.S. Bradford A.M. Emmet M.B.E., T.D., F.R.E.S. J.D. Bradley Ph.D., F.R.E.S. C.J. Luckens M.B., Ch.B., D.R.C.O.G. J.M. Chalmers-HuntF.R.E.S. B. Skinner Registrar C.C. Penney F.R.E.S. 109 Waveney Drive, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex CMI 5QA Hon. Treasurer P.J. Johnson B.A., A.C.A. 31 Oakdene Road, Brockham, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7JV WHERE TO WRITE EDITOR: All material for publication and books for review REGISTRAR: Changes of address and non-arrival of the Journal HON. TREASURER: Subscriptions, advertisements and subscribers’ notices Notes for Contributors It would greatly help the Editor if material submitted for publication were typed and double spaced. Two copies are preferred. Please DO NOT use block capitals and DO NOT underline anything except scientific names. Word-processed text should not use italic, bold or compressed typeface. References quoted within the text can be abbreviated (eg Ent. 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MESAPAMEA SPECIES 57 THE RELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND FLIGHT PERIOD OF MESAPAMEA SPP. (LEP.: NOCTUIDAE) AT THREE ENGLISH LOCALITIES M.J.R. JORDAN 46 Branson Road, Bordon, Hants GENITALIA studies on the genus Mesapamea over the recent years have shown that the British fauna consists of three species of Mesapamea: M. secalis, M. didyma and M. remmi (Jordan 1986; 1989). Since the discovery that the genus consisted not of one species in Britain but of several closely allied species, our knowledge of this group has progressed little. Whilst many specimens in collections may be dissected to confirm their identity, there remains very few studies in which large random samples are examined. The examination of collections has greatly enhanced the information of distribution, especially of M. secalis and M. didyma, but can be of limited use concerning other aspects of the species biology and in some cases, such as relative frequency, may be misleading. This paper addresses the questions of flight period and_ relative abundance between the species. Sampling Methods All the samples were collected using a 125w. MB/U lamp in a Robinson trap. They were taken from three localities of differing habitat: (1) Weyhill (OS grid SU303461) in Hampshire (v.c.12) during 1984 and 1985. This site was amongst open farmland with arable fields and permanent Lolium pasture immediately surrounding the trap site. (2) Virginia Water (OS grid SU997698) in Surrey (v.c.17) during 1985. This site was in open parkland dominated by large clumps of mixed deciduous trees. (3) Swanton Morley (OS grid TG019188) in Norfolk (v.c.28) during 1985. This site was amongst rough grassland adjacent to a large gravel pit and marshland. The Weyhill and Virginia Water samples were collected on pre-selected nights throughout the flight period of the species. The Swanton Morley sample however was collected during one week only and therefore can be used for a comparison of relative abundance, but is omitted from the section on flight period as the data is unsuitable. The identity of all individuals was determined by full dissection of the genitalia. The criteria previously described (Jordan 1986; 1989) being used to separate the species. Flight Period The histograms display the numbers of each species caught expressed as weekly totals. They are intended solely for a comparison of timing and duration of flight period and no inferences should be drawn from the 58 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 Psy lojS'3):h height of peaks, but instead from any overlap in season and coincidence of peaks between species. The actual numbers of moths trapped on the selected nights during any week may vary for a number of reasons, such as temperature, wind velocity and many other factors. It is reasonable to assume though that in such closely allied species any such factors would act upon the species in question similarly. The histograms (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) show clearly an overlap of phenology between M. secalis and M. didyma with the peaks of capture of both species coinciding well throughout the flight period. The very low occurrence of M. remmi makes any comment on its flight period virtually impossible, although all three specimens caught occurred within the normal season for the other two species. Thus it appears that these species have complete synchrony in their flight period. This data agrees well with that of Riley and Southwood (1988) in which their specimens of M. didyma occurred throughout the flight period of M. secalis. Relative Abundance Table 1 shows the relative proportions of each species in each sample, expressed both in actual numbers caught and as a percentage of the total in each Mesapamea sample. At all three sites investigated here M. secalis was the more frequent species. This has been the case in other smaller samples from other sites (Jordan unpublished). In Shropshire, Riley and Southwood (1988) also found M. secalis to be more frequent. In certain parts of Cornwall M. didyma is as common as M. secalis (Spalding pers. comm.), but normally in Britain M. didyma appears to be the scarcer of the two, and in many areas, for example Weyhill, occurs at a very low proportion. This contradicts many of the initial estimates on the relative abundance of these species. Skinner (1984) mentions M. didyma and of it he says ‘“‘A provisional examination of British material suggests that both this species and M. secalis share the same types of habitat and occur equally commonly over much of England.”’ Many of these estimates come from examination of collections where M. didyma is usually disproportionately represented. This situation arises because of the highly polymorphic nature of this species group. Most collections aim to give a representation of the degree to which a species varies, hence specimens of different forms are collected to illustrate any such variety. Each form in the collection appears at a proportion difference from that to which it does in the population. Thus the least common forms are preferentially collected. If two or more species were being confused as a single one then this preferential collecting of forms could result instead in a bias towards one species. MESAPAMEA SPECIES Jul August KEY Re secalis A didyma Weekly totals of Mesapamea secalis/didyma/remmi captured at: Fig. 1: Weyhill during 1984. Fig. 2: Virginia Water during 1985. Fig. 3: Weyhill during 1985. 59 60 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25 ie LOST Relating this hypothetical situation to M. secalis and M. didyma, then collections in the past have been built up under the impression that a single polymorphic species was being represented. Upon the subsequent division of M. secalis to reveal M. didyma then many of these collections are being examined to see if both species are present. The disproportional repre- sentation of forms (and hence species) makes M. didyma appear much more frequent in collections than it actually is in the field. This hypothesis is strongly supported when the relative frequencies of different colour forms between the species are analysed (Jordan in prep.), certain forms do indeed occur at much higher frequencies in M. didyma than in M. secalis. This highlights the care required when attempting to draw any conclusions concerning frequency largely from material in collections and illustrates the need for more research based on random samples from the field. ihablenl: The relative frequencies of Mesapamea secalis/didyma/remmi amongst four random samples. Number of each species in sample (Percentage of n given in parentheses) Locality and Date Total sample (n) M. secalis M. didyma M. remmi Weyhill, Hants v.c.12. 1984 183 173 (94.5) 9 (4.9) 1 (0.5) Weyhill, Hants v.c.12. 1985 376 349 (92.8) 25 (6.6) 2 (0.5) Virginia Water, Surrey v.c.17 1985 181 129 (71.3) 52 (28.7) 0 Swanton Morley, Norfolk v.c.28. 1985 38 33 (86.8) 5 (13.2) 0 Conclusions It appears that these three species fly at the same time of the year but that they normally occur at different frequencies, with M. secalis generally more abundant than M. didyma, and M. remmi remaining an exceedingly elusive species so far found at only one English locality. Mesapamea secalis and M. didyma occur in similar habitats, although more research is required to determine if there are any differing preferences between the species. It would be particularly interesting to learn of any areas where M. didyma predominates, similarly any further occurrence of M. remmi would be particularly noteworthy in view of the species’ international scarcity. MESAPAMEA SPECIES 61 Acknowledgements Many thanks to the Zoology Department of Royal Holloway and Bedford New College for use of their facilities. Thanks also to R.M. Jordan and M.R. Perrow for assistance in collecting the samples. References Jordan, M.J.R., 1986: The genitalia of the species pair Mesapamea secalis L. and Mesapamea secalella Remm (Lep.: Noctuidae). Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 98: 41-44. — , 1989: Mesapamea remmi Rezbanyai-Reser, 1985 (Lep.: Noctuidae). A species new to Britain. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 101: 161-165. Riley, A.M. & Southwood, J.E., 1988: Mesapamea species (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Shropshire in 1986. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 100: 257-258. Skinner, B., 1984: Colour identification guide to moths of the British Isles. Viking. Postscript: A recent publication (Lempke, B.J., 1991, Ent. Ber., Amstr. 51(2): 17-22) reports on a similar survey. Both species are common in the Netherlands. Overall, the impression is that didyma slightly outnumbers secalis, although local differences in the ratio occur. Remm originally separated the species on size, and this feature was checked here. In 767 random specimens (340 secalis, 417 didyma) the wingspan was measured. In the smaller specimens didyma predominated, with secalis being more common in the larger ones. The overlap was, however, so great that wingspan has no diagnostic value. No other constant external feature could be found to separate the two. ReAgsacabe ils Colydium elongatum (Fabricius) (Col.: Colydiidae) in Wiltshire, Berkshire and Surrey. For over a century, Colydium elongatum was known in Britain only from the New Forest area. Recently, however, examples have turned up in other areas in Southern England and we thought it might be useful to summarise these records as interim documentation of the presumed spread of this beetle. The records are as follows: — Wiltshire Grovely Wood: 1 - 5 exx. on 10 occasions between 10.iv.70 and 8.iv.75; on beech and birch (once), sometimes associated with Platypus or Xyloterus sp. or both. D.R. Nash. Langley Wood: 12.iv.74 1 ex. on fallen oak. D.R.Nash. Burnt Ground Wood: 31.v.74 several exx. on beech log. D.R. Nash. Great Ridge: 13.viii.80 2 exx. on sycamore log, associated with Xy/oterus signatum and X. domesticus. D.R. Nash. Savernake Forest: 29.v.76 1 ex. from a rotten beech. C. MacKechnie-Jarvis (1976 Proc. Brit. ent. nat. Hist. Soc. 9: 122). 62 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25.11 99 Berkshire Windsor Great Park: 8.vi.86 1 ex. under sound bark of fallen oak bough D. Porter (1989 Brit. J. ent. nat. Hist. 2: 53). Windsor Great Park: 12.v.89 1 ex. on sawn surface of oak log. J.A. Owen. Surrey Ashstead Common: 25.v.87 2 exx. under bark of burnt oak. I.S. Menzies & J.A. Owen. Ashstead Common. | - several exx. on 7 occasions between 27.vi.87 to 22.vi.88 mostly running over or lying under the bark on the burnt trunks of old oaks that were dead but standing. On 3 occasions, the beetles were seen entering borings of Platypus which was well established in the trunks. I.S. Menzies. Even in the New Forest, C. elongatum has traditionally been regarded as a very rare insect (Fowler W.W. 1889 The Coleoptera of the British Islands 3: 187; Joy, N.F. 1932 A Practical Handbook of British Beetles p.516). In our experience and that of colleagues, it appears, in recent years, to have become less rare in its New Forest stronghold, occasionally being locally common. Ashstead Common and Windsor Great Park, at least, are areas which have been well studied by coleopterists over the past hundred years and it seems almost certain that its appearance recently in these areas is due to a spread from the New Forest, perhaps due to a rising population there, rather than to it being previously overlooked. The reason why a beetle which has been very rare and confined to an area becomes commoner and spreads, as in this instance, remains to be determined. It is, of course, a matter for satisfaction that the process is not in the reverse direction. The association of Colydium with Platypus on which it is considered to be predatory has long been recognised (Fowler /oc. cit.). Our observations suggest that it may also be predatory on other scolytids such as Xy/oferus. This is supported indirectly by the fact that Co/ydium occurs in coniferous trees as well as deciduous trees (Vogt, H. 1967 in Die Kdfer Mitteleuropas band 7 ed H. Freude, K.W. Harde & G.A. Lohse) whereas Platypus appears to be confined to deciduous trees. D.R.N. thanks the Earl of Pembroke for allowing him to study at Grovely Wood, Mr N. Anderson for permission to record at Langley and Burnt Ground Woods within the Hampworth Estate and the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire for allowing studies at Great Ridge. J.A.O. thanks the Nature Conservancy Council and the Crown Estates Office for permission to study beetles in Windsor Great Park. I.S. MENZIES, | Cranes Park, Surbiton, Surrey KTS 8AB. D.R. NASH, 266 Colchester Road, Lawford, Manningtree, Essex CO11 ZB J.A. OWEN, 8 Kingsdown Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3PU. REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 63 REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST, 1920-90 E.P. WILTSHIRE Wychwood, High Road, Cookham Rise, Berks SL6 9JF 1. Seaford, 1918 - 23 OUTSIDE the washroom, a line of boys passed one by one before a teacher, who daily inspected both sides of both hands of each and glanced at head and neck-wear before allowing the boy to proceed to the dining room where, together with sixty boarders, he sat down to breakfast. Between breakfast and morning prayers, towards the end of the summer term, a smaller line of boys, budding entomologists all, queued before Mrs Caroline Trollope, the headmaster’s wife. This group consisted of the envied possessors of puss-moth caterpillars (Cerura vinula L.). About the age of eleven, the spirit of Nimrod, that ‘‘mighty hunter before the Lord’’ got into many a boy. Girls, then segregated in separate institutions, were, we understood, more liable to dream of horses or the ballet. The Sussex Downs, not far from the school, had long since lost any big game they might have had, and the sheep that safely grazed there were taboo to the only holders of small arms in Seaford, the warlike Canadians in a camp the other side of our football-field. Across the Channel, in 1918 at least, the occasional rumble of guns reached their ears... There remained therefore, for boys so inspired, two possible hunting targets — birds or bugs. Andrew Harvey Trollope, our headmaster, had banned catapults, doubtless reckoning such weapons might smash his, or a neighbour’s, windows, or even blind a boy in his charge. Thus by a process of elimination, the pursuit of butterflies and moths was considered by Mr and Mrs Trollope the safest diversion and one to be judiciously encouraged. Only rarely were the boys of Tyttenhanger Lodge able to walk on the Sussex Downs. Their walks in Seaford, however, took them regularly past the privet hedges and poplars of the gardens of their own school and others. Late in the summer term Puss-moth caterpillars, with their weird fork-tails and terrifying attitudes appeared regularly on poplar leaves within reach of schoolboy fingers, and, at the start of the Michaelmas term, those of the Privet Hawk (Sphinx ligustri L.). One had only to put one or more of these in a white cardboard shoebox with holes punched in the top and one hole in the bottom, through which a twig of foodplant drew up water from a receptacle. The voracious pets, growing, would strip a twig of all its leaves in twenty-four hours. Thus it was that Caroline Trollope, furnished with a number of poplar sprays picked by her gardener, dispensed them to the envied pet-breeders. ““The bigger spray, Mrs Trollope, ’cos mine is a bunjie-phizz’’ (by which nickname the boys distinguished the helmeted last-instar larva of vinula), one would say, and then: ‘‘Oh, thank you Mrs Trollope’’. 64 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 Peay sible sts /2))| The sight of a large caterpillar chewing the fresh leaves was a fascinating lesson in insect morphology which drew envious groups to the class-room lockers; we would discuss and try to demonstrate what it might be like if our Own jaws moved sideways instead of up and down. Once spun up in a hard cocoon, chewed out of the shoebox interior, the pet became less interesting and might even be forgotten about. Whether we succeeded in breeding it through to the winged moth or not, we had learned early how much more rewarding it was to breed up an insect than merely to kill a butterfly in a net with a neat pinch; in any case to gain possession of a killing-bottle, pins and setting-board presented insuperable difficulties at that age. There was no talk of local rarities either; almost every species was a wonder and a prize. 2. The Cotswolds (1923 - 28) My next school was Cheltenham College. It had ten times as many boarders as Tyttenhanger Lodge. Despite its military reputation, and the sports- worship usual in such schools various extra-curricular interests were encouraged, and regular outings into the countryside for photography, or natural history, would be led by a sympathetic master. The wooded hills ringing the town, provided a wonderful introduction to the study of butterflies and moths. ‘‘Brusher’’ (H.F.) Jones took the ‘‘bug-hunters”’ under his wing and we quickly learnt the names of the fritillaries, blues, burnets, etc. The first edition of South’s butterflies, p. 179 mentioned cryptic details about the Gloucestershire Large Blue (Maculinea arion L.) a local rarity which Jones told us was extinct in most of its former sites, such as Hilcot and Cranham Common. So our values became more sophisticated and Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina L.) were soon spurned as common trash. Amazingly, in 1926, two boys in our group, called B. Cooper and J.F. Kitching, discovered a still thriving colony of the Large Blue on a hilltop between Sheepscombe and Cranham, bringing back one or two larvae and pupae, some of which later hatched. I have preserved the detailed diary which I made during those years, and in June and July they also took the adult flying there. In the following year they hatched out a further couple, male and female, and with Jones’s help endeavoured to breed from them with thyme and ants in a cage on the roof of the science laboratory. Though I had visited the same locality in 1926 it was only in 1927 that I succeeded in finding two pupae by turning over slabs of limestone which covered some ants’ nests on the flat hill-top. Two weeks later a Large Blue hatched from one of them, to become the only British example in my collection (Norwich Castle Museum). It was, of course, a case of ‘‘beginner’s luck’’. As a beginner, I was unaware of the fact that in the twenties various collectors knew of this and other localities for the Large Blue. For a good account of the state of REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 65 affairs in Gloucestershire those interested should refer to Muggleton, 1973 and 1974, especially the first. Russell Bretherton, from his home in Gloucester, had in fact anticipated the Cheltonian brigade in capturing the Sheepscombe Large Blue. Later, it appears, he was the last to see it flying there (in 1937) and on a war-time visit observed in 1943 that the flat hill-top had been ploughed, doubtless as part of the nation’s war effort. This was doubtless the final straw in the extinction of that particular colony. As for Jones and Cooper’s breeding-cage on the roof at Cheltenham, I regret to say that a 1927 storm blew it down and the ants and butterflies either escaped or were drowned. 3. East Anglia Cambridge, where I completed my education (1928 - 32) had several local rarities of butterfly and moth, equivalent to the Cotswold Large Blue. Two of the four butterflies, however, had become extinct (both Fenland specialities): the Large Copper (Lycaena dispar Haworth), since many years; and the Swallowtail (Papilio machaon L.) more recently; endeavours had not yet been made to replant them at Woodwalton and Wicken Fens respectively. On rising ground to the north, outside cycle range but accessible in Bernard Kettlewell’s car, the Black Hairstreak, Strymonidia pruni L. at Warboys wood, and the Chequered Skipper, Carterocephalus palaemon Pallas, at Bedford Purlieus, still flew, and on 30th May 1929 with Bernard and A.E. Stubbs, I secured one or two of the latter. As the Swallowtail still thrived in my native stamping-ground, the Norfolk Broads, its absence from Wicken, to which I cycled five times in my-first summer term, did not worry me. Of the two moth prizes, the fen rarity, Athetis pallustris Hiibner fluttered, not to my sheet, but to Demuth’s; and the more urban speciality, Cryphia muralis ab. impar Warren was obtainable on our college walls. Worsley-Wood and Cockayne had bred the latter and shewn us it was conspecific with the green muralis forms, which on a holiday trip I found at Swanage. However, readers can refer to Demuth’s lively account (Ent. Rec. 96: 264-272) of our group’s doings. He and Bernard came up to Caius two years before I to Jesus, and both went down at the end of my first year. Moreover, I have published elsewhere accounts of some of my East Coast activities (Wiltshire 1979a) and some of the Cambridge scene too (Wiltshire 1979b); such details can be omitted here. That year I was a typical case of bug-virus-infection, for my dear mother in her innocence told some bridge pals at Gorleseton-on-Sea that I was a very keen bugger. They were respectable ladies and perhaps equally innocent; for they showed no shock at my mother’s misleading terminology. The precarious survival in the British Isles of species numerous and widespread in many parts of Europe, their curious isolation in endangered 66 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25 ii. 199" wetland or maritime localities, enhanced the value of every new specimen in the eyes of both amateur and professional British lepidopterist; and old specimens, if authenticated as British, went for comparatively large sums at London auctions. Untrained professionals were beyond the pale in our eyes; were they not reputed to have decimated the local rarities in their British sites and to try to swindle rich amateurs by relabelling European examples? Nor were we attracted by the prospect of a career as an “‘applied entomologist’? but we met such, as were attracted and studying zoology rather than medicine or the arts, amicably enough in meetings of the entomological section of the university Natural History Society. Only a few speakers at these meetings had any inkling of the fascination of the exotic butterfly scene; one such, whom I remember, being the young O.W. Richards, just home from Trinidad, who described the Neotropical scene and its Morphos and spoke of the rich upper canopy layers of the rain forests. I forget the name of one dull but mature speaker who summed up the branches of entomology which were then opening to those with such ambitions, and who stated that physiology and biochemistry were the disciplines to acquire, rather than taxonomy. The basic task of classification had been completed, and in the brave new world we did not question this comforting assertion. To our group, with access to excellent pocket handbooks facilitating identification, it seemed plausible enough. Later, however, I found that revision after revision and descriptions of many new species yearly kept appearing, through the next six decades, and much of the old taxonomy framework was questioned; and I noticed that adepts in applied entomology came cap in hand to Museum taxonomists hardly numerous enough to perfect the taxonomy they professed; in any case, a new branch of taxonomy, called cladism, with brand new terminology and a laborious new procedure, has made their old tasks no easier, especially as a last decade of economy and staff cuts confounded them, even driving them to publicised strikes. Recently the time-sanctified usage ‘‘British Museum (Natural History)’’ sank to a junior synonym ‘‘The Natural History Museum’’ (a vernacular name favoured by politicians). Plus ca change, plus c’est la méme chose, one might quote, but perhaps these trends point to an imminent transformation into a Disneyland, where a quacking Donald Dodo will welcome those willing to pay to see the facade behind which still lurk treasures and unique .types, the cynosure of the world’s scientists. \ Little did Bernard Kettlewell and I imagine that we would, thirty years later, meet and bug-hunt in Darwin’s neotropical forests, of which Richards spoke. There will be a later place for reminiscences of his visit to Rio, where I was Consul, 1958-63. After that first year, I stopped rowing on the Cam and suspended the pursuit of the local bug, while continuing theatre-going and listening to music. My surplus energies were diverted to contributing to and sub-editing REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 67 the undergraduate weekly journal The Granta and participating in the earliest productions and south-coast tours of Meldrum and Cooke’s Mummers, which encouraged undergraduate females to act. The bug-virus was suppressed, but persisted. At the end of my third year, the deepening economic depression made future jobs a problem for graduates. A plutocrat uncle, if you had one, might still open a door into some trade or industry, but otherwise there seemed to be but two options: passing the Home or Indian civil service exam, or becoming a schoolmaster. Despite all extra-curricular diversions, I had dutifully pursued my classical studies as far as gaining a degree with honours but for my fourth year I added French, German and Italian and Economics, with a view to service overseas, and in 1932 just scraped into the Consular service, sitting with seven hundred other candidates. In those days of privilege, before economy cuts in the service had been heard of, and before consuls and diplomats became targets for kidnappers or bombs, this was an attractive prospect, at least to me. Had I gone straight to New York, would I have gone on with the lepidoptera? Being informed that I was to proceed to Beirut, in the Lebanon (a French mandate at that time) I debated with my old Cambridge mentor, Worsley Wood, of what use a killing-bottle, a net and South’s three little volumes would be there. Wood suggested I look for the four volumes of Seitz on Palaearctic lepidoptera in a London second-hand book-store. Foyles, in Charing Cross Road, was then rather different from what it is today. There were stacks of large and learned old books in fair condition at reasonable prices. Ten pounds sufficed to acquire the four tomes suggested by Wood. They are still on my shelves today, with the subsequently appearing supplementary volumes, each one worth more than the price I paid for all four, despite constant use during the forty or fifty years that have passed since their purchase second-hand. So it was that in November 1932 I sailed on a P.& O. liner from Tilbury to Port Said with four hefty volumes of Seitz and a butterfly net in my luggage. My main purpose was to learn Arabic and become a full Vice- Consul; but I had this hobby in reserve. References (Parts 1-3) Demuth, P. (1979). Obituary of Dr H.B.D. Kettlewell, Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 91: 253-257. — , (1984-5). Reminiscences of an elderly entomologist, ibid, 96: 189-195, 264-272; 97: 13-19, 46-50, 97-105. Muggleton, J., 1973. Some aspects of the history and Ecology of the Blue Butter- flies in the Cotswolds. Proc. Brit. ent. nat. Hist. Soc., 6: 77-84. — , 1974. Dates of appearance of Maculinea arion (Linnaeus) (Lep.: Lycaenidae) adults in Gloucestershire. Entomologist’s Gaz. 25: 239-244. Wiltshire, E.P. (1979a). Recollections of a Suffolk naturalist in the early days of the Society. Trans. Suff. Nat. 18(1): 70-74. — , (1979b). Obituary of H.B.D. Kettlewell. Proc. Brit. ent. nat. Hist. Soc. 12(3/4): 101-103, with Plate. 68 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25.i11.1991 4. First steps in the Middle East. At Beirut I learnt that I was not the first British Vice-Consul to take an interest in Lebanese butterflies. Robert Eldon Ellison had preceded me by about three years, and in a less junior capacity. He was now in Morocco and kindly wrote to me with instructions where to find the most interesting butterflies, including the very local blue which he had discovered on the highest mountain in the country and was now known as A/bulina ellisoni Pfeiffer. He assured me that if I climbed the Cedar Mountain to a height of six thousand feet I would find the rare ‘‘Ellison’s Blue’’ in fair numbers, and nowhere else in the world. This put the rare Large Blue of the Cotswold in a new perspective, for that species, however local and rare in England, extended, as I now realise, from Western Europe to the Far East. I made friends with a young French archaeologist who was also a skiing pioneer in the Lebanon and frequently visited this ‘‘Cedar Mountain”’ in North Lebanon in winter, as it had the best slopes for his sport. Of course this was long before the first ski-lifts were built either in Europe or the Lebanon. In would take him about four hours trudging up hill, with skis on, to reach the high point at about ten thousand feet, where his descent began, which he would perform in about ten minutes. He assured me I would have no difficulty in summer in reaching that height, as in fact Ellison had already done. On 14th July 1934, therefore (my second year in the Lebanon, as it happened) I left the Cedars Hotel at Bsherreh, and started trudging up the zigzag path, admiring the local flora on the way. Halfway up I met the only person on the mountain, a shepherd who obligingly milked one of his goats to quench my thirst. These animals were browsing on the steep slopes where little vegetation higher than a few inches from the ground was to be seen, except for masses of a pale-leaved vetch, whose taste the goats evidently disliked. I assumed that Ellison’s Blue had been feeding on these, as it flew commonly up there. As for catching the special high mountain moths, I contented myself with bottling those attracted to the hotel lights. In sub-tropical climates the mountains high enough to receive snow are inhabited by a special flora and fauna, isolated from the lower slopes and plains climatically. About thirty years later I again mounted to this summit, and in the company of Dr Lionel Higgins and his wife Nesta, but this time we mounted by ski-lift. A little lower down, for he descended on foot, Lionel was delighted to find Ellison’s Blue in abundance, in fact right down to the cedar grove which was full of attractive herbs protected from the goats by a stone wall and a kind of religious taboo, useful for conservation, for they were known to the local Maronites as ‘‘The Lord’s Cedars’’ (Arz-el-Rabb). (To be continued) SPODOPTERA CILIUM NEW TO BRITAIN 69 SPODOPTERA CILIUM GUEN., (LEP.: NOCTUIDAE). A SPECIES NEW TO BRITAIN, AND OTHER RARE MIGRANTS AT THE LIZARD Dr JULIAN CLARKE Oaklea, Felcourt Road, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6NF. ON THE night of 29th September 1990 at Coverack on the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, a small noctuid appeared after midnight in a mv trap set in a beautifully overgrown garden. The moth resembled Spodoptera exigua Hb. although it was slightly darker and more variegated. The resting posture was also atypical, S. exigua sits with its wings inclined to the vertical but this specimen held its wings in a similar position to that adopted by Hoplodrina ambigua D. & S. or blanda D. & S. After some thought (and after establishing that it was a male, of course!) it was provisionally identified as an aberrant S. exigua. The following night I visited a scrubby area near the cliffs north of Coverack. Shortly after lighting up, on the second tour of the lights, a perfect male Polymixis xanthomista D. & S. arrived at an ultra violet tube; whilst leaning down to box it a blurred white shape irrorated with red and black appeared on the side of the trap. Even out of the corner of the eye its identity was unmistakable and seen directly it was a vision of glory, an immaculate male Utethesia pulchella L. Nothing much happened for the rest of the night despite favourable winds until 02.00 hours when two Mythimna loreyi Dup. bundled into the trap followed by two M. unipuncta Haw., two M. vitellina Hb., a fertile female Heliothis armigera Hb. and two Agrius convolvuli L. Later that night a fine selection of pyrales arrived including no less than five Uresiphita polygonalis D. & S., one large Dioryctria abietella D. & S. (presumably a migrant) and a Margaritia sticticalis L. Migrant geometers were represented by a male Othonama obstipata Fabr. and ten Rhodometra sacraria L. Interestingly the commoner migrants were very thin on the ground. The following night, again shortly after dusk, two more perfect U. pulchella came to mv together with H. armigera, H. peltigera D. & S., half a dozen O. obstipata, a male A. convolvuli, two M. unipuncta and four M. vitellina (all of the pale straw form). On returning to our cottage I was almost disappointed not to find another U. pulchella; however on lifting up the wooden bar on which the bulb is mounted a soft ‘‘mothy’’ feeling under my fingers turned out to be the fourth U. pulchella. This last example (also a male) was very faded whilst the coloration of the others was pristine. Intensive trapping for the remainder of the week yielded little in the way of rare migrants although a few more R. sacraria, an infertile female Mythimna albipuncta D. & S. and one Palpita unionalis Hb. were seen. 70 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 PasyeiijS)2)) Macroglossum stellatarum L. was exceptionally common and was observed every day on almost every buddleia bush even feeding in heavy rain. The moth provisionally identified as S. exigua was then shown at the BENHS exhibition and evoked considerable debate as to its identity; the consensus of opinion was that it was probably Spodoptera cilium Guen. and this has since been confirmed as such by Dr Ian Kitching at the British Museum (Natural History). S. cilium is a species whose normal range is essentially African and Eastern although it does extend into southern Spain and France as well as the Canaries. The diagnostic feature in the male is the ciliated antennae which are very distinct from S. exigua when viewed under a binocular microscope. Although the species is variable there are certain characteristics which are reasonably consistent. The forewings are slightly broader than S. exigua and the moth is generally darker, more variegated and less glossy in appearance. Characteristic of S. exigua is the pinkish coloration of the orbicular stigma, in S. cilium this stigma is pale but not pink. The reniform stigma is conspicuously dark. On the hind wings the brownish shading which runs up the veins from the outer margin towards the base in S. exigua only extends a short distance and the overall appearance of the hindwing is a translucent white lacking the pearly sheen of S. exigua. At rest my example sat in a very different posture to that adopted by S. exigua. The specimen will be photographed for publication in the 1991 exhibition plate in the British Journal of Entomology and Natural History. The larva feeds on various species of grass and reaches pest status in parts of Africa especially favouring close cut turf on golf courses. Acknowledgements My thanks to Dr Ian Kitching for confirming the specimen and for providing the article on the genus Spodoptera. Reference Calle, J. Noctuidos Espanoles. Brown and Dewhurst, The genus Spodoptera in Africa and the Near East. Bull. Ent. Res. 65: 221-262. Ledra aurita (L. 1758) (Auch.: Cicadellidae) at light in Worcestershire (SO94). On the night of 2.viii.1990 an adult Ledra aurita (L.) was taken in an m.v. light trap at Little Comberton, Worcestershire. This is a southern species in Britain, known to be attracted to light. It breeds in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire very locally on oak (Quercus robur L.).— H.S. HEMSLEY- HALL, Orchard Drive, Little Comberton, Worcs WR10 3EP. SEPARATION OF PATROBUS SPECIES 7) ON THE SEPARATION OF PATROBUS ATRORUFUS STROM AND P. ASSIMILIS CHAUD. (COL.: CARABIDAE) A.A. ALLEN 49 Montcalm Road, London SE7 8QG. USING our standard British works, coleopterists who are not Carabid specialists may well, at times, find themselves in doubt over the discrimination of this pair of very closely similar species. It is true that the aedeagus and parameres differ very decisively in the two — they are figured e.g. by Hansen (1968. 122) and Freude (1976: 132) — but for the rapid yet accurate determination of dried specimens, good reliable external characters are needed. To judge by a recent overhaul of my material (which turned out to be partly confused) such characters certainly exist, while others seem less stable or can be hard to appreciate. Because several of those given by various much-used authors fall into this class, it seemed desirable to review the subject briefly but critically. The species may to a certain extent be separated by locality and terrain, if known. P. assimilis is an upland insect of dry elevated habitats, though less markedly montane that the third British Patrobus, septentrionis De}j.; and is therefore not found in southern England (though its occurrence in Devon would hardly be surprising). P. atrorufus, on the other hand, is essentially a lowland (and more widespread) species inhabiting moister, more sheltered situations as a rule; however, it can ascend to modest elevations where it may, very possibly, mix with populations of P. assimilis — for instance in the Pennines. It is in such cases that confusion is likeliest. Thus, specimens long ago given me by my late friend A.W. Gould as assimilis and placed as such in my collection, together with all those in his own, have now proved to be atrorufus; they are from Corbar, Buxton (Derbyshire) and Grin Low (Cumberland), and include no assimilis (which I have only from Scotland). It is clear, therefore, that while all south-English Patrobus should be atrorufus, examples from farther north — even from hill country — are not always assimilis. . Lindroth (1974), in the latest work on the British Carabidae, neither figures nor even mentions the aedeagal differences, and the various characters he gives (p. 41) appear to be of unequal value. That which he does figure and puts first in the key, relating to the fronto-lateral part of the head, is sometimes not clear, since the course of the frontal furrow may be irregular or indistinct, or be indicated only by some punctures; or again, it may differ somewhat on the two sides. ‘‘Antennae slenderer’’, under atrorufus, | cannot appreciate; “‘longer’’ would be more apt. However, ‘*Antennae shorter, segments more rounded’’ under assimilis is a good and constant character, and the slightly differing length of these organs in the two species is perceptible to the naked eye. Joy (1932: 354) gives only this and the small difference in average size. Though Lindroth states that the WZ ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25.i11.1991 first and third segments are of equal length in assimilis, the latter usually appears the longer, but less obviously so than in atrorufus. Of the remaining key-characters he gives, the best seem to be those of the elytral striae, which are clear on comparison (in atrorufus more finely punctate and much less evanescent apically). Fowler (1887: 129-130), besides giving these latter differences, states that the third elytral interval is plainly wider than the second in assimilis, but not in excavatus (i.e. atrorufus). The other works I have at hand do not mention this character, but in fact it would appear from my very limited material to be an excellent one, definite and not dependent on comparison of the two species. I would add another which I believe will prove satisfactory, concerning the basal pronotal foveae: in assimilis the whole fovea is evenly and rather strongly punctate, whereas in atrorufus its outer part is almost impunctate and smooth, with the external ridge or keel better developed and more distinctly set off. To sum up: in practice it will probably be found sufficient to use, con- jointly, the characters of the antennae, pronotal foveae, and elytral striae to effect reliable determination with the minimum of trouble. References Fowler, W.W., 1887. The Coleoptera of the British Islands, 1. London. Freude; He. in Freude. hi. bande, KeW-, .& ohse, GA, 1976.) Dicwkanien Mitteleuropas, 2. Krefeld. Hansen, V., 1968. Danmarks Fauna 76 (Biller 24). Kobenhavn. Joy, N.H., 1932. A practical handbook of British beetles, 1. London. Lindroth, C.H., 1974. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 4(2): Coleoptera, Carabidae. R. ent. Soc. London. Plodia interpunctella Hubner, the Indian meal moth (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Bedfordshire. On a recent visit to one of our local pet stores, I noticed a great many pyralid moths flying around aquarium lights and resting on the shop’s inner walls. Several were caught (much to the amusement of the other customers and the proprietor) and taken home for _ identification. Reference to Goater, B. (British Pyralid Moths, Harley, Colchester, 1986) revealed them to be P. interpunctella. With the permission of the shop’s owner, I subsequently examined a tub of rabbit food and found it to be infested with lepidopterous larvae. A handful of the cereal and grain mixture was removed and a steady stream of adult P. interpunctella have since emerged. The business in question is primarily a tropical fish supplier and the temperature and humidity in the shop are kept very high by the large number of heated fish tanks. Perhaps as a consequence of this, P. interpunctella appears to be continuously brooded therein.— ADRIAN M. RILEY, 35 Park Mount, Harpenden, Herts ALS 3AS. LAMIA, MESOSA AND LEIOPUS IN BRITAIN q3 THE GENERA LAMIA F., MESOSA LATR. AND LEIOPUS SERV., (COL.: LAMIIDAE) IN THE BRITISH ISLES RAYMOND R. UHTHOFF-K AUFMANN 13 Old Road, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 OHB. Introduction THESE three species, describing the first of our very short list of native Lamiids, comprise one of our rarest Coleoptera, last seen nearly four decades ago, a very scarce local Longhorn, and lastly, one of the most attractive and fortunately still common examples of the family; the latter two beetles were known to and figured by Martyn (1792). County and vice-county symbols are explained in Kaufmann (1989): italicised letters indicate a widely spread insect and those in brackets still require confirmatory records. Lamia textor L. A very local and extremely scarce Longhorn, the largest specimens of which may measure some 3cm long, L. fextor, the Weaver Beetle, now on the vulnerable list (Shirt, 1987), has (or had) a widely scattered distribution largely confined to the south of England, two western, and a very few other counties in the remainder of the British Isles, about some records from which, it is felt, there are lingering doubts (Speight, 1988). ENGLAND: CB (EK) EX GW NS SH WW WALES: MN . SCOTLAND: AM PM IRELAND: NK Several examples of this handsome beetle were last captured in mid- Scotland in the early 1950s, teste Dr P. Hyman: whether or not it should be regarded as another relict species of the ancient Caledonian forest is debatable. Skidmore & Johnson (1967) in their Merioneth list record what were identified as Lamia borings in willow trees from several localities; that these galleries were indeed made by this beetle has since been confirmed by one of the co-authors of the Merioneth paper (P. Skidmore in /itt., who added that the sites and workings were difficult to locate). The last record of the capture of Lamia in Wales dates back to the beginning of the century (Jackson, 1904). L. textor continues to be illustrated in a number of popular entomological books; the likelihood of finding it is matched only by the rarity of the beetle itself. The destructive larva infests the healthy undeveloped roots, branches and trunks (but no higher than two metres up) of both young trees and the moist decaying boles of aspen, birch, creeping willow, grey willow, osier beds, in which it causes considerable damage (Chinery, 1986), black and 74 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25.i11.1991 variegated poplar — only occasionally — pussy willow and weeping willow. The larval tunnels are more often than not confined to the roots, and as the beetle frequents marshy, even boggy woodlands, sometimes difficult to penetrate, its larval depredations may go undetected. Its only predator is the Ichneumon, Ephialtes messor Grav. Pupation takes place in spring or even earlier within a cell formed inside the pith wood of the roots or the base of the brood plant. Metamorphosis lasts from two to four years. The imagines emerge as early as March, continuing until October, the main months of eclosion being June and July. Rather than bite through a fresh exit hole, when several adults eclode at much the same time, they will use the same tunnel and egress already opened up by a preceding beetle, a peculiarity which helps to mask the little evidence of Lamia’s presence above ground. The beetle is known to nibble the leaves of its host tree, but it is rarely seen in daylight as it sits motionless, camouflaged by its dull coloration, on the protruding roots or branches of its favourite pabula, willows and sallows. As night approaches, these secretive beetles become more active, crawling quietly through the long damp grass stems of their surroundings. Their reticence has not protected them: provincial museum collections contain quite long series of these interesting beetles, collected in earlier times when Lamia, much sought after, appeared to be more common, such that, for instance, in two favoured habitats around Bath and in the Clifton Woods near Bristol, they were soon reduced in numbers. The beetle is omitted from the main Gloucestershire list (Atty, 1983) but is reinstated as occurring once in 1857 in the Appendix on the Bristol fauna. Towards the end of last century, except in the above-named areas, Lamia was already regarded as rare (Fowler, 1890). Over-collection probably happened, too, in other rather isolated localities where the insect was formerly known to occur. Modern farming methods, the draining of marshland and the uprooting of Salix scrub have almost certainly contributed to the continued decline of this strange endangered species. Mesosa nebulosa F. A very uncommon and scarce beetle with a range confined to the English counties below a line roughly south of the R. Wye to the Wash; its distribution is westerly on the one side and easterly on the other, linked by the Thames and Severn basins. ENGLAND: BK CB EK ES GE GW HF HU MM NE SE SH SR WK WO The polyphagous larva is found almost exclusively in the dead upper branches of alder, aspen, beech, birch, buckthorn, crabapple, elm, false acacia, hawthorn, hazel, holly, hornbeam, horsechestnut, lime, oak (especially), old orchard trees, poplar, walnut, wild cherry and willow. LAMIA, MESOSA AND LEIOPUS IN BRITAIN 15 The larvae are parasitised by these Ichneumonids and Braconids:— Ephialtes messor Grav., Helcon annulicornis Nees, Pyracmon melanurus Holmer. and Xorides irrigator F. Pupation takes place in mid-summer, the adults ecloding during July and August; they do not, however, emerge into the open but overwinter until the following year when they occur from as early as March until August. Metamorphosis takes from two to three years to complete. Mesosa, nonetheless, is very difficult to find and is often inaccessible because it rarely descends from the topmost branches of its host tree. Specimens are most likely to be obtained by chiselling them out from storm-scattered broken off dead pieces of thick twigs and the smaller branches of trees lying on the ground. This insect is evidently not a floricole. Leiopus nebulosus L. This pretty little Longhorn is generally distributed and locally common throughout the British Isles. ENGLAND: BD BK BX CB CH CU DM DT DY EC EK EN ES EX EY GE GW HE AT HU IW L LR MX MY ND NE NH NM NONS NW NY OX SD SE SH SL SN (SP) SR SS STSY WK WL WN WO WS WW WX WY WALES: BR DB CR GM MG MN PB RA SCOTLAND: AM AS BW DF DN ED EI EL KB LA LL M PM SG WI WT | IRELAND: AN CL KK NG NK (NT) QC RO WA WC WI The amphixylophagous larva is found infesting the dead branches and sometimes the stumps and standing decaying timber of the following:— alder, apple, ash, Baccharis, beech, birch, crabapple, Cydonia, dogrose, elm, false acacia, hawthorn, hazel, holly, hornbeam, horsechestnut, larch, laurel, maple, various orchard trees, pear, Prunus acuparia, P. armenica, P. communis, P. persica, Scots pine, spruce, walnut and willow. The larvae are host to almost a score of parasitic Hymenoptera; these are:— Cenocoelius agriculator L., C. canalis Nees, Deuteroxorides albitarsus Grav., D. igneus Ratz., D. imperator Ratz., Doryctes pomarius Reinb., Ephialtes tuberculatus Fourc., Habrobracon palpebrator Ratz., Habrocytus dahlbomi Ratz., Helcon carinator Nees, H. tardator Nees, Iphiaulax impostor Scop., Ischnocerus seticornis Kr., Meteorus tabidus Ws., Orthocentrus fulvipes Gr., Phaegaduon detestator Thunb., Xorides brachylabris Kriechb., X. filiformis Grav., X. indicatorius Latr., X. praecatorius F., and X. securiformis F. Pupation normally takes place in late spring during April and May; occasionally, however, when the life cycle is prolonged from its customary annual duration into a second year, the adults will overwinter in the host tree. 76 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25-WO The imagines are nearly always found resting from April until August on the parent plant whence they may be simply captured by tapping the dead branches. Although they take to the wing in summer, they are not blossom seeking insects, but they are sometimes found on Angelica and dead nettle, and they may be swept off old palings and dead hedgerows. Acknowledgements Hearty thanks for their information and views are extended to A.A. Allen, D.B. Atty, Miss I. Baldwin, Royal Museum of Scotland, Dr M. Darby, Dr P.S. Hyman and M.C.D. Speight, Forestry Service, Eire. References Atty, D.B., 1983. Coleoptera of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham. Aurivillius, C., 1922. Lamiidae in Junk, W. & Schenkling, S., Coleopterorum Catalogus, 73: 70-71; 139. Berlin. — , 1923. Ibid., 74: 404-405. Bily, S. & Mehl, O., 1989. Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of Fenno- scandia and Denmark. Leiden. Chinery, M., 1986. /nsects of Britain and Western Europe. London. Curtis, J., 1827. British Entomology, 4. London. Demelt, C. von, 1966. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands, 52: 2. Bockkafer oder Ceram- bycidae. Jena. Donisthorpe, H. St.J. K., 1939. A preliminary list of the Coleoptera of Windsor Forest. London. Duffy, E.A.J., 1953. A monograph of the immature stages of British and imported timber beetles (Cerambycidae). London. Fowler, W.W., 1890. The Coleoptera of the British Islands. 4. London. — , & Donisthorpe, H. St.J. K., 1913. /bid., 6 (Supplement). London. Freude, H., Harde, K.W. and Lohse, G.A., 1966. Die Kdfer Mitteleuropas, 9. Krefeld. Hansen, V., 1966. Biller, 22. Traebukke Danmarks Fauna, Copenhagen. (Text in Danish.) Harde, K.W., 1984. A field guide in colour to Beetles. English ed. Hammond, P.M. London. Hickin, N., 1987. Longhorn Beetles of the British Isles. Princes Risborough. Jackson, P.H., 1904. Lamia textor in North Wales, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 40: De Janson, E.W., 1863. British Beetles. London. Joy, N.H., 1976. A practical handbook of British Beetles. 2 vols. 2nd ed. Faringdon. Kaufmann, R.R. Uhthoff-, 1946. The Longhorn Coleoptera of Wales, Entomolo- gist’s Rec. J. Var., 58: 105-108. — , 1947. A contribution to the history of the Longicorn Coleoptera of Cheshire, N.W. Nat., Mar.-June: 95-101. — , 1948. Notes on the distribution of the British Longicorn Coleoptera, Ento- mologist’s mon. Mag., 84: 66-85. — , 1948. An annotated list of the Scottish Longicorn Coleoptera, Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edin., 23(2): 83-94. — , 1989. Browne versus Watson: Round Two. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 101: 61-63. Klausnitzer, B. & Sander, F., 1981. Die Bockkdfer Mitteleuropas. Wittenberg Lutherstadt. LAMIA, MESOSA AND LEIOPUS IN BRITAIN V7) Kloet, G.S. & Hincks, W.D., 1977. Check list of British Insects, 11(3), Strepsiptera and Coleoptera: 71. London. Lesne, P., 1893. Moeurs du Saperda scalaris et du Leiopus nebulosus, Ann. Soc. Chi hin. O22 33 lc Lyneborg, L., 1977. Beetles in colour. English ed. Vevers, G. Poole. Marsham, T., 1802. Entomologia Britannica, 1, Coleoptera. London. Martyn, T., 1792. The English Entomologist, tab. 24, f.6; tab. 25, f. 13. London. Murray, A., 1853. Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Scotland: 84. Edinburgh & London. Paulian, R. & Villiers, A., 1941. Les larves des Cerambycidae francais (Coleoptera), Rev. fr. Ent., 8(4): 202-217. Planet, L.-M., 1924. Histoire naturelle des Longicornes de France. Paris. Samouelle, G., 1819. The Entomologist’s useful Compendium. London. Sharp, D., 1880. Insecta Scottica: The Coleoptera of Scotland, Scott. Nat., 5: 371-378. Shirt, D.B. (ed.), 1987. British red data books, 2. Insects. Peterborough. Skidmore, P. & Johnson, C., 1969. A preliminary list of the Coleoptera of Merioneth, North Wales, Entomologist’s Gaz., 20: 139-225. Speight, M.C.D., 1988. The Irish Cerambycid fauna (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Bull. Ir. biogeog. Soc., 41-76. Spry, W. & Shuckard, W.E., 1861. The British Coleoptera delineated. London. Stephens, J.F., 1831. Illustrations of British Entomology, Mandibulata, 4. London. — , 1839. A manual of British Coleoptera. London. Villiers, A., 1978. Faune des Coléoptéres de France, 1. Cerambycidae. Paris. Walker, J.J., 1932. The Dale Collection of Coleoptera, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 66: 105. Wilson, J. & Duncan, J., 1834. Entomologia Edinensis. Coleoptera. Edinburgh. Butterflies in the Woolwich (S.E. London) district, 1990. For several years now I have tended to feel, at the end of each season, that it has been even worse for butterflies in my district than the one preceding; with, doubtless, an occasional bright spot here and there to relieve the prevailing gloom (rendered still more profound by contrast with frequent glowing reports from other parts of the country). The present season has in some respects continued this downward trend; despite the long-lasting fine hot weather from spring to autumn, which one might have hoped would bring about an abundance of almost all the species that could have been expected in the old days. On the contrary, we have had here a surprisingly poor showing of C. argiolus (Holly Blue) — hardly more than sporadic throughout — and a total absence of all the autumn Vanessids hard to account for. The autumn brood of P. aegeria (Speckled Wood) failed to materialise, possibly a direct result of the drought — here long and severe. Nor was the promise of increase offered in 1989 by two sightings (one doubtful) of L. megera (Wall) realised in 1990, none being seen. So much for the gloom — now for the bright spots. In strange contrast to argiolus, P. icarus (Common Blue), which has hardly lived up to its 78 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 PaSyauits \2)2))! popular epithet in recent years, had an excellent season in both broods on Woolwich Common, bravely resisting the combined onslaughts of drought and the local authority’s mowing programme. I was agreeably surprised at this welcome revival after the very low numbers of late, due I suppose to the Lotus having staged a spectacular come-back on the common this year. The same and related plants were the principal focus for record numbers of T. lineola (Essex Skipper); previously erratic and highly localised in small populations, this year it was the most abundant butterfly on the common in its season, eclipsing even M. jurtina (Meadow Brown). For the first time here I was able to detect the presence of its very close ally, 7. sy/vestris (Small Skipper), in one particular spot, favouring the same flowers and flying with /ineola, but in far smaller numbers. O. venata (Large Skipper) had a very fair season. C. pamphilus (Small Heath), plentiful at times on the common in years past, was fitful and uncertain in appearance; I have never seen it on other tracts of grassland in the area, such as Blackheath. A. urticae (Small Tortoiseshell) was not uncommon about a nettlebed, but nowhere else. In the same locality the first-ever A. cardamines (Orange-tip) was a most welcome and cheering sight. I have never understood why this attractive species should be absent hereabouts; now, hopefully, it may be attempting at last to establish itself, especially as it turned up elsewhere in the area. This second spot was on the east (Welling) side of Shooters Hill, where on 17th May I noted two males at a place where I had thought it should occur because of the presence of a foodplant (A//iaria). One of them was being chased by a ‘‘white’’ (Pieris sp.). Though no more cardamines were seen, a later visit (21.vii) was not disappointing. In a small overgrown area where a path led through a rough thicket I counted eight species of butterfly, giving altogether, if one adds two more seen close by there at other times and certainly breeding there, ten species — a very respectable total for any one small spot in this district. I need mention only the most notable: P.c-album (Comma) occupied the very same perch on two separate visits, and was in good numbers along and near the nettle-fringed bank of a dried-up watercourse; P. aegeria was quite plentiful in the shadier parts about willow foliage on the 24th, and the first and only specimen of P. tithonus (Gatekeeper) I have yet seen in the district was spotted at rest rather low down, on the 21st. Search for more on the next visit was unsuccessful, but one wonders whether this species too is beginning to colonise the area. Incidentally it must be rather rare to see tithonus as a solitary specimen only; conversely, a species numerous at the spot, P. napi (Green-veined White), is far more often encountered by odd specimens — even though common generally. Finally: I had to be content with but a single sighting of L. phlaeas (Small Copper) both this year (Charlton Park) and _ last (Blackheath). — A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. BUTTERFLIES IN LANZAROTE 79 BUTTERFLIES IN LANZAROTE — APRIL 1988 - APRIL 1989 G.G. BALDWIN 22 Edgerton Grove Road, Huddersfield, W. Yorks HDI 5QX. HAVING been invited for the second year running to share a holiday with some friends at their time-share in Lanzarote I was particularly looking forward to the opportunity to check on the butterfly sightings I had recorded in our 1988 visit. Both visits were made in the same two-week period — the last two weeks of April. In 1988, the early part of the year had seen quite a lot of rain on the island and our friends, with five or six years of visiting, were saying that they had never seen so much green vegetation and flowers. By the time of our visit, however, the weather was more typical — generally hot and sunny, but steady winds not uncommon in exposed areas. In 1988, during the 14-day visit, I noted eight species of butterfly. The first day (15th April) after our arrival was, perhaps, the windiest of the visit. A solitary Maniola jurtina Linn. was noted around the geranium and other flowers of the time-share complex at Costa Teguise and during a short walk up the coast beyond the Beach Club a Vanessa cardui Linn. and an occasional Colias croceus Geoff. were being blown over the rather sparse vegetation and dwarf flowers amongst the lava rocks. They looked in good condition and, being on the east coast, I have since wondered whether they might have come across the 80 or so miles of sea separating the island from Morocco in Africa. During the next fourteen days we visited various parts of the island. Most days the weather was warm and sunny and in driving about we were struck, mentally and physically, by the large numbers of C. croceus and V. cardui. Many were seen dead on the road or hit with a splat on the windscreen of our car. Stricken victims were no doubt soon disposed of by the large population of lizards and on one occasion a swallow swooped in front of me and nabbed a C. croceus just as I was noting it flying across the road. Our friends, aware of my interest in butterflies, reported that they had earlier seen a ‘‘smallish white butterfly with greenish underside’. This sounds like Elphinstonia charlonia Donzel — but I never saw any myself. The only white butterfly I saw was rapidly exploring flowering shrubs at a neighbouring complex. It did not settle for long at any time and I had neither the means nor the audacity to try and catch it under those conditions — but I am pretty sure it was Pieris brassicae cheiranthi Hbn. As time went on the numbers of C. croceus and V. cardui seemed to increase day by day. By the 20th - 24th they were probably at a peak. Roadside verges usually with more luxuriant vegetation than farther in the fields seemed to be particular flying areas. For example, on 21st April on the road from Teguise to Yaiza we noted dozens or more of these two species. 80 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 25.11.1991 Less common, but still quite numerous, was Lycaena phlaeas Linn. in similar territory. And, in perhaps more restricted areas, there were a number of Polyommatus icarus Rott. A dried stream bed with carpets of dwarf flowers at the lower reaches of the Guanapay volcano near Teguise in the centre of the island was alive with V. cardui, P. icarus and also the occasional Vanessa virginiensis Drury and L. phlaeas. Undoubtedly, the largest numbers of P. icarus were seen at Mirador del Rio — a lofty outlook point at the top of the cliffs in the north-west corner of the island. A hot day there (20th April) brought out thousands (calculated on numbers in a few random metre-squares) — predominantly males but also many females. Curiously, I have no record of seeing any mating. By 28th April however, whether because of a slight deterioration in the weather (it had definitely been more windy for a day or two), or perhaps because of an actual decline in population, the number of butterflies about had fallen dramatically. On a drive south-west from Teguise along the road we saw only an occasional C. croceus or V. cardui where ten days earlier they had been in their dozens. Perhaps that was the limit of the butterfly season in Lanzarote and, certainly, my impression from this first visit was that April was a good month to be there. But perhaps my season had been exceptional — for D.F. Owen writing on a visit even earlier that year (Ent. Rec. 100: 259-260) has concluded that “‘it is likely that [on Lanzarote] all butterflies are chiefly active in February and March’’. All the more reason for my eager anticipation of the 1989 visit and the chance to check my sightings. I had heard that the 1989 season had also begun with more than usual early rains and I was confident that again there would be plenty of vegetation about and that butterfly numbers would be good. The vegetation was there alright but there had been prolonged high winds and often relatively cool weather. A gully (barranco) no doubt normally quite dried up by this time of the year still had some pools of rather stagnant water (one with a good population of Anopheles larvae), but there were very few butterflies about and for the first week of our stay the only species seen in any numbers was E. c. charlonia. According to Higgins and Riley (1969) -E. c. charlonia is normally found around 2000 feet but I was finding it at many locations even down to sea level. A fellow holiday maker to whom I had explained that the butterfly normally flew at 2000 feet asked if it was the high winds that were bringing them down. I agreed that it might be so. However, it was not until the subject came up again the next day that I realised that his understanding of flying at 2000 feet was a sort of butterfly ‘‘layer’’ 2000 feet up in the air! - All the same, although E.c. charlonia was quite widespread in small numbers it certainly was much more numerous at height. For example, 20th BUTTERFLIES IN LANZAROTE 81 April, at the top of a long extinct and eroded volcano (Bermeja, 157 metres) on the nearby island of Graciosa I noted it in dozens. The same day, I could record only a single C. croceus and a single V. virginiensis. What a contrast between the years! If I had written this in 1988 I would have been quite sure that mid to end April was the best time to see butterflies in Lanzarote — good variety and large numbers in many locations. But in 1989 I would be saying that Lanzarote had a very localised butterfly population with little to be seen unless one knew the ‘‘right places tOjEO":. What is the true situation? Is Feb/March the best time or is it late April or perhaps even later? Others of the Canary Islands have been reported on in the Record from time to time but we have had little information so far on Lanzarote. The breeding site of Anthicus bifasciatus (Rossi) (Col.: Anthicidae) at Broadway, Worcestershire. i In 1990 (Entomologist mon. Mag. 126: 27-32; Col. Newsletter 39: 7-8) I referred to Anthicus bifasciatus (Rossi) in the Broadway area of Worcester- shire, although in the former publication I was unable to provide evidence of breeding. In the spring of 1990 a large quantity of cow dung and stable bedding was spread in a paddock at Broadway (SP04). In the following hot summer decomposition was negligible, the compacted bedding desiccated, and was only really damp at contact with the ground. A substantial population of A. bifasciatus built up and teneral specimens were located in September 1990. Apart from what has just been outlined the following key considerations hallmark the beetle fauna: (a) the presence of Astenus pulchellus (Heer) (not yet noted by the writer in compost) (b) the dominance of Mycetaea hirta (Msh.) (c) the absence of Anthicus floralis (L.) (frequently encountered in compost).— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3EP. Observations on Coleoptera in the diet of two bird species in Worcestershire. It is not easy to obtain exact information on the diet of Sand Martins by examination of faecal sacs of nestlings, because they are frequently dropped by parent birds into water beneath the nesting sites. On 5.9.1990 at Beckford, Worcestershire, I released two such sacs from spiders’ webs at a nest opening. They contained, in addition to disarticulated fragments of flies and wasps (including chalcids), fragments of the following beetles: 82 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 Ppyeiivlg S/S)! Meligethes aeneus (F.) 3, Calvia quattuordecimpunctata (L.) 1, Phyllotreta nigripes (F.) 1, Oulema melanopa (L.) 7, Sitona lineatus (L.) 9, Ceuthorynchidius troglodytes (F.) 1, Ceutorhynchus quadridens (Pz.) 8. C. quadridens swarmed during late July 1990, and it is likely that the sacs were voided then. The conclusion is the same as that reached by Osborne & Whitehead (1988 Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 124: 232) with regard to House Martins, namely that the parent birds are entirely unselective samplers of the aerial fauna. In addition there is clear indication that, were the two species cohabiting, they would be direct competitors. On 26.6.1990 I was able to examine the contents of a Little Owl pellet collected on Bredon Hill (SO94). This contained evidence of Abax parallelepipedus (P. & M.) 1, Agonum muelleri (Hbst.) 1, Harpalus rufipes (Deg,) 1, H. affinis (Schr.) 1, Melanotus erythropus (Gmelin) 1, Agriotes acuminatus (Ste.) 1, A. obscurus (L.) 1, Stenocorus meridianus (L.) 1, Hypera punctata (F.) 5. Few of the beetles listed here represent a good return on the energy expended in catching them, and the diet is probably that of an inexperienced juvenile bird. Cockchafers (Melolontha melolontha L.) are the principal element in the beetle-diet of nestling Little Owls in the area, and Geotrupes spp. are also provided. I have an interesting record of a number of adult Procraerus tibialis (Bois. & Lac.) (a localised elaterid) from debris at the base of a Little Owl’s nest (SO94, 19.6.1990).— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcs WR10 3EP. Scolopostethus pictus (Schilling) (Hem.: Lygaeidae) new to Worcestershire A specimen of this large, strongly-pigmented Scolopostethus was observed to land on my car whilst it was parked near the River Severn, Worcester (SO849547) at 15.30 hours BST on 12.x.1990. It was flying in extremely high light conditions in a temperature of 23°C. S. pictus is generally rather rare inhabiting flood strands and cornstacks. Dr P. Kirby kindly provided information on the status and biotope of S. pictus, which may be locally distributed in the Lower Severn Valley.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcestershire WRI1O03EP. The Hummingbird Hawkmoth in West Cumbria. At about 3.30pm on 28th August 1990, I observed one specimen of Macroglossum stellatarum fly into my garden here at Hensingham. The weather was sunny and dry with a temperature of around 70°F. The moth was very active and visited a number of herbaceous plants, and it was observed to feed in particular on the flowers of some cultivated Campanulas. The moth eventually left the garden after approximately six minutes.— R.W.J. READ, 43 Holly Terrace, Hensingham, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 8RF. NEW SUBSPECIES OF IOLAUS ALIENUS 83 NEW SUBSPECIES OF JOLAUS (EPAMERA) ALIENUS TRIMEN (LEPIDOPTERA: LYCAENIDAE) FROM NAMIBIA S.F. HENNING and G.A. HENNING ! Harry Lawrence Street, Florida Park, Florida, 1710 S.A. Tolaus (Epamera) alienus sophiae subsp. nov. is described, and notes on its early stages, habits and distribution are given. TIolaus (Epamera) alienus Trimen is widespread in Africa from Natal to southern Sudan and northern Nigeria. It has until now been divided into three subspecies. The nominate subspecies occurs in South Africa (Natal and Transvaal), Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern Tanzania, Malawi, and Zambia, with Umfuli River in Zimbabwe as its type locality. I. (E.) alienus bicaudatus Aurivillius is found in northern Cameroun, northern Nigeria and Upper Volta. I. (E.) alienus ugandae Stempffer occurs in Uganda, Kenya and southern Sudan. In 1984, J. (E.) alienus was recorded and bred by Mr H.C. Ficq from localities in the Grootfontein area of Namibia constituting a population apparently geographically isolated and constantly different from others of the species. Extensive investigation of habitats to the north and east of this population failed to reveal any specimens nor any of the particular Tapinanthus sp. (Loranthaceae) with which this population is associated. This particular plant is different from that used by the nominate subspecies and has not been seen by Mr Ficq in any other locality. Specimens of the plant have been taken for study but it is at present unidentified. We therefore regard tthis population as a distinct subspecies and name it after Mrs Sophie Ficq, the wife of the discoverer. Key to the subspecies of /. (E.) alienus Trimen Male 1. Blue patch of fore wing upper side extending distad to middle of inner (CD21 eR co St. <5 SE. oa oo ome Mee ae ae ane sophiae — Blue patch of fore wing upper side extending distad to beyond post-discal area of inner margin. 2 2. Forewing upper side blue patch without white scales along distal LSXOUIG I Rar eras eats nS Oy te ae aE OA Scar cn oy ck ole alienus — Fore wing upper side blue patch with white scales along distal border........ 3 3. Hind wing upper side with sex patch reduced; under side markings AUB eRVANeCUCE: wernt: fooct = tet: a a-tage tS bags, SERN Sas a ee bicaudatus 1 Hind wing upper side with sex patch not reduced; under side markings IN QAVIETIV AT CCU CE Cline ee cin MR. 185 Sl sep ene Mee cece de ay NE os cet So ugandae 84 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 225.111.1991 Female 1. Fore wing upper side with blue and white patch extending distad along inher marsinto middle... hee Ae SR eee ian sophiae — Fore wing upper side with blue and white patch extending distad along inner marzin to: bevondimostdiscall area ss «asus sqatgenaameaueuhibe sis hace: een cs wee 2 2. __ Blue patch of fore wing upper side with white area restricted to distal TOV Ae Le) aA Sie eka ee cl a a a citi Miniter Ciencia alienus - Blue patch fore wing upper side with white area extensive, covering MMOSWOT Ue PALCN Oo aes eee ec kis pa el Ola Se CORN GT SECIS REEL A ec 3 Se) WUNGER SUG NaNKTES TeGUGEd ) = Discestra trifolti Mamestra brassicae 0 l 1 0 Lacanobia oleracea 7 13 1 3 Mythimna pallens 14 15 6 6 Phlogophora meticulosa 8 7 135 179 Hoplodrina ambigua 3 7 8 3 Caradrina clavipalpis 0 ] 1 2 Autographa gamma 9 6 a7 lg Hypena proboscidalis 0 ] 1] y). Total 147 195 988 1318 COMPARISON OF LIGHT TRAP CATCHES 139 Generally the results of this test are very similar to those conducted with the 125W lamps (Table 1). Most species were taken in higher numbers with the HP1-T, including Noctua pronuba with a ratio of 385/301, Agrochola circellaris (82/53) and Aporophyla lutulenta (11/6). The genus Agrotis produced a ratio of 154/105, even greater than with the 125W lamp. A few species came in greater numbers to the MB/U lamp, and these included Larentia clavaria (11/6) and Rhizedra lutosa (96/80). Numbers of Autographa gamma must be treated with caution, as October produced a few nights of heavy immigration. Conclusions The size of the sample, in terms of number of species and individuals noted, is rather small and it would be unwise to draw too many conclusions from these data. It is worth noting that the gloomy comments heard about the poor performance of HQL lamps in comparison with MB/U are not borne out by this limited investigation — in fact, the reverse is suggested! Table 3 shows the relative distribution of selected species in both the 125 and 400 W trials. | Clearly much still remains to be learned about the various lamps available and their attractiveness to moths. Further observations on Aderus populneus (Creutzer) (Col.: Aderidae) In a pertinent and perceptive paper (Ent. Rec. 93: 208-209) Mr A.A. Allen questioned the remarkably diverse (in spider’s webs, ash seeds, manure heaps and houses) range of situations in which Aderus populneus (Creutzer) has been observed. The purpose of this contribution is to throw further light on this topic, although conclusions must await further investigation. Mr Allen’s claim to establish a clearer understanding of the biology and periodicity of this rather rare species can now be amplified somewhat. I can speak only from knowledge of the species in Worcestershire, which provides a northern extension of its southern British range. This species is essentially xylophagous (oak), overwinters as a quiescent imagine. The thermal environment in winter appears to be crucial to survival. It appears to me at the moment that A. populneus is one of a fastidious and sensitive group of xylophagous beetles which only rarely encounter the sum total of conditions required for successful colonisation. A number of these conditions are met most often in closed-canopy forest, and the omission of this species from the list of those indicating that relict habitat (Harding, P.T., Rose, F. 1986, Pasture Woodlands in Lowland Britain. ITE) may require review. 140 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 Dilevangot My experiences in Worcestershire show that successful populations of Aderus populneus may be limited to isolated trees which they may make no attempt to leave, utilising the tree for decades. The physical character of the dead wood appears to be important; adults overwinter in contraction- spaces between the annual rings of dry, delignified, papery, soft heartwood. I can throw no light on larval biology, although I am aware of winter populations of imagines numbered in hundreds, and there can be little doubt that this too is the larval habitat. The habitat is supported by Mr D. Nash’s recent finding (Ent. Rec. 102: 186) and a number of those cited by Mr Allen (op. cit.). It is emphasised that the beetles do not hibernate in the strict sense, but that they merely become torpid. The thermal threshold for winter activity is at or about 9°C. when males will crawl within a tree, vibrating their antennae as those of Aderus oculatus (Paykull) do in summer. Amongst the earlier records are some suggesting that A. populneus is synanthropic; if the species overwinters in buildings it may simply imply that populations very close at hand in the wild were subject to an unfavourable thermal regime in winter. One can look profitably here at other families of beetles. Amongst Mycetophagus some penetrate deep into the heartwood of trees to locate suitable wintering sites, and one British species is sometimes located in or near human habitation. Amongst Cryptophagus, C. scutellatus Newman is occasionally synanthropic and C. scanicus (Linnaeus) appears equally at home in buildings and trees. The thermal threshold for winter activity of C. scutellatus appears to be more or less identical with that quoted above for A. populneus. Phloiophilus edwardsi Stephens (which I have noted cohabiting with A. populneus) seems prevented from crossing this environmental threshold, despite the probably major effects of ‘‘wildwood”’ clearance on its behaviour. There is still much to discover about A. populneus, a species which appears to have high conservation value throughout all Europe.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcs WR10 3EP. Early hibernators in 1991 ‘When a new year begins, I always think the first moth to appear will be Apocheima pilosaria, and in past years this has often been true. In 1991 however, a female Conistra vaccinii was found on 11th January in a lighted shop window. Nothing further was seen until 11th February when I was waiting for a train at Gatwick Airport station. It was 17.15, the temperature was below zero and snow was everywnere. A moth flew by and, as luck would have it, settled on a colleague’s coat. Although unprepared for sub-zero entomology, the moth was secured, a polythene bag doing duty as a pill-box. On examining the capture, in warmer surroundings at home, I was surprised to find that it was a fine male Lithophane ornitopus Hufn. What was it doing out on such an unsuitable night?— D. DEy, 26 Manor Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex BN6 8NG. MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW FOR 1989 141 MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW OF THE YEAR 1989 Compiled by DAVID AGASSIZ The Glebe House, Brewers End, Takeley, Bishop’s Stortford CM22 6QH. THIS IS the tenth such review which I have endeavoured to produce, so as we end the 1980s it seems worth taking stock of the process. The style of the review has evolved and continues to do so. Its purpose is to present a paper which will be of use to those in the future who wish to research the occurrence of a particular species or family, or else extract records for a given county or vice-county. It should provide a quick key to the literature. Whilst not including all records, the intention is that the majority will be listed, but others such as complete lists from a locality will be referred to if there are too many to reproduce. Localities are simple assigned their vice-county numbers for the sake of brevity; these are described in Heath (1976) or Dandy (1969). A great many records included are new vice-county or county records, but it has not been the practice to specify this. Where there has been a recently published county list it may be easy to ascertain whether or not a record is new; however, in remote or little worked counties such a judgment is well nigh impossible — perhaps in due course there may be published an atlas of British microlepidoptera which would make a base line from which additions could be made. An unpublished and still incomplete atlas is already held by A.M. Emmet as editor of The Moths & Butterflies of Great Britain & Ireland. This consists of maps in preparation for future volumes and extensively updated versions of those that have already appeared. This information is available on request, but in many instances the data is restricted to the name of the recorder to whom further enquiries would need to be directed. Records sent to me are sorted in a standard form, and to them are added those gleaned from the journals. A duplicated list is then produced containing all these records, usually by October of the following year. Recorders then have the chance to correct such mistakes as may have crept in, and omissions are made good. The less interesting records are then edited out for the sake of saving space, and a narrative is added. In future I hope to enlist the help of one or two others for these latter tasks. This year thanks are due to Maitland Emmet for his comments. The 1989 season At last! After a sequence of poor summers 1989 produced a long hot summer following a very mild winter. Despite this the list which follows is shorter than usual, and only two species are added to the British list. Further time is needed to explain such a result, but the hot season made it difficult to predict when a species could be found either as a larva or on the wing. Since many species are best searched for, this difficulty of timing 142 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 made life harder for microlepidopterists than for moth-trapping macro- lepidopterists. The first species new to Britain was detected early in the year when mines of Phyllonorycter leucographella (Zeller) were found in Essex. This species has been extending its range northwards from the Mediterranean during the last 20 years and must have reached our shores only a few years before it was discovered. For the most part it was found still to be confined to south Essex although in some parts it had achieved a high density. The other addition came at the close of the season when on the night of 22nd October Etiella zinckenella (Treitschke) was taken at Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex. This is a cosmopolitan pest which only occasionally reaches our latitudes and it is not likely to become established if our climate remains as it has been. Migration has been one of the more interesting features of the year. Microlepidoptera included in the account ‘“‘The immigration of Lepidoptera into the British Isles in 1989’’ Ent. Rec. 102: 217 occupy a whole page and include some considerable rarities, but besides this species not normally thought of as migrants have shown their wandering tendencies: notable among them being Yponomeuta rorrella (Hiibn.), Y. evonymella (Htibn.) and Ethmia terminella Fletch. Whether Eucosma metzneriana (Treits.) and Lobesia botrana (D. & S.) belong to this category is not yet certain, but records of them are becoming more numerous. Discovery of the biology of species resident in Britain is always of interest and it is good to see that Cataplectica farreni (Wals.) and Cydia illutana (H.-S.) have both been found as larvae. New foodplants for Coleophora ramosella Zell. and other less rare species are of great interest. As usual I try to draw attention to other articles and books which have appeared during the year in question, and this is extended until the time of © going to press. A list of lepidoptera from north Devon by A. Spalding appeared in Ent. Gaz. 40: 303; Lepidoptera from Ireland were listed in Ent. Gaz. 40: 307-311 (Langmaid, 1986) and Ent. Gaz. 42: 15-29 (Heckford & Langmaid, 1989). Lepidoptera from Colonsay and Oronsay are listed in Ent. Rec. 102: 281-284 (Harper & Christie, 1989). Species of interest which were exhibited at the BENHS Annual Exhibition are listed in Br. J. ent. nat. hist. 3: 69-74 together with full colour illustrations of Phyllonorycter leucographella, Mompha subdivisella, Sclerocona acutellus and dark and light forms of Elachista albifrontella. County lists continue to appear and Butterflies and moths of Yorkshire by S.L. Sutton & H.E. Beaumont is quite excellent, a model for any county list and a mine of local information. Moths and Butterflies in Cornwall by J.L. Gregory is unusual in that it is largely an account of the author’s records, but contains little hard data concerning localities, dates and recorders. Of wider interest Nordeuropas Prydvinger by Eivind Palm is a Danish book on the Oecophoridae of northern Europe with lavish illustrations. MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW FOR 1989 143 Nepticulidae and Opostegidae of north-west Europe by R. Johansson et al. in the Fauna Entomologica Scandinavica series is a superb book, with wonderful colour illustrations. ‘‘De Danske Viklere’’ by Knud Larsen & Flemming Vilhelmsen has been published in eight parts over four years in the Danish journal Lepidoptera. It contains 16 colour plates made from photographs (actual size) and covers all the Tortricidae of Denmark; genitalia sketches of difficult groups are included. Finally, my attention has been drawn to an interesting paper by M. Hull on the Eudonia species (Pyralidae); differences in the female genitalia are shown, using a technique which avoids the distortion of loops in the ductus bursa; this is published in Ann. Rep. & Proc. Lancs & Ches. ent. Soc. No. 111: 101-108 and correction No. 112: 101-102. Acknowledgements As always my thanks are due to recorders without whom this paper could not be produced. They are identified by their initials: D.J.L. Agassiz, B.R. Baker, H.E. Beaumont, K.P. Bland, K.G.M. Bond, A.S. Boot, J.M. Chalmers-Hunt, M.F.V. Corley, B. Dickerson, A.M. Emmet, A.P. Foster, B. Goodey, E.F. Hancock, M.W. Harper, R.J. Heckford, J.R. Langmaid, H.N. Michaelis, S. Nash, S.M. Palmer, M. Parsons, A.N.B. Simpson, R.A. Softly, D.H. Sterling, M.J. Sterling, P.H. Sterling, R.G. Warren and M.R. Young. Systematic list ERIOCRANIIDAE 7 Eriocrania chrysolepidella (Zell.) — Unhill Wood (22) two females, 12.iv.89 — BRB 10 ~=&E. salopiella (Staint.) — Uragh Wood, south Kerry (H1) 16.iv.89 — KGMB NEPTICULIDAE 20 ~=Etainia decentella (Herr.-Schaff.) — Goring (23) 16.vi.89 — MFVC 23 Ectoedemia argyropeza (Zell.) — Uragh Wood (H1) mines, male bred 16.iv.89 — KGMB 29 ~—sCC:.- attricollis (Staint.) — Kilkenny City (H11) mines, 23.ix.89 — KGMB 31 E. rubivora (Wocke) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME 49 Trifurcula eurema (Tutt) — Colwick (56) vacated mine, 2.vii.89 —ASB 61 Stigmella serrella (Staint.) — Salen, Ardnam 107 ‘S. regiella (Herr.-Schaff.) — Dinton (8) tenanted mines 15.x.89 — SMP 115 S. alnetella (Staint.) — Colwick (56) mines locally common 4.ix.89 — ASB 144 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 NV Fe 2) 107 ~S. regiella (Herr.-Schaff.) — Dinton (8) tenanted mines 15.x.89 — SMP 115 SS. alnetella (Staint.) — Colwick (56) mines locally common 4.ix.89 — ASB 117. S. confusella (Wood) — Blackmore Copse (8) vacated mine 13.vii.89 — SMP 118 SS. acetosae (Staint.) — Borth (46) mines 15.x.82 — MWH. Ent. Rec. 102: 243 OPOSTEGIDAE 119 Opostega salaciella (Treits.) — Colonsay (102) — MRY & MWH 121 O. crepusculella Zell. — High Woods (19) 20.vii.89, eight — BG; Pollardstown Fen (H19) 22.vii.89 — KGMB TISCHERIIDAE 127 Tischeria angusticolella (Dup.) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME INCURVARIIDAE 131 Incurvaria oehlmanniella (Hiibn.) — Groby (55) 14.v. - 10.vi.89 fairly common — HEB 132 J. praelatella(D. & S.) — Pollardstown Fen (H19) 22.vi.89 — KGMB 135. Lampronia luzella (Hiibn.) — Ballea (H4) 7.v.89 — KGMB 138 L. fuscatella (Tengst.) — Notes on the species and its distribution — KPB, Ent. Rec. 101: 249-253 145 Nemophora minimella (D. & S.) — Leckford (12) two on Scabious heads 29.vii.89 — DHS, MJS and PHS; Westmuir Common (90) 15.vii.89 — KPB HELIOZELIDAE 154 Heliozela sericiella (Haw.) — Groby (55) 28.v.89 — HEB 156 H. resplendella (Staint.) — Colonsay (102) — MRY and MWH TINEIDAE 200 Psychoides filicivora (Meyr.) — Oxford (23) 11.viii.86, most easterly inland record — PHS; Cardiff (41) 15.vi.89 (Rothamsted trap) — EFH 203 Infurcitinea argentimaculella (Staint.) — Leckford (12) larval tubes 27.i11.89 — DHS and MJS 238 Niditinea piercella (Bentinck) — Holford (5) bred 7.vi.89 from nest box — DJLA GRACILLARIIDAE | 284 Caloptilia rufipennella (Hiibn.) — Eynesbury (31) 18.ix.89 — BD; Colwick (56) vacated mines and cones 23.x.89 — ASB 287 C. robustella (Jackh) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW FOR 1989 145 290 C. semifascia (Haw.) — Blackmore Copse (8) 23.1x.89 — SMP 292 C. leucapennella (Steph.) — Ross Wood (86) 2.1x.89 — KPB 299 Parectopa ononidis (Zell.) — Middleton Down (8) 20.vii.89 — SMP 301 Parornix betulae (Staint.) — Groby (55) 10.vi.89 — HEB 316 Phyllonorycter roboris (Zell.) — Devil’s Glen (H20) mines 13.viii.89 — KGMB 317 ~P. heegeriella (Zell.) — Groby (55) 14 — 28.v.89 — HEB 330 _~=~&P«. cerasicolella (Herr.-Schaff.) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME 332a P. leucographella (Zell.) — Essex, many localities (18) & (19) and Gravesend (16) — AME & others. Ent. Rec. 101: 101-194 & 101: 143. New to Britain. 336 =P. dubitella (Herr.-Schaff.) — Llay (50) bred Salix ’89 — BF per HNM 338 P. cavella (Zell.) — Llanrwst (50) ’89 — HNM; Caergwrle (51) — M. Newstead per HNM 348 =P. quinqueguttella (Staint.) — Colonsay (102) — MRY and MWH 351 =P. lautella (Zell.) — Cong (H26) mines 5.xi.89 — KGMB 354 P. emberizaepenella (Bouch.) — Kirkinner (74) 22.vi.89 — EFH 358 P. froelichiella (Zell.) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME 363 PP. platanoidella (Joannis) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x. 89 — AME; Stoke Bardolph (56) mines 20.x.89 — ASB 365 P.comparella(Dup.) — Merrow Common (17) 27.x.89 — KGMB CHOREUTIDAE 386 Tebenna micalis (Mann) — Confirmation of this species as British and of its sister species 7. bjerkandrella (Thunb.) as doubtfully British, together with full descriptions etc. — RJH. Ent. Gaz. 41: 17-20. 387 Prochoreutis sehestediana (Fabr.) — Woodbastwick NNR (27) larvae on Scutellaria 2.vii.89 — APF 388 P. myellerana (Fabr.) — Woodbastwick NNR (27) larvae on Scutellaria 2.vii.89 — APF GLYPHIPTERIGIDAE 393 Glyphipterix equitella (Scop.) — Binsley, Oxford (23) bred from Sedium acre — PHS and MJS YPONOMEUTIDAE 407 Argyresthia dilectella (Zell.) — Gresford (50) 17.viii.89 — B. Formstone per HNM 416 A. glaucinella (Zell.) — Leckford (12) workings in oak 8.iv.89, moths not bred — DHS and JRL; East Sutherland (107) and Perthshire (88), larvae in bark of birch (Betula) — KPB. Ent. Gaz. 40: 295-6 424 Yponomeuta evonymella (Hiibn.) — A discussion of its status — AME. Ent. Rec. 102: 65-67 146 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 Yponomeuta rorrella (Hiibn.) — Fingringhoe Wick NR 3.viii.88, 428 five; also Donyland Woods, one, and Alresford Pits (19), two — BG; Little Paxton Gravel Pits (31) 7.viii.89, Bankside LNR (31) 12.vii.89, Pingle Wood (31) 29.viii.89 — BD; Hampstead (21) 19, 20, 24 and 28.vii.89 — RAS; Winchester (11) one — DHS; Winchester (12) two 5.viii.89 — DHS and PHS; Oxford (23) 21.vii.89 and three 29.vii.89; Faringdon (22) 24.vii.89 — PHS; Grays (18) two 28.vii.89, Heyshott (13) two 4.vili.89 — DJLA; Fernham (23) ’89 — S. Nash; A discussion of its status — AME. Ent. Rec. 102: 67-69 431 Y. sedella (Treits.) — High Woods (19) 7.viii.89 — BG 439 Swammerdamia compunctella WHerr.Schaff. — Kirkinner (74) 17.vi.89 — EFH 450 Scythropia crataegella (Linn.) — Gresford (50) 29.vi.89 — B. Formstone per HNM; Cardiff (41) vi. early vii. and late viii.89 (Rothamsted trap) — EFH 452 Ypsolopha nemorella (Linn.) — Colonsay (102) —MRY and MWH 458 ‘Y. alpella(D. & S.) — Swynnerton (39) 24.viii.89 — RGW 461 _—*Y.. ustella (Clerck) — Bryn-y-Maen (S50) bred from Betula — HNM 465 Plutella porrectella (Linn.) — High Woods (19) vii.89, five, ix.89, two — BG 468 Rhigognostis incarnatella (Steud.) — Balrobbie Farm 19.v.89 — KPB; Bicone (HS) 28.viii.89 — KGMB EPERMENIIDA 479 eae farreni (Wals.) — Swyncombe Downs (22) bred from seedheads of Pastinaca collected 20.viii.88, emerged vi.89 — PHS COLEOPHORIDAE 487 Metriotes lutarea (Haw.) — ean Woods, Colchester (19) 7.v.89 — BG 490 Coleophora lutipennella (Zell.) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME 491 C. gryphipennella (Hiibn.) — Great Wenham (25) 24.x.89 — AME 492 C. flavipennella (Dup.) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME 493 C. serratella (Linn.) — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME 494 C. coracipennella (Hiibn.) — Faringdon (22) bred Prunus spinosa — MFVC 497 C. badiipennella (Dup.) — St Ives (31) 25.x.89 — AME 498 C. alnifoliae Barasch — Mortimer West End (22) bred 20.v.89 from case found on Alnus 15.v.88 — BRB 500. C. hydrolapathella Hering — Walberswick NNR (25) larvae common on Rumex hydrolapathum 18.ix.89 — APF 502 C. trigeminella Fuchs — Cumnor (22) 20.vi.89, Goring (23) 16.vi.89 — MFVC 503. C. fuscocuprella Herr.-Schaff. — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME 504 SIS) Sil) 518 S22 524 S25 530 532 333 335) 337 544 545 547 548 SZ 55 558 560 563 565 569 570 SIT 582 583 587 MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW FOR 1989 147 C. viminetella Zell. — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME; Colwick (56) cases v.-vi.89 — ASB C. albitarsella Zell. — Bentley (25) 24.x.89; St Ives (31) 25.x.89 — AME C. frischella (Linn.) — Conwy (49), Wenlli (50) 1989 — HNM C. mayrella (Hiibn.) — Castlecraig (78) 13.vi.89 — KPB C. lineolea (Haw.) — Graig Fawr, near Prestatyn (51) — HNM C. lithargyrinella (Zell.) — Near Nettlebed (23) bred from Stellaria — DHS and PHS; Bentley (25) 24.x.89 — AME C. solitariella Zell. — Bentley (25) 24.x.89 — AME C. lixella Zell. — Talisker (104) 22, 24.vi.83 —MWH. Ent. Rec. 102: 244 C. albidella (D. & S.) — Woodwalton Fen (31) 2.vi.89 — AME C. anatipennella (Hiibn.) — Morkery Wood (53) 19.ix.89 — AME C. ardeaepennella Scott — East Wretham (28) 15.x.89 — AME C. palliatella (Zinck.) — Woodwalton Fen (31) 3.vi.89 — AME C. albicosta (Haw.) — Barton Mills (26) 21.v.89 — AME C. saturatella Staint. — Donyland Woods (19) 12.vii.88 — BG C. discordella Zell. — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89; Twyford Wood (53) 19.ix.89 — AME C. niveicostella Zell. — Salisbury Plain (8) 25.vi.89 — SMP and JRL C. lassella Staud. — Douglas River (H4) 22.viii.89 — KGMB C. follicularis Vallot — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89; Woodwalton Fen (31) 3.vi.89 — AME C. ramosella Zell. — Larvae on Bellis perennis in the Burren (H5) 1.vi.89 — JRL, RJH& DJLA C. paripennella Zell. — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89 — AME C. argentula (Steph.) — Borras, near Wrexham (SO) cases ix.89 — B. Formstone per HNM; St Ives (31) 25.x.89, Castle Bytham (53) 19.ix.89; East Wretham (28) 15.x.89 — AME C. saxicolella (Dup.) — Timoleague (HS) 30.vii.89 — KGMB C. squamosella Staint. — Boscombe Down (8) cases on Erigeron 1988/89 — SMP C. pappiferella Hofm. — Correl Glen, Fermanagh (H33) two, 6.vi.70 in Heal collection, National Museum of ireland — KGMB C. artemisicolella Bruand — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89, St Ives (31) 25.x.89 — AME C. glaucicolella Wood — Bentley Wood (8) cases 6.x.89 — SMP C. cratipennella Clem. — Pollardstown Fen (H19) 22.vi.89 — KGMB C. caespititiella Zell. — Groby (55) 10.vi.89 fairly common — HEB ELACHISTIDAE 594 Elachista gleichenella (Fabr.) — Pydew (49) vi.89 — HNM 148 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 595 E. biatomella (Staint.) — Chawbridge Bank NR (22) 17.v. & 19.vii.89 — BRB 598 E. kilmunella Staint. — Gorsmaenllwyd, near Brenig (50) vii.89 — HNM 599 E. alpinella Staint. — Gorsmaenllwud, near Brenig (50) vili.89 — HNM 601 E. albifrontella (Hiibn.) — Unusual markings from Barra (110) — MRY 614 E-. triseriatella Staint. — Great Orme (49); Graig Fawr (51) — HNM; St Abbs (81) 2.vii.88, New to Scotland — KPB 620 E. gangabella Zell. — Salsey Forest (32) 17.x.89, Bures St Mary (26) 26.i1x.89 — AME 625 Biselachista cinereopunctella (Haw.) — Graig, near Tremerchion (50) bred — HNM 630 _~-B. albidella (Nylander) — Gorsmaenllwyd, near Brenig (50) — HNM OECOPHORIDAE 646 Telechrysis tripuncta (Haw.) — Friday Woods (19) 18.vi.89 — BG 653 Alplota palpella (Haw.) — Scotney Castle (16) 2.viii.89 — JMCH. Ent. Rec. 102: 4 655 Pleurota aristella (Linn.) — Jersey (113) vi.89 — MWH Brit. J. Ent. Nat. Hist. 3: 71 656 Parocystola acroxantha (Walk.) — St Ives (1) 11.vii.89 — Roland Rogers 686 Exaeretia ciniflonella (L. & Z.) — Crathie (92) 15.x.86 — MWH. Ent. Rec. 102: 244 698 Agonopterix ciliella (Staint.)—Saffron Walden (19) 6.viii.89—AME 699 A. bipunctosa (Curt.) — Seven Barrows, Lambourn (22) ex 1. on Serratula — MFVC; Salisbury Plain (8) dead larva on Serratula 25.vi.89 — SMP & JRL 701 A. ocellana (Fabr.) — Fingringhoe Wick NR (19) 27.iii1.89 — BG 706 A. nervosa (Haw.) — Chawridge Bank NR (22) 17, 18.vi.89, bred from Genista tinctoria — BRB 717. Ethmia terminella Fletch. — Fingringhoe Wick NR (19) 7.vii.89 — BG. Ent. Rec. 102: 69 720 ~E. bipunctella (Fabr.) — Eastbourne (14) 26.v.89 — MP GELECHIIDAE 724 Metzneria lappella (Linn.) — Gresford (50) 20.vi.89 — B. Formstone per HNM 727a M. aprilella (Herr.-Schaff.) — Churchill (6) bred 7.vi.89 — DJLA 733 Eulamprotes wilkella (Linn.) — Gresford (50) 10.vii.89 — B. Formstone per HNM 736 Monochroa lucidella (Steph.) — Crymlyn Bog (41) 23.vi.89 — RGW MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW FOR 1989 149 747 Chrysoesthia sexguttella (Thunb.) — Glan Conwy (50) bred 23.vi.89 — HNM 752 Aristotelia ericinella (Zell.) — Westmuir Common (90) 15.vii.89 — KPB 767 Teleiodes decorella (Haw.) — Minera (50) 1988 — B. Formstone per HNM 771 T. alburnella (Zell.) — Dolgarrog Station (50) vii.89 — HNM; Dinton (8) 24.vii.89 — SMP 773 -T. paripunctella (Thunb.) — Bettisfield (50) 1.vi.88 — M. Newstead per HNM 796 Aroga velocella (Zell.) — Leckford (12) 22.vii.89 — DHS 800 Gelechia rhombella(D. &S.) — Dinton (8) 24.vii.89 — SMP 811 Scrobipalpa samadensis plantaginella (Staint.) — Cloghan (H27) two. 3.vili.89 — KGMB 812 8S. instabilella (Doug|.) — The Murrough (H20) 23.vii.89 — KGMB 818 8S. atriplicella (F.v.R.) — Faringdon (22) 25.v.89 — MFVC 820 SS. artemisiella (Treits.) — Salisbury Plain (8) 25.vi.89 — SMP & JRL; Little Island (H5) 30.vii.89 — KGMB 832 Caryocolum blandella (Dougl.) — Rocky Bay (H4) 6.viii.89 — KGMB 841 Sophronia semicostella (Hiibn.) — Salisbury Plain (8) 25.vi.89 — SMP & JRL 856 Anarsia spartiella (Schr.) — Chawridge Bank NR (22) 11.vi.89 bred from Genista tinctoria — BRB 867 Brachmia inornatella (Doug!.) — Alresford Pits (19) 31.vii.88 —BG BLASTOBASIDAE 873 Blastobasis lignea (Wals.) — Goring (23) 9.v1i.89 — MFVC MOMPHIDAE 880 Mompha langiella (Hiibn.) — Gresford (50) 5.ix.86 — B. Formstone per HNM 883 M. raschkiella (Zell.) — Gorsmaenllwyd at 1200 ft (50) 15.vi.89 — M. Newstead per HNM 888 M. propinquella Staint. — High Woods (19) 6.viii.89 — BG; Ddol (51) 6.vii.89 — HNM; Gresford (50) 5.viii.89 — B. Formstone per HNM COSMOPTERIGIDAE 896 Cosmopterix orichalcea Staint. — Pollardstown Fen (H19) 24.vi.89 — KGMB 897 C. lienigiella (L. & Z.) — Leckford (12) bred from Phragmites — DHS 898 Limnaecia phragmitella Staint. — Douglas River (H4) 15.vii.89 — KGMB; Ulverston (69) 20.vii.89 — EFH 150 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 Di wet on 909 Sorhagenia lophyrella (Dougl.) — Unhill Wood (22) 9 to 14.vi.89, bred from spinnings on Rhamnus catharticus 17.v.89 — BRB- SCYTHRIDIDAE 914 Scythris crassiuscula (Herr.-Schaff.) — Pydew (49) 10.vii.88 — HNM 915 SS. picaepennis (Haw.) — Marford (50) 28.vi.88 — B. Formstone per HNM TORTRICIDAE COCHYLINAE 929 Phalonidia vectisana (H. & W.) — Connahs Quay 1988 — M. Newstead per HNM; Glan Conwy (50) 17.vi.89 — HNM 931 P. luridana (Gregs.) — Middleton Down (8) 20.vii.89 — SMP 932 P. affinitana (Doug.) — Glan Conwy (S50) 17.vi.89 — HNM 933 P. gilvicomana (Zell.) — Swyncombe Downs (23) bred from heads of Mycelis collected 29.viii.88, emerged v.-vi.89 — PHS 945 Agapeta cnicana (Westw.) — Gorsmaenllwyd at 1200 ft. (50) 15.vi.89 — M. Newstead per HNM 946 Aethes rubigana (Treits.) — Colonsay (102) —MRY & MWH 959 Cochylidia rupicola (Curt.) — Pollardstown Fen (H19) 22.vi.89 — KGMB 963 Cochylis flaviciliana (Westw.) — Fingest (24) bred Knautia — PHS 965 _C. hybridella (Hiibn.) — Ham Cross (RAF Chilmark) (8) 20.vii.89 — SMP TORTRICINAE 971 Pandemis cinnamomeana (Treits.) — Saffron Walden (19) 22 & 25.vii.89 — AME 974 Argyrotaenia ljungiana (Thunb.) — Middleton Down (8) 20.vii.89 — SMP; Charlton (16) A.A. Allen, Ent. Rec. 102: 9; Saffron Walden (19) 25.vii.89 — AME 982 Christoneura diversana (Hiibn.) — Donyland Woods (19) 1.vii.89 — BG 987 Ptycholomoides aeriferanus (Herr.-Schaff.) — Ashley Heath (39) 10.vii.89 — RGW 990 Aphelia unitana (Hiibn.) — Beattock (72) & Dalmally (98) — MWH. Ent. Rec. 102: 244 988 Epiphyas postvittana (Walk.) — Cardiff (41) frequent. New to Wales (Rothamsted trap) — EFH; Charlton (16) — A.A. Allen, Ent. Rec. 102: 9-10; Buckingham Palace (21) 18.v.89 — J.D. Bradley, Ent. Rec. 102: 119. 1001 Lozotaeniodes formosanus (Gey.) — Gresford (50) 6.vii.89 — B. Formstone per HNM | 1013 Olindia schumacherana (Fabr.) — Maes Hafn, Loggerheads (51) 24.vi.89 — B. Formstone per HNM 1034 1047 MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW FOR 1989 151 Spatalistis bifasciana (Hiibn.) — Rye Harbour (14) 14.vi.89 — MP Acleris schalleriana (Linn.) — Feeding habits in south Cumbria & west Lancs. — M.R. Shaw. Ent. Gaz. 40: 344 1055 A. hyemana (Haw.) — Gorsmaenllwyd at 1200 ft (50) v.89 — HEB 1061 A. literana (Linn.) — West Haigh Wood (63) 17.v.89 — HEB OLETHREUTINAE 1073 Olethreutes schulziana (Fabr.) — Gormaenllwyd at 1200 ft (50) 43.vi.89 — HNM 1097 Endothenia gentianaeana (Hiibn.) — Cefn-y-Bedd (50) bred 24.vi.89 — B. Formstone per HNM 1104 E. quadrimaculana (Haw.) — Colonsay (102) — MRY & MWH 1106 Lobesia reliquana (Hiibn.) — Arundle NNR, Ardnamurchan (97) — MRY 1107 L. botrana (D. & S.) — Oxford (23) 24.v.89 — PHS; Winchester (11) 11.viii.89 — DHS 1109 L. littoralis (H. & W.) — Gresford (50) 10.ix.89 — B. Formstone per HNM; Trentham (39) 13.ix.89 — RGW 1112 Bactra robustana (Christoph) — Pennard Pill, Gower (41) 20.vi.89 — RGW | 1115 Ancylis achatana (D. & S.) — Riseholme (54) vii.88 (Rothamsted trap) — EFH 1119 A. geminana (Haw.) — Llangaffo (52) 25.v.89 — HNM 1120 A. mitterbacheriana (D. & S.) — Caergwrle (51) 1988 — M. Newstead per HNM 1124 _ A. tineana (Hiibn.) — Glen Fender (89) 18.vi.89 — KPB 1146 Epinotia rubiginosana (Herr.-Schaff.) — Gresford (50) 12.v.89 — B. Formstone per HNM 1152. E. maculana (Fabr.) — Gresford (50) 1988 — B. Formstone per HNM 1157 Crocidosema plebejana Zell. — Walberton (13) 25 & 30.x.89 — J.T. Radford. Ent. Rec. 102: 184 1163 Zeiraphera ratzeburgiana (Ratz.) — RAF Chilmark (8) 16.vii.89 — SMP 1182 Epiblema turbidana (Treits.) — Manifold Valley (39) 25.vi.84 — RGW 1184a_ E. cirsiana (Zell.) — Isle of Bute (100) v.vi.89 — EFH 1196 Eucosma metzneriana (Treits.) — Rye Harbour (14) 14.vi.89, 3rd British record — MP. Ent. Rec. 101: 254 1212 Rhyacionia pinivorana (L. & Z.) — Kirkinner (74) 18.vi.89 — EFH 1217 Eucosmomorpha albersana (Hiibn.) — West Lancaster (60) 27.v.87 —N.L. Birkett, Ent. Rec. 102: 46 1225 Pammene obscurana (Steph.) — Goring (23) 19.v.89 — MFVC 152 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 DilevaN OO Cydia compositella (Fabr.) — Near Enborne (22) 20.vii.89 — BRB; 1241 Douglas River (H4) 18.vi.89 — Pollardstown Fen (H19) 22.vi.89 — KGMB 1259 C. fagiglandana (Zell.) — Kirkinner (74) 19.vi.89, New to Scotland — EFH 266a C. illutana (Herr.-Schaff.) Tubney Wood (23) larvae in cones of Larix decidua collected 6.viii.89 — PHS, DHS, MJS, JRL, MFVC & B. Goater 1271 C. gallicana (Guen.) — Achmelvich, Sutherland (108) — MRY 1272 C. aurana (Fabr.) — Coed Dolgarrog (49) 15.vi.89 — HNM 1273 Dichrorampha petiverella (Linn.) — Coed Dolgarrog (49) vi.89 — HNM 1279 D. acuminatana (Zell.) — Gresford (50) — B. Formstone per HNM, genitalia checked 1282 D. sylvicolana Hein. — Near Enborne (22) 16.vii. & 3.viii.89 amongst Achillea ptarmica — BRB PYRALIDAE 1289 Euchromius ocellea (Haw.) — East Malling (16) 26.1x.89 — D.A. Chambers; St Ives, Ringwood (11) 12.ix.88 — Dr J. Clark 1292 Calamatropha paludella (Hiibn.) — Weeting Heath NR (28) 7.vili.89 — APF 1293 Chrysoteuchia culmella (Linn.) — Borth Bog (46) a diminutive form — MWH. Ent. Rec. 102: 243 1296 Crambus silvella (Hiibn.) — Borth Bog (46) 19.vii.81 — MWH. Ent. Rec. 102: 243 1307 Agriphila latistria (Haw.) —.Winterton Dunes NNR (27) 7.1x.89 — APF 1313 Catoptria pinella (Linn.) — Colonsay (102) — MRY & MWH 1323 Pediasia contaminella (Hiibn.) — Dungeness (15) 13.ix. to 26.ix.89 — §S.P. Clancy, Ent. Rec. 102: 70 1324 P. aridella(Thunb.) — Rye Harbour (14) 14.vi.89 — MP 1325 Platytes alpinella (Hiibn.) — Alresford Pits (19) 31.vii.88 & 28.vli.89 — BG 1331 Acentria ephemerella (D. & S.) — Swarms of the species — JMCH — Ent. Rec. 101: 280 1336 Eudonia pallida (Curt.) — Colonsay (102) — MRY & MWH; Eastbourne (14) 24.vii.89 — MP; Borth Bog (46) 19.vii.81 — MWH. Ent. Rec. 102: 243 1342 FE. angustea (Curt.) — Early dates — R. Darlow Ent. Rec. 101: 198 1358 Evergestis pallidata (Hufn.) — How Hill (27) 21.vii.89, Brundall (27) 3.viii.89 — APF; Chillington (39) 16.vii.88 — RGW 1359 Cynaeda dentalis (D. & S.) — Eastbourne (14) 26.viii.89, Portland (9) 16.1x.89 ? second generation — MP MICROLEPIDOPTERA REVIEW FOR 1989 153 1363 Pyrausta ostrinalis (Hibn.) — Great Orme & Pydew (49) — HNM; Rhyd-y-Foel (50) — B. Formstone per HNM 1364 P. sanguinalis (Linn.) — Wallasey (58) 9.vii.35, possibly the last specimen seen there — RGW 1368 Margaritia sticticalis (Linn.) — Spurn (61) 9.vii.89 — B.R. Spence per HEB 1380 Phlyctaenia perlucidalis (Hiibn.) — Brundall (27) 6.vii.89, Foulden Common (28) 12.vii.89, Boughton Fen (28) 13.vii.89 — APF 1381 Anania funebris (Strom.) — Glasdrum NNR, Argyll (98) — MRY 1387 Nascia cilialis (Hiibn.) — Brancaster (28) 12.vii.89 — APF 1399 Dolicharthria punctalis (D. & S.) — Kynance Cove (1) 24.ix.89 a late record — A. Spalding, Ent. Gaz. 40: 29f 1401 Maruca testulalis (Gey.) — Dartford (16) 6.viii.89 — B.K. West, Ent. Rec. 102: 44 1414 Synaphe punctalis (Fabr.) — Winterton Dunes NNR (27) 20.vii.89 — APF 1417 Pyralis farinalis (Linn.) — Dungeness (15) 23.ix.89 — S.P. Clancy, Ent. Rec. 102:70 1436 Acrobasis repandana (Fabr.) — Canklow Wood (63) 23.vi.89, Treeton Wood (63) 1.vii.89 — R.F. Botterill per HEB 1441 Oncocera semirubella (Scop.) — Eastbourne (14) 20.vii.89; Portland (9) 16.1x.89 ? second generation — MP; Dungeness (15) 3.ix.89 — S.P. Clancy, Ent. Rec. 102: 70 1449 Microthrix similella (Zinck.) — Goring (23) 16.vi.89 — MFVC; Belhus Woods (18) 1.vii.89 — DJLA 1450 Metriostola betulae (Goeze) — Hampstead (21) 18.vi. & 23.viii.89 — RAS fle 452a_ Etiella zinckenella (Treits.) — Bradwell-on-Sea (18) 22.x.89 — A.J. Dewick & S.F. Dewick, New to Britain. PTEROPHORIDAE 1496 Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla (D. & S.) — Fingringhoe Wick NR (19) 7.vii.89 — BG 1498 Amblyptilia punctidactyla (Haw.) — Rossett (50) 31.viii.89 — B. Formstone per HNM 1503 Platyptilia ochrodactyla (D. & S.) — Holt (50) bred vii.88 — B. Formstone per HNM 1504 P. pallidactyla (Haw.) — Near Enborne (22) 20.vii.89 amongst Achillea ptarmica — BRB 1517 Adaina microdactyla (Hiibn.) — Pollardstown Fen (H19) 22.vi.89 — KGMB 154 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 Zieveloon Hazards of butterfly collecting — Samburu, Kenya, 1979 I think it was my visit to Samburu in 1979, notwithstanding the somewhat unpleasant events to be detailed later, which finally made me certain that I would one day write a book on the butterflies of Kenya (Larsen, T.B., 1991, The Butterflies of Kenya and their Natural History. OUP, Oxford). Samburu country is incredibly beautiful, with rounded hills and meandering rivers, emerald green during the wet season — the very epitome of East Africa, and the Samburu park teems with animals. The dry area north of Mount Kenya is more closely related to the Somali zone than to the savannahs further south, which are allied to the Zambesian zone and this is very evident in both butterflies and the larger animals. The zebras are the narrow striped Grevy’s Zebra, the Giraffe of beautiful reticulated variety, Beisa Oryx abound. Many of the butterfly species do not extend far south of the Equator and several are endemic to Somalia and northern Kenya. On arriving at the tented camp, we checked in, dumped the luggage, and went off in search of animals and butterflies. What was that long line of animals in the distance? ‘*Elephants’’I said. ‘‘Nonsense’’, said my wife, ‘‘they are too small, and anyhow elephants aren’t red’’.They were elephants, though, which had rolled in red laterite mud. They allowed us to drive to within touching distance, and to observe the myriads of Whites (Belenois creona and aurota) which settled on their steaming droppings. Giraffes abounded. They have the curious habit of ‘“‘hiding’’ behind even small bushes, so that by moving left and right one can provoke a spirited pas-de-deux, though always separated by the bush. Old termite mounds in such areas are often clad in a mixture of all the bushes of the caper family on which the tropical Pieridae feed, and it is not unusual to find more than a dozen species in the same spot. We ended the day amid a troop of baboons on a river bank watching two elephants in love as the sun set over the river, caressing, rubbing shoulders, squirting each other with water and dust. They finally waded across, trunk in trunk. It was a slight let-down that both were males. Back at the lodge we went straight to dinner, followed by drinks and small talk. It was not till about ten thirty that we reached our tent. An excited babble of Italian was much in evidence: ‘‘Have you also been robbed?”’ “‘I don’t know... . I’ll check.’’ We had been robbed! ‘‘Tutti? . .. ‘“Tutti!’’ We had not realised that baggage could have been locked in the toilet which was a cement structure adjoining the tent; anyhow, we had been assured it was quite unnecessary. The only other victim was a tall, rather striking Italian woman. She was in a state of near hysteria, despite a Valium. We decided that the best therapy was to do something active, like making a list of lost effects. I had no idea it was possible to travel with so much underwear, nor that silk underwear could be that expensive, a fact which was underscored by the NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 155 prices being quoted in Lira. 20,000 anything for a pair of panties? ! ? Constable Plod, or whatever the Swahili equivalent is, arrived from Archer’s Post at two in the morning, rolled his eyes, proclaimed the matter to be way beyond his jurisdiction, and went off to his girl friend among the hotel staff — presumably the real reason why he had bothered to come at all, since boyfriends were not allowed in camp. Early next morning the heavy artillery from Nanyuki rolled in, two whole Land Rovers full. The staff were duly rounded up and terrorised, the grounds were combed, we were interviewed, and the Land Rovers raced about, scaring the gentle giraffes senseless. Just after breakfast the inspector in charge bore down on us and saluted smartly: It had been two men; they had cut the perimeter fence of the camp; they had loaded the loot in two sacks; they had gone due East; they would doubtless be caught since it was a hike of 30 km; he would report back at regular intervals. We announced our intention of going game watching. He assured us we would be found if there were interested developments. While watching two small dik-dik antelopes perform the most amazing ritual fight a Land Rover rolled up with an item of silk underwear: ‘‘Sorry, Italian lady’’, and off they went in a cloud of dust. There had been a hole in one of the sacks and the thieves left a trail of almost a million Lira worth of Italian underwear. We got back a bit of our bric-a-brac, but no valuables, and none of the 20 exposed films. Still, we do have the pleasure of wondering what the elephants, zebras, giraffes, lions and oryx made of it all.— TORBEN B. LARSEN, 358 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL. Blastobasis phycidella (Zeller) and other Lepidoptera in Guernsey A stay on this Channel Island from 12th to 19th June 1990 yielded many species of iterest. The macrolepidoptera of the island are mostly well known, but less work has been done on the micros. The greatest surprise was Blastobasis phycidella (Zell.) of which some 20 specimens were noted on the wooded south facing cliffs of the island. They could be knocked out of hedges and overhanging plants by day and were also taken more commonly by night m.v., light. The species is mainly of southern European distribution so its appearance so far north was not expected. W. Fassnidge added the species to the British list when he found four specimens on the wall of a warehouse in Southampton docks in 1930. Like other members of the genus the larva is thought to feed on decaying wood and similar detritus. Our specimens differ superficially from those taken in Spain, for example, by having more pronounced fuscous streaks on the forewings; however, the determination was confirmed by Dr Adamski, an authority on this group. An illustration of the adult is expected to be published in the report of the 1990 Annual Exhibition of the British Entomological & Natural History Society in the Journal of British Entomology & Natural History. 156 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 PANNE) In the same location as B. phycidella we were delighted also to take two very fresh specimens of the macrolepidopteron Polyphaenis sericata (Esp.), the date being about a month earlier than one would expect. This species has been known to be resident in Guernsey since 1889 and there is no firm evidence to suggest it is migratory, despite its inclusion in the 1989 list of migrants pubished in this journal. A total of 40 species of microlepidoptera were taken which do not appear to have been recorded previously from the island. A box of specimens taken by R.A. Austin was shown us for identification which contained four of these species which he had previously taken, together with six others additional to the island list. We comment only on the more interesting additions. Luffia ferchaultella (Steph.) cases were found at Saints Bay and specimens bred. The cases were considerably smaller than those of L. lapidella (Goeze) collected at Pleinmont. From the latter only one male was bred among many females, indicating that even though this species produces the occasional male, the females of the race are generally able to manage quite well without him! The high density of cases locally also suggests parthenogenesis. Nemapogon ruricolella (Staint.) was present on the south coast as well as N. cloacella (Haw.). Oinophila v-flava (Haw.) was found at Moulin Huet, we presume the species lives in the open in the same way as it does in the Isles of Scilly. Biselachista scirpi (Staint.) mines were found near Vale Pond where there remains a small amount of brackish water. Scrobipalpa instabilella (Doug].) in several localities was something of a surprise (although not new) in view of the apparent absence of any Halimione on which the larvae might feed. Mompha divisella (H.-S.) was a pleasant surprise, found commonly in stems of Epilobium montanum growing in urban wasteland — we might not have found this except for caught specimens in the box belonging to R.A. Austin. Two specimens of Phycitodes nimbella (Dup.) were only determined long afterwards, confirmed by genitalia examination. They are slightly larger and greyer than local specimens of P. saxicola (Vaughan). Goater (1986) refers to records from Jersey so this is no great surprise, but pleasing all the same. Our thanks are due to Peter Costen and Rich Austin for their help, and especially to Mr and Mrs Tim Peet for much hospitality and assistance. Reference: Goater, B. (1986) British Pyralid Moths.— D.J.L. AGASSIZ, The Glebe House, Brewers End, Takeley, Bishop’s Stortford CM22 6QH. J.R. LANGMAID, Wilverley, 1 Dorrita Close, Southsea, Hants PO4 ONY. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 157 Agrotis ripae Hubner, Sand Dart (Lep.: Noctuidae) an adaptation to shifting sand. I have kept larvae of Agrotis ripae on two occasions. They were found in the sand around plants of sea rocket (Cakile maritima) on the north coast of Cornwall. I kept them in containers full of sand with food on top. They rested themselves buried in the sand and came up to feed. Once they had finished feeding in the autumn they remained in the sand through the winter. On both occasions when I kept them they appeared on the surface of the sand again in the spring. They did not feed but buried themselves in the sand again where they pupated. The natural environment of ripae is very harsh. The larvae feed on the last flowering plants before the sea. The winter storms and gales move the sand and many of the larvae must be left at a far greater depth at the end of winter. If they were to pupate at this depth the moths may not be able to emerge successfully. By making their way to the surface in the spring prior to burying themselves again, the larvae are overcoming this difficulty. I suspect that this is the reason for the behaviour.— Dr B.P. HENWOOD, 4 The Paddocks, Abbotskerswell, Newton Abbot, Devon. Pammene suspectana (Zeller) in Huntingdonshire At the beginning of 1990 I decided to trap some of the woods in my home county of Huntingdonshire (v.c.31) of which no previous records of the moth fauna could be found. One of these was a privately owned wood situated near the southern border of the county. The majority of trapping was by the use of a white sheet with a 125 watt mercury vapour lamp placed in the centre approximately two feet six inches above the sheet. While running one of these traps on 6th May an unknown tortricid was caught. This was later identified by Mr E.F. Hancock as a specimen of Pammene suspectana, the sixth record for Britain. The first record of the species occurring in Britain was in 1975 when a specimen was caught in Cambridgeshire, in a pheromone trap used in commercial plum orchards to monitor the incidence and flight activity of the male Plum Fruit moth (Cydia funebrana). Subsequent records were in 1976, again in a Cambridgeshire pheromone trap; 1979 in Worcestershire in a pheromone trap; 1984 in a light trap in Wiltshire and finally in 1986 found resting on foliage in Berkshire. I am most grateful to Mr E.F. Hancock for his assistance with the identification of this moth and for preparing the genitalia slide. — BARRY DICKERSON, County Lepidoptera Recorder, Huntingdonshire. Apion modestum Germar (Col.: Apionidae) in West Cumbria On 12th August 1990 I tapped one specimen of Apion modestum Germar from a small plant of Lotus uliginosus Schkur (Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil) which was growing in a damp situation along the course of an old disused railway line running between Crossfield and Moor Row (NY15.10) in West Cumbria. 158 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 Apion modestum (formerly known as A. sicardi), was added to the British list by M.G. Morris (1975, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 111: 165-171), and according to Morris (1990, Handbk. Ident. Br. Insects, 5(16): 57), A. modestum has now been recorded from Dorset, S. Hants, W. Kent, Shropshire and South Wales. The weevil has not previously been recorded from West Cumbria and this is a new record for the county and the first for v.c.70, Cumberland. On 18th October 1990 I returned again to the Crossfield site and collected some seed pods of Lotus uliginosus. From one pod I obtained one more adult of A. modestum, which on dissection proved to be a male. Several other seed pods contained weevil pupae, all of which had been heavily parasitised; and one other pod contained four black, parasitic wasp pupae.— R.W.J. READ, 43 Holly Terrace, Hensingham, Whitehaven, Cumbria CA28 8RF. Two species new to the Isle of Wight During last October Mr D.B. Wooldridge brought me a geometrid moth which he had failed to identify, which he had taken at his actinic light trap at Niton on 12th October 1990. I confirmed this to be a specimen of Thera cupressata Geyer which was new to the Isle of Wight. This species is now established in the Channel Islands and from one locality in Dorset and will probably extend its range along the south coast. On 18th October 1990 I took two specimens of Trigonophora flammea Esp. at my mercury vapour light trap at Freshwater. This species has not been recorded from the Isle of Wight before and I took a third example on 20th October. It was also the largest influx of this migrant along the south coast in recent times. The 18th October was a night of considerable migrant activity and I also took Heliothis armigera Hb., two Mythimna unipuncta Haw., three Mythimna albipuncta D. & S., one Agrotis ipsilon Hufn., two Autographa gamma Linn., two Peridroma saucia Hb., seven Palpita unionalis Hb., one Nomophila noctuella D. & S., and two Udea ferrugalis Hb.— S.A. KNILL- JONES, Roundstone, 2 School Green Road, Freshwater, Isle of Wight. More on Cis festivus Panz. and C. vestitus Mell. (Col.: Cisidae) I was interested to read the paper by my friend Mr A.A. Allen (Ent. Rec. 102: 177) dealing with this species pair for I have long had difficulty trying to separate these two species. After reading the note, I went through my relevant specimens again and, using the characteristics recommended in the paper, separated out four which appeared to be festivus. I was glad to have these determinations kindly confirmed by Mr Allen. I might add that two of these were in my collection as ‘‘vestitus’’ The field incidence of the two species in my experience is more or less as reported by my friend. Certainly, I have found festivus much the rarer of the two, having come across only these four examples in the past 20 years. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 159 Their records are more recent than his and sufficiently different to be given here, viz. Barton Mills, Suffolk v:80; Loch Garten, Easterness vi:84; Dornie, Wester Ross vii:84 and Sleat, Skye vii:88. Over the same period, I have come across vestitus at eight different sites (about 20 examples all told), mostly in places in the southern half of England with old oak trees, with a single example from Scotland (Arisaig, Westerness vii:73).— J.A. OWEN, 8 Kingsdown Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3PU. Beetles taken at a dead Blackbird, Broadway, Worcs, spring 1990 In mid-April 1990 I placed a dead Blackbird on bare earth at Broadway, Worcestershire (SP03) and monitored beetles visiting it. The weather soon became hot, and by 30th April the corpse was well dessicated. By 14th May when the last beetles were recorded, the corpse was a scarcely recognisable husk. Seventeen species were noted, and whilst none of them are rare, I was nevertheless surprised how such a small cadaver could satisfy the requirements of so many species, and serve to demonstrate the sensitivity of their olfactory processes. Early on, the corpse was visited by a Platystethus nitens (Sahlberg) (presumably diverted during a spring flight) and Atheta harwoodi Williams, this last regularly observed at putrefying organic matter. During a brief wet spell a female Nicrophorus humator (Gleditsch) oviposited beneath the corpse, and the larvae of Calliphora began to retreat into the earth as the weather became hot again on 30th April. This prompted the first appearance of Saprinus semistriatus (Scriba), ovipositing Hister merdarius Hoffman, and Atholus duodecimstriatus (Schrank). Philonthus politus (Linnaeus) remained for some time predating the dipterous larvae, and Creophilus maxillosus (Linnaeus) appeared briefly. An Anthicus bifasciatus (Rossi) paid some attention to the corpse at the same time. On 8th May a specimen of Dermestes murinus Linnaeus was observed, a rather scarce species locally with an amazing knack of turning up on corpses when they are in the optimal condition for the species. Necrobia violacea (Linnaeus) persisted to the last scrap of usable tissue, long after Aleochara Spp had passed their peak.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcs WR10 3 EP. The hornet Vespa crabro L. breeding in Richmond Park, S. London George Else’s report on bees and wasps for British Wildlife (Vol. 2, 118-119), in which records of the hornet Vespa crabro from a variety of south London suburbs, prompts me to report a record of this species in 1985. On 22nd August, 1985, during a visit to Richmond Park, I observed a number of hornets flying around the old oaks near Pen Ponds. On following them, I came across the nest which was in a hollow oak close by Pen Ponds car park. Thus, it would seem that the hornet is at least established in this areaa— R.K.A. Morris, 241 Commonside East, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 1HB. 160 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 Pterostichus rhaeticus Heer (Col.: Carabidae) in Kent (London) and Radnorshire The addition to our fauna of this species, not externally separable from P. nigrita (Payk.), is fully dealt with by Dr M.L. Luff (1990, Ent. mon. Mag.126: 245-9). He concludes that the two have similar distributions in Britain, but that P. rhaeticus tends to be more prevalent in the north; and the experience of my good friend Prof. J.A. Owen, to whom I am indebted for a dissected male of each species, is much the same. To my surprise, of two males from here (Charlton), recently dissected, one proved to be nigrita and the other an equally definite rhaeticus. Both are from damp ground beside a watercourse. I have not yet had time to investigate further, but thought this result worth a preliminary note. I also have in my collection a male P. rhaeticus from Llandrindod Wells, Radnorshire, taken in 1949 by the late Joseph Cribb.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. Immigrant moths recorded from Sussex and Norfolk in October 1990 On the evening of 16th October Mark Parsons and myself visited Littlehampton on the Sussex coast in the hope of recording immigrant Lepidoptera. Three m.v. lights were set up at dusk near to the sea front and I kept a regular check on the moths arriving. After more than an hour of operation very few moths had been attracted and no scarce species noted. In the meantime, Mark diligently searched ivy blossom and was rewarded by capturing a male Flame Brocade, 7Jrigonophora flammea Esper. Additional searches of this nectar source failed to produce further examples of this rare immigrant, but later examination of the lights revealed a second male, at rest, adjacent to one of the traps. Other recent records for 7. flammea in Sussex include a specimen noted only a few miles away at Walberton, on 20th October 1989 by J.T. Radford (Bretherton & Chalmers-Hunt, Ent. Rec. 102: 215-224). Also observed on ivy blossom at Littlehampton were two individuals of Mythimna |-album (Linn.), a species which may now be established as a resident in Sussex. Later in the night we searched ivy a little further west along the coast at Atherington. This resulted in more immigrant moths being recorded, including two Palpita unionalis Hub., one Mythimna unipuncta Haw. and one M. vitellina Hub., together with some commoner immigrant and resident species. Of additional interest here and still further west near to Pagham Harbour, was the presence of the beetle Oncomera femorata (Fab.). This scarcely reported and nocturnal species, which is most often noted at ivy blossom, was present in some numbers at both localities. Having returned to East Anglia on the 17th I decided to carry out more light trapping, this time at Winterton-on-Sea, on the Norfolk coast. This resulted in the long awaited thrill of seeing a live Acherontia atropos Linn. when a single male came to light shortly after dark. The following two NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 161 evenings at the same locality in a very mild airstream, failed to produce any scarce visitors to light, though many of the more frequent immigrants were recorded. During this period an m.v. light was also operated in my garden at Brundall, and here a single male Chrysodeixis chalcites Esper was captured on the night of 19th-20th October. In view of the possible confusion between this species and the related C. acuta Walker, the specimen was shown to Dr I.J. Kitching of the Natural History Museum, who, on the basis of external features was of the opinion that it was C. chalcites. Subsequent dissection of the male genitalia has confirmed this determination.— A.P. FOSTER, 58 St Laurence Avenue, Brundall, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 5QN. Agrilus pannonicus (Piller and Mitterpacher) (Col.: Buprestidae) recorded from Mitcham Common, Surrey, in 1990 On the 29th June 1990, I casually took an example of Agrilus pannonicus from an oak leaf at the edge of the golf course on Mitcham Common. My retaining the specimen was based on its appearance and not on any notion of rarity. It therefore came as some surprise to find that this species is regarded as a grade two old woodland species (Harding and Rose 1986) which breeds in oak stumps and logs. Mitcham Common has no history of old woodland and few oaks are much older than 60 years. It would therefore seem possible that A. pannonicus has recently colonised the site. The storm of 1987 resulted in a small number of fallen oaks, most of which have been dismembered and left in situ. This must surely favour A. pannonicus but the question remains, where did it arrive from? It would seem that this species is well- established at Ashstead Common (Menzies 1987 - 1989) an old pasture woodland, and is also known from Richmond Park (Allen, 1988). Both sites are within ten miles of Mitcham Common. A further possible explanation for the presence of A. pannonicus is that it is perhaps not quite so uncommon as is generally accepted. There remains the possibility that the adults favour sunlit leaves higher up in the canopy and it is simply chance that occasional flying individuals are recorded (Godfrey, 1987) or a breeding population is found (Foster, 1987). A further possibility is that the hot summers of the past two years have favoured this insect which is now spreading. References: Allen, A.A., 1988. Notes on Agrilus pannonicus Pill. & Mitt. (Col.: Buprestidae) in 1985. Ent. Rec. 100: 25-28. Foster, A.P., 1987. Agrilus pannonicus (Piller and Mitterpacher 1783) and other noteworthy insects recorded from Hampstead Heath in 1984. Ent. Rec. 99: 153-5. Godfrey, A.R., 1987. Agrilus pannonicus (Pill. & Mitt.) (Col.: Buprestidae) in Windsor. Ent. mon. Mag, 123: 40. Harding, P.T. and Rose, F., 1986. Pasture Woodlands in Lowland Britain. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Monks Wood. Menzies, I.S., 1987 - 1989. Exhibits at the Annual Exhibition of the British Entomological and Natural History Society.— R.K.A. Morris, 241 Commonside East, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 1HB. 162 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 Observations on a gathering of Thaumatomyia notata Mg. (Dipt.) in Cardiganshire Following the warmest August on record, 1990 experienced very little rain, falling only on seven days in July and twelve in August, at Cnwch Coch, near Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, Wales, which at 122m above sea level is located in an agricultural area of predominantly permanent pasture with forestry. Gathering of Thaumatomyia notata Mg. is not observed every year in autumn, when it does occur the fly frequently causes a public nuisance by invading domestic premises in very large numbers, usually mentioned in the press in only the broadest terms. This habit of gathering together has been mentioned by several authors referred to by Oldroyd, The natural history of flies, Weidenfield, 1964. On 13.ix.1990 a gathering of 7. notata had formed by 12.00 hours, BST at a height extending from four (1.2m) to six (1.8m) feet from the ground above a pathway in a sheltered but open space surrounded by hedgerows and shrubs in front of a south-facing conservatory. Details of climatic conditions prevailing at the time are given in Table 1. Adult flies have a characteristic slow moving flight pattern and the group of flies drift in the eddying air, moving up and down, to and fro. Sometimes two flies may be seen to make contact and rapidly dart out of the group. The purpose of 7. notata gathering in such numbers in autumn appears to be for courtship and possibly mating. Sexual union appears to be of short duration. When the air cooled and light intensity diminished, the group sought shelter in a conservatory, possibly attracted by warm air issuing from two ventilators. Some continued their flight inside for a while before converging on the windows and crawling up the glass. At dusk they all aggregated at the corners of the window panes, each fly in contact with its neighbour. The opportunity was taken to discharge an aerosol containing a rapid knock-down insecticide, enabling the collection of the aggregation. A gathering of this species of fly resumed again on 14th and 15th September, and each evening they were collected by the method described, so that the majority of the flies in this assembly were collected and counted, and totalled 10,370 individuals. Some flies were scattered over the foliage of plants and were not collected so that 12,000 individuals would be a fair approximation of the total size of this gathering. Very few flies nearby were also observed covering about an area of 120cm? in the west-facing corner of the wall next to the ceiling in a living room of a house at Llanfihangel-y- creuddyn. A very small gathering of about 200 were flying adjacent to another south-facing corner, of a wooden shed at a height of about 30m at Newent, Gloucestershire, on 10th October, on a calm, dry afternoon of hazy sunshine when the temperature was about 14°C. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 163 As has been observed previously in such gatherings, a small wasp may be found among the flies and this was the case at Cnwch Coch. Single examples of female Cyrtogaster vulgaris W. and Necremnus tidius (W.) were identified by Dr R.R. Askew to whom the writer expresses his thanks. Those 7. notata that gather in heated domestic buildings in the autumn do not survive to escape into the open air, many dying between the window and secondary glazing in the upstairs bedroom at Cnwch Coch, a few days after entry.— PHILIP M. MILES, Werndeg, Cnwch Coch, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, Wales. Conditions when assemblies of Thaumatomyia notata Mg. were observed September 1990 Temp.°C previous Time (BST) Temp.°C 12 hours Relative % of assembly Bar.mb Screen Min. Max. Humidity 1026 19 10 21 75 1026 21 9.5 23 16 1027 20.5 6.5 20.5 79 Weather conditions on 13th-14th hazy sunshine becoming overcast, calm. 15th humid, overcast, cooler, wind gusty N.E.f.6. After this change in the weather no flies were seen. Males Females Total No. counted 52.65% 47.35% 10,370 FOR SALE — a working run of the Record from Volume 69 (1957) to 90 (1978) inclusive. Text clean and complete except for the supplements on the Butterflies and Moths of Kent. Comb-bound, without covers, in black, plastic spines. A chance to acquire 22 volumes at a fraction of normal cost — only £55 including postage. Contact the Editor if interested. Welcome We have great pleasure in welcoming two new members to the editorial team of the Record — John Owen and Adrian Spalding. Paul Sokoloff 164 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 To all our contributors PLEASE HELP US! The hard-pressed editorial team spends a lot of valuable time correcting simple format errors in your notes and papers so that they can easily be translated by the printer into the house style of the Record. The inside of every front cover contains a few simple notes to help contributors. The most common ‘“‘mistakes’’ are underlined headings (gallons of ‘*Tippex’’ wasted here), words or titles in block capitals (please let the editor decide!), single spacing (so easy to miss out a whole line during typesetting), incorrect abbreviations for references (look at the previous issues if in doubt) and only a single copy supplied (photocopying is expensive and time consuming). We will always help those without access to a typewriter; we expect a few errors from time to time, and are prepared to redraft text from inexperienced authors. Please help us to help you. If you need further persuasion, imagine you are the editor sitting at your desk on a warm summer evening, a pile of interesting notes and observations to edit (all single spaced in block capitals and underlined) — moths start thudding against the windowpane, your larvae have eaten all their foodplant to bare stalks, and you reach for the Tippex.... Behavior-Modifying Chemicals for Insect Management. — Applications of Pheromones and other Attractants. Edited by R.L. Ridgway, R.M. Silverstein and M.N. Iscoe, 8vo, pp.761. Marcel Dekker, inc., New York. Papercovered hardback. Price $195 (N. America), $234 (U.K.) Since 1959, when the sex attractant pheromone of Bombyx mori was first isolated and chemically characterised, the use of such chemicals has promised much for insect control in agriculture. The use of pheromones is free from many of the problems associated with conventional insecticides, such as environmental contamination, vertebrate toxicity and pest resistance so it is of much interest as to why such methods have failed to displace the older technology from all except relatively few areas of application. The use of pheromones and other semio-chemicals for pest control can be divided into the broad areas of attraction and mass destruction, mating disruption and monitoring combined with biological and chemical control. Any of these techniques requires the knowledge and application of complex considerations of chemistry, insect physiology, economics and ecology. With the realisation that the use of pheromones usually involves controlling adult reproduction in order to reduce the field population of the damage- causing larval stages, the myriad of problems besetting effective economic control by pheromones becomes evident. Although not a conference proceedings this multi-author volume is a OBITUARY 165 direct consequence of a conference on insect sex attractants held in the USA and the viewpoint and examples are largely but not exclusively North American. The book is divided into seven parts: Principles of Research and Development, Pest of Horticultural Crops, Forest Insect Pests, Pests of Field Crops, Stored-Product Pests and Veterinary, Development Registration and Use and Future Prospects. The general reader interested in insect control will be most concerned with the principles section of the volume. This covers such important fundamentals as chemical identification of pheromones and their precise mixtures, design of controlled-release formulations, chemical synthesis etc, and as such consists of a reasonably complete overview and introduction to pheromone technology. The subsequent chapters in parts 2 - 6 are all particular examples of the commercial or research applications of insect sex attractants in specific crop outlets. These serve as examples to illustrate the principles and problems described in part 1. The final chapter by Heinrich Arn sums up the future prospects for the industry and contains the following telling insight into a realistic future for control by pheromones:— ‘‘Predictions on the success of pheromones have always been based on economics. We can indeed think of two mechanisms by which semio-chemicals could win the competition with insecticides: One is by public support . . . [the other is] through a ban on insecticides’’. There is also an appendix which contains a list of commercial suppliers. The high cost of this volume will make it of most interest to libraries and institutions and as such will be of general utility to those professionals actively engaged in pheromone applications for insect control. P.J. Jewess Obituary Jeremiah (Jerry) Briggs. 1904 - 1991 Readers will be sorry to hear of the death of Jerry Briggs on 22nd January 1991 at the age of 86 years. He was born on 9th May 1904 at Wyke Farm near Bradford, Yorkshire, where his father was a farmer. His parents died when he was only a few years old and he was cared for by relatives. After attending Bradford Grammar School he set up as a nursery gardener and built up a considerable business in that occupation. His interest in natural history was fired at an early age (about six years, he thought) when he observed a butterfly at rest on some flower — species of butterfly and flower not remembered. From that time on his interest remained for the rest of his long life. During his Bradford days he was an active member of the Bradford Natural History Society, to which he contributed papers, and also to the Yorkshire Naturalists Union on which he served for some years as a committee member. 166 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 21.v.1991 Soon after the end of World War two he started operating a mercury vapour trap and kept meticulous records of all his moth captures. He continued to operate his trap until a short time before his death when failing eyesight restricted his abilities. Jerry retired from Bradford and came to live at Slackhead near Beetham, Cumbria in 1968. Here he was in an ideal and enviable situation for pursuing his entomological interests. His house was on the carboniferous limestone formation and he was nearly surrounded by good mixed woodland. Within a few miles were numerous other good habitats for insects. He devoted his time to Lepidoptera and his garden. Being by profession a nurseryman his garden became indeed a thing of beauty and joy. From the time of his arrival at Slackhead until a year or two before his death his m.v. trap was operated nearly every night of the year. In recording the capture of Catocala nupta (L.) (on 5th October 1987) in Ent. Rec. 100: 54 he noted that up to that time he had taken 401 species of macrolepidoptera at his garden trap — a most remarkable achievement! The secret of his success was owing to his diligence — the trap would be inspected before he retired to bed, as would the walls and vegetation surrounding it. Then another inspection would be made during the night, often at 2 or 3am, then, yet again, at dawn. I believe very few of us can claim such dedication. Jerry very often referred to the fact that by making these visits he observed many species which would not have entered the trap and would have disappeared by dawn, and also he forestalled the hungry birds in their dawn forays. For some years an m.v. trap was operated at the RSPB Reserve at Leighton Moss, near Silverdale. Jerry was responsible for the deter- mination of the macrolepidoptera taken and the results were passed on for the Rothamstead Insect Survey, then in progress on a countrywide basis. In the period from about 1950 until the last two years he published almost fifty notes in this Journal concerning uncommon captures and immigration records. Jerry was well-known in the entomological world and many will have happy memories of visits to his home at Slackhead. All were made very welcome, all were impressed by his knowledge, knowledge which was freely available to the enquirer. His wife, Florence, contributed generously to the welcome of visitors. During his entomological lifetime he kept highly detailed notes of his captures and observations. His notebooks and diaries, as well as his excellent collection of lepidoptera were donated to Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, Yorkshire, where they join those of his close friend, the late Cecil Haxby. He will be greatly missed by his many friends but most of all by his widow, Florence, to whom we extend our sincere sympathies. N.L. Birkett THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY The Society was founded in 1935 and caters especially for the younger or less ex- perienced Entomologist. For details of publications and activities, please write (enclosing 30p towards costs) to AES Registrar, 22 Salisbury Road, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 5OP. L. CHRISTIE 129 Franciscan Road, Tooting, London SW17 8DZ. Telephone: 01-672 4024 FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Books, Cabinets and Set Specimens DATA PROMPT EFFICIENT SERVICE LABELS ~ OVERSEAS ENQUIRIES WELCOME For details and sample labels, write to: P.D.J. HUGO, 115 Thrupp Lane, Thrupp, STROUD, Gloucestershire GL5 2DQ. Telephone: Brimscombe 882134 (Please mention this Journal in your reply) SUBSCRIBERS’ NOTICES (Subscribers’ notices can be inserted, subject to availability of space, at a cost of 10p per word. Items for insertion, together with remittance, should be sent to the Treasurer.) THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J.W. TUTT on I5th April 1890) Contents Chrysodeixis chalcites Esp. (Lep.: Noctuidae) observations on the life cycle in captivity. B. Goodey . 5 Reminiscences of an amateur leqidoaieaey. ye P. Wiltshire . : Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. 6th ae R. M. paneer & M.R. Young .) aie The distribution andl: occurrence o ie genus 1g Sages a (Col. camidee) ia Great Britain. R.R. Uhthoff-Kaufmann . : A comparison of light trap catches using two types of fischares late. s. Dewan Microlepidoptera review of the year 1989. D. Agassiz Notes and Observations Further records of “‘suicidal’’ lepidoptera. J. Koryszko . oe Hedychridium coriaceum (Hym.: Chrysididae) and other less common aculeate Hymenoptera from Mitcham Common, Surrey. R.K.A. Morris An early sighting of the Small White (Pieris rapae) at Niton, Isle of ee S.A. Knill-Jones Larva of Celastrina ar. atolls is Holly Blue (lea lseaentdae), feeding on callow. B.P. Henwood . Further observations on Alert us sopunens (Chanaen) (Gole Adendeeyn P.F. Whitehead 5 memebers es Early hibernators in 1991. De Dep Hazards of butterfly collecting — Sepa bnen. Kenya 1979. ip B. i arsen . fa ee Blastobasis phvcidella Zell. and other Lepidoptera in Guernsey. D.J.L. Agassiz &J.R. Langmaid . : Agrotis ripae Hbn., Sand at (usb . \inentdine) an adaptation to asain sand. B.P. H enwood. : , eth Pammene suspectana Zell. in Pininedonenine: B. Diesen. : Apion modestum Germar (Col.: Apionidae) in West Cumbria. R. W.J. ene. Two species new to the Isle of Wight. S.A. Knill-Jones . More on Cis festivus Panz. and C. vestitus Mell. Col.: Cisidae). J A. On en! Beetles taken at a dead blackbird, Broadway, Worcs, spring 1990. P.F. Witenes The hornet, Vespa crabro L. breeding in Richmond Park, S. London. R.K.A. Morris . aC re reeetee er or Prerostichus rhaeticus Fleer (Cole Carabidae) in Kent and Radnorshire. A.A. Allen Immigrant moths recorded from Sussex and Norfolk in October 1990. A.P. Foster . Agrilus pannonicus Pill. & Mitter. (Col.: Buprestidae) recorded from Mitcham Common, Surrey in 1990. R.K.A. Morris Observations on a gathering of Thaumatomvia oie Me. Din. ay in \Cardieaneatees P.M. Miles . Pere eos arden? Lis Ms Book review : : Obituary, Jeremiah Billees , 111 Ws) 125 129 135 14] 118 a) 128 134 139 140 154 155 157 157 Esk 158 158 Iso Sg 160 160 161 163 164 165 SPECIAL NOTICE. The Editor would be willing to consider the purchase of a limited number of back issues. Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, | Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: 0277-224610. PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY By Vol. 103 wa Nos 7 — 8 ie i va ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by P.A. SOKOLOFF, r.r-£s. Assistant Editors J.A. OWEN, F.R.E.S. & A. SPALDING F.R.E.S. JOULV/AGGOUST 1991 Ko S/N ISSN 0013-3916 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’ RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Editor P.A. SOKOLOFF M.Sc., C.Biol., M.I.Biol., F.R.E.S. 4 Steep Close, Green Street Green, Orpington, Kent BR6 6DS Assistant Editors J.A. OWEN M.D., Ph.D., F.R.E.S. & A. SPALDING M.A., F.R.E.S. Editorial Panel A.A. Allen B.Sc., A.R.C.S. P.J. Chandler B.Sc., F.R.E.S. N. Birkett M.A., M.B. C.A. Collingwood B.Sc., F.R.E.S. E.S. Bradford A.M. Emmet M.B.E., T.D., F.R.E.S. J.D. Bradley Ph.D., F.R.E.S. C.J. Luckens M.B., Ch.B., D.R.C.O.G. J.M. Chalmers-HuntF.R.E:S. B. Skinner Registrar C.C. Penney F.R.E.S. 109 Waveney Drive, Springfield, Chelmsford, Essex CMI 5QA Hon. Treasurer P.J. Johnson B.A., A.C.A. 31 Oakdene Road, Brockham, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7JV WHERE TO WRITE EDITOR: All material for publication and books for review REGISTRAR: Changes of address and non-arrival of the Journal HON. TREASURER: Subscriptions, advertisements and subscribers’ notices Notes for Contributors It would greatly help the Editor if material submitted for publication were typed and double spaced. Two copies are preferred. Please DO NOT use block capitals and DO NOT underline anything except scientific names. Word-processed text should not use italic, bold or compressed typeface. References quoted within the text can be abbreviated (eg Ent. Rec.), but those collected at the end of a paper should follow.the standard World List abbreviations (eg Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var.). When in doubt try to follow the style and format of material in a current issue of the Record. - Illustrations must be the original (not a photocopy) without legend which should be typed on a separate copy. Photographs should be glossy, positive prints. Authors of long papers, or submit- ting valuable originals are advised to contact the Editor first. Contributors are requested not to send us notes or articles which they are sending to other magazines. Whilst all reasonable care is taken of manuscripts, illustrations etc, the Editor and his staff can- not hold themselves responsible for any loss or damage. Readers are respectfully advised that the publication of material in this Journal does not imply that the views and opinions expressed therein are shared by the Editor, the Editorial Board or the publisher. ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM 167 ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM JOHN PAUL 104 Southfield Park, Bartlemas Close, Oxford OX4 2BA. BETWEEN October 1979 and July 1986, I lived in Birmingham and was able to devote some spare time to the study of Orthoptera and other insects in and around that city. Here, I present a summary of my knowledge of the Orthoptera to be found around Birmingham. A study of the geographical distribution of Orthoptera will be of value to entomologists who specialise in other orders of insects: Orthoptera serve as useful indicators of particular types of habitat. The area chosen for discussion comprises the four old counties of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire (Watson- Praeger vice-counties 37, 38, 39, 40). At its centre lies the Birmingham -Black Country - Wolverhampton conurbation which, since local govern- ment reorganisation in 1974, approximates to the new county of West Midlands. The four vice-counties contain the majority of sites which form the traditional collecting grounds of Birmingham entomologists. Literature on midland Orthoptera is sparse: Lucas (1920) gives a few records; Fincher (1953, 1955, 1964) gives valuable accounts, especially of the Bromsgrove district; Ragge (1965) provides vice-county maps. Marshall and Haes (1989) provide the most recently published source of distribution maps plotted on a 10km square basis. Mr Haes has kindly shown me updated unpublished maps (pers. com. 1989) which show further records held by the Biological Records Centre but there are still gaps in the coverage of many species. An exciting development over the last few years has been the creation of the Warwickshire Orthoptera Survey — an atlas of the county’s Orthoptera has been compiled by Mrs Pamela Copson of Warwick Museum (Copson, 1984). Compared with the southern and coastal parts of Britain, the English Midlands have a poor orthopterous fauna. When I moved from Bristol to Birmingham in 1979, I was struck by the lack of insect noise on warm evenings: the Dark Bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera, which is so common in the south is confined to a few favoured localities in the Birmingham district. Indeed, I would often travel south — to Oxfordshire or the Cotswolds and beyond — to see species that are scarce or absent near Birmingham. Nevertheless, there are some splendid localities in the West Midlands, rich in Orthoptera and other aspects of natural history, some being of national importance. Unless otherwise stated, the following records and observations are my own and were made between October 1979 and July 1986. Furthermore, various entomological friends have told me of their findings. 168 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Species 1. Oak Bush-cricket, Meconema thalassinum (De Geer) This insect is generally widespread in woods, hedges and isolated trees to the south of Birmingham but there are few records for Staffordshire. Despite beating the branches of numerous trees in the Birmingham suburbs, I have never seen it within the city but it can be found a few miles to the south in the complex of woods around Chaddesley Corbet. Despite a record from near Rugeley in Staffordshire, my own searches of oaks near Cannock Chase have been fruitless. The Warwickshire survey shows it to be well distributed in that county. WORCS: Pepper Wood, female, on oak, 3.x.1985; Santery Wood, male, two females, from oak, two females from sallow, 3.x.1985; Monk Wood, male, on bramble, 22.ix.1985; Trench Wood, nymph, 1986, M. Bryan; Linthurst Newtown, on laurel, c..1982, M. Bryan; Randan Wood (Fincher, 1953); Shrawley Wood (Fincher, 1953); Wribbenhall, Bewdsley (Fincher, 1955). WARKS: Widespread throughout the county except for the West Midlands conurbation (Copson, 1984). STAFFS: Madeley (Daltry, 1933); Mr R. Hill (pers. com., 1985) was told of the capture of a specimen near Rugeley; Mr R. Norman captured and released a specimen, which he presumes to have been this species, in woodland at Chillington Park in the early 1980s. A specimen was collected by Richard Clinton at his home in Little Aston, where it had been attracted to light, on 5.vili.1989 (M. Bryan, pers. comn.). SALOP: Wyre Forest, sluggish female and two dead in cobwebs, 17.x.1981; Alverley, on maple, 1980s, R.G. Kemp; Much Wenlock and Blakeway Coppice (Smith, 1984). 2.Dark Bush-cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera (De Geer). This insect is locally common in wooded parts of Worcs, its range of distribution extending into the western parts of Warks and along the Severn into Salop. There is no Staffs record. WORCS: Monk Wood, common, 22.ix.1985; Bewdley, stridulating males on bank of River Severn, 2.ix.1984 and 24.ix.1985; Ribbesford, stridulating male on bank of River Severn, 1985; Trench Wood, stridulating males, 1984; south-west of Bromsgrove (Fincher, 1953); between Stourport and Holt Heath (Fincher, 1953); Linthurst Newtown, M. Bryan, 1980s. WARKS: Moreton Bagot (Fincher, 1953); Lowsonsford, N.J. Court, 11.ix.1987; Red Hill House, Alcester, D. Musson and J.A. Hardman, 1980; Temple Grafton, Weathley Wood and Exhall, R.J. Juckes, 1984; Alcester to Broom, disused railway line, M.W. Finnemore, 3.ix.1986. _ STAFFS: No record. SALOP: Quatford, one male on bank of River Severn, 25.ix.1985; Alverley, R.G. Kemp, 1980s. ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM 169 (Lucas (1920), records this species from Repton Shrubs, Derbyshire. | visited this site on a warm afternoon in September 1984 but failed to find the species, despite the presence of visually suitable habitat. Evans (1970), records the Dark Bush-cricket from Owston Woods, Leics. I found it to be still present there on 29. viii. 1984.) 3. Grey-winged Bush-cricket, Platycleis albopunctata (Goeze) Kevan (1951, 1952) refers to the capture of a specimen of this normally coastal species at Ettington, near Stratford-on-Avon. There has been no recent record of this insect in the Midlands and the Ettington record cannot be easily explained. 4. Bog Bush-cricket, Metrioptera brachyptera (L.) This is a very localised insect in the midland counties. WORCS: No record. WARKS: Near Stonebridge (Kevan, 1961); Bickenhill Plantation, in tall grass, Jeremy Rhodes, 4.ix.1986 — a specimen has been deposited in Warwick Museum and identification confirmed by Mrs Pamela Copson [2 nymphs, May 1990, J.P.]. STAFFS: Camp Hill, Maer Woods (Daltry, 1933; Kevan, 1954); Oldacre Valley, Cannock Chase, 24.ix.1983; Penkridge Bank, S.viii.1984 and 10.viii.1985 (Paul, 1986); Sherbrook Valley, Cannock Chase, 1983 and Penkridge Bank, 1984 (R. Hill, pers. com., 1985); Sher Brook, Cannock Chase (Clements, 1987); Highgate Common, small colony found by Mr A. Moffet and confirmed by Mr R. Hill (R. Hill, pers. com., 1990). SALOP: Whixall Moss (Elton, 1947; Fincher, 1953). I have found it on several visits to Whixall Moss during the 1980s; Cramer Gutter, 2.ix.1984 and 17.viii.1985. (Lucas (1920), records this species doubtfully from Repton Shrubs, Derbyshire. I failed to find the species there in 1984.) 5. Speckled Bush-cricket, Leptophyes punctatissima (Bosc.) This species is widespread in the midlands and appears to be more common in the south of the region under discussion. It is more easily overlooked than many other species of Orthoptera since the chirp of the male is scarcely audible at any distance. WORCS: Widespread (Marshall and Haes, 1989); Monk Wood, 1980s, M. Bryan; Brotheridge Green, near Malvern and Wyre Forest (Fincher, 1964). WARKS: Many records from centre and south of county, 1980s (Copson, 1984). STAFFS: No record. SALOP: Marshall and Haes (1989). 6. House Cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.) The introduced House Cricket is now especially associated with hospitals in Britain, although as recently as 1953, Fincher described it as ‘‘Frequent in 170 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 bakehouses, farms and rubbish tips at many places in north Worcs.”’ During hot weather in may stray outdoors. In cold weather, it may be heard singing around hospital radiators and hot pipes. I have heard it at the following hospitals in and around Birmingham: Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, 1979-85; Dudley Road Hospital, 1983; Rubery Hill Hospital, 1984; Selly Oak Hospital, 1984; East Birmingham Hospital, 1984; Walsall Manor Hospital, 1986. I have heard it singing also at Birmingham Medical School, 1979-85 and the City General Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent, 1985. Several records from central Warks, 1980s (Copson, 1984). 7. Mole Cricket, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa (L.) On a visit to Stoke-on-Trent City Museum in 1985, Mr G. Halfpenny kindly showed me a preserved adult mole cricket which had recently been captured in Stoke. It seems probable that this insect had been imported amongst foreign vegetables. At the time of writing, I am informed of a record of this elusive insect that has recently been reported to E.C.M. Haes by John Burton; it seems that Mole Crickets were heard in a water meadow near Wyre Piddle, Worcestershire by Dr R.W. Payne until 1985, when the meadow was ploughed up to grow barley. Lucas (1920) mentions old records from Birmingham. 8. Slender Groundhopper, Tetrix subulata (L.) Widespread to the south of Birmingham. WORCS: Castlemorten Common (Fincher, 1955); Phepson, by pond, 1.v.1986; Dean Brook, near Saleway, 1.v.1986; Stanford Bridge, by River Teme, 29.iv.1984; Sinton, by lake, 29.v.1984; Monk Wood, M. Bryan, 1983. WARKS: Ufton Fields, S. Shaw, 12.v.1962; Brandon Marsh, J. Maskrey, 1983; J. Paul, 1.ix.1983; Stockton Cutting, P.J. and K.M. Reeve, 18.ix.1983; J. Paul, 7.vii.1984; Traitor’s Ford, J.A. Hardman and J. Paul, 11.viii.1984; Ryton Picnic Site, P.J. Copson, 14.viii.1984; Ufton Hill Farm, Toft Farm, Stockton Cutting, Draycote Water and Ufton Fields, P.J. and K.M. Reeve, 1984; Hams Hall, under piles of wood, W.J. Hough, 26.x.1985; Brandon Marsh, Ryton Wood, Coombe Abbey and Wainbody Wood, S.A. Lane, 1986; Weddington Railway Sidings, Warnact Survey Team, 1|.vii.1985; Harbury Quarry, C.J. Palmer, 11.v.1985. STAFFS: No record. SALOP: No record, but is known from the Clwyd bank of the River Dee, where it was discovered by Mr Ian Wallace, in May, 1983 (Haes, 1983). The opposite bank of the river is in Shropshire and it is probable that T. subulata occurs there also. | 9. Common Groundhopper, Tetrix undulata (Sowerby) This species sometimes occurs with 7. subulata. The two species are ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM 171 difficult to differentiate as nymphs which may occasionally result in inaccurate records. WORCS: Wyre Forest, on railway cutting, vi.1981; Trench Wood, 1984 and 1987; Randan Wood and Purshill Green (Fincher, 1953). WARKS: Waverley Wood, H.W. Daltry, 25.iv.1951; Bickenhill (Fincher, 1953); Snitterfield Bushes, D. Musson, 13.viii.1984; Herald Way tip, Wappenbury Wood, Ryton Wood, and Wainbody Wood, S.A. Lane, 1986; Earlswood Lakes Station, Danzey Green Station and Weddington Sidings, Warnact Survey Team, 1985. STAFFS: Dovedale and Burnt Woods (Daltry, 1933); Chartley, dry field, 24.ix.1983; Wilbrighton, disused railway, 26.v.1986. SALOP: Whixall Moss, 26.vi.1981, vii.1983, vii.1984, 6.vii.1986; Cramer Gutter, 2.ix.1984; Bell Coppice and Sturt Common, 27.v.1986; Alverley, bank of River Severn, 23.v.1986. 10. Stripe-winged Grasshopper, Stenobothrus lineatus (Panzer) Ragge’s vice-county maps (1965) include Herefordshire for this insect on the strength of a record from the Malvern Hills. The specimen on which this record is based has been examined by G.B. Collins, and is in the British Museum (Natural History). It is a macropterous example of Chorthippus parallelus and there is therefore no evidence that this species occurs in the area under discussion (Haes, 1985). In Britain, S. /ineatus may be found on calcareous grassland, sandy heathland and sand dunes. Despite searches of the Broadway district and Bredon Hill in Worcestershire and of Ufton Fields, Edge Hill and other visually suitable habitat in Warwickshire, the author has failed to find it in the region. Strong colonies exist on the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire (e.g. Cleeve Hill) just south of the Worcestershire border. 11. Common Green Grasshopper, Omocestus viridulus (L.) A widespread and locally common grasshopper which is, however, scarce in urban areas and regions that are intensively farmed. WORCS: Headley Heath, Rubery Hill, 23.vii.1984; Frankley, roadside, vii. 1984; Wyre Forest; Malvern Hills; Bredon Hill, 29.ix.1985. WARKS: Geary’s Heath, Coleshill Bog, 8.ix.1985; Edge Hill, viii.1984; Farnborough, viii.1984; Sutton Park; Solihull, Riverside Drive; Edgbaston, The Vale, slope by Ridge Hall, 2.vii.1980; Edgbaston, Vincent Drive, waste ground, scarce [Bickenhill Plantation, May 1990, nymphs]. STAFFS: Hollies Common, 11.ix.1985; Cannock Chase, Anson’s Bank, Sycamores Hill, Satnall Hills, Penkridge Bank; Highgate Common, Forest Covert; Wyrley Common, 26.viii.1985; Pelsall Common; Chartley, dry field. SALOP: Cramer Gutter, 2.ix.1984 and 17.viii.1985; The Wrekin; Whixall Moss; Cockshutford, 17.viii.1985; Cleobury North Liberty, 17.vili.1985; 172 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Offa’s Dyke, near Knighton, 27.viii.1985; Bomere, vii.1986; Long Mynd, Wild Moor and by gliding club 9. viii. 1986; Plowden, 9.viii.1986. 12. Common Field Grasshopper, Chorthippus brunneus (Thunberg) Generally common, except damper pastures and heaths. It is the only common grasshopper in Birmingham itself, where there are many large colonies on waste ground, roadsides, edges of carparks, railway land and canal cuttings. WORCS: Selly Oak, by railway station; Stirchley, roadside; Lilford; Walker’s Heath; Weatheroak Hill; Rednal, SO 997768 and SP 001760, ix.1981; Lickey Hills, SO 987757, ix.1981; Beacon Hill; Cofton Hill; Rubery Hill; Frankley, roadside; Randan Wood; The Four Stones, Clent Hills; Walton Hill; Hartlebury Common; Kidderminster Rifle Range; Wren’s Nest; Malvern Hills; Trench Wood; Stourbridge, by railway, SO 909832, vii.1981; Turner’s Hill, Darby’s Hill; Winson Green; Sandwell, Bredon Hill. WARKS.: Kingsbury Water Park; Whateley; Sutton Park; Solihull, Riverside Drive; Barber’s Coppice; Bickenhill; Stonebridge; Geary’s Heath; Bradnock’s Marsh; Eastcote; Old Snowhill Station; Edgbaston -The Vale, SP 053847, x.1979; Vincent Drive; Birmingham University campus, SP 044835, x.1979, x.1980 and SP 044834, ix.1982; Queen Elizabeth Hospital, SP 041838, viii.1981 and SP 044838, ix.1982; Tredington, vii.1984; Little Compton, vii.1984; Long Compton, viii. 1984; Traitor’s Ford, viii.1984; Edge Hill, viii.1984; Farnborough, viii.1984; Burton Dassett, viii.1984; Stockton, Coleshill Bog; Brandon Marsh, ix.1983. STAFFS: Dovedale (Daltry, 1933); Gorsey Leas; Alrewas; Burton-on- Trent; Weeford, Chartley; Cannock Chase - Spring Hill, Satnall Hills, Anson’s Bank, Sycamores Hill, Abraham’s Valley, Penkridge Bank; Wyrley Common; Chasewater; Pelsall Common; Whittington Heath; Doxey Marshes; Queensville; Broad Meadow; Kinver Edge; Halfpenny Green; Forest Covert; Highgate Common; Short Heath. SALOP: The Wrekin, Long Mynd, near gliding club on roadside; Plowden. 13. Meadow Grasshopper, Chorthippus parallelus (Zetterstedt) Generally common outside urban areas. WORCS: Hopwood; Randan Wood; Chaddesley Wood; Fenny Rough; Bewdsley; Kidderminster Rifle Range; Malvern Hills; Trench Wood; Weatheroak Hill; Bredon Hill. WARKS: Tredington; Little Compton; Long Compton; Traitor’s Ford; Edge Hill; Burton Dassett; Stockton; Coleshill Bog; Sutton Park. . STAFFS: Churnet Valley; Chartley, dry field; Wyrley Common; Weeford. Norbury; Cannock Chase; Sher Brook (Clements, 1987). ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM 173 SALOP: Whixall Moss; Cramer Gutter; Offa’s Dyke, near Knighton; Brightall Common; Quatford; Bomere; Long Mynd; Wild Moor. 14. Lesser Marsh Grasshopper, Chorthippus albomarginatus (De Geer) During the 1980s as a result of efforts of those contributing to the Warwickshire Orthoptera Survey, it has been realised that this insect is widespread and locally common in a variety of habitats in Warwickshire (Copson, 1984; Paul, 1984). The first 1980s record was from Brandon Marsh (SP 3875), near Coventry, where it was found by S. Lane. It would seem that the species has been overlooked, as Mr J.A. Hardman found a specimen in his collection with data: Warwick, 4.vili.1954. The Lesser Marsh Grasshopper is known from southern Worcestershire, but is unrecorded from Shropshire and Staffordshire. WORCS: Marshall and Haes (1989). WARKS: Records include: Warwick, 4.viii.1954, J.A. Hardman; Brandon Marsh, 27.viii.1982, S. Lane and 17.ix.1983, J. Paul; John Eastwood Farm, Stoneleigh Ley (SP 333707), 25.viii.1983, P. Copson; Newbold Comyn, Leamington Spa, grassland (SP 339653), 19.ix.1983, R. Gibb; Bypass embankment (SP 272668), x.1983, Myles Mackay; Little Wolford (SP 2633), 30.vii.1984, Paul Marriott; Ufton Fields, 7.vii.1984, J. Paul; Monkspath Meadow (SP 1475), 11.vii.1984, J.W. Lewis; Pillerton Hersey Home Farm (SP 297493), 12.viii.1984, Robert Pitt; Parkhill Coppice (SP 247517), 14.viii.1984, J.W. Lewis; Near Oaks Wood, C.A.D. Kineton, grassy, calcareous ride (SP 348488), 1.vili.1984, M.W. Finnemore; Stretton-on-Dunsmore, churchyard (SP 406726), 14.viii.1984, P. Copson; Bishopston (SP 189569), 13.viii.1984, Dave Musson; Bearley Bushes, scrubby woodland (SP 189604), 2.ix.1984; The Oaks, Kineton (SP 350490), 3.vii.1984, J.W.L., D.B., M.W.F.; Heath Farm, road verge (SP 225528), 14.vili. 1984), J.W.L., D.B. STAFFS: No record. I have made fruitless searches in likely-looking spots, such as Doxey Marshes and Queensville, near Stafford and Broad Meadow, near Tamworth. SALOP: No confirmed record. 15. Mottled Grasshopper, Myrmeleotettix maculatus (Thunberg) Midland colonies of this insect seem to be confined to heaths, peat moors and long-abandoned slag heaps. It is often found in association with other local species and is therefore a useful indicator of good habitat for scarce insects. WORCS: Kidderminster Rifle Range (26.vili.1985; 10.vii.1987); Hartle- bury Common (1985); Rubery Hill (23.vii. 1984); Malvern Hills -North Hill, Linden, Herefordshire Beacon (vii. 1984), The Gullet (4.vii. 1987). WARKS: Sutton Park, 18.ix.1982; Grendon Heath, J.D. Rhodes, 10.ix.1986. 174 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 STAFFS: Cannock Chase, 24.ix.1983 — Anson’s Bank, Sycamores Hill, Satnall Hills; Penkridge Bank, viii.1984; Highgate Common, 25.ix.1982; Forest Covert; Kinver Edge, 25.1x.1982; Whittington Heath, 8.ix.1985; Wyrley Common, 26.viii.1985; Chasewater, 26.viii.1985; Pelsall Common, 6.ix.1985; Apedale (R. Hill, pers. com., 1990). SALOP: Wixall Moss, 6.vii.1986; Cramer Gutter, 2.i1x.1984 and 17.viii.1985; Prees Heath, 6.vii.1986; Wrekin; Alverley, slag heap, vii.1986; Clee Hill, 9.vili.1986; Long Mynd, 9.viii.1986; Plowden, 9.vili. 1986. (To be concluded) Second brood Spilosoma lubricipeda L., the White Ermine (Lep.: Arctiidae) in Ayrshire A single male of S. /ubricipeda was caught in the Rothamsted Insect Light Survey (R.I.S.) light trap at Culzean Castle, Ayrshire (Site No. 264, OS grid ref. NS 235 095) on 10.ix.1990. This individual represents a partial second emergence: first brood moths were caught in the trap between 5.v. and 4.vii.1990. Reference to the R.I.S. database shows that S. /ubricipeda usually flies between mid-May and mid-July at this site, though first brood individuals have been caught between 8.v.(1981) and 5.vili.(1979). Despite 15 years of continuous trapping at Culzean Castle, the only other instance of a second emergence is recorded on 5.1x.1975. Skinner, B. (Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles, Viking, Harmondsworth, 1984) and others state that there is an occasional second emergence of this species. Examination of the R.I.S. database confirms this. From a total of over 40,000 S. /ubricipeda records, there are 27 captures of second brood individuals. Apart from four Scottish records, three of which were during the hot summer of 1976, these are all from Wales and England south of Lancashire and Lincolnshire. Seven (approx. one third) were from Kent, Hampshire and the Channel Islands. From these records it appears that bivoltinism in S. /ubricipeda is unusual and occurs mainly in southern localities. In Scotland a second emergence is rare and usually restricted to hot summers such as 1976 and 1990. Continued monitoring of bivoltinism in this species may reveal responses to predicted climatic change. Thanks are extended to G. Riddle for operating the trap at Culzean Castle.-— ADRIAN M. RILEY, AFRC Farmland Ecology Research Group, Dept. Entomology and Nematology, Rothamsted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Herts ALS 2ZJQ. REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 175 REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 1920-1990 E.P. WILTSHIRE Wychwood, High Road, Cookham Rise, Berks SL6 9JF. (Continued from page 124) Much of the plain surrounding Baghdad was mud desert, subject to annual inundations, rather unproductive entomologically, so I took every opportunity at weekends and holidays of seeking more stony terrain, particularly the low hills through which the Dyala flowed north of the city, where a sojourn in the tent of two English surveyors, Meade and Woram, distracted them from their isolated boredom, and enabled to take back more interesting specimens. Friends in Kurdistan also sent specimens of the vernal fliers. I met Robert Ellison during my 1936 summer-leave. Our exchanges eventually led me to the Royal Entomological Society’s 1939 Lepidoptera of the Lebanon from our joint pens, Tams’ assistance having played a vital part in its production. I sent Edward Meyrick, at Marlborough, my Lebanese and first Kurdish Pyrals and Micros; he produced some prompt results in Exotic Microlepidoptera 5: 18-142 (1936-7); but in 1937 I sent Amsel my Iraqi material and in 1939 my Iranian Pyrals and Micros. His published results did not appear until 1949. References (Part 5) Amsel, H.G., 1949. On the microlepidoptera collected by E.P. Wiltshire in Iraq and Iran in the years 1935 to 1938. Bull. Soc. Fouad ler entom. 33: 271-351. Ellison, R.E. and Wiltshire, E.P., 1939. The Lepidoptera of the Lebanon: with notes on their season and distribution. Trans. R. Ent. Soc. London, 88(1): 1-156, with 1 pl. Hamilton, A.M., 1937. Road through Kurdistan. Faber and Faber, 256 pp., 28 plates, 2 maps. Seitz, A., 1931-38. The macrolepidoptera of the world. 3, sup. 233 pp., 26 plates. — , 1934-54. Grosschmetterlinge der Erde, 4, sup., 766 pp., 53 plates. Wiltshire, E.P., 1937. Autumnal lepidoptera in Kurdistan: preliminary notes on some excursions in the Rowanduz Chai valley, Iraq. Ent. Rec. J. Var., 49: 91-94, 107-109. 6. Further acquaintance During my 1936 leave the realisation dawned on me that it would take somé time to determine all my material from the Middle East, a part of the world not as well represented then as were most other parts of the world, in the BMNH. It appeared that some Earias which I had bred from poplars at Baghdad were unknown. ‘“‘Won’t you describe it for me?’’ I asked Tams. 176 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 ““Just now,”’ he replied, ‘‘I haven’t the time; there is no reason why you shouldn’t describe it yourself;’’ then he added: ‘‘if you’re careful.”’ Tams later passed my first effort at describing a new species to Riley and it appeared in The Entomologist in October 1936. A decent illustration had to wait until I figured several forms of Earias irakana in a colour plate in my much later book on Iraq (1957). I had broken the ice but was still diffident about describing new species from my own material. In one or two subsequent cases I would describe a strange form as a sub-species of some similar known species, only to have to publish a later correction demonstrating the true specific character. In the late ’thirties I had not yet acquired the expertise that gives confidence in such puzzles. I first started using a microscope in New York in 1944 thanks partly to having been given a monocular microscope by a medical cousin, and partly by meeting in that big city other entomologists to advise and encourage, which in Iraq and Iran had to be done by post, and without any local facilities. My first binocular microscope was a secondhand Zeiss acquired in Cairo in 1946. Here again there were facilities, colleagues and an entomological society. But I anticipate unduly... Of course the mere acquisition of a microscope does not automatically solve all the problems. Comparing one’s specimens with labelled specimens in good collections is a first step for all collectors, but already in 1936 I realised that identifications are based ultimately on original type specimens preserved more carefully than all others; the author having had these types before him when writing the original description. So besides the obvious educational purpose of our Museums, of providing information for the public, a more vital one is to conserve and study the types and other material, such as original manuscripts and drawings, a sort of back-room function. Trained officials in Museums, with rich comparative material, have described thousands of species but left undescribed many others, for lack of time, due to curational, administrative and such duties. The untrained amateur can help science by following the correct procedure in referring to original types or descriptions, and with experience may become honorary associates such as Collenette and Evans whom I found working together with Riley and Tams in the ’thirties. Ultimately museums come to own most surviving original types, as private collections seldom remain in the hands of the heirs of those who have built them up. Such collections are more scientifically important, the more types of recently described species they contain; perfection of presentation and the length of the series of each species are of secondary importance, despite their desirability. I passed through Paris on my way back to the Middle East in 1936, and met Charles Boursin at the Natural History Museum there. I had already received many helpful letters from him. He introduced me to his colleagues there, among whom LeCerf helped me with Iraqian Sesiids and Cossids. At REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 177 Boursin’s suggestion I started to subscribe to the Munich entomological society’s Mitteilungen, as its members were already active in the Middle East. They were pleased to publish in 1939 my third ‘‘Early stages”’ article, mainly describing caterpillars found in the Baghdad poplars and tamarisks. Its plate showed the difference in larval pattern of the Iraqi Cerura, now known as C. vinula irakana Heyd. & Schulte, from the British puss-moth, the typical C. vinula (L.) and joy of my boyhood as mentioned in my first chapter. A similar difference, between two Spanish Cerura was much later depicted by Templado & Ortiz, 1970, figs. 1 - 4. Does C. iberica T. & O. in this respect diverge from vinula and converge to C. v. irakana because of environmentally similar influences? As there is no simple answer to that question, I will leave it unanswered here. Two Baghdad forms of Nola were the subject of an enquiry I addressed in 1936 to Georg Warnecke of Kiel, whose thoughtful work had come recently to my attention. While my correspondence was daily widening in this manner, using my car when on home-leave enabled me to do field-work en route. Returning home in 1936 I revisited some old haunts in the Lebanon and also Bludan in the Anti-Lebanon range; and in the autumn I deviated northwards from Beirut to proceed eastwards along the IPC pipe-line, spending nights at the Palmyra and Haditha pumping stations, both of which provided supper, a comfortable bed and bright lights that attracted autumnal desert moths such as Chondrostega fasciana feisali Wilts, which flew there at the end of September. After crossing the Euphrates, I turned north and revisited Mosul and Diana for a few days; to the latter I was accompanied by the newly-appointed Consul, Grafftey-Smith. Coming from Cairo, he must have been amused by the thatched roof, and bare trunks supporting it, over the veranda of the Diana Vice-Consulate; at any rate its photo appeared in his book of reminiscences written in retirement; and of course, the trip supplied further problems for Boursin, Amsel and others to solve. One spring weekend in 1937 I drove out south-westward from Baghdad to the more southerly, but gravelly, desert west of the Euphrates towns of Kerbela and Nejf, where I also had official contacts protecting British -Indian Shi’a pilgrims. Jock Diamond was an amusing Glaswegian driller, whom I had met in 1935 when he was drilling water-wells for the Shammar nomads in the desert west of Mosul. Since then his wife had joined him, having decided to curb his excessive generosity. Jock now had a larger tent and bed, and was no less hospitable to me than two years before. Entomologically, too, the visit was a success, especially as Jock continued to send me specimens, from his drilling site, well into the summer of 1937. Boursin, at my behest, named one of the discoveries there diamondi in his honour. Mr and Mrs Diamond continued to prosper, and became well- known in an Alwiya bungalow in the capital. Bytinski-Salz, having transferred from Germany to Italy had started 178 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Jock Diamond at Habbarivah, Iraq helping a certain Wilhelm Brandt to describe his new species from Northern Iran. The article, without illustrations, appeared in the Entomologists’ Record from 1937 onwards. Brandt himself wrote to me later that year, about his brother Fred who was collecting somewhere in S. Iran. I myself was posted to Tehran late that year; and I shall have more to tell of the Brandt brothers, and some others of the above correspondents, in later chapters. I had started learning Persian under Tahir Qureishi, the Baghdad Consulate’s Protector of Pilgrims, and on reaching Tehran found that I was a ‘‘stepney-wheel’’ (as Jack Finch expressed it), liable to be sent to scattered British Consulates in Persia, during their officers’ leaves. During 1937-8 I acted in Tabriz (a winter stay), then Ahwaz with its mountain station, Hamadan, after which I took a home leave in winter 1938-9 and left the boxes of that long summer’s catches with my mother at Gorleston; during my visits to London my contacts gave me the impression that war with Hitler was almost inevitable despite Chamberlain’s little trip to Munich while I was at Ahwaz. It was at the end of my acting spell in summer 1939 in Tehran that war in fact broke out. I acted that winter in Kermanshah, and in April was transferred to Shiraz, which I found the most attractive of all these posts. It confirmed my love for Persia and its people. Their history has been full of vicissitudes. Recent developments have shewn this too painfully. . At first, after the declaration of war, Iran was fully neutral, and British and German nationals continued to live and work normally; after two or three years, however, the Anglo-Russian military intervention took place, to protect the passage of munitions and motor transport which the newly constructed railway from the Gulf to the Caspian providentially expedited. Our German acquaintances were then mostly rounded up and sent off to Australia. Wilhelm Brandt, of German extraction but holding an Esthonian REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 179 passport and residing in Finland, was a neutral. For three years we consulted each other on entomological problems and he sent me his reprints with details of Fred’s 1938 ‘‘ausbeute’’. Good though my own catches at Ahwaz and Hamadan had been I could see from these details that Shiraz was in a class of its own; for instance Fred had taken five different species of Melitaea near there, including M. casta Koll. on the top of Barm-i-Firuz, near Ardekan. To my amazement I was able to add three apparently new species of Melitaea in my first three months at Shiraz. I sent Melitaea casta Koll. Topotypes from Kuh Barfi, Shiraz. papered examples of one or two to Henry Turner and Norman Riley. The latter was in touch with Lionel Higgins, and told me that Lionel had a more comprehensive knowledge of this genus than any other lepidopterist. I photographed all eight of the Fars Melitaea forms and when sending these to Riley mentioned the boxes left at Gorleston. He arranged for these to be transferred from my home to the Castle Museum, Norwich, and eventually — Higgins was able to see them, but not in time for illustration in his 1941 catalogue. In an addendum to his 1955 article the three forms of M. casta were illustrated, and Brandt’s Barm-i-Firuz race appeared as “‘transitional’’ between the Alvand and the typical Kuh-i-Barfi (Shiraz) race, though I had suggested the name brandti for it. All three mountain peaks are completely isolated from each other. References (Part 6) Brandt, W., 1938-9. Beitrag zur lepidopteren-fauna von Iran. Ent. Rundsch. 55, 56. Bytinski-Salz, H., & Brandt, W., 1937. Entomologists’ Rec. J. Var., 49 (5 & 6-7): sups. 1-9. 180 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Grafftey-Smith, L., 1970. Bright Levant. John Murray, 295 pp. Higgins, L., 1941. An illustrated catalogue of the Palearctic Melitaea. Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 91: 175-354, 16 pls., 214 figs., 7 maps. Higgins, L., 1955. A descriptive catalogue of the genus Mellicta Billberg and its species with supplementary notes on the genera Melitaea and Euphydryas. Trans. R. ent. Soc. Lond. 106(1): 1-131, 2 pls., 4 maps, 88 figs. Templado, J., & Ortiz, Y.E., 1970. Caracteres comparativos entre Dicranura vinula (L.) y Dicranura iberica Templ. et Ort. Eos, 45: 335-347, 17 figs. Wiltshire, E.P., 1936. A new species of Earias Hbn. Entomologist 69: 239-240. — , 1939. A third contribution to the knowledge of the early stages of Oriental Lepidoptera. Mitt. Mtinch. ent. Ges. 291): 4-12, pl. 1. — , 1957. The Lepidoptera of Iraq. 162 pp., 17 pl., Kaye, London; and Min. Agric., Govt., Iraq. 7. The Indian Connection Lads of the Indian Political Service still staffed the Residency at Bushire in the early forties; Shiraz was their ‘‘hill station’’ and they rented a garden next to the Consulate. Geoffrey Prior, the Resident, suggested I might be interested to subscribe to the Bombay Natural History Society, a name I knew from that book on the Fauna of Iraq picked up at Baghdad. I carried out his suggestion which was a stroke of luck for me. I married in Tehran in 1942 on transfer to a new post, but the critical juncture of the war in May of that year made travel to England out of the question while communications with India were easy. After a day or two in Karachi waiting for a plane, we reached Bombay and spent a week there. Prater, the Society’s secretary, showed me over their rooms in Apollo Street (‘‘Hornbill House’’); as editor he had already published my articles of 1941 describing Melitaea new forms and new moths from S.W. Iran; now the precious types were in his custody and he promised to look after them until further orders. I had received news of my next post: Basra, and I thought the Society’s rooms in Bombay a safer place. Thus reassured I took my wife on a honeymoon trek in Kashmir, an unforgettable experience. In spite of the threat to India on the eastern frontier, this part’s touring facilities and agencies were still ticking over like clockwork. Some ten years later I wrote a narrative of the trek incuding some wonderful scenic photos and dealing with the general natural history of that part of the Himalayas. So my second spell in Iraq began in the extreme south and I investigated the Shatt al Arab date-growing zone and the desert in the direction of Kuwait. For two months, over Christmas 1942, however, I had to act as Consul again in Mosul. ; (to be continued) MELANIC ARGYNNIS PAPHIA 181 ADDITIONAL NOTES ON MELANIC SPECIMENS OF THE SILVER-WASHED FRITILLARY (ARGYNNIS PAPHIA L.) IN NORTH DORSET. RUPERT D.G. BARRINGTON Old College Arms, Stour Row, Nr Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 OOF. AN EARLIER article (Barrington, 1989) discussed the relation between maximum daily temperature at the time of pupation of A. paphia and the subsequent capture of melanic aberrations. A clear correlation was found suggesting that such aberrations are due to unusual heat acting on the newly formed pupa. The last year referred to in the previous article was 1986. The present contribution covers the exceptional summer of 1989. The 1989 season Nineteen-eighty-nine was remarkable for the continuously higher than average temperatures and lack of rainfall, although the record-breaking heat of 1976 was not matched. In North Dorset paphia, which had been represented by fewer specimens in 1987 and 1988, did well in 1989. The warm weather brought paphia out a week to ten days early and the whole season for this species was over very quickly (in about ten days), presumably due to the high levels of activity in the heat, and the shortage of nectar-giving plants which were badly affected by the very dry conditions. Two melanic forms were found, both extreme. The 8th July was a very close, hazy day. Most paphia were freshly emerged and fair numbers were seen feeding on thistles (much of the bramble flower was already over or dried up). A very dark specimen was seen landing on a thistle some distance away and was successfully captured. It proved to be an extreme male ab. nigricans Cosm. (fig. 1). The following day was cooler and breezy. At a nearby location Ross Young saw, perched high on a bramble bush, a melanic specimen which evaded capture as his net snagged on a thorn, but was seen and captured from the same spray the next afternoon. This was a fine male ab. confluens Spuler (fig. 2); both specimens were in perfect condition. No further aberrations were seen. Results: In accordance with the format in the previous study, daily, maximum shade temperatures in degrees centigrade (for June and early July) are given in Table 1. All days above 21°C are marked with a e. Previously, the period during which pupation would have occurred was taken as 23 - 33 days prior to capture of aberrations in newly-emerged condition. Applying this to the 1989 specimens gives pupation dates of Sth -16th June. This includes five days (the last five days of the period) above 26°C. Given the generally high temperatures subsequent to 16th June, during which the insects would have been in the pupal stage, it is likely that this stage would have been shorter than normal. In this case pupation could have taken place any time during the spell of exceptionally hot weather from 12th - 20th June. 182 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 1S.vii.1991 JUNE 1989 Date Temp. Date Temp. 1 14 20 @ 30 14 16 ZA @ 23 3 15 22 @ 24 4 17) 23 @ 25 5 16 24 @ 25 6 14 25 @ 23 fi 17 26 @ 23 8 14 a), 18 9 19 28 16 10 19 29 19 11 @ 21 30 @ 21 12 @ 26 JULY 1989 13 @ 26 1 18 14 @ 26 2 @ 22 15 @ 28 3 @ 25 16 @ 27 4 @ 27 17 @ 28 5 @ 28 18 @ 28 6 @ 27 19 @ 29 7 19 Table 1. Daily maximum shade temperatures. Marked days indicate temperatures in excession Zine As with the results of the earlier article it can be seen that capture of melanic specimens of paphia was preceded by a spell of unusually high temperatures over the period when the larvae would be pupating. It is of interest that, by keeping an eye on daily temperatures and making an estimate of how early the paphia season would be, we estimated the weekend (collecting time being largely restricted to weekends) when melanics might be expected to occur, if at all. The two specimens were observed over the predicted weekend and none thereafter. Whilst such a prediction requires more than a little luck it does suggest that following the weather patterns may be an aid to entomologists interested in variation in this species (and doubtless other Nymphalid species and some Lycaenids, particularly Lysandra coridon Poda, in which similar temperature-related bursts of variation have been noted (Russwurm, 1976 a and b)). Acknowledgements I am grateful to Ross Young for allowing me to photograph another fine aberration and to Dave Vincent, Mary Clacy and Dan Hodgson who each supplied sets of temperature records for this study. MELANIC ARGYNNIS PAPHIA 183 Figs Argynnis paphia. Male ab nigricans Cosm. Top: upperside, bottom: underside. North Dorset 8.7.1989 (RDGB). Fig. 2. Argynnis paphia. Male ab confluens Spuler. North Dorset 10.7.1989 (R. Young). 184 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 References Barrington, R.D.G., 1989. Melanic aberrations of the Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia L.) in North Dorset in 1986, and the relevance of temperature on the occurrence of such forms in the wild. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 101: 267-274. Russwurm, A.D.A., 1976a. Variation in Lysandra coridon Poda (Lep.: Lycaenidae). Summer 1975. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 88: 81. — , 1976b. Aberrations of Lysandra coridon Poda (Lep.: Lycaenidae) and other species. Summer 1976. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 88: 305. Corrections: From the previous article on paphia two errors require correction. On page 267, line 4, read 1918/19 between 1881 and 1941. Page 267, line 31, instead of (0 - 20°C) read (0 - minus 20°C). Rothamsted farmland light trap network: interesting Lepidoptera records for August 1990. Continuing our monthly reports of unusual Lepidoptera from the network of light traps operating on the Rothamsted Estate, the following are particularly noteworthy for August 1990: Five individuals of Drepana cultraria Fabr. were caught during the first half of August. This species has not previously been recorded on the Estate. Interestingly, the first brood was absent from the traps. Extra broods were a notable feature of the August records, probably resulting from the unusually hot, dry summer. Asthena albulata Hufn. and Idaea subsericeata Haw. were caught on the 4th and 5th and 18th respectively. Both are known to produce occasional second broods in southern England. A single Hydrelia flammeolaria Hufn. was caught on the 3rd. This species is usually univoltine, flying in June and early July. It is possible that this individual represents a partial second emergence. A few individuals of Ectropis bistortata Goeze were caught in some of the traps during the last week of August. The normally expected first and second broods are clearly represented at some sites between mid-March and mid- May and mid-June and the end of July. These late captures appear to represent a partial third brood. A few known migratory species were recorded. These include Agrotis ipsilon Hufn., Autographa gamma L. (including f. gammina Stdgr.), Peridroma saucia Hb., Nomophila noctuella D. & S., and Udea ferrugalis Hb. Also, a specimen of Eupithecia nanata Hb. was caught on the 20th. There is no apparently suitable habitat for this species in the immediate vicinity, and it is possible that this individual originated from cultivated heathers in gardens surrounding the farm.— ADRIAN M. RILEY and MARTIN C. TOWNSEND, AFRC Farmland Ecology Group, Department of Entomology & Nematology, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JQ. BRACHYSOMUS HIRTUS 185 BRACHYSOMUS HIRTUS (COL.: CURCULIONIDAE) REDISCOVERED IN SURREY, WITH A NOTE ON ITS ECOLOGY J.A. OWEN 8 Kingsdown Road, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3PU. IN BRITAIN, Brachysomus hirtus (Boheman) is a rare beetle which has been recorded on very few occasions in recent times. Some years ago, my friend Mr A.A. Allen gave me two representative specimens which had been taken by the late Philip Harwood many years ago and were labelled Westerham. They lack dates but Mr Allen tells me that the specimens were probably taken in the early 1920s. Having never found the species, I wondered one day if it could still be found in this locality. The habitat given in Fowler (1891) is ‘‘chalk hill sides, in moss etc.’’ and reference to the O.S. map suggested the south- facing chalk escarpment about a mile to the north of Westerham as a good place to start looking. My wife and I went there on 6.iv.1990. Presumably because of the dryness of the preceding year, there was little moss to be found on the open chalk slopes but we found a plentiful supply on the ground a few metres inside a dense thicket lower down the escarpment. About 30 handfuls of moss mixed with dead leaves, small dead twigs and a little granular surface soil were shaken in a bag-sieve and the sievings brought home and put into a Winkler extractor. Twenty-four hours later, two examples of B. hirtus appeared in the extractor and another four appeared after a further 24 hours. Subsequent visits to the spot with colleagues during the next few weeks showed that the beetle was very plentiful at the site with a minimum estimated population in one part of the area of 4 - 8 specimens per square metre. Another lot of sievings taken on 30.1.1991 contained further examples of the beetle. The town of Westerham is in Kent near the western county boundary but, just to the north of the town, the county boundary runs to the north- east and the part of the escarpment where we found the beetle was in Surrey. I have found only one other certain Surrey record, that of Champion (cited by Fowler, 1891) who took a single specimen last century at Caterham. W.E. Sharp (cited Fowler & Donisthorpe, 1913) took the species at Westerham prior to Harwood’s captures and it may be that Harwood was directed to his Westerham site by this reference. If, as seems likely, these two collectors found their specimens from the chalk slopes to the north of the town, the record could apply to Surrey or to Kent as the county boundary runs through the chalk escarpment at this point. Elsewhere the species has been recorded from Arundel, West Sussex (Stevens, cited Fowler, 1891), Cobham Park (Walker, 1890) and Chatham (Walker, 1898), Kent, Southampton, Hampshire (Walton cited Fowler, 1891), Chesam, Buckinghamshire (Elliman, 1899), Henley-on-Thames (Power cited Fowler, 1891) and the Chilterns (Woodroffe, 1966), 186 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Oxfordshire and Gumley, Leicestershire (Mathews cited Fowler & Donisthorpe, 1913). While the habitat — chalky hillsides — given by Fowler is literally correct, many authors have stated or implied that the beetle occurs in or at the edge of wooded areas on chalk, as in the present instance, rather than on open, grassy chalk slopes. Walker (1898) recorded finding a number near Chatham by shaking a small hornbeam branch and from dry leaves ‘‘accumulated round the stumps of underwood’’ at the edge of a coppice and he cited Bedel (Faune de Coléoptéres du bassin de la Seine, 6, 237) finding the species in dead leaves in woods. Elliman (1899) reported that he had found three specimens by sifting dead leaves in a wood at Chesham in 1896 and many others by the same technique two years later. He found the beetle was distributed “‘for a very considerable distance along the border of this wood which is situated on chalk and has a southern aspect;.’’ Woodroffe (1966) found one example each of B. hirtus and B. echinatus (Bonsdorf) in litter under a hawthorn bush in an area of scrubby chalk grassland in Oxfordshire. In this country, the beetle has traditionally been linked to primrose (Primula vulgaris L.) though the evidence is circumstantial and the beetle may well prove to be a root feeder. Pellerin (1870) described how he found a specimen in a bunch of primroses tied up with moss which he had purchased for sixpence. Interestingly, Fowler (1891) also refers to a specimen found in a primrose root bought in a London market giving the finder’s name as Mr Douglas. Walker (1898) reported that primroses were plentiful where he found the beetle. Where we found the beetle at Westerham, the ground cover was mainly moss, mixed with dead leaves and small twigs. The few higher plants present (Glechoma hederacea L. Veronica chamaedrys L. and small shoots of Rubus fructicosus) were estimated to provide less than 5% of ground cover. There were no signs of primrose plants though there were cowslips (Primula veris L.) on the open slope above the thicket. The latter comrpised mainly hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna (Jacq.), dogwood (Thelycrania sanguinea (L.) Four.), sallow (Salix spp.) and clematis (Clematis vitalba L.). As far as the time of appearance of adults goes, the majority of records have been in the colder part of the year, i.e. from late October (Walker, 1898) to April (Pellerin, 1870; present findings). There is a single record for the latter part of May (Woodroffe, 1966) and Walker (1890) swept two examples on a ‘‘very hot, damp evening in July, along with P. echinatus.’”’ B. hirtus is readily distinguished from B. echinatus on the characters given by Joy (1932). In the field, a hand lens reveals the pronotum of hirtus to be uniformly dark grey whereas in echinatus the pronotum has an oovious band of the light coloured scales at the side. Curiously, Fowler (1891) ascribes the light scales at the sides of the pronotum in error to hirtus though his descriptions are otherwise correct. BRACHYSOMUS HIRTUS 187 References Elliman, E.G., 1899. Brachysomus setulosus, Boh., at Chesam, Bucks. Ento- mologist’s mon. Mag. 35: 44-45. Fowler, W.W., 1891. The Coleoptera of the British Islands, 5: 193. — , & Donisthorpe, H.St.J., 1913. The Coleoptera of the British Islands 6 (Suppl.): 306. Joy, N.H., 1932. A practical handbook of British Beetles, London. Pellerin, G., 1870. Capture of Strophosomus hirtus Schon., Walt. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 7: 37. Walker, J.J., 1874. Recent captures of Coleoptera near Chatham. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 10: 252-253. — , 1890. Coleoptera at Cobham Park, Kent. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 34: 9-11. — , 1898. Brachysomus hirtus, Boh., (Platytarsus setulosus, Boh.) at Chatham. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 34: 17. Woodroffe, G.E., 1966. Some uncommon Coleoptera from the Oxford Chilterns. Entomologists mon. Mag. 102: 118. Notes on the voltinism of Hylaea fasciaria L., Barred Red (Lep.: Geometridae) A single male H. fasciaria was caught in the Rothamsted Insect Survey (R.I.S.) light trap at Beinn Eighe, Wester Ross (Site No. 350, OS grid ref. NH 024 629), on 24.x.1990. The normal flight period at this site is from mid-June to early August. In 1990 it was recorded from 13th June to 3rd August. Skinner, B. (Colour Identification Guide to the Moths of the British Isles, Viking, Harmondsworth, 1984) and others state that H. fasciaria is univoltine, flying from mid-June to early August. However, South, R. (Moths of the British Isles, Warne, London 1961) states that it is sometimes found in September, as well as June and July, suggesting a partial second emergence in some years. Reference to the R.I.S. database, in which there are records of 462 individuals of H. fasciaria, supports South’s comments and reveals the following information on the voltinism of this species. The main flight period is from early June to late July or early August at nearly all sites where this species occurs. Records of second emergences are usually rare and have been noted at Fort Augustus, Inverness (Site No. 49, OS grid ref. NH 366 092) on 22.x.1978; Elgin I, Morayshire (Site No. 58, OS grid ref. NJ 160 636) on 10.x.1979; Elgin II, Morayshire (Site No. 457, OS grid ref. NJ 164 635) on 13.x.1986, and Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire (Site No. 16, OS grid ref. SU 650 645) on 9 and 14.x.1975. Individuals of a second emergence have been recorded at a site in more than one year only at Kielder, Northumberland (Site No. 296, OS grid ref. NY 632 936) in 1985 and 1986 and Santon Downham, Suffolk (Site No. 259, OS grid ref. TL 816 876) in 1975, 1979, 1983 and 1986. These records show that H. fasciaria occasionally produces a partial second adult generation but the frequency of this occurrence is difficult to assess. However, the species is relatively common at five of the seven sites mentioned above. This may suggest that recording a partial second 188 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 emergence is dependent on the abundance of the species at the trapping site. Further observation is required to clarify this. Records from the R.I.S. trap on Guernsey (Site No. 252, grid ref. 49° 26.2’N, 2° 34.3’W) and Jersey (Site No. 146, grid ref. 49° 14’N, 2° 5.5’ W) indicate that the flight period on the Channel Islands is somewhat different to that in mainland Britain. At the Guernsey trap, in which the species is more commonly caught than at Jersey, it is consistently recorded between early July and early October, though occasionally the flight period is from early June to early September. Individuals occur randomly throughout the flight period but, at these sites, are always few. Further recording on the islands, where the samples are larger, may reveal interesting observations on the phenology of this species. Climatic change may affect the phenology of H. fasciaria in the future but the frequency of bivoltinism and the factors influencing it should be assessed more thoroughly in the meantime. Thanks are extended to the operators of the traps mentioned in this article for their continued co-operation.—ADRIAN M. RILEY, Dept. Entomology & Nematology, AFRC Farmland Ecology Research Group, Rothamsted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Herts ALS 2JQ. The Magpie Moth in North-west Scotland B.K. West’s article on the status of Abraxas grossulariata L. (Ent. Rec. 103: 89) was of considerable interest to me. This is a common and widespread moth, associated with heather and bog myrtle in the coastal regions and inshore islands of N.W. Sutherland and Wester Ross, from the Applecross peninsula clockwise to the Kyle of Tongue (an area I have covered annually since 1964 while leading small parties of our Highland Safaris). The 10km squares where noticed are NG 74 (Applecross), NG 85 and 95 (Torridon), NG 96 and NH 06 (Loch Maree), NG 78 (Melvaig), NB 90 (Tanera More, Summer Isles), NC 13 and 23 (Drumbeg and Kylesku district), NC 14 (Handa RSPB island reserve and Tarbet), NC 15, 25, 26, 27, 37, 36 and 35 (Sandwood Bay, Cape Wrath peninsula, Durness to Loch Eriboll) and NC 56 (Melness). In 26 years I have found none more than a few miles inland and only a single specimen in the east — this near Strathpeffer (NH 45) on Ist August 1975. This species is sometimes very common as on 16th July 1985 along the scenic Ardmore path, near Rhiconich, and on Sth July 1986 at Melvaig, north of Gairloch, but the most remarkable mass emergence was on the cloudy bright afternoon of 3rd July 1984, when many hundreds were flying or at rest on heather along the peat-cutters’ track leading inland from Loch Drumbeg. . The flight period in the Highland Region is from 29th June (1978) to 15th August (1986).— DEREK C. HULME, Ord Drive, Muir of Ord, Ross-shire IV6 7UQ. BRITISH LAMIIDAE 189 THE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE OF ACANTHOCINUS DEJ. AND AGAPANTHIA SERV. (COL.: LAMIIDAE) IN THE BRITISH ISLES RAYMOND R. UHTHOFF-K AUFMANN 13 Old Road, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 OHB. ALPHABETICAL symbols used are explained in Kaufmann (1989). Italicised letters signify species which are widespread throughout the county/vice-county; bracketed ones require modern confirmatory evidence; a dagger (+) indicates introduced or fortuitous specimens. Acanthocinus aedilis L. If one ignores its subfusc, admirable protective coloration, Acanthocinus, the Timberman Beetle, is without doubt the most spectacular Longhorn of our indigenous fauna, because the antennae in the male are some five times, that is, up to 10cm long, the length of its body, if rather shorter but still extraordinarily long in the female. At rest the antennae are usually held at right angles to the body, traling behind it when the beetle flies. The species is one of the three exclusively Scottish longicorn Coleoptera; it turns up, however, and continues to do so with great regularity in many counties elsewhere in Great Britain and Ireland, being exported southwards principally in pit props and logs. Distribution is centred mainly in the older forests of the Scottish Highlands, but the beetle is also established in some Lowland counties. As is the case with a number of our other Cerambycids and Lamiids, A. aedilis is now in danger of being over-collected and has become scarce. SCOTLAND: AS AY+ BF BW+F EDF EI EL KF KI LAF LL OIF PE PM PN RF RX. Many adventitious specimens have been found in mines, sawmills and wood merchants’ yards in ENGLAND: BK CH CU DM DT DY EN (ES) EX GE HF L LN LR MM MY ND (in softwood timber cargoes washed ashore from wrecked ships) NM NNNO NS OX SESH SL SNSR STSY WC WN (WS) WY WALES: CM GM IRELAND: AN DU. A 1989 television programme on the flora/fauna of the ancient Caledonian Forest showed momentarily A. aedilis successfully thwarting an attack by foraging black ants: to see a live British beetle at all on the ‘*box’’ is an event in itself! The larva is found principally under the bark of trunks, branches, roots and stumps of dead or dying trees such as larch, Scots pine, silver fir and spruce, but there is an unusual record from alder logs; and abroad, it has been reported as a pest infesting stricken Panolis flammea (Klausnitzer & Sander, 1981). 190 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 The many Hymenopterous parasites to which the larva is host include Bracon praecisus Ratz., Coelobracon initiator Nees, C. neesi Marsh, Coeloides abdominalis Zett., C. initiator F., Doryctes imperator Hal., D. pomarius Rein., Ephialtes mesocentrus Grav., E. tuberculatus Fourcr., Iphiaulax impostor Scop., Neoxorides collaris Grav., Poemia notata Holmegr., Sichelia filiformis Grav. and Xorides irrigator F. Larvae and pupae are capable of resisting long periods of immersion in sea water (Bartlett, 1918; Duffy, 1953). It seems that pupation happens twice annually: once, in summer, eclosion taking place in August and September, when the adults emerge into the open to dry off — their antennae take several days to harden; and again, later in October, in which event the pupa, or if metamorphosis is completed the perfect insect, will over-winter. Adults and lately ecloded beetles thereafter appear as early as March in the following year. It is possible, therefore, to find newly formed pupae and imagines under the bark of the same parent tree well into the autumn and winter. The life cycle in consequence may extend from one to two years. The cutting down of large tracts of forest has undoubtedly led to the dispersal of the beetles from the neighbourhood; this is encouraging, for they are not regarded as particularly injurious insects, nor do they attack healthy conifers. Provided that so beautiful a species is not too zealously pursued and captured its future in Britain seems secure. Acanthocinus enjoys basking in the sun and will settle on stumps and piled logs. It was known to all our early entomologists and was first depicted here two centuries ago (Martyn, 1792). Agapanthia villosoviridescens Deg. The range of this very attractive non-lignicolous Longhorn is principally easterly, but distribution does extend centrally through the Midlands to include a few Home and more westerly counties. There are no records from elsewhere in the British Isles. ENGLAND: BD BX CB ES EN (GW) HT HU LN LR NM NO OX SH (ST) WK WN WS WW WY This beetle is one of our only two Lamiids which are herbicoles, its larva developing in these herbaceous plant stems:— Blessed Thistle, Carduus sp., Chrysanthemum, Hellebore, Hemp Agrimony, Hogweed, Marsh Ragwort, Marsh Thistle, Monk’s Hood (also Aconitum anthora), Mugwort, Nodding Thistle, Rough Chervil, Stinging Nettle, Wild Angelica, Wild Parsley, Wild Parsnip and Yellow Loosestrife. The larvae eat their way downwards from the top of the plants, hollowing the stem as they go, sometimes as far as the roots, where they pupate. Metamorphosis lasts from one to two years. After eclosion the adults crawl up the host plant to browse in the flowerheads; they rarely leave the BRITISH LAMIIDAE 191 former to fly to other blossoms, although they have been beaten off willows and sallows. The beetle is very wary and on approaching danger drops instantly into the usually dense herbage below where it is difficult to find. When captured it stridulates and also emits a smell which has been likened to that of a snuffed out candle. Agapanthia is found from April onwards until October. Formerly regarded as rare, although Fowler (1890) recorded taking it in very large quantities, there is modern evidence indicating that it is slowly spreading and quite common in certain localities. Adults are perhaps best found shortly after dawn when the flowers are still covered with dew. Wider distribution of this distinctive beetle, with its heavily patterned yellowish body pubescence and villous limbs and antennae, is unlikely to be encouraged by the wholesale mowing of grass verges and meadows where thistles and Heracleum proliferate. Known as A. /ineatocollis (Donovan, 1797) in most of our earlier lists, Agapanthia eventually appeared under its present specific name of villosoviridescens in the Hudson Beare catalogue of 1930. Donisthorpe (Fowler & Donisthorpe, 1913) draws attention to a melanic form of the beetle which occurred at Wicken Fen, Cambs, in 1899, now in his cabinet at the Natural History Museum, Kensington. The National Collections also contain a similar black variety found by Revd C.E. Tottenham in 1929 in the same locality. Acknowledgements Grateful thanks for their information are expressed to A.A. Allen, Esq, Miss I. Baldwin, Royal Scottish Museum, Dr M. Darby, Dr P.S. Hyman, D.R. Nash Esq, Prof. J.A. Owen and Mrs S.L. Shute, Dept of Ento- mology, British Museum (Natural History). References Aurivillius, C., 1923. Lamiinae in Junk, W. & Schenkling, S., Coleopterorum Catalogus, 74: 428-429; 464. Berlin. Bartlett, C., 1918. Acanthocinus aedilis L. in N. Devon, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 54: 137-138. Beare, T. Hudson, 1930. A catalogue of the recorded Coleoptera of the British Isles. London. Bily, S. & Mehl, O., 1989. Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) of Fennoscandia and Denmark. Leiden and Copenhagen. Chinery, M., 1986. Insects of Britain and Western Europe. London. Cooter, J. & Cribb, P.W., 1975. A Coleopterist’s Handbook. 2nd ed. Feltham. Curtis, J., 1837. A guide to the arrangement of British Insects, Coleoptera: 71. 2nd ed. London. Demelt, C. von, 1966. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands, 52: 2. Bockkafer oder Ceram- bycidae, 1. Jena. Donovan, E., 1793. The natural history of British Insects, 2. London. 192 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Duffy, E.A.J., 1953. A monograph of the immature stages of British and imported Timber Beetles (Cerambycidae). London. Fowler, W.W., 1890. The Coleoptera of the British Islands, 4. London... — , & Donisthorpe, H.St.J.K., 1913. [bid., 6 (Supplement). London. Fraser, M.G., 1949. Acanthocinus aedilis L. (Col.: Cerambycidae) imported into Liverpool, Lancs, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 85: 18. Freude, H., Harde, K.W. & Lohse, G.A., 1966. Die Kdfer Mitteleuropas, 9. Krefeld. Hansen, V., 1966. Biller, 22. Traebukke Danmarks Fauna. Copenhagen. (Text in Danish.) Harde, K.W., 1984. A field guide in colour to Beetles. English ed., Hammond, P.M. London. Hickin, N., 1987. Longhorn Beetles of the British Isles. Princes Risborough. Joy, N.H., 1976. A practical handbook of British Beetles. 2 vols. 2nd ed. Faringdon. Kaufmann, R.R. Uhthoff-, 1948. Notes on the distribution of the British Longicorn Coleoptera, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 84: 66-85. — , 1948. An annotated list of the Scottish Longicorn Coleoptera, Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edin., 23(2): 83-94. — , 1989. Browne versus Watson: Round two. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 101: 61-63. Klausnitzer, B. & Sander, F., 1981. Die Bockkdfer Mitteleuropas. Wittenberg Lutherstadt. Kloet, G.S. & Hincks, W.D., 1977. Check list of British Insects, 11(3), Strepsiptera and Coleoptera: 71. London. Kontkanen, P., 1929. Zur Biologie der Acanthocinus aedilis L. Ann. Soc. zool. bot. Vanamo, 8: 66-77. Lyneborg, L., 1977. Beetles in colour. English ed., Vevers, G. Poole. Marsham, T., 1802. Entomologia Britannica, 1. Coleoptera. London. Martyn, T., 1792. The English Entomologist, tab. 26, fs. 24-25. London. Murray, A., 1853. Catalogue of the Coleoptera of Scotland: 84. Edinburgh and London. Planet, L-M., 1924. Histoire naturelle des Longicornes de France. Paris. Rye, E.C., 1866. British Beetles. London. Samouelle, G., 1819. The Entomologist’s useful compendium. London. Scherer, G., 1988. Beetles of Britain and Europe, pl. 56, English ed. Longman Group, Harlow. Stephens, J.F., 1929. A systematic catalogue of British Insects: 197; 199. London. — , 1831. Illustrations of British Entomology, Mandibulata, 4. London. — , 1839. A manual of British Coleoptera. London. Villiers, A., 1978. Faune des Coléoptéres de France, 1. Cerambycidae. Paris. Wilson, J. & Duncan, J., 1834. Entomologia Edinensis. Coleoptera: 270. Edinburgh. Winkler, A., 1929. Catalogus Coleopterorum regionis palaearcticae, 10: 1211; 1213. Vienna. The second generation of Scopula imitaria (Hibn.) (Lep.: Geometridae) Further to B.K. West’s note (Ent. Rec. 102: 109) on occasional bivoltinism in this species, it may be of interest to note the occurrence of a single example in my garden m.v. trap on 7th September 1989. The specimen is markedly smaller and darker than the normal form.— I.V. BEAVIS, 104 St James’ Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2HH. RECORDING RARER BRITISH MOTHS 193 NATIONAL REVIEW OF THE RECORDING AND CONSERVATION OF THE RARER BRITISH MACRO-MOTHS PAUL WARING Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone Hosue, City Road, Peterborough PEI 1/Y. THERE HAS been no nationally co-ordinated approach to moth recording since 1982, when the moth recording scheme operated by the Biological Records Centre (BRC) at the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Monks Wood, closed down following the retirement of the scheme organiser, John Heath. In spite of this the level of moth recording has increased greatly. Hundreds of the original contributors to the BRC scheme are still recording and their ranks have been swelled by a much larger number of moth- trappers who have taken up the interest or developed proficiency since the 1970s. In the absence of a national recording scheme, local and country- based initiatives have proliferated, sometimes organised by private individuals often based on a local natural history society, local recording centre or county naturalists’ trust. Light traps are also operated on over sixty reserves belonging to the Royal society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and by the staff of other conservation organisations on nature reserves and elsewhere. In addition the Rothamsted Insect Survey, with nearly one hundred light traps throughout Britain, has continued monitoring moth populations since the 1960s. The result is that a huge amount of data on moths is being collected annually. In some counties this has been marshalled into recent county lists. In other counties the information is simply filed as and when it is sent in. For a recent overview of the national status, distribution, habits and habitats of the macro-moths, we must turn to Bernard Skinner’s excellent Identification Guide (Skinner, 1984) which provides a brief and general summary for each species. Heath and Emmet (1976 onwards) will provide greater detail and distribution maps but this work will not be completed for some years and the early volumes are already more than ten years old. For various reasons it has not been possible to revive the national BRC moth recording scheme to date. Meanwhile the demand for up-to-date information on moth distribution continues, particularly in conservation circles. A great deal of money and staff time is now being spent on defending and managing nature reserves and other places to benefit wildlife and moths, butterflies and other invertebrate groups are being recognised as valuable indicators of the condition of habitats and of the consequences of different types of management, with the result that information is regularly sought from us. In January 1991 a National Review of the recording and conservation of the rarer British macro-moths was launched by the Nature Conservancy Council (NCC), with the co-operation of BRC, to collate existing information and the results of current moth recording efforts to enable 194 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 more effective use of these data for conservation purposes. I shall be in charge of this project as part of my duties in JNCC’s species conservation branch and funding for the project currently exists until March 1992. It is clear from visits to local recording centres and county recorders that moth records outnumber those of any other invertebrate group. To marshal the potentially overwhelming amount of available data in the time available the aims and products of this Review have been defined in very precise terms and are as follows: 1. To prepare and circulate an up-to-date address list of county moth recorders and biological records centres so that a moth worker operating anywhere in Britain knows where to send records. This directory and notes in relevant journals will be used to promote all existing county-based recording initiatives. 2. To link all county recorders and local biological records centres into a national moth recording network to handle the data in the following way: a. Moth workers (i.e. light trap operators, hunters of larvae or anyone who regularly records moths) to be encouraged to send all moth records and correspondence in, on a county basis to the relevant county moth recorders and the entomological press. The county recorder will check incoming information for unusual or odd records, confirm them where necessary and process them in his or her usual way. A number of independent observers will be asked to comment on the network and its operations and products as a further check on quality. b. Biological records centres not already in touch with county recorders have been asked to make contact to inform them of the extent of their activities, any facilities they can offer and records they hold. c. The national review will identify and concentrate on macro-moth species which are known from less than 100 of the 10km grid squares in Britain (which is less than 3% of the grid squares). County moth recorders and biological records centres have been circulated with a provisional list of such nationally scarce species (based on Hadley 1984) and have been asked to forward only records of these species to me, together with suggestions of any other species they would like to see considered for inclusion. The list comprises just over 250 species. d. The network will be used to review and revise the above short list based on the number of post-1979 records known to the county recorders. Existing gradings into Red Data Book (Shirt 1987) and National Notable categories will be tested and adjusted if necessary. Other categories for moths which tend to be restricted to particular habitats may be introduced at a later date. RECORDING RARER BRITISH MOTHS 195 Products of the review will be: 1. Up-to-date directory of county moth recorders and local biological records centres. 2. Up-to-date distribution maps of the nationally scarce species, showing 1980s records on a 10km square basis. 3. A revised list of Red Data Book and Nationally Notable species, defined on the basis of (1) above. 4. An up-to-date inventory of all other 1980s records of RDB and notable species on existing ISR sites. It will be possible to arrange and print out this information by site or by species. 5. A booklet detailing the Red Data Book and Notable species present on National Nature Reserves. 6. A data sheet per species including statements on habitat requirements and conservation needs as far as is known. Provision exists for dealing with any records which a moth recorder may need to submit in confidence. Such records can be labelled on the computer database so that they do not print out and can be omitted from the distribution maps or ‘‘moved”’ into a nearby 10km square. All the county recorders and I would be most grateful if lepidopterists who have recorded macro-moths in the 1980s could send in their records to us if they have not already done so. (Note that, in principle, any records previously sent to any NCC office should be reaching me via our regional staff and any records sent to the Rothamsted Insect Survey or the Biological Records Centre at Monks wood will be passed to me and do not need to be sent in again.) A provisional version of the directory of addresses of county recorders and local records centres and a provisional list of the Red Data Book and Notable macro-moths are now available to all interested in moths. For these please send a self-addressed A4 sized envelope bearing a 41p stamp to me at the JNCC, Monkstone House, Peterborough PEI 1JY. Moth records are best sent direct to the relevant county recorder. If you have records from many counties and do not wish to send them separately then send them all direct to me and I shall forward them. If your records are very extensive and there is no chance of getting them all sent off by mid summer 1991, I would be grateful if you could extract the top priority records i.e. 1980 - 1990 records of the provisional RDB and Nationally Notable species, and send them direct to me. The format for all records should be: Species, vice-county or modern county, site name, six figure grid reference, reference of 10km square, date of record, numbers seen, recorder, identifier if different, reference if published e.g.: Plagodis pulveraria, Oxon v.c.23, Waterperry Wood, SP607095, SP60, 1984, 1985 and 1986. Several including larvae on hazel (Corylus avellana), P. Waring, see Waring P. 1988. Hazel as an important larval foodplant of the Barred Umber Plagodis pulveraria (Lep.: Geometridae), Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 100: 135-136. 196 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Draft non-confidential versions of distribution maps, the guide to moths on NCC reserves and data sheets will be issued to all county moth recorders and records centres in February 1992 in whatever state they have reached, and will be available on request to any other contributor of records. News concerning the progress of the Review between now and February 1992 will appear in circulars to county recorders and via the Entomologist’s Record and British Wildlife magazine. Acknowledgements I would like to thank all those who have been associated with the Invertebrate Site Register (ISR), in particular Alan Stubbs and Ian McLean for their foresight and planning in setting up the ISR and for keeping it running over the last decade, often in difficult circumstances. Special thanks are due to Stuart Ball for assembling and developing the software which allows us to file, sort, retrieve and map records of invertebrates in an efficient manner. I would also like to thank all the recorders and records centres who have agreed to support the Review and who are working, often in their spare time, to process the records, and all the moth recorders for their support of John Heath’s scheme and for their patience in transferring and adjusting to this new scheme. Thanks in advance to all lepidopterists who decide to support this Review. The success of the project will ultimately depend on your thoroughness and speed in replying to our requests for 1980s records and it cannot take place without you. References Hadley, J., 1984. A national review of British macrolepidoptera. Nature Conservancy Council (Invertebrate Site Register, unpublished report 46). Heath, J., Emmet, A.M. et. al., 1976 onwards. The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Vols. 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 (others to be published). Shirt, D.B. (ed.), 1987. British Red Data Books: 2. Insects. Nature Conservancy Council, Peterborough. Skinner, B., 1984. Colour identification guide to moths of the British Isles. Viking. Harmondsworth, Middlesex. Sparganothis pilleriana D. & S. (Lep.: Tortricidae) in North Wales Except for an old record from Glamorgan v.c.41 pre 1905, this species is found in the southern counties of England. I have seen a pale species of Tortricid several times near Llandudno v.c.49 and eventually took this species on the Great Orme (SH7583) on 29.vi.90. The larva is polyphagous on various plants and is injurious to grape vines in Europe. Clematis vitalba was growing near where the moth was found and may be the local foodplant.— H.N. MICHAELIS, 5 Glan-y-Mor, Glan Conwy, Colwyn Bay LL28 STA. PROTECTED BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 197 PROTECTED BRITISH BUTTERFLIES: INTERPRETATION OF SECTION 9 AND SCHEDULE 5 OF THE WILDLIFE AND COUNTRYSIDE ACT 1981 ALAN E. STUBBS Chief Scientist Directorate, Nature Conservancy Council. THE CONSERVATION of Wild Creatures and Wild Plants Act 1975 gave full protection to the Large Blue butterfly. There was no ambiguity. Taking, killing or injuring of specimens in the wild or any form of trading was illegal unless authorised by means of a licence issued by the Department of the Environment who consu!ted the Nature Conservancy Council before issuing licences. This Act was succeeded by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which gave full protection to a wider list of invertebrates listed in Schedule 5. The Large Blue was joined by the Heath Fritillary, the Chequered Skipper and the Swallowtail. As a result of widely expressed concern over the scale and nature of trading, NCC subsequently recommended in its Quinquennial Review of Schedule 5 in 1986 that the trade in twenty-two scarce species of native butterflies be permitted only under licence. The purpose was to monitor the trade, without affecting an individual’s wish to take animals for personal study. The same review recommended that the Chequered Skipper should no longer be afforded full protection. Instead it was placed on the list of species requiring a licence before being sold. This demonstrated the flexibility of the legislation to afford species only the legal protection which their status in the wild warranted. The recommendation relating to these 22 species had to be implemented through an Order made by the Secretary of State for the Environment which came into effect on 28th June 1989. Implementation is carried out by the Department of the Environment’s Wildlife Division in Bristol. There have been many doubts and some inconsistencies, in the interpre- tation of the 1981 Act in relation to both the fully protected butterflies and the additional 22. In order to clarify the position DoE wrote to NCC to help clarify the situation for everyone. “1. Except for those which are captive-bred, all specimens of species of butterflies listed on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are covered by the relevant provisions of the Act regardless of stage or country of origin. 2. Consequently, sale of any specimens of the 22 partially protected and three fully protected species is illegal unless: a. thespecimens were bred in captivity or b. asale licence issued by the Department is held.”’ [Note: Following the split of NCC in April 1991, enquiries should be addressed to Dr. S. Ball, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, Peterborough PE1 1JY.] 198 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 The following points need emphasis. — It is illegal to take in the wild (even to net and immediately release) the three fully protected species without a licence. It is legal to capture all other British butterflies but responsible entomologists will of course recognise the need not to damage wild populations in doing this. — ‘‘Wild’’ butterflies, i.e. those whose sale is restricted, are defined as butterflies which were, before they were taken, living wild. Note that this applies to wild-taken eggs, larvae and pupae as well as adults and to any bred on stage of a wild-caught individual (but not to its offspring). — Nolicence is required to sell captive-bred stock. — It is the full nominate species that is covered by the Act. Foreign wild- caught specimens require a licence to trade even if they are of a non- British sub-species. — In any prosecution, the butterflies would be considered to be ‘‘wild- taken’’ unless the trader can show irrefutable evidence to the contrary. The maximum fine per specimen (even an egg) is £2,000. — Theword “‘sale’’ includes hire, barter, exchange etc. The exact wording of the relevant part of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (Section 9(5)) is as follows: “Tf any person— sells, offers or exposes for sale, or has in his possession or transports for the purpose of sale, any live or dead wild animal included in Schedule 5, or any part of, or anything derived from, such an animal; or publishes or causes to be published any advertisement likely to be understood as conveying that he buys or sells, or intends to buy or sell, any of those things he shall be guilty of an offence.’’ In conclusion, this legislation has two purposes. First to ensure that wild populations of the three fully protected species remain safe from any collecting or trading. Secondly to monitor trading of the 22 scarcer species. Examples of unscrupulous exploitation may be few, but those that do occur need firm action. Responsible traders have no cause for alarm, indeed through the licensing system their critics will be fairly answered. It is the unacceptable elements of trading which will be most affected by the law. NCC is confident that the vast majority in the entomological community will abide by these controls and help to ensure that others abide by them also. This note has been agreed by DoE and is published so that all concerned have the same set of guidelines. PROTECTED BRITISH BUTTERFLIES 199 List of butterflies on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 with respect to the provisions of Section 9(5) (Sale etc) only. Argus, northern brown Aricia artaxerxes Blue, adonis Lysandra bellargus Blue, chalkhill Lysandra corydon Blue, silver-studded Plebejus argus Blue, small, Cupido minimus Copper, large Lycaena dispar Emperor, purple Apatura iris Fritillary, Duke of Burgundy Hamearis lucina Fritillary, Glanville Melitaea cinxia Fritillary, high brown Argynnis adippe Fritillary, marsh Eurodryas aurinia Fritillary, pearl-bordered Bolaria euphrosyne Hairstreak, black Strymonidia pruni Hairstreak, brown Thecla betulae Hairstreak, white letter Strymonidia w-album Heath, large Coenonympha tullia Ringlet, mountain Erebia epiphron Skipper, chequered Carterocephalus palaemon Skipper, Lulworth Thymelicus acteon Skipper, silver-spotted Hesperia comma Tortoiseshell, large Nymphalis polychloros White, wood Leptidea sinapis Fully protected butterflies on Schedule 5 Blue, large Maculinea arion Fritillary, Heath Mellicta athalia (otherwise known as Melitaea athalia) Swallowtail Papilio machaon Social Wasps Vespula spp. attacking Aeshna hawker dragonflies and Silver Y moth Autographa gamma L. (Lep.: Noctuidae) Early in 1989, I was asked by the editor of the BBC Wildlife Magazine to write an answer to a question from a reader, Mr Ashley Cox of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, concerning his observation, on 10th August 1988, of a social wasp Vespula sp. (Hym.: Vespidae) apparently making a frenzied attack upon a Migrant Hawker dragonfly Aeshna mixta Latreille (Odon.: Aeshnidae) which had fallen, struggling, on the lawn in his garden. In my published reply BBC Wildlife 7 (1989): 226, I remarked that I had not personally witnessed such an attack on a large dragonfly and had also been unable, in the time available, to find any references of similar attacks in the literature. Recently, however, I chanced to come upon a note of mine, which I had long forgotten, published under the Wildlife and Tame 200 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Column in The Countryman magazine (82 (1977): 179), about a wasp Vespula sp. attacking a Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea (Miiller) with a damaged wing which I had repaired one day in August, 1976, placing the dragonfly on an unused bird table to recover. Also by chance, when searching through my natural history journals for something else, I came upon another forgotten observation of mine; this time of a wasp Vespula sp. which attacked a fresh Silver Y moth Autographa gamma L. which was feeding from ivy blossoms in the grounds of Broadcasting House in Bristol on 17th September 1982. In the space of five minutes, it removed all the moth’s wings, except for one of the hindwings, and then cut it up and flew off with the whole of its head and thorax, leaving only the abdomen. By the time it had completeed its butchery, the wasp was almost entirely covered with the moth’s greyish- brown scales.— JOHN F. BURTON, Wasserturmstrasse 53, W-6904 Eppelheim, Germany. The Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and Large Copper (Lycaena dispar batavus) at Wicken fen. I fear that in his interesting reminiscences in the March/April issue of The Record, Mr E.P. Wiltshire was either singularly unfortunate in not coming across either of these butterflies when he visited Wicken Fen between 1928-32 or he has confused the locality or dates he visited, for both species were then present on the fen during the 1930s and there was certainly no need to go off to the Norfolk Broads for Swallowtails at that time. In 1927, the year before he came up from Cambridge, Swallowtails were ‘‘in considerable numbers’’ on the fen and ‘‘flying in the cottage gardens’’ (Demuth, 1984 Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 96: 264-272). I first visited Wicken Fen in 1941, ten years later than Mr Wiltshire, and at this time Swallowtails were still on the fen and in the cottage gardens but, like so many other things then, they were rationed. The allowance, stated on my permit, being six specimens (of any stage) per year. Armed with this permit I found plenty of larvae, but having then no means of supplying them with food back at my ’’digs’’, I confined myself to catching a couple of adults, which was no easy task. When I again visited the fen in 1946 Swallowtails were still to be seen and found as larvae but after the great floods of 1947 they were gone by 1950. It was in 1954 that the first re-introduction attempt was made. The Large Copper subspecies batavus was introduced to Wicken in 1930 and survived there until 1942. It seems very probable that its demise then was due to the disturbance of ploughing and draining part of Wicken for wartime food production. I do not remember seeing it there in 1941, but this would not have been easy in any case, for it was largely confined to the southern area known as Adventurers Fen, accessible only by boat or swimming for it.— BRIAN O.C. GARDINER, 2 Highfield Avenue, Cambridge CB4 2AL. MAPS FOR MICROLEPIDOPTERA 201 THE DISTRIBUTION MAPS OF THE BRITISH MICRO— LEPIDOPTERA: A SERVICE FOR LEPIDOPTERISTS A.M. EMMET Labrey Cottage, Victoria Gardens, Saffron Walden, Essex CBI] 3AF. IN The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland the distribution of the Microlepidoptera is shown by maps constructed on a vice-county basis. Apart from a very few that are extinct or lack claim to their place on the British list, every species has its map. There are about 1500 species of Microlepidoptera in Britain and maps for the first 400 have already been published in Volumes 1 and 2. However, these printed maps, especially those in Volume 1, are now out of date; many species have twice the number of vice-county records and some more than three times. As an example, the map in MBGBI 1 for Stigmella atricapitella (Haworth) shows 29 vice-county records; now there are 92. These additional records have been plotted on a set of manuscript maps. For the remaining 1100 species, distribution maps are already in existence for all families except the Pterophoridae, and their maps should be available before this article is printed. Most authors for MBGBI make the preparation of the maps their first task, since they learn much about each species in the process. They conduct a thorough search of the literature and often come upon valuable information concerning behaviour or the early stages. They scan collections, especially those held by museums, frequently encountering interesting misidentifications. They badger their fellow entomologsts for their records, often a very profitable enterprise. For two consecutive years I showed the distribution maps for the Coleophoridae at the Annual Exhibition of the British Entomological & Natural History Society and this resulted in my receiving over 700 new vice- county records for the family, many of them for the common species entomologists seldom bother to include in their lists. As an example of the coverage, Coleophora serratella (Linnaeus) is now recorded from every vice-county in mainland Great Britain except v.c.109; Irish records, however, are still very sparse. The maps are there but it will be many years before all of them are published. Readers get impatient at the slow rate at which the volumes of MBGBI appear. They should remember that it took Haworth 25 years to produce the four volumes of Lepidoptera Britannica and it took Ochsenheimer and Treitschke 29 years for Die Schmetterlinge von Europa; moreover, in the early 19th century there was less to be said about each species. There is so much demand for the information given on the maps that it seems desirable to make it accessible before publication. This has been made possible by having all the maps duplicated. The master copy remains with the MBGBI author and the duplicate is lodged with me as editor. An added advantage is that new entries can now be made on either map. Many collectors send 202 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 me their records and in the case of the less diligent authors my own entries far exceed theirs. I write the data for each entry on the back of the map and at intervals the authors and I can scan each other’s maps and bring them up to date. An entomologist requiring information has only to write to me. Currently or in the recent past compilers of lists for 17 counties have been in touch with me to the mutual benefit of both parties. One county still in the early stages of preparation sent me their computerised list comprising 416 species of Microlepidoptera; to these I was able to add another 469 species and in return I received from them 158 new records for their two vice-counties. In the case of another county, too, I was able to double their total. The maps also show which species on their list are outside their normal range. Such records are not necessarily based on mis-identification, but the probability is that that is the case; if the specimen is extant it can be re-examined and if necessary dissected. Some records, like those of Agonopterix cnicella (Treitschke) and Epischnia bankesiella Richardson from an inland county in eastern England, can be summarily dismissed. Many county recorders have a limited knowledge of entomological history and when, for example, they encounter a record for a species that has changed its name like Crambus pratella, it is all too easy for them to assign it wrongly. This is another area where I can help. The individual collector can also make use of the service I can offer. If he has taken a rare species, he can check with me whether it is a new county record and if he wants the full distribution for a paper he is preparing, he has only to ask. Recently in one of the journals, I read ‘‘New to Scotland’’; my maps show two prior unpublished Scottish records. The MBGBI maps are not a substitute for county lists. They give only a single voucher record for each vice-county, or occasionally a second where an early record has been updated. The data accompanying the record is often of value in drawing attention to a useful source or in giving the name of a collector who has worked the area and may have other information to offer. I should point out that for many families I have only the information on the face of the map and if an inquirer needs the source of a record I have to instruct him to write to the relevant MBGBI author.. Inevitably, the source of some of the records has been lost. My motive in establishing the service the duplicate maps make possible is to elicit more records from you. The more comprehensive the maps are, the greater their value. I have already pointed out the importance of recording common species as well as those that are rare. In the past, macro- lepidopterists used to send their records to the Biological Records Centre at Monks Wood; if microlepidopterists send their records to me, as some do already, our knowledge of distribution will be quickly extended. The two least-well recorded counties in England are Northamptonshire (v.c.32) and Leicestershire (v.c.55); do you have records of either of them? MIGRANTS IN DEVON, 1990 203 A MIGRATION OF LEPIDOPTERA IN SOUTH DEVON, AUTUMN 1990 P.J. BAKER Mount Vale, The Drive, Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4BP. AT FIRST, our journey to Branscombe in South Devon on Saturday 29th September did not seem propitious. Traffic on the A303 was heavy as were the showers which came on with increasing frequency the further west we travelled. When at long last we arrived at our destination the showers had coalesced into a continuous downpour — much to the delight of the local populace who were welcoming the first rain in four months. We grockles viewed the lowering skies and sodden vegetation with less enthusiasm and had fleeting thoughts of a rapid return to the desert conditions of Surrey next day. To celebrate our arrival the rain eased long enough for us to get installed in our accommodation without getting drowned. An hour later, fortified with a pot of tea, the recommencing rain did not seem so bad and, anyway, it was remarkably warm for the time of year. So, after donning shorts and track shoes, enough driftwood was collected to build a platform on the nearby cliff face, on which a light trap was installed. Towards midnight a myopic glance at the trap showed something which, from a distance, looked like an out of focus stone or caddis fly. Closer inspection produced an Utetheisa pulchella (L.), never before seen but instantly recognised — and there was this hapless author, minus spectacles and with all the gear in the car parked some fifty yards away. The necessary trip to and from the vehicle, including a detour to collect the keys, was covered in record time and a beautiful Speckled Footman was secured. Even one’s wife was impressed enough to remark that it was nice to see something, stated to bea bit special, which looked a little different. Next morning the trap contained, apart from the usual local residents, a couple of dozen each of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufn.) and Autographa gamma (L.), and five Udea ferrugalis (Hiibn.). Whilst clearing up, a second U. pulchella was found on a nearby wall and a third, which was flushed up, flew off into the wild blue yonder. Sunday the 30th continued very warm with showers which increased towards dusk. At Beer, Pieris brassicae (L.) was seen to be regularly coming in from the sea — say one every five minutes or so — and then heading in a generally easterly direction overland. This presumed migration was conspicuous for the whole of our stay in the area and was noted over a front which extended from Sidmouth in the west to Lyme Regis in the east, whenever flying conditions seemed good and even when they did not, such as at dusk and even in quite heavy rain. Several Vanessa atalanta (L.) anda Cynthia cardui (L.) were also noted flying to the east but these were not seen to come in from the sea. 204 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 That night back at Branscombe was very warm and muggy. Much time was spent hovering around the light with the obvious in mind but to no avail. An early arrival was Agrius convolvuli (L.) together with a vast number of A. ipsilon, A. segetum (D. & S.), Peridroma saucia (Hiibn.) and A. gamma, about twenty U. ferrugalis and ten Nomophila noctuella (D. & S.). Next morning the trap held a single Rhodometria sacraria (L.) and a second A. convolvuli with a third being found later at the lights of the nearby public toilets. When the trap was cleared a very small moth was buzzing around in the empty case and proved impossible to box until it settled in a very characteristic posture with its wings, like a pitched roof, over its abdomen. Completely unknown to me, it was boxed with bated breath and — much later — was identified as the Pyralid Hellula undalis (Fabr.) This insect was first recorded from East Prawle, some forty-five . miles to the south-west, in 1967 and has been subsequently noted in very small numbers from other spots along the south coast. The weather continued very much as yesterday and a non-entomological visit to Budleigh Salterton produced large numbers of P. brassicae and about as many P. rapae (L.). These were seen everywhere and especially about the municipal flower beds. Many were noted on the wing but no particular movement pattern was obvious. Back at Branscombe in the afternoon the dog, whilst chasing a rabbit, flushed an U. pulchella from bracken. This flew quite slowly and steadily in a straight line for some one hundred meters before settling on the vegetation once more. Was this the specimen which got away a couple of days earlier? Heavy rain at dusk was not promising and things were very quiet at first before giving the best night so far. The common species previously seen were present in ever greater numbers and four forms of A. gamma were obvious. A large brightly marked form, one slightly smaller and less clearly marked, two specimens of the melanic form and about ten A. gamma gamina (Stgdr.). N. noctuella was also present in two forms, one with dark markings on a lighter ground and the other more unicolorous. Three R. sacraria with very red cross lines were seen with new species Mythimna vitellina (Hiibn.) and two Heliothis armigera (Hiibn.). And that was the end of play . . . almost. Tuesday 2nd October gave longer brighter periods with a sharp drop in temperature and the wind round to the east. The night was at first clear with a superb full moon and rain later. The light produced fourteen A. ipsilon, singletons of A. gamma and P. saucia with a second H. undalis, which made the landing back to earth more gentle. The rest of the week gave an even brighter moon, stronger easterly winds and four moths at two lights on the Thursday. Still, it was a memorable holiday which we plan to repeat in 1991 in the hope that our visit will once again coincide with a mass exodus from the Continent. Reference Goater, P.J.B. (1986) British Pyralid moths. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 205 Hazards of butterfly collecting — the Monarchs of Mexico, December 1990 After concluding some business in Mexico City, I began to organise a visit to the winter roosts of the Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) with some trepidation. Due to the influx of Xmas tourists a car proved almost impossible to get hold of. My advance information was patchy and contradictory. I was assured that if I survived the predations of the traffic police (said to collect twice their pittance of a salary in spurious fines) then I would fall prey to bands of marauders (do not resist was the general advice). Chances that I would return with either of my two cameras were not rated high. In addition, I would not be able to see the Monarchs because of cloud, but that was anyhow academic, since any meal out of a five star hotel in Mexico City would give me a case of Montezuma’s revenge which would preclude my reaching the site. In fact, much better once again to see the excellent National Geographic film about the Monarchs. I am, fortunately, quite used to this kind of talk and decided to go ahead, though still with some nervousness. After all, car hire for two days, no information on local hotels, no working knowledge of Spanish, etc, is a fairly hefty investment of risk, time, and resources. And suppose it were to be a disappointment — like the shock my wife received when she saw how tiny was the famous Little Mermaid in Copenhagen? Would it be worth it? Would I even be able to find the site? From the little villages of Ocampo and Angangueo some rather atrocious roads wind up to the Monarch roost, but my little Mexican-built VW Beetle devoured them with the same pleasure as my old Beetle did the Lebanese roads longer ago than I care to think about. We were going up from 2,000 to about 3,000 metres and during an hour’s drive saw but three Monarchs, despite the fact that it was a clear day which was warming up nicely. Suddenly I was among the Monarchs. As the car drove up the last bit of road towards the forest, thousands of Monarchs cascaded down, their wings two thirds open, with hardly a movement. Where two rivulets joined a minor tornado of Monarchs danced exuberantly. This activity increased in density and intensity as I edged further towards the forest and parked my car. Monarchs were everywhere, smothering flowers, but especially coming to pools of water in vast numbers. This was it. I need not have worried. I had seen nothing yet. As I entered the forest the tall pines (Abies religiosa) were festooned with basking Monarchs, their wings open, warming up for flight. Thousands were flying down the mountain towards the open land below, though they never move more than a few kilometres from the roost. The ground was littered with Monarchs still not warm enough to fly. But the real sight covers a swathe of pines perhaps 200 by 200 metres, a bit further up the mountain. Here, in denser forest where little light penetrates the closed canopy, are the real roosts, at an altitude of 2,800 - 3,100 metres. Every pine tree is covered in Monarchs, quite literally, to the extent that not a 206 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 green pine needle can be seen. From the air it would look like a very sick patch of pines in a sea of green. It has been estimated that the roost contains some 35 million butterflies; I make that about a thousand per square metre. It is quite mind-boggling! As the day heats up and as the sun begins to penetrate the main roosts, the trees become increasingly orange, as many individuals open their wings to bask, eventually to fly off. The whirring of millions of wings is a constant background noise. When there is no sun the Monarchs cannot fly. Their roosts are chosen in an area where the ambient temperature ranges from 2 to 12 degrees centigrade; their dense clustering is a defence against those occasional days when there is frost, as well as to deter predators. As usual, no defence is perfect. The forest floor is littered with Monarch bodies and wings. Two species of birds and a mouse have managed to adapt to the powerful alkaloids which deter most predators. However, the best estimate is that 90 percent of these winter visitors survive, and hail storms account for more of the mortality than predators do. There are three main roosts, each with 30 - 40 million Monarchs, and nine or ten much smaller roosts. They are all under identical ecological conditions in an area of not much more than a hundred square kilometres, yet all Monarchs from the eastern USA and Canada reach these roosts. During the walk down to the car in the late afternoon, the Monarchs were making their way back up. Stop for a moment in a ray of sunshine, and four or five will settle on your shirt to drink up that little bit of extra heat needed to get them safely back to their roosts. The night is spent in a lovely little hotel ($12 for the night, and $3 for a three-course meal). Montezuma was not out to get me. The traffic police waved politely. I was ready to face the 48-hour journey back to Botswana, rather improbably touching Montreal, Madrid, London and Lusaka on the way. I need not have worried about the Monarchs. No matter how well you know them intellectually, no matter how many films you have seen, once you stand there, you stand in awe.—T.B. LARSEN, 358 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL. Thera juniperata Thunberg in eastern Ireland. On 27.x.1986, one of us (JKE) took an unfamiliar looking geometrid at Newbridge, Co. Kildare (Irish grid ref. N803142). Just over two years later, on the evening of 5.xi.1988, KGMB took a similar specimen at Stepaside, Co. Dublin GR 0192242). Comparison with the illustrations in Skinner B. (1984. Colour identification guide to moths of the British Isles. Viking, Harmondsworth) indicates that both specimens are examples of Thera jJuniperata juniperata Thunberg. In Ireland T. juniperata has up to now only been reported from the Burren, Co. Clare and Connemara, Co. Galway (Baynes, E.S.A., 1964. A revised catalogue of the Irish Macrolepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths). E.W. Classey Ltd., Hampton,. Middlesex), but the form found in those areas is considered to be a distinct NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 207 Irish race, intermediate in size between the nominate form and T. Juniperata scotica White, and with a paler colour than the former (Skinner, loc. cit.). The Newbridge and Stepaside specimens have a greyer ground colour and broader wings than two examples in the possession of KGMB, labelled ‘‘[bred] Burren, Co. Clare Eire; 30.ix.1964; E.S.A. Baynes’’. It is possible that some of the difference in ground colour is due to ageing of the Burren specimens. The Burren specimens, both males, have wingspans of about 23mm and 25mm respectively, while the Newbridge specimen, also a male, has a wingspan of 25mm, and that of the Stepaside specimen, a female, is 23mm. The recent discovery of a form of Thera juniperata in eastern Ireland more closely resembling the nominate form, and which is here tentatively ascribed to it, suggests that the species has been introduced into the area along with the foodplant, either from Britain, or from continental Europe. The Stepaside specimen was caught in a suburban locality in which several small juniper bushes were noticed in the immediate vicnity. The Newbridge specimen was found in a similar locality, in an almost ten-year-old housing estate, in which juniper bushes are likely to have been planted at least six years ago.— K.G.M. BOND, Zoology Department, University College, Cork, Eire. J.K. EARLY, Geology Department, University College, Belfield, Dublin 4, Eire. Hentomological spelling. I can readily sympathise with Mr P. Roper (antea: 97) in his bewilderment over the various perversions, oddities, and apparent personal quirks in the spelling of names based on those of places. In a priority-based system these doubtless have to be preserved, and it is probably beyond anyone’s reason to explain them all. However, I can, perhaps, suggest a reason for the odd spelling rhoumensis for the race of the Small Heath on Rum. I would guess that the original form of the island’s name was Innis na Dhruim, ‘‘island of the ridge’’, i.e. a ridge or ‘‘backbone’’ of mountains. (The radical form druim is the origin of the element Drum- in Scottish and Irish place-names.) Now this dhruim (not to enter too deeply into Gaelic phonology) would sound, roughly, something like ‘‘rhoom’’ or ‘‘rhoum’’ — certainly not like English ‘‘rum’’. Hence rhoumensis could be held to be a more phonetic spelling than rumensis, while the latter would have been preferable on grounds of simplicity. As to the Romans, I doubt if they knew the island; but if so, I expect they would have called it quite simply Insula Ruma. (The diphthong ‘‘ou’’ became disused early in the history of Latin, old ‘‘ou’’s becoming ‘‘u’’s.) The case of Daboecia is quite different: it was evidently a blunder on someone’s part, possibly a printer’s but more likely, I think, a /apsus calami by the author or a copyist. He must have meant to write Dabeocia, but the termination -oecia, so common in scientific names (Greek oikos 208 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 ‘‘habitation’’) could by a slip very easily have been written instead of -eocia. I agree with Mr Roper’s implication that obvious original errors of this kind ought to be corrigible; there can be nothing sacrosanct about them. I understand that the Rules do permit correction of spellings where a /apsus or misprint is evident, but I think more use should be made of this escape- clause. Misprints and misreadings are no doubt at the root of most such cases. Should an author really be at the mercy of his printer in this way for the rest of time?— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. Migrant Lepidoptera in Cornwall, September and October 1990. For many years I have visited Cornwall during the month of October in the hope of finding some of the more interesting migrants which visit our shores. We spent the week from the 28th September to 5th October in a delightful cottage on a wooded hillside overlooking Gillan Creek, Helford River, near Falmouth (Ref. SW 781253). The first evening produced only a few common migrants but things improved on 29th when two Orthonoma obstipata Fabr. and a single Spodoptera exigua Hb. came to light, the first species I have not seen for many years and the second was completely new to me. However, the undoubted entomological highlight of the year came on the Ist October when two Ufetheisa puchella Linn. (both males) were recorded together with a female Heliothis armigera D. & S. and a single Palpita unionalis Hb. Despite running the light for the rest of the week there were no more migrants of note. During the day I was very pleased to be able to record Macroglossum stellatarum Linn. on three occasions in various parts of Cornwall and a large number of Vanessa atalanta Linn. including nine on one sunny bank of ivy at Gillan Creek on the 4.10.90 and several Vanessa cardui Linn. A complete list from Gillan Creek is given below: Palpita unionalis Hb. 29.9.90, 1.10.90; Rhodometra sacraria Linn. The Vestal. 29.9.90, two on 30.9.90, and two more on 1.10.90. Orthonama obstiata Fabricius, The Gem. Two on 29.9.90. Utetheisa pulchella Linn, Crimson Speckled Footman. Two on 1.10.90. Mythimna_ vitellina Hiibner, The Delicate. Two on 28.9.90, two on 1.10.90. Mythimna unipuncta Haworth, White-speck. Two on 28.9.90, two on 1.10.90, 4.10.90. Spodoptera exigua Hiibner, Small Mottled Willow. One on 29.9.90. Heliothis armigera D. & S., Scarce Bordered Straw. A single female to light on 1.10.90. Heliothis peltigera D. & S., Bordered Straw. One on 29.9.90. Autographa gamma Linn., Silver Y. 28.9.90, 3.10.90, 4.10.90. Macroglossum stellatarum Linn., Hummingbird Hawkmoth, 30.9.90, Trelowarren, near Gweek, Helston SW719239, 1.10.90 Gillan Creek, Falmouth, 3.10.90 St Mawes, Cornwall SW 855332.— COLIN HART, Fourpenny Cottage, Dungate Lane, Bletchworth, Surrey RH3 7BD. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 209 Unseasonal Colostygia multistrigaria Haw. (Lep.: Geometridae) On 30th November 1990, a female Co/ostygia multistrigaria, the Mottled Grey, in good condition, was taken at a Rothamsted light trap at Aberporth, north of Cardigan, West Wales. November had been a relatively mild month with a little frost in the first few days, and again at the end of the month, but with high night temperatures during the middle two weeks. What initiated this early emergence is a mystery because although the minimum temperature on 30th November was 3°C, the three previous nights recorded frosts of —2°C, —3°C, and —2°C. My thanks to Adrian Riley for confirming my identification.— I.J.L. TILLOTSON, Cyngor Gworchod Natur, Plas Gogerddon, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EE. Oligostigma polydectalis Walker (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Cambridgeshire Oligostigma polydectalis was ‘‘originally described from Australia, and is known to range from there through Malaysia’ (Goater, B. (1986), British Pyralid Moths, Harley Books, Colchester). So far only five specimens of this distinctive tropical china-mark moth appear to have been recorded in the British Isles. Four were found at aquatic nurseries at Enfield between 1978 and 1979 (Agassiz, D.J.L., 1981, Entomologist’s Gaz., 32: 25-26), and one was found at Escot in Devon in 1988 (Heckford, R.J., 1988, Entomologist’s Gaz. 39: 275). On 9th May 1988 I found a single adult male O. polydectalis at rest on the underside of the glass cover of a tropical fish tank in a domestic house in St Ives, Cambridgeshire. The tank was well stocked with a variety of tropical fish and aquatic plants. The latter were obtained from a local retailer who are supplied by Ampthill Aquatics at Theydon Bois in Essex. Despite a careful search in the fish tank I found no evidence of larval feeding or the empty pupal case. I would like to thank Canon D.J.L. Agassiz for confirming that, as far as he is aware, there are no other British records for this species.— J.N. GREATOREX-DAVIES, The Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Monks Wood Experimental Station, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambs PE17 2LS. An alternative larval foodplant for Coleophora prunifoliae Doets In late February 1991 near Trowbridge in Wiltshire I found myself close to an area of Prunus spinosa where I had discovered cases of C. prunifoliae a few years previously. Just as a matter of interest I decided to check on the present status of C. prunifoliae in the locality and a few minutes search revealed several cases. A day or so later I recollected that the previous May I had noted the evidence of Coleophora activity on some bushes of Prunus cerasifera in the same locality but an intensive search at the time failed to reveal the culprits. A few days later on Ist March I decided to mount a 210 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 search for hibernating larvae of C. prunifoliae on these P. cerasifera bushes and found a few cases without difficulty. These particular bushes of P. cerasifera have the advantage that no P. spinosa is growing immediately nearby, therefore eliminating the possiblity of the larvae having originated on P. spinosa and moving to the P. cerasifera for hibernation. I doubt if the small larvae would be likely to move far from their original feeding area for hibernation anyway, but one likes to be certain. This would therefore seem to indicate that P. cerasifera is an alternative foodplant for C. prunifoliae.— H. SMITH, 42 Bellefield Crescent, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 8SR. Holly Blue in N.W. Kent. A.A. Allen in his account of butterflies in the Woolwich (S.E. London) district in 1990 (Ent. Rec. 103: 77-78) says that there was a poor and sporadic showing of the Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus, despite its having done so well elsewhere in Britain in the last two years. I am pleased to report that it was abundant in Greenwich Park a mile or two west of Woolwich and also in some of the suburban streets in the area.— PATRICK ROPER, South View, Sedlescombe, Battle, East Sussex TN33 OPE. Eremobia ochroleuca D. & S. Dusky Sallow, (Lep.: Noctuidae) in North Wales. The distribution map in Volume 10 of Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (Heath, J. & Emmet, A.M. (1983) Harley, Colchester) shows mainly eastern and south-eastern records in England with two isolated records in Glamorgan (v.c.41). This moth has been reported from north Wales as follows: Borras near Wrexham v.c.50 (SJ3633) on 15.viii.82 by J.B. Formstone and one from Glanwyddan near Llandudno v.c.49 (SH8079) on 10.vii.86 — my own record. Both were found in daytime flying round Compositae. The species is reported to be spreading westward in recent years; the other record I have is from Wilmslow, Cheshire (v.c.58) in 1944.— H.N. MICHAELIS, 5 Glan-y-Mor, Glan Conwy, Colwyn Bay LL28 5TA. Photedes pygmina Haw., Callistege mi Cl., Laspeyria flexula D. & S. and Rivula sericealis Scop. (Lep.: Noctuidae) observed feeding. The above species are described by Heath, J. and Emmet, A.M. (Moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 10. Harley, Colchester, 1983) as apparently never feeding in the adult stage, but the following records show they may do so occasionally. Photedes pygmina, Small Wainscot: a female on a sugared fencepost, 6.9.90. Banffshire; two others on 14.9.90. In each case the rather short haustellum was clearly extended and in contact with the sugar. Callistege mi, Mother Shipton: a photograph taken by my wife fortuitously shows one with its haustellum inserted into a Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) flower on 9.6.84 near Lewes, Sussex. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 211 Laspeyria flexula, Beautiful Hook-tip: three singles. all females, at rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium) flowers in July 1988 near Lewes, sussex. Rivula sericealis, Straw Dot: fairly common at honeydew on nettles in June 1988 near Lewes, Sussex. — ROY LEVERTON, Whitewells, Ordiquhill, Cornhill, Banffshire AB45 2HS. Correction The caption to figure 6 in the paper on Chrysodeixis chalcites published in Ent. Rec. 103 p.15 was incorrect and should be replaced by the revised caption below: Fig. 6. Sex differences in pupae (schematic). Female on left, male on right. Far right — detail of cremaster. Scale bar = 0.5mm. BOOK REVIEWS Noctuidae Europaeae Vol. 1, Noctuidae 1, by M. Fibiger. 208pp, 16 colour plates. A4 boards. Entomological Press, 1990 (obtainable from Apollo Books, Kirkeby Sand 19, DK-5771, Denmark) DKr 680. This is the first in a projected 12 volume series on the European Noctuidae, and covers the genera Euxoa to Standfussiana, a total of 133 species. After a description of each genus, the species are dealt with synoptically under the headings of diagnosis, bionomics, distribution and remarks. Each species (although not subspecies) has an associated distribution map and is illustrated, usually by the male and female with the named subspecies and major forms in 16 colour plates taken from photographs by David Wilson. Diagrams of_genitalia are provided for a few species. The text is in English and French, presented in two columns. The book is sturdily bound, and attractively printed. This first volume of an ambitious project includes a number of taxonomic revisions, particularly in the area of subspecies and new combinations, and also describes two species new to science, Euxoa mobergi and Agrotis yelai. These changes are listed at the beginning of the work. Volume 3 proposes to provide a comprehensive illustration of genitalia, so those given here are for illustrative purposes only. The description of each species is quite brief, but the colour plates are excellent, with full data provided for each specimen illustrated. The text is easy to read, and the distribution maps are very clear, particularly so as they cover all Europe from Iceland to the Urals. Subscribers to the whole series qualify for a 10% discount, but even without this incentive a work such as this, with both authority and utility, is good value for money and highly recommended for all those with an interest in European Lepidoptera. pa) Ps ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 The scientific names of the British Lepidoptera — their history and meaning by A. Maitland Emmet. 288pp. 8 monochrome plates. 236 x 156mm. Harley Books, 1991. Boards, £49.95, paperback £24.95. The human desire to live in an ordered and structured environment, and to communicate with fellow creatures is greatly enhanced by the ability to ascribe synoptic names to complex objects. In the English language the words ‘‘car’’ or “‘table’’ instantly convey information and meaning, although in all probability the reader would have little information, and probably less interest, in the etymology of these words. Narrow the horizons a little and imagine two entomologists conversing, with one commenting ‘‘. . . a good night — the sugar was seething with pronuba and xanthographa ...’’. For us, no further explanation is needed, but think of the confusion experienced by a passing classical scholar overhearing the conversation — yellow-marked bridesmaids in sugar ?? and blue lights in the middle of a wood ?? A clear case for the constabulary! Names are the tools of communication and understanding, but particularly in the field of scientific nomenclature their structures are unfamiliar, they are mastered with difficulty, and used without any deeper understanding. This actually does not matter one jot. The fact that scientific names conceal a world of fact and fantasy, romance and reality, mischief and misunderstanding does not influence their use, but simply makes them fascinating. The main sources of information on the meaning of names have been An accentuated list of the British Lepidoptera, published in 1858 and the more recent Key to the names of British butterflies and moths (1959). The current work goes far beyond the scope of either of these precursors. After a foreword by Professor Southwood and a brief introduction, is an extensive chapter on A History of the Scientific Nomenclature of Lepidop- tera, which leads into the main systematic section of the book. This treats the genera and species of all the currently recognised British Lepidoptera, referenced by their Log book number. For each is given the author of the name and a description of its meaning or derivation. Where appropriate the correct Greek derivation is given, together with a transliteration in Roman letters — essential for those unable to read Greek characters. Appendices list people commemorated in names, places similarly used, unresolved names, a list of errors in Macleod’s Key, references and an index. Monochrome plates of notable nomenclators and pages from Linnaeus’ Systema Naturae add interest. This is undoubtedly a work of considerable scholarship, providing a mass of carefully researched information in an easily retrievable form. Unlike other works of this nature, the introductory chapter mixes careful explanation with a readable, informative and often amusing style. The modern education system has sought systematically to impoverish the teaching of the cultural heritage of our society, and has produced a generation who have very little background in Latin, Greek or the general BOOK REVIEWS 2) ‘“‘doings’’ of the classical world. For us, this work provides a fascinating perspective and history of the Lepidoptera and the people who named our butterflies and moths. Colonel Emmet uses the sub-heading ‘‘a book for the curious’’ in one of the chapters. This accurately describes the reader who will derive the most pleasure from dipping into this book, but are there many entomologists who could not reasonably be described as curious? Paul Sokoloff Habitat conservation for insects — a neglected green issue. Edited by R. Fry and D. Lonsdale with a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales. XIV + 262pp numerous figs and tables. 32 colour plates. Boards and dust- jacket. Amateur Entomologists’ Society 1991. Price £12.00 including postage. (Available from AES Pubications, The Hawthorns, Frating Road, Great Bromley, Colchester CO7 7JN). Over the years, the AES has sought to improve the quality of its publications whilst retaining their essential usefulness to the amateur and keeping prices as low as possible. With this volume, the AES exceeds its objectives in producing an informative and attractive publication whose readership should extend far beyond the entomologist to reach those with more influence in the conservation debate. In this respect, the AES has been most fortunate in securing endorsement by HRH The Prince of Wales, who has written a most supportive foreword. The book contains contributions from a number of authors whose work is drawn together by the editors who are themselves major contributors. In ten chapters and six appendices the principles and practice of habitat conservation are covered in a balance of description and sound practical advice. The colour plates are a major feature — the selection of insects typical of certain habitats is probably unnecessary, but provides interest for the non-entomological reader. The many habitat photographs provide the visual focal point for the text, well selected but occasionally depressing when they depict destruction and mismanagement. This much needed book with a readable and informative style should command a wide audience and significantly advance the cause of insect conservation. Elizabeth Abdulla. Butterflies of Europe Volume 2 Introduction to Lepidopterology edited by Otakar Kudrna. 560pp. 114 figs, 4 colour plates. AULA-Verlag 1990. Price DM 248 (subscription price DM 216). This is the third in the projected eight-volume series on European Butter- flies. Vol. 1 (1985) Concise bibliography (reviewed in Ent. Rec. 98: 127 and Vol. 8 (1986) Aspects of Conservation of butterflies in Europe (reviewed Ent. Rec. 99: 187-188) having already been published. Apart from a volume on the ecology of butterflies, all the remaining volumes will deal with systematics. 214 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 This volume starts with the premise that Lepidopterology is a science, and describes the means and method by which butterflies can be studied. The subject material ranges wide, and embraces methodologies unfamiliar to most amateur entomologists. After a general introduction there is a chapter on Lepidopterology in Europe which provides a guide to institu- tions, museums and societies interested in Lepidoptera and a list of person- alities past and present. The remaining 12 chapters are, with their authors in parentheses, Morphology: early stages (J.P. Brock), Morphology: adult structures and function (J.A. Scott), Butterfly phylogeny and fossils (J.A. Scott & D.M. Wright), Origins and phylogeny of butterflies (J.P. Brock), Genetics of European butterflies (R. Robinson), Case studies in ecological genetics (P.M. Brakefield), The butterfly chromosomes and_ their application in systematics (Z. Lorkovic), Enzyme electrophoretic methods in studies of systematics and evolutionary biology of butterflies (H. Geiger), Experimental breeding of butterflies (S.R. Bowden), Parasitiods of European butterflies and their study (M.R. Shaw), Behaviour of butterflies (T.G. Shreeve) and The movement of butterflies (T.G. Shreeve). This is not a volume for the faint-hearted, although many of the chapters include a comprehensive glossary of the more specialised terms. Most of the contributors attempt to introduce their chosen chapter and lead the non-specialist reader swiftly to the detailed exposition. For those in, or aspiring to work on, the scientific study of butterflies this is an excellent introduction to the wide range of available methodologies. In the modern world no aspect of study can be pursued in isolation — taxonomy is no longer restricted to study of the morphology of dried specimens; biology, biochemistry and breeding must be included. Similarly ecology cannot be studied in isolation from genetics, parasitology and behaviour. Many of the methods of study described apply equally to other insect groups, increasing the usefulness of the work. To the amateur, much of the volume will be heavy going but nevertheless provides many useful tips and insights into the study methods. Much of the interest in this series will rekindle when the systematic sections are published, but with the current and previously published volumes are likely to provide a very comprehensive overview of European butterflies. Keys to the insects of the European part of the USSR Vol. IV part 2. Edited by G.S. Medvedev. 1092pp, 675 figs. Boards. E.J. Brill 1990. ISBN 90 04 08926 8. Price not stated. This massive volume in the Keys to the fauna of the USSR, originally published by the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (No. 130) in 1981, is now available in an English translation. It deals with certain families of the microlepidoptera — taxonomically from the Tineidae to the Gelechiidae but omitting the Coleophoridae which will be dealt with in part 3. In all some 1,283 species are covered. In essence this work is a systematic sequence of keys to families, genera OBITUARY 215 and species with comments on foodplants and distribution in the European sector of the USSR, and adjacent countries. The keys are based on either external characters or genitalia and are copiously supported with illustrations of genitalia, wing venation, alar patterns, other structural features and selected drawings of larval feedings. Pest species are specially noted. The work concludes with a bibliography, list of common names of foodplants and species index. Because of the dearth of information on microlepidoptera generally, this translation is particularly welcome. Many of the species described here occur throughout mainland Europe and into the British Isles, and in all probability a few of them are yet to be found in the UK. Because parts of the British fauna are understandably absent from this volume, the main value lies in the descriptions of species unavailable elsewhere and the clear illustrations of genitalia. Some species are remarkably cosmopolitan: for example of the 12 or so species of the Gelechiid genus Caryocolum known to occur in the UK, the genitalia of nine of them are illustrated in the work under review. A few of the Russian words of the original translate rather unhappily into English, and the reader must take a sympathetic view of nomenclature — endings such as Prays fraxinellus rather than fraxinella; names we have sunk into synonyms still in evidence including, for example, the proud Lithocolletis. Some of the lists, such as foodplants, are rather strange until one realises that they were originally arranged in Russian alphabetical order. All these criticisms are trivial, as microlepidopterists have to be detectives as well if they are to find their way through the British literature, let alone that from overseas. We could wish for a volume such as this covering the British fauna, and the publishers are to be congratulated on making available this translation. Paul Sokoloff OBITUARY RUSSELL FREDERICK BRETHERTON, C.B., M.A., F.R.E.S. 1906 - 1991 It is with great sorrow that we have to announce the death of Russell Bretherton on the 11th January at the age of 84, and only a few days after the death of his wife. He died quite suddenly from heart failure, but had suffered for some time from a respiratory disorder. Born at Gloucester on 3rd February 1906, the son of a solicitor, Russell was educated at Clifton, and then at Oxford, where he was to become a Fellow of Wadham College. Then followed a distinguished career in the Civil Service, becoming Under-Secretary for the Treasury, and being awarded the Companion of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath. Russell joined the British Entomological and Natural History Society in 216 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 1947, when it was known as the ‘‘South London’’*. In 1967, he was elected President, from 1969 - 72 he served as Hon. Treasurer and in 1972 was made an Honorary Member. Of the Royal Entomological Society of London he had been a Fellow since 1944. Russell was the author of well over two hundred publications on Lepidoptera, many dealing with migration, a subject in which he was especially interested. A full bibliography is appended. His fine collection he bequeathed to Reading Museum, together with his books and diaries. Our deepest sympathy is extended to all his Family. J.M. Chalmers-Hunt. *Two photographs taken at Horsell, Surrey, showing R.F.B. in the field (Cf. Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc. 1954-55: plt. VII; Proc. S. Lond. ent. nat. Hist. Soc. 1955: plt. V.). R.F. Bretherton circa 1965 (photograph prepared by E.S. Bradford). 1936 1939 1941 194] 1943 1944. 1944 1944 1945 1945 1947 1949 1949 1949 1950 1950 1950 1951 1951 1952 1952 1955 1953 1954 1954 1954 1955 1955 1955 1955 1955 1956 1961 1961 1963 1971 1949 1949 BIBLIOGRAPHY — R.F BRETHERTON 217 BIBLIOGRAPHY — R.F. BRETHERTON (A) The Entomologist Migrant Plusia gamma at nearly 10,000 ft. Caught in a storm? 69: 241. Butterflies in the Alps, 1937 and 1938. 72: 4-8. Moths at heads of Phragmites. 74: 96. Diurnal flight of Taeniocampa cruda. 74: 157. Apparent sex disparity in Thecla betulae. 76: 205. Isturgia limbaria in Scotland and Jtame fulvaria (brunneata) in England. 77: 12-13. April butterflies. 77: 89. The flight of Saturnia pavonia. 77: 130. Pyralis lienigialis Zell. in North Berkshire. 78: 16. Larval habits of Aegeria culiciformis. 78: 95. Foodplant of Deilephila elpenor. 80: 160. Nycterosea obstipata in Surrey. 82: 19-20. Butterflies near Paris. 82: 191. Spring butterflies in Bohemia. 82: 254-255. Laphygma exigua and Caradrina ambigua in North-west Surrey. 83: 23. Mellinia ocellaris in the Thames Valley. 83: 30. Some wainscots in North-west Surrey. 83: 55. Eupithecia arceuthata Freyer in North-west Surrey. 84: 42. Nephopteryx similella Zincken. 84: 91. Early immigrants in North-west Surrey. 85: 96. (with R.E. Ellison and W.B.L. Manley) Lepidoptera in the Eastern Pyrenees, 1951 (Porté-Puymorens and Vernet-les-Bains, June 30 - July 19 and the Forét de Rambouillet, near Paris, July 16 and 20). 85: 197-204, 222-229. Pyrgus alveus ssp. alveus and ssp. accreta in the Eastern Pyrenees: a correc- tion. 86: 156. (with C.G.M. de Worms) A fortnight’s collecting in the Durance Valley (Hautes Alpes), with an epilogue at Grenoble (Isére). 86: 231-237. (with W.B.L. Manley) Some notes on lepidoptera in the Hautes Alpes, France (Guillestre and Saint Veran), 18th July - 3rd August 1953. 87: 69-74. Chloroclystis debiliata Hiibner in Surrey. 87: 102. A week’s butterfly collecting in Cyprus. 87: 207-211. Dioryctria splendidella H.-S. and Crambus contaminellus Hbn. in North- west Surrey. 88: 19. Palpita unionalis Hiibner in Surrey. 88: 30. Palpita (Margarodes) unionalis Hiibner (Lep.: Pyralidae) in the British Isles. 88: 76-81. Itame fulvaria de Villiers (brunneata Thunberg) in North-west Surrey. 88: 210-211. Palpita unionalis Hiibner in North-west Surrey. 88: 247. The immigration of Palpita unionalis Hiibner (Lep.: Pyralidae) in 1955, and additional earlier records. 89: 181-184. First records of Thymelicus lineola (Och.) and Chlorissa viridata (L.) in Surrey: a correction. 94: 37. Orgyia antiqua L. (Lep.: Liparidae) at light. 94: 136. (with C.G.M. de Worms) The Alpes Maritimes, July and August, 1962. 96: 27-31. Some further comments on the record of Cucullia lactucae Schiff. (Lep.) and other species at Stone, Bucks. 104: 46-47. (B) Entomologist’s Record Butterflies near Paris, Geneva and Annecy, 1948. 61: 97-100. Butterflies in Var and Basses Alpes, France. 61: 121-124. 218 1950 1950 1951 1952 LSS 1953 1953 1953 1956 1956 1956 1956 1956 LO Sy Sy, 1958 1959 1959 1959 1960 1960 1960 1960 1961 1961 1961 1961 1962 1962 1962 1962 1962 1963 1963 1963 1964 1964 1965 1965 1966 1966 1967 1967 1968 1969 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 1S.vii.1991 Butterflies near Stockholm. 62: 79-80. A fortnight’s butterfly collecting in France (Fontainbleau and Lac d’Annecy). 62: 101-106. The early history of the Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon L.) in England. 63: 206-211. Block versus boards. 64: 260-261. Records of some species of Hydraecia and Procus. 65: 130-132. Eublemma parva Hibn. in North-west Surrey. 65: 216-17. Calophasia lunula Hufn. larvae in Kent. 65: 323-324. The moth trap in October, 1952 and 1953. 65: 339-341. Agrotera nemoralis Scop. in East Kent. 68: 188. Leucania albipuncta in North-west Surrey. 68: 247. Herse convolvuli L. and Leucania vitellina Hbn. in Kent. 68: 269. Rhodometra sacraria L. in North-west Surrey. 68: 269. Leioptilus carphodactylus Hbn. in North-west Surrey. 68: 272. Macroglossum stellatarum L. and Rhodometra sacraria L. in Kent. 69: 245. Leucania albipuncta Haw. in the Scilly Islands. 69: 251. Acherontia atropos L. and Heliothis peltigera Schiff. in North-west Surrey. 70: 195. Ptycholomoides aeriferana H.-S. in North-west Surrey. 71: 56. Rhodometra sacraria L. in North-west Surrey. 71: 56. Spring butterflies round Lake Garda (North Italy) 71: 150-151. Sterrha seriata Schrank (virgularia Hbn.) in March. 72: 95-96. Crocidosema plebeiana Zeller at Portland. 72: 96. Malacosoma castrensis L. and Spaelotis ravida Schiff. near Southwold. 72: 197. Eupithecia irriguata Hbn. in Surrey. 72: 197. (with C.G.M. Worms) Pontresina, 1960. 73: 44-48. Opisthograptis luteolata L. at the light trap. 73: 80. Strymonidia pruni L. in Oxfordshire. 73: 126-127. Celerio gallii Rott. and Nyctrerosea obstipata F. in North-west Surrey.73: 218. Diasemia ramburialis Dup. and D. litterata Scopoli in Britain. 74: 1-9. Migratory lepidoptera in North-west Surrey. 74: 25. (with C. Crauford). A comparison between the macro-lepidoptera recorded in light traps at Ottershaw (North-west Surrey) and Bishop’s Stortford (East Hertfordshire), 1954/61. 74: 134-144. April butterflies in Provence, 1962. 74: 144-147. Spilosoma lutea Hufnagel ab. totinigra Seitz in Surrey. 74: 223. (with C.G.M. de Worms and G. Johnson) Butterflies in Corsica, 1962. 75: 93-104. Habits of Lampropteryx otregiata Metcalfe. 75: 206. Inter-sex and other aberrations of the Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus L. (aegon Schiff.)) in North-west Surrey, 1963. 75: 277-278. Acherontia atropos L., Laphygma exigua Hbn. Rhodometra sacraria L. and other migrants in Surrey, 1963. 76: 29. Some wayside collecting in Andalusia, April, 1964. 76: 177-180. Sampling the butterflies of Sicily. 77: 168-176. Burnets and Foresters (Zygaenidae) in Sicily: a correction. 77: 294. The new Plusia: Autographa gracilis Lempke. 78: 185. Butterflies of the French Massif Central, July 1966. 78: 245-251. The moth trap in November in North-west Surrey. 79: 42-44. A visit to Greece in April 1967. 79: 191-198. More about Greek butterflies, June 1968. 80: 273-281. Notes on butterflies (Rhodalocera) in Crete in June 1969. 81: 296-302. 1970 1970 1971 1971 1971 1972 LOWZ: Ws 1974 1974 1974 1975 Ws) 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975 1975 1976 1976 1976 1976 1977 1977 1977 1978 1978 1978 S75 1980 1980 1980 1981 1981 1982 1982 1982 BIBLIOGRAPHY — R.F. BRETHERTON 219 A review of Cosymbia puppillaria Hbn . (Blair’s Mocha) in Britain. 82: 957 100. Zygaena lonicerae Scheven in Scotland. 82: 274. Clossiana selene (Schiff.): a second brood specimen. 83: 325. Lampides boeticus L. and Thecla betulae L. in Surrey. 83: 326. Butterflies in the Island of Rhodes, May 1971. 83: 327-332. (with J. Coutsis, L.G. Higgins and C.G.M. de Worms) Agrodiaetus coeles- tina Eversmann (A.C.): a Lycaenid new to Greece and Western Europe. 84: 29-32. “‘The Worst June on Record’’: Light trap results for lepidoptera. 84: 223-225. Wingless moths and a frog at the light trap. 85: 227. Butterflies in Cyprus, June 1973. 86: 1-5. Day-flying lepidoptera attracted to light. 86: 93-94. Infertility in female Hy/es gallii Rott. 86: 123. Diarsia ? florida (Schmidt) and Xanthorhoe munitata (Hbn.) in Swaledale. 87: 27. Lepidoptera in the Dordogne, South-west France in May 1974. 87: 33-37. Apocheima pilosaria Schiff. in early December. 87: 64. (with C.G.M. de Worms) A fortnight’s collecting in Greece. 87: 73-85. The feral foodplant of Least Carpet, Jdaea vulpinaria H.-S. 87: 158. Calamotropha paludella Hbn. (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Surrey. 87: 255. Autographa bractea D. & S. (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Worcestershire. 87: 255. Eupithecia phoeniceata (Rambur) in Surrey. 87: 279. Nycterosea obstipata F. in Sussex and Surrey in 1975. 88: 135. Syngrapha interrogationis (L.) again in Surrey. 88: 255. Nymphalis antiopa (L.): Camberwell Beauty in Surrey. 88: 264. A gynandromorph of Argynnis paphia (L.) in Surrey. 88: 267. Curtis and Wood on Eriopygodes imbecilla Fab. (Lep.: Noctuidae). 89: 125. Immigrant species of lepidoptera at the light trap in West Surrey in 1976. 89: 186-187. Eurrhypara perlucidalis Hbn. (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Lincolnshire. 89: 338. Cyclophora puppilaria (Hbn.) in West Surrey. 90: 157. Behaviour of Lycia lapponaria (Boisduval) in sunshine. 90: 202. Pieris brassicae L. f. cataleuca Rober at light. 90: 337. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1978. 91: 81-91. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1978: a supplementary note. 92: 62. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1979. 92: 89-97. Early immigrants in Sussex. 92: 144. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1979: a supplementary note. 93: 28-29. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1980, with an account of the invasion of the Painted Lady Cynthia cardui L. 93: 47-54, 103-111. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1980: a supplementary note. 94: 47-52. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1981, including that of the Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus. 94: 81-87, 141-146. Footnote to K. Turner, Vanessa indica (Herbst.) in Warwickshire. 94: 217-218. 220 1983 1983 1984 1984 1985 1985 1986 1987 1987 1988 1988 1989 1989 1989 1989 1990 1950 19511 1952 1952 1953 1954 1954 1957 1957 1960 1965 1966 1967 1969 1969 1969 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1982. 95: 89-94, 141-152. Calotephria salicata Hbn.: Striped Twin-spot Carpet again in Surrey. 95: Pale (with P.W. Cribb) A colony of Kirinia climene Esp. (Lep.: Satyridae) in Greece. 96: 56-57. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1983. 96: 85-91, 147-159, 196-201. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1981, 1982, 1983: asupplementary note. 97: 76-84. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1984. 97: 140-145, 179-185, 224-228. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1985. 98: 159-163, 204-207, 223-230. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985: a supplementary note. 99: 147-152. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1986. 99: 189-194, 245-250. (with D.W. Baldock) Some butterflies from Turkish Asia Minor. 100: 133-134. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) (The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1987. 100: 175-180, 226-232. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) Lepidoptera immigrants to the British Isles in 1985, 1986 and 1987: asupplementary note. 101: 131-135. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1988. 101: 153-159, 225-230. Endotricha consobrinalis Zell. in Britain: a possible immigrant? 101: 198. A correction. 101: 224. (with J.M. Chalmers-Hunt) The immigration of lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1989. 102: 153-159, 215-224. (C) Entomologist’s Gazette The behaviour of moths at light traps: acomment. 1: 102-104. Our lost butterflies and moths. 2: 211-240, folding table. The European distribution of Luceria virens. 3: 3. Letter to the Editor. 3: 211-212. The occurrence of double broods among moths in North-west Surrey. 4: 287-295. Luceria virens L. in France. 5: 8. Moth traps and their lamps: an attempt at comparative analysis. 5: 145-154. The history and status of Spaelotis ravida (D. & S.), the Stout Dart in Britain (Lep.: Caradrinidae). 8: 3-19. A supplementary note of Spaelotis ravida (D. & L.) (the Stout Dart) in Britain (Lep.: Caradrinidae). 8: 3-19. Abnormal extra broods of moths in 1959. 11: 164-166. Cadra parasitella Stdgr. (Ephestia woodiella Richards & Thomas) (Lep.: Pyralidae) in North-west Surrey. 16: 8. Uresiphita gilvata F. (polygonalis Hbn.) (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Britain. 17: 147-148. Good years and bad years at the light trap, 1952-1963. 18: 177-189. What has happened to Sphinx ligustri L. (Lep.: Sphingidae)? 20: 34. On rearing Agrotis ipsilon Hufn. (the Dark Sword-grass) (Lep.: Noctuidaea). 20: 83-85. Some corrections to errors in South’s Moths of the British Isles. 20: 258. 1970 1971 1972 1974 1974 1975 1976 1976 1981 1983 1983 1985 1987 BIBLIOGRAPHY — R.F. BRETHERTON 221 Notes on breeding Dasychira pudibunda (L.) ab. concolor Stdgr. 21: 255-261. Book review. 22: 136-137. Strymonidia w-album (Knoch) (Lep.: Lycaenidae) in North-west Surrey. 23: 120. Records of Ostrinia nubilalis (Hbn.) (Lep.: Pyralidae). 25: 92. Eriopygodes imbecilla (F.) (Lep.: Noctuidae) in the Alps. 25: 105. Spaelotis ravida (D. & S.) and Mesologea literosa (Haworth) (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Worcestershire. 26: 2. More about Diarisia dahli (Hbn.) (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Surrey. 27: 135-136. (with A.H. Hayes) Brithys pancratii (Cyrillo, 1787) a subspecies of Brithys crini (Fabricius, 1775) (Lep.: Noctuidae). 27: 226-228. Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas) (Lep.: Hesperiidae) at Wood Walton Fen and elsewhere. 32: 167-168. Spring in the moth trap, 1981 and 1982: a contrast. 34: 13-16. Hyles hippophaes (Esper) (Lep.: Sphingidae) and Lycaides idas calliopis (Boisduval) (Lep.: Lycaenidae) in the Hautes-Alpes, France. 34: 96. A mystery ‘‘Blue’’ from Greece (Lep.: Lycaenidae). 36: 93-95. Footnotes to G.H. Mansell, The early stages of Colias erate (Esper). 38: IST. (D) Proceedings South London Entomological & Natural History Society 1957 1957 1957 1959 1962 1965 1967 1968 1969 1969 1970 1970 1971 1972 1972 172 1978 1975 SS 1976 1977 1978 Field meeting: Chobham Common, Surrey, 18th June 1955. 1955: 75. Field meeting: Horsell Common, Surrey, 31st July 1955. 1955: 80-81, plate. A list of the macrolepidoptera and Pyralidae of North-west Surrey. 1955: 94-151. Field meeting: Chobham Common, Surrey, 11th May, 1958. 1958: 68. Field meeting: Gomshall, Surrey, 20th August 1961. 1961: 86-87.; Additions to the list of macrolepidoptera and Pyralidina of North-west Surrey. 1965: 18-30. Field meeting: Hurt Wood, Surrey, 3rd June 1967. 1967: 90-92. (E) Proceedings & Transactions British Entomological & Natural History Society The butterflies of Britain in relation to those of the adjacent parts of the continent. 1:(1): 7-15. ; Field meeting: Hackhurst Downs, Surrey, 4th August, 1968. 2(1): 24-25. Field meeting: Effingham, Surrey, 19th April 1969. 2:(2): 69. Field meeting: Worplesdon, Surrey, 27th September. 3(2): 56. Our membership. 3(2): 61. Field meeting: White Downs, Surrey, 11th July 1970. 4:(1): 26. Field meeting: Effingham, Surrey, 24th April 1971. 4:(4): 118. Field meeting: Effingham, Surrey, 22nd April 1972. 5(2); 83. Eastern immigrants and resident natives: a survey of some British lepidoptera. 5(3): 95-119. Field meeting: Newlands Corner, Surrey, 5th May 1973. 6(8): 96. Field meeting: Pewley Down, Guildford, Surrey, 8th June 1974. 7(4): 108. Field meeting: Chiddingfold, Surrey, 12th October 1974. 8(1): 24. Field meeting: Pewley Down, Guildford, Surrey, 5th June 1976. 9(3-4): 122-123. The status of Autographa gamma gammina Staudinger 10(1-2): 27-28. (with O. Kudrna) Butterflies in Spain: Sierra de Alcaraz, Sierra du Gudar, Sierra de Javalambre. 11(3-4): 97-100. 222 1980 1980 1981 1981 1981 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.vii.1991 Obituary: Baron C.G.M. de Worms. 13: 37-39, plt. vii. Insect migration in the northern hemisphere, with particular reference to the British Isles. 13: 66-67. (with D.W. Baldock) Butterflies in Corfu (Kerkyra) in late August, 1980. 14: 101-107. On rearing the Spanish Fritillary (Eurodryas desfontaineii Godart) (Lep.: Nymphalidae). 14: 109-111. Book review: L.G. Higgins & N.D. Riley, Field guide to the butterflies of Britain and Europe. Fourth edition. 14: 111. 1982-83 Lepidoptera immigration to the British Isles, 1969-77. 15: 98-110, 16: 1-23. 1982 1982 1983 1983 1984 1984 1984 1985 1986 1988 1988 1989 1940 194] 1966 1976 1977. 1979 1983 1983 1983 1989 Obituary: J.L. Messenger. 15: 111. Field meeting: Pewley Down, Guildford, Surrey, 22nd May 1982. 15: 115. Book review: J. Green, A practical guide to the butterflies of Worcestershire. 16: 54. Field meeting: Horsell Common, Surrey, 29th August 1982. 16: 61. Monarchs on the move — Danaus plexippus (L.) and D. chrysippus (L.). 17(3-4): 65-66. Book review: An annotated catalogue of the butterflies (Lep.: Papilionoidea) named by Roger Verity. 17(3-4): 83. Book review: J. Duddington & R. Johnson, The butterflies and larger moths of Lincolnshire and South Humberside. 17(3-4): 84-85. Migrant lepidoptera in April 1985. 18(3-4): 84-85. Obituary: L.G. Higgins. 19(1-4): 84-85. (F) British Journal of Entomology and Natural History Book review: T.C. Dunn & J.D. Parrack, The moths and butterflies of Northumberland and Durham, Pt. I (macrolepidoptera). 1(3): 99-100. Obituary: A. Valletta. 2(3): 159. Book review: M. Chinery, Butterflies and day-flying moths of Britain and Europe. 3(3): 101-102. (G) Various A list of the macrolepidoptera of the Oxford district. Proc. Ashmol. nat. Hist. Soc. 1939: 25-70. Additions to the list of macrolepidoptera of the Oxford district. Proc. Ashmol. nat. Hist. Soc. 1940: 22-23. A distribution list of the butterflies of Western and Southern Europe. 7rans. Soc. Br. Ent. 17(1): 1-94. Help wanted. Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. 35(311): 66. (with O. Kudrna) The discovery of Brenthis daphne (D. & S.) in south Spain. Nota lepid., 1: 17-18. (with B. Goater and R.I. Lorimer) Noctuidae: Noctuinae and Hadeninae. In: J. Heath and A.M. Emmet (Eds.) The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 9: 120-278. The incidence of migrant lepidoptera in the British Isles, In: J. Heath and A.M. Emmet (Eds.) The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 10: 9-34. (with B. Goater and R.J. Lorimer) Noctuidae: Cuculliidae to Hypeninae. In: J. Heath and A.M. Emmet (Eds.) The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 10: 36-413. Agaristidae. In: J. Heath and A.M. Emmet (Eds.) The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 10: 414. (with others) Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae and Nymphalidae. In: J. Heath and A.M. Emmet (Eds.) The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 7(1): 73-306. J;M.Ciekis Eremobia ochroleuca D. & S. Dusky Sallow (Lep.: Noctuidae) in North Wales. EIN PTE OCIIR, oo Mek MEME MMM TW edt W so)” Gu I take Peta en WP ey isl. '6, aso /ae, ail inl eg OAL Photedes pygmina Haw, Callistege mi cl., Laspeyria flexula D. & S. and Rivula sericealis Scop. (Lep.: Noctuidae) observed feeding. R. Leverton fe gk Re Oy BOG RaneVICW, te. cutee akes a eee Ee Gor trees Bee ee RE Re eo a os MIT WINALL Ne OMentONa Nee ease en ec, 5 Oe ek en, ey a LS DATA PROMPT EFFICIENT SERVICE LABELS OVERSEAS ENQUIRIES WELCOME For details and sample labels, write to: P.D.J. HUGO, 115 Thrupp Lane, Thrupp, STROUD, Gloucestershire GLS 2DQ. Telephone: Brimscombe 882134 (Please mention this Journal in your reply) PEMBERLEY BOOKS L. CHRISTIE Second-hand and Antiquarian 129 Franciscan Road Books on Entomology and other Tooting Natural History bought and sold. London SW17 8DZ Our latest catalogue is now Telephone: 081-672 4024 available. Write to receive your free copy. FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Books, Cabinets and Set Specimens BOOK FINDING SERVICE. So that we may provide the best possible service send us details of Price lists of the above are issued from your requirements. We can then time to time so if you would like to offer the books direct to you as receive them please drop me a line they become available stating your interests. Mainly a postal business but callers welcome by appointment. |.A. JOHNSON asc. F.RE.s. 43 THE LEASOWE, LICHFIELD, STAFFS WS13 7HA TELEPHONE: (0543) 263630 Member of the Entomological Suppliers’ Association THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J.W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) Contents Orthoptera around Birmingham. J. Paul . . Se aearneaae Reminiscences of an amateur lepidopterist, 1920- 90. 1B P. RISE Se . sae ev, Li) Additional notes on melanic specimens of the Silver-washed Fritillary (Araynnis Paphia(L.)in North Dorset. R. Barrington. . . ee Oe Brachysomus hirtus (Col.: ogee Aaa ediseaneredd in Suir, Sik a note on its ecology. J. Owen . . . ne gS) The distribution and occurrence si Pic nocd Ber ane Vearanie Se. (Col.: Lamiidae) in the British Isles. R.R. Uhthoff-Kaufmann. . . . . . . 189 National review of the recording and conservation of the rarer British macro-moths. P. Waring . Neg Ten aS Protected British butterflies: “qssaeeige as ioe Secticn 9 ate Schedule 5) ict Te Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. A.E. Stubbs . . . -- IF The distribution maps of the British microlepidoptera — a service a Nepienieneee A.M.Emmet . . .. ae 201 A migration Sasideuiea © in South Sevce. acre 1990. P. ie Baker ey Notes and Observations Second brood of Spilosoma lubricipeda L., the White Ermine (Lep.: Arctiidae) in Ayrshire. A.M. Riley. . . . . Ta Rothamsted farmland light trap aecrorh — jester ae pecans fon Aaene: 1990. A.M.Riley & M.C. Townsend . . 5 ete Notes on the voltinism of Hylaea near be Eeced Red (ste Geomeiee AL MOURWCy. = os Be we. a) Be ca a The Magipie Moth in Sen ene. D. C. iene Aik telat 2, ees A second generation of Scopula imitaria (Hbn.) (Lep.: (Geomenen E Ls eae aa Sparganothis pilleriana D. & S. (Lep.: Tortricidae) in North Wales. H.N. Michaelis. 196 Social wasps Vespula spp. attacking Aeshna hawker dragonflies and Silver Y moth Autographa gamma L. (Lep.: Noctuidae). J.F. Burton . . . . ~ 2 tgs The Swallowtail (Papilio machaeon) and Large Copper at Wicker Fen. Brian O.C. Gardiner. . . Me ee Hazards of butterfly collecting — the Monarchs of Mewes. if B. se . 4) eee Thera juniperata Thunb. in eastern Ireland. K.G.M. Bond& J.K. Early . . . . 207 Hentomological spelling. A.A. Allen . . 2 ae rar Migrant lepidoptera in Cornwall, September oad Gerben 1990. C. For > cr Unseasonal Colostygia multistrigaria Haw. (Lep.: Geometridae). JL. Tillotson <) & re Oligostigma polydectalis Walk. (lene Powel eaig)? in Camiar dessins. J.N. Greatorex-Davies . . ‘ee An alternative larval foodplant for Guiconhans eaatine Doets. H. Smith . salty neo Holly BlueinN.W. Kent. P. Roper. ...... 210 (Gonnn pole on Poors haee cover) SPECIAL NOTICE. The Editor would be willing to consider the purchase of a limited number of back issues. Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: 0277-224610. ee SS PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY Nos 9—10 Vol. 103 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by P.A. SOKOLOFYF, r.res. Assistant Editors J.A. OWEN, F.R.E.S. & A. SPALDING F.R.E.S. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1991 ISSN 0013-3916 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’ RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Editor P.A. SOKOLOFF M.Sc., C.Biol., M.I.Biol., F.R.E.S. 4 Steep Close, Green Street Green, Orpington, Kent BR6 6DS Assistant Editors J.A. OWEN M.D., Ph.D., F.R.E.S. & A. SPALDING M.A., F.R.E.S. Editorial Panel A.A. Allen B.Sc., A.R.C.S. P.J. Chandler B.Sc., F.R.E.S. N. Birkett M.A., M.B. C.A. Collingwood B.Sc., F.R.E.S. E.S. Bradford A.M. Emmet M.B.E., T.D., F.R.E.S. J.D. Bradley Ph.D., F.R.E.S. C.J. Luckens M.B., Ch.B., D.R.C.O.G. J.M. Chalmers-HuntF.R.E:S. B. Skinner Registrar C.C. 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Illustrations must be the original (not a photocopy) without legend which should be typed on a separate copy. Photographs should be glossy, positive prints. Authors of long papers, or submit- ting valuable originals are advised to contact the Editor first. Contributors are requested not to send us notes or articles which they are sending to other magazines. . Whilst all reasonable care is taken of manuscripts, illustrations etc, the Editor and his staff can- not hold themselves responsible for any loss or damage. Readers are respectfully advised that the publication of material in this Journal does not imply that the views and opinions expressed therein are shared by the Editor, the Editorial Board or the publisher. HAWKMOTHS OF BORNEO 223 NOTES ON SOME BORNEO HAWK MOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA: SPHINGIDAE) INCLUDING EUPANACRA HOLLOWAYISP.N . AND MACROGLOSSUM AMOENUM ROTHSCHILD & JORDAN, NEW TO BORNEO W.J. TENNENT 1 Middlewood Close, Fylingthorpe, Whitby, N. Yorkshire YO22 4UD. Introduction SURPRISINGLY little systematic moth collecting has been carried out in Borneo in recent years and the fauna is still imperfectly known. Holloway surveyed the moth fauna of Gunung Kinabalu during a ten month visit in 1965 and was also part of the Mulu expedition to Sarawak in the late 1970s. Harman surveyed the sphingid fauna of Brunei during October 1978 and incorporated a number of other Brunei records in his paper (Harman 1981). Holloway collated known information from the island and listed a total of 94 sphingid species in his series on the Moths of Borneo (Holloway 1978). This paper is the result of visits to Brunei and Sarawak, from 10th to 26th June 1990 and 20th December 1990 until 29th January 1991. A mercury vapour lamp was run on a total of 28 nights in Brunei and on 16 nights in Sarawak. Aside from some generator problems on the first three nights in June, the lamp was run from before dusk to after dawn on each night. No attempt was made to survey other moth groups or butterflies. Collecting sites were generally of two types. Firstly, in deep primary or secondary jungle where the author was taken by helicopter and secondly in suitable places accessible by road where the sheet could be hung on the side of the hired Toyota Landcruiser. The author drove from Brunei to Kuching on two occasions, in June 1990 and in January 1991. A map, on which all collecting sites are marked, is included. A total of 71 species were recorded, including several new regional records and two species new to Bornei, one of which is described for the first time in this paper. This brings the known total of Borneo sphingids to 96. Undoubtedly there are more awaiting discovery. Trap Sites BRUNEI B1. 2 nights (11/12.vi.90). 50m. Labi Road. Ca. 55km from junction with main Kuala Belait — Bandar Seri Begawan road. Cultivated area and swamp to the east and thickly wooded ridge to the west rising to 325m (Bukit Toraja). B2. 2 nights (13.vi.90, 13.i1.91). 110m. Labi Road. Unmarked logging track which begins to north of Labi Road ca. 45m from the junction and rises to an area with patchy (heavily logged) secondary forest. 224 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 SIX 99a 3 4 G.kinabolu kota kinaba/u LABUAN ISLAND O SABAH S £24 57 | | i) ae |e Sea ana ~“BRUNEI ( | y/ A is Ae 5S TRAP SITES SARAWAK aS Th ice aS BRUNE! & SARAWAK Yoo { & B3. 3 nights (14/21.vi.90, 12.1.91). 200m. Labi Road. Higher up the same track as B2. Open area with a view over many miles of forest into Sarawak. B4. 2 nights (15.vi.90, 29.xii.90). 50m. Labi Road; ca. 35km from the junction on patch of bare ground overlooking secondary growth. BS. 1 night (31.xii.90). Just above SL. Ulu Belait. Secondary forest. B6. 3 nights (22/23/24.vi.90). 110m. Sungai Keduan. Dense lowland primary forest on the banks of the Sungai Keduan, accessible only by heli- copter. LP 414 (Grid 971637). This locality was notable for the presence of a Civet Cat which had no fear of humans and made off with a box of Oxo cubes and a tube of tomato puree! B7. 9 nights (25/26.vi.90, 21/22/23/24/25/26/27.xii.90). 125m. Bukit .Bahak. Thick primary forest, accessible only by helicopter. LP 338E (Grid 365782). B8. 4 nights /14/15/24/25.1.91). 320m. Bukit Ladan. A sharp ridge on the Brunei/Sarawak border only recently made accessible by helicopter. Stupendous views to east and west. LP 365 (Grid 333108). The most prolific of all the sites — for butterflies as well as moths; an /dea was in the clearing when we flew in, and almost within seconds of the helicopter leaving the clearing was full of nominate Trogonoptera brookiana Wallace and Troides amphrysus flavicollis Druce feeding at ?Senecio species (Compositae). B9. 2 nights (22/23.1.91). 325m. Bukit Toraja. Overlooking steep ridges covered in primary forest. LP 109 (Grid 900728). HAWKMOTHS OF BORNEO 225 SARAWAK Sl. 1 night (16.vi.90). 20m. Bintulu. About 100km north of Bintulu; 12km along unmarked logging track made 2 - 3 weeks earlier terminating in large muddy clearing in mainly secondary growth. S2. 1 night (17.vi.90). 200m. Penom. 13m from the junction with the main Sibu-Kuching Road, atop a small hill overlooking an area of mixed secondary forest and cultivation (mainly pepper). S3. 8 nights (18/19.vi.90, 3/4/5/8/9/10.1.91). 720m. Gunung Serapi, 16km west of Kuching. The summit, slightly higher than the collecting site, houses a radio mast guarded by the Malaysian Army. The whole of the higher part of the mountain is said to be “‘restricted’’. The site chosen was a helicopter landing site on a ridge at the beginning of lower montane forest with a superb view over forested ridges to the Sarawak coast and Kalimantan. The site is apparently a National Park, although there was no indication of this on the first visit; on the second a sign had been erected telling visitors of its status. S4. 1 night (20.vi.90). 410m. Tatau. Close to the summit of a solitary forested hill, 6km along a private unmarked track, 43km south of Bintulu. S5. 1 night (6.1.91). 240m. Gunung Berumput. 3km before Biawak, unmarked logging track onto lower slopes of Gunung Berumput on the Sarawak/Kalimantan border, below area of undisturbed forest with good views towards Gunung Perigi. S6. 1 night (7.1.91). 60m. Gunung Perigi. Outside town of Lundu on unmarked logging track, 300m from the main road, on the lower slopes of Gunung Perigi. Mixed pepper and disturbed forest growth. S7. 2 nights (18/19.1.91). 100m. Limbang. 14km south of Limbang and a further 12km along a wide unmarked logging track. Small cultivated area below site and thickly forested steep ridge across the valley. S8. 1 night (20.1.91). 320m. Bukit sagan, Limbang. Below radar station on narrow paved road overlooking primary forest. The species Agrius convolvuli L. B8 (26), B9 (2), S3 (27), S7 (3) (58). This widespread Old World species was not particularly common during the survey. Megacorma obliqua Walker. B2 (4), B3 (7), B6 (7), B7 (44), B8 (30), B9 (5), S3 (30), S4 (2), S6 (1), S7 (7) 137). Common in most localities. Acherontia lachesis F. B1 (1), B2 (3), B3 (7), B8 (86), B9 (4), S3 (73), S4 (1), S5 (2), S6 (2), S7 (32) (211). Common, particularly at isolated hill top sites. Acherontia styx medusa Butler. B8 (7), S3 (2), S7 (3), (12). This is considerably more scarce than its congenor. It was not taken in Brunei by Harman (1981). Holloway (1987: 122) was aware of only three recent specimens, all taken in Sabah. A total of 121 specimens were taken during this project in Brunei and Sarawak, always in the company of much larger 226 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.ix.1991 numbers of /achesis. It is interesting that of only four Acherontia specimens in the Kuching Museum, one is /achesis and the others are styx: two are labelled ‘‘Kuching. 29.x.1879”’ and ‘‘Kinabalu. 38 - 3100 feet.: 20.ix.1913’’ respectively. The last has no data label. There are also two specimens in the Brunei Museum, caught in the Museum grounds on 5.x.77 and 9.xii.85. Meganoton nyctiphanes Walker. B2 (1), B3 (2), B6 (1), B7 (5), B8 (7), S3 (4), S7 (2) (22). Widespread but never taken in large numbers. Meganoton rufescens thielei Huwe. B4 (1), B8 (5), B9 (1) (7). An uncommon lowland species. Psilogramma menephron Cramer. B2 (2), B3 (1), B7 (3), B8 (36), B9 (7), S3 (36), S5 (2), S6 (1), S7 (10) (98). This is a very variable species. A small proportion of individuals seen had a large area of dark scales around the forewing cell and between the cell and the costa; this is referable to form casuarinae Walker. Psilogramma increta Walker. B2 (12), B3 (17), B4 (7), B6 (1), B7 (11), B8 (23), B9 (22), S3 (20), S6 (1), S7 (12) (126). Common. Amplypterus panopus Cramer. B2 (3), B3 (5), B4 (2), B6 (1), B7 (4), B8 (34), B9 (5), S3 (8), S7 (1) (63). This large and attractive sphingid was rarely seen in anything other than single figures, although 19 came to light at Bukit Ladan on 14.i.91. Ambulyx joiceyi Clark. S3 (3) (3). Three specimens came to light on 19.vi.90 and the species was not seen again, despite the light being run ona further seven nights in the same location. A specimen has been deposited at the BM (NH). Ambulyx obliterata Rothschild. B2 (3), B3 (5), B7 (1), B8 (2), S3 (2) (73). This is a rare species not well represented in the National Collection. Five specimens have been deposited there. Ambulyx substrigilis brooksi Clark. B4 (2), B7 (2), B8 (3), S3 (9), S7 (3) (19). Not a common species. Considerably smaller than c/avata or pryeri. Three specimens have been deposited at the BM(NH). Ambulyx tattina Jordan. B8 (4), S3 (2), S7 (1) (7). Holloway (1987: 131) notes three specimens of this species from Borneo. Those taken during this project display considerable variation. One specimen has been deposited at the BM(NH). Ambulyx pryeri Distant. B1 (11), B2 (9), B3 (6), B4 (3), B6 (4), B7 (42), B8 (75), B9 (18), S1 (4), S3 (34), S6 (5), S7 (9), S8 (7) (227). This common moth was seen in most localities. Six males and four females have been deposited at the BM(NH). Ambulyx clavata Jordan. B1 (1), B2 (1), B4 (2), B8 (1), S1 (1), S2 (1), S3 (2) (9). Considerably less common than pryeri, clavata cannot be separated from that species with any certainty other than by genitalic examination. Three males have been dissected to confirm identification and these, together with a female, have been deposited in the BM(NH). Ambulyx canascens Walker. B1 (4), B2 (4), B3 (7), B4 (2), B6 (4), B7 HAWKMOTHS OF BORNEO /spe4| (41), B8 (23), B9 (14), S2 (2), S3 (24), S7 (10) (735). Common. Ambulyx subocellata Walker. B1 (6), B2 (9), B3 (8), B4 (2), B6 (14), B7 (41), B8 (92), B9 (53), S1 (2), S2 (1), S3 (34), S5 (6), S6 (3), S7 (20) (291). Common and extremely variable. Clanis stenosema Rothschild & Jordan. B7 (3), B8 (2), S7 (2) (7). This is generally a latecomer to the light, specimens were seen flying at 0220 hours; 0300 hours, 0420 hours and 0510 hours. The others were not actually seen flying into the light but were all after midnight. Harman (1981: 94) records five specimens of C. bilineata taken in lowland forest in Brunei; these may have been misidentified. There are three specimens of stenosema in the Brunei Museum all incorrectly labelled as bilineata (Sg. Burung, Ladan Area, Mohd. Jaya, 9.vi.79; ditto, 11.vi.79; Rampoyoh, 3.viii.89, M.J. Allen). The specimen of ‘‘bilineata’’ illustrated by Harman (1981: 98) is also stenosema. No specimens of bilineata were seen during this project. Marumba juvencus Rothschild & Jordan. B2 (1), B3 (2), B4 (1), B7 (10), B8 (45), B9 (2), S3 (20), S7 (2) (83). Only four specimens were seen in June 1990; it was common in the same localities in December 1990 and January 1991. Four males and one female have been deposited in the BM(NH). Marumba tigrina Gehlen. B8 (1) (J). A single example which came to light at Bukit Ladan on 24.1.91 is the first record for Brunei and apparently the third for Borneo. Daphnusa ocellaris Walker. B1 (2), B2 (6), B3 (7), B6 (2), B7 (26), B8 (31), B9 (4), S2 (1), S3 (11), S6 (4), S7 (5) (99). This species appears to have two distinct colour forms; one is dark grey overall like that illustrated by D’ Abrera (1986: 85) and the other a reddish brown like that illustrated by Holloway (1987: plate 14, Fig. 6). Females rarely came to light and only six were seen, four of the ‘‘grey’’ form and two of the ‘‘red’’ form. A pair of each form have been deposited at the BM(NH). Cypa decolor Walker. B2 (1), B4 (1), B8 (8), B9 (3), S2 (2), S3 (6), S7 (1) (22). A variable species which was usually among the first moths to the light. However, at 0130 hours on 10.i1.91 at Gunung Serapi, a male flew into a pot of water some distance from the light; unfortunately for it, the water was just on the boil! Four males and two females have been deposited at the BM(NH). Smerinthulus terranea Butler. B8 (1) (J). Harman (1981: 94), records an example taken by Allen at Seria on 20.v.78 and Holloway (1987: 140) records another specimen from lower montane forest during the Mulu survey. The only specimen seen during the present survey was at Bukit Ladan on 25.1.91. Smerinthulus quadripunctatus Huwe. S3 (1) (1). A large, fresh female quadripunctatus came to the sheet at 1905 hours on 19.vi.90 at Gugung Serapl. Degmaptera olivacea Rothschild. B7 (3), B8 (1), S8 (1) (5). Five, mainly fresh, males were taken at Bukit Bahak, Brunei on 22.x1i.90, 25.xii.90 (2); 228 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.ix.1991 Bukit Sagan, Limbang, Sarawak on 20.i.91 and Bukit Ladan, Brunei on 25.i.91. Two of the specimens have a reddish ground colour like those illustrated by D’Abrera (1986:87), and Holloway (1987: plate 15, Fig. 6); the remainder are a dark green. One of each colour form has been deposited at the BM(NH). Only four specimens seem to have been known previously — one from Sarawak, two from Sabah and one from Peninsula Malaysia (Holloway 1987: 142). Callambulyx rubricosa amanda Rothschild & Jordan. B2 (1), B3 (1), B6 (1), B7 (3), B8 (2), B9 (1), S3 (4), S7 (1) (74). Only seen singly, except for 8.1.91 when two came to the sheet at Gunung Serapi. D’ Abrera (1986: 188), supports the African Euchloron megaera L. as the most beautiful of all the hawk moths. A fresh rubricosa must also be a contender for that title! A specimen has been deposited in the BM(NH). Gnathothlibus erotus erotus Cramer. B8 (4), S3 (9) (/3). Holloway (1987: 145) notes only four specimens taken in recent surveys. A specimen has been deposited in the BM(NH). Daphnis hypothous Cramer. B1 (22), B2 (11), B3 (96), B4 (23), BS (3), B6 (32), B7 (37), B8 (664), B9 (108), S1 (6), S2 (2), (S3 (310), S4 (18), S6 (3), S7 (8), S8 (25) (1404). The most ubiquitous and numerous of Borneo sphingids usually at the sheet in large numbers even when it was wet, windy and relatively cold (51 were seen at Gunung Serapi on 5.1.91, a cold and miserable night). More than 100 individuals were seen on three different nights and on 25.1.91, at Bukit Ladan, an estimated 330 came to the light. Although an attempt to count individuals was made throughout, weight of numbers occasionally made it almost impossible. The total recorded is estimated and errs on the conservative side. Daphnis placida Walker. B2 (1), B4 (1), B7 (1), B8 (1), B9 (1), S3 (4) (9). Harman (1981: 94) records eight specimens of placida and no hypothous; Holloway (1987: 147) notes only two recent placida from Borneo, one from Kinabalu in Sabah and the other from Mulu in Sarawak and states that the Harman placida are in fact hypothous. There is a specimen of p/acida in the Brunei Museum bearing data from the expedition which formed the basis of Harman’s paper (Temburong. Mixed Dipterocarp. 300m. ix/x.78) and it is almost certain that both species were recorded at that time. There are a further two specimens caught in the Museum grounds on 3.xii.77 and 28.vii.78. All placida in the Museum collection were labelled hypothous. Elibia dolichus Westwood. B1 (1), B2 (3), B3 (1), B6 (1), B7 (4), S1 (1), S3 (2), S6 (1), S7 (3) (17). Widespread but uncommon. Acosmeryx anceus subdentata Rothschild & Jordan. B1 (2), B2 (28), B3 (14), B4 (8), BS (2), B6 ((5), B7 (1), B8 (17), B9 (4), S1 (6), S3 (14), S5 (14), S6 ((4), S7 (52) (171). Widespread but not as common as the next species. It was the only sphingid to appear regularly at the hut lights at the Gunung Mulu Base Camp in November 1989 (not part of this survey). Acosmereyx shervillii Boisduval. B1 (16), B2 (28), B3 (36), B4 (3), B6 HAWKMOTHS OF BORNEO 229 (19), B7 (32), B8 78), B9 (5), S1 (48), S3 (34), SS (3), S6 (1), S7 (83) (386). The relative abundance of forms pseudonaga Butler and shervillii Bois- duval was not formally noted, although the former was certainly much commoner. Gehlenia falcata Hayes. S3 (13) (13). This species was only seen at Gunung Serapi on 18/19.vi.90. Four specimens have been deposited at the BM(NH). Eupanacra busiris Walker. B3 (1), B7 (1) (2). Two specimens of this rare species were taken, one at 200m above Labi Road ‘and the other at Bukit Bahak on 24.xii.90. Both are considerably larger that those in the author’s series from Hong Kong. The apparent scarcity of this, and other similar species may be due to their sporadic appearance at light; they were often netted at dawn in Hong Kong feeding at Duranta repens (Verbenaceae), oblivious to the light only a few feet away (Tennent, in press). Euranacra variolosa Walker. B6 (2), B7 (12), B8 (1) (/5). Harman (1981: 95) noted only one specimen of this species during his survey and Holloway (1987: 154) records in as being rare. Seven individuals, including the only female found, came to light on Christmas Eve at Bukit Bahak. It is not always easy to see what make conditions ideal but this was obviously such as occasion since a total of 11 Eupanacra of four species, appeared at the sheet before 1900 hours. Two variolosa have been deposited at the BM(NH). Eupanacra dohertyi Rothschild. B1 (5), B2 (4), B3 (1), B4 (3), B7 (2), B& (14), Si (3), S3 (4), S6 (2), S7 (5) (43). The most frequently met with member of the genus in Borneo. Although every specimen was closely examined, no psaltria, which resembles dohertyi quite closely, were found. Three specimens have been deposited at the BM(NH). Eupanacra automedon Walker. B3 (1) (/).A single specimen of this rare Eupanacra was taken above the Labi Road, Brunei, on 12.1.91. Holloway (1987:154), remarks that no specimens have been taken in recent surveys. Eupanacra malayana Rothschild & Jordan. B2 (1), B7 (1), B8 (1), S7 (1), S8 (1) (5). An uncommon species met with only singly. Eupanacra hollowayi sp. n. (Plate 1, Figures 1,2). Panacra psaltria Jordan; Diehl, 1980 Heterocera Sumatrana |: 41; pl. VII; fig. 5 (Misidenti- fication. Description. Male. Thorax and abdomen with a broad pale green band, darker at the thorax. Forewing. Prominent white subapical zig-zag mark with asymmetrical angles, as in E. dohertyi. Median dark oblique line becoming indistinct just short of the apex. Basal area costad of this line heavily mottled with dark moss-green. Hindwing. Distinct pale orange submarginal lunules in spaces 2, 3 and 4. Underside with prominent pale green mark from near cell to outer margin. Genitalia. Not dissected. Female. Not known. 230 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 Seixen Jo HOLOTYPE male BRUNEI: Bukit Bahak, LP 338E, 125m, 24.xii1.1990 (W.J. Tennent) (British Museum (Natural History)). Discussion. A single specimen of this attractive insect, quite unlike any other known member of the genus, came to light at 1845 hours on Christmas Eve 1990. It was the first sphingid to arrive on what was obviously a night of ideal conditions since it was followed in the next 15 minutes by a further ten Eupanacra of three species; more than were seen on any other night. At least one further specimen is known, namely that misidentified as ‘*Panacra psaltria’’ by Diehl (1980:41; pl. VII; fig. 5). It is clearly not that species (Holloway 1987: 153). Diehl states (1980: 41) ‘‘Die zierlichste Panacraart, die man etwa als ein Zwischenglied zwischen busiris und der automedon-malayana Gruppe betrachten kann. Durch einen gliicklichen Zufall fand ich die Raupe dieses seltenen Falters an einer Scindapusart (Aroideae) und konnte sie erfolgreich ziichten. Die Puppe hat durch griine T6nungen etwas Ahnlichkeit mit der von. busiris.’’ (The most attractive Panacra species which one can consider to be between busiris and the automedon-malayana group. Through a happy coincidence I found the larva of this rare moth on Scindapus species (Aroideae) and was able to rear it successfully. The pupa has an overall green tone and a similarity to busiris). Distribution: Borneo; Sumatra. Eupanacra psaltria, which resembles dohertyi, is still known only from Borneo. Indeed, following the discovery of Macroglossum pseudungues Holloway in peninsular Thailand (Kitching, unpublished data), psaltria is now the only sphingid endemic to the island. Eupanacra mydon elagantulus Herrich-Schaffer. B7 (3), B8 (1), S3 (1) (5). All those seen came to the sheet very early in the evening, with the exception of one, which flew in at 0558 hours on Christmas Day 1990, just before dawn. A specimen has been deposited at the BM(NH). Angonyx testacea Walker. S2 (1), S3 (22) (23). Most specimens came to light either at dusk or dawn, although it was also seen flying around the light at 0200 hours on 3.1.91 at Gunung Serapi. It was taken commonly at light in Hong Kong and was seen flying there at 2300 hours (Tennent, in press). Enpinanga vigens Butler. B4 (1), B6 ((2), B7 (4), B8 (2), S7 (1) (10). Very much more scarce than borneensis, seven were taken in June 1990, the other three were taken in Brunei and Sarawak in January 1991. The first to be seen was the only female. Holloway (1987: 157) notes only three specimens from Borneo. Enpinanga borneensis Butler. B1 (1), B2 (11), B3 (5), B4 (9), B6 (5), B7 (35), B8 (9), B9 (4), S1 (1), S3 (10), SS (1), S6 (1), S7 (6) (98). Widespread and common although females were rarely seen at light. The only females seen were at Bukit Bahak on 22.xi.90 and Gunung Serapi on 10.1.91; another was taken at light by Thom near sea level at Ulu Belait on 15.vi.90. ie) | HAWKMOTHS OF BORNEO de i male uppers n isp Eupanacra holloway Bukit Bahak (LP 338E) Brunei. 1 igure F Plate 1 Imm.) 125 metres. 24.xii.1990. (Scale bars = Figure 2. Underside. 232 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 Eurypteryx bhaga Moore. B8 (3), S3 (4) (7). All individuals seen arrived at the light early in the evening, before 2000 hours, apart from one which was found sitting on the sheet at dawn. Eurypteryx falcata Gehlen. B6 (1), B7 (1), B9 (1) (3). Holloway (1987: 159) notes this species to be extremely rare in lowland areas with only three individuals known from Borneo. It seems to be rare throughout its range. Those taken during this project were by the Sungai Keduan on 22.vi.90; at Bukit Bahak on 21.xii.90 and at Bukit Toraja on 23.1.91. The Bukit Bahak specimen has been deposited at the BM(NH). Macroglossum amoenum Rothschild & Jordan. S3 (4) (4). Four specimens of this species which came to light within ten minutes of turning the light on at Gunung Serapi on 19.vi.90, constitute a new record for Borneo. It was formerly known only from a few specimens from Singapore and Bangka Island. Identification has been confirmed by genitalic examination and two specimens have been deposited in the BM(NH). Macroglossum passalus Drury. B8 (1), S3 (3) (4). All four specimens appear to have come to light at dawn since, although they were not seen arriving, all were in very good condition and followed periods of heavy rain when most other moths on the sheet were showing serious signs of wear. Macroglossum faro Cramer. Seria (1) (J). A fresh specimen found dead on the military aircraft hangar floor at Seria, Brunei, on 9.1.91 seems to be only the second record for Borneo. The only other Bornean specimen was taken at Ulu Belait, not far from Seria, on 23.i.79 (Harman 1981: 95). Macroglossum mediovitta Rothschild & Jordan. B6 (1) (J). A specimen came to light on the banks of the Sungai Keduan early on 24.vi.90. This is the second individual known from Borneo. Macroglossum corythus luteata Butler. B8 (1), B9 (1), S3 (5) (7). This and the next species are easily confused and the only certain way of separating worn or greasy specimens is by genitalic examination. However, fresh specimens can be separated by the colour of the underside of the fan and the abdomen, which in corythus is chestnut brown and in sylvia very dark brown with light grey or white median abdominal patches (Kitching, pers. comm.). Holloway (1987: 164), records only three recent specimens of corythus, all taken in upper montane forest above 1500m in Brunei. Specimens taken during this project were at 320 and 325m in Brunei and at 720m in Sarawak. One specimen has been deposited at the BM(NH). Macroglossum sylvia Boisduval. S3 (7) (7). This is considerably less common than corythus throughout its range. Holloway (1987: 165), states that no recent Bornean material can be reliably associated with sy/vai. The seven specimens taken during this survey were all at 720m, often flying with the previous species. Two individuals have been deposited at the BM(NH). Macroglossum semifasciata Hampson. S3 (3) (3). Holloway (1987: 165), was only aware of one specimen of this species from Borneo; the holotype from Labuan Island. During the late afternoon of 19.vi.90, at Gunung Serapi, the author was awakened in the back of his Landcruiser from a HAWKMOTHS OF BORNEO 233 deep sleep (brought on by too much wine with lunch at the Kuching Hilton earlier!), by a Malaysian Army Sergeant clutching between thumb and forefinger a live, but remarkably undamaged female semifasciata, which he had just caught by hand on the Army camp wall just above the trap site. Two further specimens came to light at the same locality on 9.i.91. Macroglossum aquila Boisduval. B9 (1) (J). One specimen was seen at Bukit Toraja, Brunei, on 23.1.91. The generator was turned off at 0640 hours, about half an hour after dawn; some five minutes later a loud buzzing sound around the sheet proved to be an aquila flying very fast and probing small dead (drowned after very heavy rain some hours earlier) moths with its proboscis. Like all Macroglossum species it was very difficult to approach; it remained in the vicinity and was eventually netted drinking from a puddle. Macroglossum variegatum Rothschild & Jordan. S3 (3). Three Macroglossum were taken at light at Gunung Serapi on 19.vi.90 (2) and 9.1.91; they are considered likely to belong to this variable species which can really only be positively determined by genitalic examination. The genitalia have not been examined. Hippotion celerio L. S3 (5), S6 ((j ,S7 (2) (8). This very widespread Old World species was only seen singly. Hippotion echeclus Boisduval. B8 (4), B9 (1) (5). Both Harman (1981: 96) and Holloway (1987: 171), note this species from open lowland habitats. All five specimens seen during this survey were in well forested areas at 320m and 325m. Hippotion boerhaviae F. B2 (1), B3 (2), S3 (3), S6 (2) (8). This and the next species are difficult to identify with certainly other than by examining the genitalia. Although all specimens taken have been allocated to one species or the other they are, in some cases at least, provisional. Hippotion rosetta Swinhoe. B2 (4), B4 (4), B8 (1), S3 (19) (28). Commoner than the last species in Borneo (Holloway 1987: 172). There are several hundred of this species and/or boerhaviae in the Brunei Museum, all taken in the Museum grounds. Theretra nessus Drury. B2 (4), B3 (9), B5 (1), B7 (2), B8 (24), B9 (9), S1 (1), S2 (1), S3 (264), S4 (1), S5 (1), S6 ((2), S7 (12) (331). Very common and often abundant. Theretra boisduvalii Bugnion. B2 (1), B3 (1), B8 (4), S1 (1), S3 (16), S7 (3), S8 (1) (27). Listed as boisduvali by Harman (1981: 96), D‘Abrera (1986: 194) and Holloway (1987: 174). Found less commonly than clotho, but nevertheless widespread. Theretra rhesus Boisduval. B8 (2), S3 (1), S5 (4), S6 (30), S7 (3) (40). Holloway (1987: 175) says ‘‘T. rhesus appears to be rare, the four specimens being taken at altitudes from 250m to 1200m.’’ It was found only sporadically during this survey apart from on 7.1.91 when 30 came to light on the lower slopes of Gunung Perigi, Sarawak. Of these, 27 individuals came prior to 2100 hours, before any clotho were seen. Clotho 234 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.ix.1991 became very common later that night and only three further rhesus appeared. The four rhesus seen the previous night on the slopes of Gunung Berumput, also came to light early, before any clotho. Theretra clotho Drury. B2 (5), B3 (18), B4 (8), B6 (2), B8 (52), B9 (7), S1 (1), S2 (1), S3 (22), S5 (23), S6 (48), S7 (136), S8 (6) (329). A very common and widespread species. Theretra latreillti lucasii Walker. B1 (10), B2 (5), B3 (15), B4 (2), B6 (3), B8 (9), S1 (3), S2 (5), S3 (6), SS (14), S6 (18), S7 (30) (120). Listed as latreillei lucasi by some authors. Common and widespread. Theretra alecto L. B8 (1), S5 (4), S7 (11) (6). Not seen often during the project, probably because it tends to be taken in cultivated areas (Holloway 1987: 177); most of the trapping for this survey was in forest areas at a reasonable altitude. It was not noted by Harman (1981). Theretra suffusa Walker. BS (1), S5 (2), S6 (2), S7 (1) (6). Like the last, this is a lowland species found in open cultivated areas. Theretra silhetensis Boisduval. B1 (5), B2 (7), B3 (6), B8 (7), B9 (2), S6 (2) (31). This species was not uncommon. Although all specimens were examined carefully, no 7. oldenlandiae were found. Pergesa acteus Cramer. B3 (1), B7 (1), B8 (4), B9 (2), S1 (3), S3 (1), S6 (12), S7 (17) (41). Not uncommon but sporadic in appearance. Rhagastis rubetra Rothschild & Jordan. B7 (2), B8 (1), S5 (1), S7 (1) (5). The only specimens apparently noted in Borneo prior to this survey, were four individuals recorded by Harman (1981: 96) and mentioned by Holloway (1987: 182). Cechenena lineosa Walker. B7 (1), B8 (1), S3 (3), S5 (1), S7 (1) (8). It is interesting that Harman (1981: 96) found this species to be the most abundant sphingid in Brunei. During this survey it was almost the most scarce. Perhaps it is seasonal, although the period covered by this paper includes June, December and January. Cechenena helops Walker. B1 (1), B2 (11), B3 (12), B7 (20), B8 (26), B9 (11), S1 (2), S3 (31), S5 (3), S6 (6), S7 (20) (743). Widespread and common. Cechenena aegrota Butler. B1 (1), B2 (2), B3 (1), B4 (1), B6 (1), B7 (26), B8 (2), Sf (3), S3 ();, 84 (1); S5 G), S6 G), S7 (1) 62). Harman (1981-96); found this species universally in Brunei and Holloway (1987: 183), noted two specimens during the Mulu survey (Sarawak). During this project it was found to be widespread but uncommon. Acknowledgements A number of people rendered support during this survey. They are acknowledged here. Thanks to George Thom for his hospitality in Brunei in June 1990-and for occasionally running the trap in my absence; Huw and Julie Matthews for their friendship and hospitality in December 1990 and January 1991; Alan Hudson and Mick Clayton for their invaluable support in dropping me off by helicopter in various localities in the Brunei jungle HAWKMOTHS OF BORNEO 235 which would otherwise have been inaccessible; John Phillipps for finding and donating the second known Borneo specimen of Macroglossum faro: Dr Charles Leh, Curator of Zoology at the Sarawak Museum, Kuching for access to the Sarawak Museum collection and Haji Mohd. Jaya bin Hj. Sayat, Curator of Natural History at the Brunei Museum, Kota Batu, Bandar Seri Begawan for access to the Brunei Museum collection. Particular thanks to Dr Jan Kitching of the BM (NH), London for giving so much of his time in carrying out the genitalia examinations and giving taxonomic advice. References Cadiou, J.-M., & Holloway, J.D., 1989. Endemic Sphingidae from Sulawesi (Lepidoptera). Lambillionea 89: 130-158. D‘Abrera, B.L., 1986. Sphingidae Mundi, Hawkmoths of the World. Faringdon: E.W.CLassey. Diehl, E.W., 1980. Sphingidae. Heferocera Sumatrana |. Harman, T.W., 1981. A preliminary survey of the hawkmoths (Sphingidae) of Brunei. Brunei Mus. J. 5(1): 92-96. Holloway, J.D., 1976. Moths of Borneo with special reference to Mount Kinabalu. Kuala Lumpur: Malayan Nature Society. — , 1987. The Moths of Borneo. Part 3. London. Rothschild, W. & Jordan, K., 1903. A Revision of the Lepidopterous Family Sphin- gidae. Novit. Zool. 9 (suppl.). Tennent, W.J., The Hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of Hong Kong (and South East China). Entomologists’ Rec. J. Var. (in press). A remarkable assemblage of beetles under one stone Stone-turning is usually among the first collecting methods to be practised by the young beetle-hunter, calling as it does for no special knowledge or apparatus. So at least it was in my own case, when I pursued it to good effect in the gardens both of my parents and (for one season) of my prep- school in Blackheath from the late 1920s. Seldom, however, I venture to think, can such a rich haul of beetles have been obtained from under a single stone of modest size, as on the occasion related here: well over fifty specimens comprising at least sixteen species. The site was a more or less sterile sand and gravel pit at Plumstead in the S.E. London suburbs, where I had previously found nothing of note. On the occasion in question (11.vii.1958), the pit was particularly dry and barren; two or three slightly damp patches remained on its floor but even they were devoid of beetles. As a last resort, and expecting to draw a blank, I rather casually turned over a solitary stone — the only one there. To my utmost astonishment, small beetles were scattering from under it in all directions, making it no easy matter to collect them or what I hoped was the majority of them. (The assemblage, whatever its composition, was obviously of considerable interest in itself.) Some individuals must have made good their escape but I am inclined to think few or no species were 236 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.i1x.1991 missed. What brought together such a multitude was, clearly, a combination of two factors — residual moisture and shelter. The following were found to have been taken. CARABIDAE: Bembidion genei Kiist., 2; B. femoratum Stm., several. STAPHY- LINIDAE: Carpelimus bilineatus Steph., 1; C. gracilis Mann., 10; C. pusillus (Grav.), 1; Platystethus nitens (Sahlb.), 3; Hypomedon obscurellus (Er.), 8; Leptacinus batychrus (Gyll.). 9; Neobisnius lathrobioides (Baudi), 5; Philonthus quisquiliarius (Gyll.), 1; Gabrius nigritulus (Grav.), 1 male; Thecturota (=Pragensiella) marchii (Dod.), 2; Falagria caesa Er. (=sulcata auct.), many; Amischa decipiens (Sharp), 1; Atheta (Philhygra) luridipennis (Mann.), 1; A. (P.) palustris (Kies.), 1. The heavy preponderance of Staphylinidae will be noted, as also the absence among these of any species over about 4mm in length other than the Philonthus. Of those present, several are uncommon in this district or indeed not otherwise found there, notably (in the latter category) T. marchii, H. obscurella and A. palustris. C. gracilis though general is quite scarce whilst F. caesa (present in numbers) has otherwise occurred to me only singly, even though on numerous occasions. N. lathrobioides, like all its genus, is far from common.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. A further record of Pelosia muscerda Hufn., the Dotted Footman (Lep.: Arctiidae) in Kent. A single male of P. muscerda was caught in the Rothamsted Insect Survey light trap at Hamstreet, Kent (Site No. 472, OS grid ref. TR 004 334) on 27.vii.1990. No known migrant species were caught on this night. J. Clarke (Ent. Rec. 102: 302) records two specimens at Folkestone Warren on 1/2.viii.1990 and reviews the history of this species in Kent. Although this species was once at Ham Fen, some 75km away from the R.I.S. trap at Hamstreet, it is no longer believed to occur there. It seems likely that the present record, and those of Dr Clarke, represent a migration of P. muscerda from a more distant source. Thanks are extended to Mr M. Tickner for operating the trap at Hamstreet.—ADRIAN M. RILEY, AFRC-Farmland Ecology Group, Dept. Entomology & Nematology, Rothamsted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Herts ALS 2JQ. A melanic form of Carabus arvensis Herbst. (Col.: Carabidae) Following the account by Mr A.A. Allen (Ent. Rec. 102: 214) on melanism in Carabus clatratus L., I can report a few melanic specimens of Carabus arvensis by acid flushes on Cadair Idris, Merionethshire (SH71), 27.v.1990.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3EP. ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM Dai ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM JOHN PAUL 104 Southfield Park, Bartlemas Close, Oxford OX4 2BA. (Concluded from page 174) List of Selected Sites A. Urban Sites 1. Snowhill Station (SP0687): This locality, for many years the site of a derelict railway station, is remarkable for being at the heart of Birming- ham. Until redevelopment of the site started in the mid-1980s, there were extensive areas of gravel, rubble and clinker, with patches of vegetation and a few bushes. Chorthippus brunneus was abundant here at least until 1984, when redevelopment of the site prevented access. Snowhill was popular with Birmingham lepidopterists in the early 1980s because of its strong population of the Common Blue Butterfly, Polyommatus icarus. At the time of writing (1990), the site is once again occupied by a functional railway station but it is possible that C. brunneus still survives there. 2. Canal banks in the Smethwick area: Birmingham has many miles of canals whose overgrown banks, cuttings and towpaths provide ideal habitat for Chorthippus brunneus, which often occurs in large numbers. Most of my collecting was done at Winson Green, near Dudley Road Hospital (SP0488), where there are high south-west-facing banks with rough grassland. As a guest on a Fern Society barge trip in 1984, from Gas Street to Sandwell, I was shown patches of vegetation in a canal cutting, about one mile west of Winson Green which are believed to be vestiges of the once extensive Birmingham Heath, which existed before the industrial revolution. There are a few clumps of ling, cowberry and lemon-scented fern. Unfortunately no heathland Orthoptera were found. 3. Turner’s Hill (SO9688) and Darby’s Hill (SO/96-89-): These dolerite hills are a conspicuous feature of the West Midlands landscape. They are quarried and built upon, but have large open areas with sparse vegetation. C. brunneus occurs in large numbers but I have not detected other species. 4. Wren’s Nest Hill (SO9391): A much quarried lump of Silurian limestone, world-famous for its fossils. There are areas of limestone grassland, scree and cliffs. C. brunneus is the only species I have recorded, but my searches for Orthoptera at this site have not been extensive. 5. The Vale (SP0584), Edgbaston: The location of Birmingham University’s Halls of Residence. There is a south-facing grassy slope with C. brunneus and scanty Omocestus viridulus. 238 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 1S cixe (SO B. Sites with semi-natural vegetation on the periphery of the West Midlands conurbation 1. Sutton Park (SP0919): This is without doubt the premier Orthoptera site in the county of West Midlands. There are large areas of deciduous woodland, rough grassland, heath, bog and lakes. The park is surrounded by built-up areas. Butterflies include the Green Hairstreak and Holly Blue, which is often abundant. I have seen Common Butterwort near Bracebridge Pool. Four species of grasshopper are common in open areas: O. viridulus, C. parallelus, C. brunneus and M. maculatus. 2. Pelsall Common: The 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map labels two places as Pelsall Common: the smaller, between Pelsall and Heath End (SK022027) is managed as parkland, with mown turf and a lake, but there are areas of mown heather. On my single visit to the site, I found C. brunneus, but other species may oecur. North of Pelsall, west of the B4154 road and straddling the Wyrley and Essington Canal is a better Pelsall Common with large expanses of heather and marshland, with O. viridulus, C. brunneus and M. maculatus. 3. Wyrley Common (SK0206): Derelict spoil heaps, overgrown with birch, grassland and heather. Despite its uninviting appearance, four grasshoppers occur: O. viridulus, C. parallelus, C. brunneus and M. maculatus. 4. Chasewater (SK04070): West of the reservoir is a superb fragment of moorland with much heather and a site for sundew, Drosera rotundifolia, within the West Midlands. Chorthippus brunneus and M. maculatus are present there, as well as on a heathy canal bank, east of the minor road (SK047069). 5. Rubery Hill: A quarried and visually unattractive hill, but with some patches of heathland and three grasshoppers: O. viridulus, C. brunneus, M. maculatus. 6. Lickey Hills (SO9975; SO0076), Coften Hill (SP0074): Ancient quartzite hills, treed with pine and with open areas of bilberry, grassland and ling. Despite numerous visits I have found only C. brunneus. 8. Beacon Hill (SO9876): A grassy slope, overlooking Birmingham. Chorthippus brunneus and O. viridulus present. 9. Solihull, Riverside Drive (SP165789): From a patch of damp ground with Carex spp. and clumps of ling, isolated by newly constructed roads and buildings. J.W. Lewis reported C. albomarginatus in 1984. I was unable to find this species when I went there the following year (in less than ideal conditions) but did find O. viridulus and C. brunneus. 10. Coleshill Bog: A remarkable place, with birch woods, heather, sphagnum bog and a lake, surrounded by major roads: M6, M42, A446(T) and their sliproads. There are numerous dragonflies, including: Lestes ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM 239 sponsa, Enallagma cyathiferum, Aeshna cyanea, Libellulla depressa, L. quadrimaculata and Sympetrum striolatum. On one occasion I caught a mature male S. danae. Orthoptera by the bog itself have disappointed me, C. brunneus being the only species I have found west of the A446(T). However, east of the A446(T) the acid ground continues and at a heathy woodland border (SP203863) are O. viridulus, C. parallelus and C. brunneus. 11. Bickenhill Plantation (SP1884): Jeremy Roads collected a specimen of Metrioptera brachyptera from long grass at this site on 4.ix.1986. The specimen is in Warwick Museum. Pamela Copson kindly sent me a colour slide of the insect which leaves no doubt as to its identity. In May 1990 two nymphs were found: one was reared. This unusual locality for M. brachyptera, being devoid of heather, is due for development. C. Heaths and Moors _ - 1. Wixall Moss (SJ43): A magnificent expanse of peat moor, continuous with Fenn’s Moss in Wales. It has long been a favourite hunting ground of Birmingham entomologists and is of national importance for its exceptional fauna. The Large Heath butterfly is common most years. The nationally rare dragonfly Leucorrhinia dubia is sometimes abundant: on 6.vii. 1986 I collected SO exuviae in less than half an hour. Orthoptera found are: O. viridulus, C. parallelus, M. maculatus, T. undulata and the local M. brachyptera. All of them abound at Whixall. 2. Prees Heath (SJ53): Birmingham entomologists visit this locality for the Silver-studded Blue butterfly, which somehow survives on tiny fragments of sandy heathland in the company of M. maculatus. 3. Cramer Gutter (SO6479): A small area of bog associated with a stream, surrounded by dry, sandy heathland. A very rich locality. Dragonflies include Cordulegaster boltonii and Orthetrum coerulescens. Orthoptera are of high quality with M. brachyptera, O. viridulus, C. parallelus, M. maculatus and T. undulata. 1 have never found C. brunneus at Cramer Gutter, in contrast to sites in Birmingham where it is usually the only grasshopper to be found.; 4. Highgate Common (SO8389) and Forest Covert (SO839): Deciduous woodland and heathland with pools. O. viridulus, C. brunneus and M. maculatus are all common. Mr R. Hill has found M. brachyptera in one small damp area of the common, the colony having been discovered by Mr A. Moffet (Hill, pers. com., 1990). 5. Kinver Edge (SO8383): Deciduous woodland and dry heath. C. brunneus, M. maculatus. 6. Hartlebury Common (SO8270; 8271): Dry sandy heathland. O. viridulus, C. brunneus, M. maculatus. 7. Kidderminster Rifle Range (SO8074; 8174; 8175): Dry sandy heathland. O. viridulus, C. brunneus, M. maculatus. 8. Alverley Waste Heap (SO7583): Derelict coal mining land by the River 240 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 I Ssixel 99s Severn but visually and entomologically attractive. 7. undulata, C. brunneus, M. maculatus. Mr R. Kemp has found M. thalassinum nearby. 9. Cannock Chase: Extensive area of dry heathland and mixed woodland with valley bogs. Most sites are rich in Orthoptera, but Oldacre Valley (SJ9718) and Penkridge Bank (SKO0017) are among the best with: M. brachyptera, O. viridulus, C. brunneus, M. maculatus. D. Woodland 1. Wyre Forest (SO77): An outstanding entomological site of national importance. Three grasshoppers are common: O. viridulus, C. brunneus, T. undulata is present on the disused railway track and at Sturt Common. Three bush-crickets may be seen: M. thalassinum, P. griseoaptera (on the banks of the River Severn near the mouth of Dowles Brook and near Ribbesford Woods) and L. punctatissima (Fincher, 1964). 2. Chaddesley Woods complex (SO97): M. thalassinum is locally common. Grassland in Randan Wood has O. viridulus, C. paralellus, C; brunneus. Fincher (1953) records 7. undulata from Randan Wood. 3. Monk Wood (SO8060): Of interest to lepidopterists because of its moths and the Wood White butterfly. Three bush-crickets: M. thalassinum, P. griseoaptera, L. punctatissima and two groundhoppers: T. subulata and T. undulata. 4. Trench Wood (SO9258): Another lepidopterist’s wood but with: M. thalassinum, P. griseoaptera, T. undulata, C. parallelus, C. brunneus. E. Grassland 1. Bredon Hill: On my single visit I found O. viridulus, C. parallelus and C. brunneus, but it is very likely that more species occur on this outlier of the Cotswolds. 2. Broadway Hill: An enclave of Worcestershire in the generally Orthoptera-rich Cotswolds. I have seen C. parallelus and C. brunneus and it is probable that several more species occur. 3. Ufton Fields, Warwickshire: Liassic limestone grassland with ponds. A rich limestone grassland with Man and Bee Orchids. 7. subulata, C. albomarginatus, C. brunneus. I thank Dr D.R. Ragge for checking the typescript. References Clements, D.K. (1987). Metrioptera brachyptera (L.) (Orth.: Tettigoniidae) in Staf- fordshire. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 123: 247. Copson, P. (1984). (Updated, August, 1984.) Distribution atlas: Orthopteroids in Warwickshire. Warwickshire Museum. Warwick. Daltry, H.W. (1933). Order-Orthoptera. Trans. N. Staffs. Fld. Cl. 68: 136. Elton, C. (1947). Some Orthoptera from Shropshire and Pembrokeshire. Ento- mologist’s mon. Mag. 83: 42. ORTHOPTERA AROUND BIRMINGHAM 241 Evans, A.E. (1970). Pholidoptera griseoaptera (De Geer) (Orth.: Tettigoniidae) new to Leicestershire. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 106: 66. Fincher, F. (1953). Some notes on the Orthoptera and Dermaptera in the West Midlands. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 65: 151-154. — , (1955). Orthoptera and Dermaptera in Worcestershire. Entomologist’s Rec. Je VarjoT sh. — , (1964). Leptophyes punctatissima (Bosc) (Orth.: Tettigoniidae) in Worcester- shire. Entomoloigst’s mon. Mag. 100: 98. Haes, E.C.M. (1983). Orthoptera Recording Scheme. Newsletter 9. Biological Records Centre. Huntingdon. — , (1985). Orthoptera Recording Scheme. Newsletter 11. Biological Records Centre. Huntingdon. Kevan, D.K.McE. (1951). Platycleis occidentalis occidentalis Zeuner (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) in the Midlands. J. Soc. Br. Ent. 4(2): 42-43. — , (1952). Platycleis occidentalis Zeuner (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae): a COniection: J. SOGs Bi Ent): 10: — , (1954). Further notes on the distribution of British Orthopteroids. J. Soc. Br. Ent. 5: 65-70. Lucas, W.J. (1920). A monograph of British Orthoptera. London. Marshall, W.J., Haes, E.C.M. (1989). Grasshoppers and allied insects of Great Britain and Ireland. Colchester. Paul, J. (1984). Orthopteroids (Grasshoppers etc). In Second Warwickshire Wildlife Report 1984. 11-12. — , (1986). Metrioptera brachyptera (L.) (Orth.: Tettigoniidae) from Stafford- shire. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 122: 42. Ragge, D.R. (1965). Grasshoppers, crickets and cockroaches of the British Isles. London. Smith, K.G.V. (1954). Meconema thalassinum (De Geer) (Orth.: Tettigoniidae) in Shropshire. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 90: 21. The Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata L.) in North Cheshire (v.c.58) I was very intersted in B.K. West’s article (Ent. Rec. 103: 89-92). In the 1950s and 1960s any currant or gooseberry bush in the Sale/Altrincham area, to the south of Manchester, could be guaranteed to provide a plentiful supply of larvae of this species. I used to breed large numbers every year, especially from the Ribes in my own garden and the allotments across the road. On 22.x.1967 I came across a vast number of grossulariata larvae behind Dunham Park, settling down for hibernation on a small oak tree, on which at that time they appeared to have been feeding. I returned to the site on 17.v.1968 to find the larvae, nearly fully grown, feeding on a hedge of sloe bushes underneath the oak. I brought about five hundred of them home and reared virtually 100% through to moths, among which were a handful of interesting vars, including a few approximating to hazeleighensis Rayn. and one paucisignata Lempke. Taking this many appeared to have made very little effect on the colony. The remaining caterpillars completely stripped the sloe bushes. Returning in 1969, I found the colony still present, but in greatly reduced numbers. The following year, there were none. Neither have there ever 242 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 151x998 been any since, although the habitat is unaltered. At the same time, the species also completely disappeared from all the currant and gooseberry bushes in this area. In 1990, by very diligent searching on many semi-wild currant bushes in the Birchwood/Risley Moss area of Warrington ‘‘new town’’ (v.c.59), about ten miles from here, I did manage to find five grossulariata larvae, and brought the three largest home, from which one moth resulted, the other two being parasitised. In the years of abundance, I could never persuade Ribes-feeding larvae to accept any other pabulum; however the Prunus-feeding brood would accept currant. In general, the moths from the local currant bushes were larger than the Dunham examples from sloe.— P.B. HARDy, 10 Dudley Road, Sale, Cheshire. Farmland Ecology light trap network: interesting Lepidoptera records for September 1990. Continuing our notes on unusual Lepidoptera records from the network of light traps operating on the Rothamsted Estate, the following are particuarly noteworthy for September 1990: Considering the relatively large number of unusual immigrant Lepidoptera recorded in the UK this year by various collectors and recorders, it is surprising that only the common species, Udea ferrugalis Hb., Agrotis ipsilon Hufn, and Autographa gamma L. were caught in the traps during September at Rothamsted. However, extra broods of several species of resident Lepidoptera were recorded. Idaea dimidiata Hufn. and Scopula imitaria Hb. are usually univoltine but a second brood was recorded for both species during mid-September. The occasional second emergence known to occur in Jdaea aversata L. and Caradrina morpheus Hufn. was also recorded. A single individual of Catoptria falsella D. & S. and several Hepialus sylvina L. were caught on 22nd and 21st-26th respectively. These are late records for these species and it is possible that the former represents a partial second emergence. The third brood of Ectropis bistortata Goeze which was suggested in the notes for August is confirmed by captures of this species to the middle of September. Clear gaps are evident between captures of each brood. Drepana binaria Hufn. was also recorded during mid-September after an absence of approximately six weeks. These records also appear to represent a third emergence of this normally bivoltine species. The occurrence of extra broods during the warm spring and hot summer of 1990 is particularly interesting given the present speculation regarding climatic change. —ADRIAN M. RILEY and MARTIN C. TOWNSEND, AFRC Farmland Ecology Project, Dept. of Entomology and Nematology, Rothamsted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Herts ALS 2JQ. BRITISH LAMIIDAE 243 THE GENUS POGONOCHERUS ZETT. (COL.: LAMIIDAE) IN THE BRITISH ISLES RAYMOND R. UHTHOFF-KAUFMANN 13 Old Road, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 OHB. COUNTIES and vice-counties are represented by Brownean alphabetical symbols (Kaufmann, 1989); those italicised indicate a widespread common species. Pogonocherus hispidulus Pill. & Mitt. Generally distributed in England, becoming rarer in the north. There is a shortage of records from elsewhere in the British Isles. ENGLAND: BD BK BX CB CH CU DM DT DY EC EK EN ES EX EY GE GW HFHT HU JWL LNLR MX MY ND NH NM NONS OX SD SE SH SLSN SP SRSS ST SY WC WK WL WN WO WWWX WY WALES: DB GM PB RA SCOTLAND: AM AY ED EL PM IRELAND: AR NK SK WI The larva is associated with alder, apple, aspen, beech, birch, cherry, crabapple, elder, elm, fig, hawthorn, hazel, hornbeam, ivy, lime, oak, pear, plane, plum, snowy mespil, spindle tree and Viburnum. Reineck (1919) names Scots pine and spruce among the larval host trees: this is questioned by Duffy (1953); Planet (1924), too, states that the larva is confined to trees of a non-resinous nature. The larva is parasitised by these Braconids:— Cenocoelius agricolator L., C. analis Nees, Doryctes undulatus Ratz. and Habrobracon palpebrator Ratz. The pupa normally overwinters, metamorphosis taking two years to complete, but sometimes, depending upon climatic conditions, eclosion occurs rather earlier such that the adult insect emerges in the autumn. Thus, it may be found as late as October or from March onwards throughout the seasons. The imagines may be taken from off their host plants and also by beating dead hedges, nettles, old posts and wattle fencing. P. hispidulus is illustrated by Donovan (1793). P. hispidus L. Like the foregoing species generally distributed but scarcer locally in the north of England. Scottish and Irish records are more plentiful. ENGLAND: BK BX CB CH CU DM DT DY EC EK EN ES EX EY GE GW HF HT HU IW LLN LR MM MX MY ND NE NH NM NO NS NW OX SD SE SH SL SN SP SR SS ST SW WC WK WL WN WO WS WW wx 244 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 1 Sarxel99t WALES: DB GM MG RA SCOTLAND: AM AS AY DF ED EI EL LA IRELAND: CV DU KC NK SK WG WI WX The polyphagous larva is found in an even wider range of brood trees than the preceding species. These include alder, apple, beech, birch, blackthorn, buckthorn, Cotoneaster, crabapple, dogwood, elm, fig, hawthorn, hazel, holly, hornbeam, ivy, laurel, lime, mistletoe, oak, pear, plum, raspberry canes, rose, rowan, sallow, spindle tree, Viburnum, walnut and willow. In Scandinavia it has attacked Jerusalem artichokes (Bily & Mehl, 1989)! Reinbeck also names Scots pine and spruce as the pabula of this species. Duffy’s view (op. cit.) is that the larva has possibly been confused with that of P. fasciculatus. On the other hand, both deciduous and coniferous growths are listed as host trees for P. hispidulus and P. hispidus by Klausnitzer & Sander (1981). The larva of the latter is parasitised by these Hymenoptera:— Ceno- coelius agricolator L., Doryctes undulatus Ratz., Ephialtes manifestator L., E. tenebrans Ratz. and Eurytoma eccoptogastri Ratz. The life cycle varies between one and two years. In normal circumstances the pupa forms during the second year and overwinters; if, however, the autumn months are exceptionally mild, eclosion takes place before the cold weather sets in, the adults emerging in October. Otherwise, hispidus occurs from April until September and may be beaten off or swept from the parent trees, faggots, furze, hedges and herbage, oak hurdles and the flowers of guelder rose, holly and ivy. P. fasciculatus Deg. This is the third exclusively Scottish Longhorn beetle, confined chiefly to the ancient Highland forests where it is now scarce, and a few Lowland counties where it is equally rare. It has been exported southwards, occurring adventively in some English counties. SCOTLAND: AS DF EI EL LL PM Fortuitous introductions: ENGLAND: DM DY EN (see below) ES EY LN MY ST SY Stephens (1831) recorded two indigenous specimens ‘‘both . . . captured near Norwich.’’ The reference was later queried by Fowler (1890). This is of some significance because in an old pinewood plantation in the neighbourhood of Norwich /fasciculatus evidently founded quite a flourishing colony — whatever its origins — undisturbed (as was Leptura rubra L. in the same area) for a very long time. However, in the present century the insect no longer escaped the attention of entomologists — one collector alone took some two dozen examples during a couple of hours’ search there — so it is feared that fasciculatus has been eliminated from that part of East Anglia: no new records of its capture from Norfolk have BRITISH LAMIIDAE 245 been published since 1953. Joy (1976) gives Grimsby, Lincs, as another East Anglian locality for the beetle, but the record is based on a single specimen taken in a garden by Dr Wallace (Fowler & Donisthorpe, 1913). The larva is found in the dead and dying branches of fir, larch, Norway spruce and Scots pine. Klausnitzer (1981) has also recorded it from chestnut trees: The larva is parasitised by these Hymenoptera: — Bracon flavulatus Ratz., Cenocoelius agricolator L., C. analis Nees, Doryctes igneus Ratz., Ephialtes extricator Nees, E. manifestator L., E. sagax Htg., E. terebrans Ratz., Habrocytus dahlbomi Ratz., H guttatus Ratz., H. undulatus Ratz., Hemiteles aestivalis, var. modestus Grav., H. melanarius Grav., Iphiaulax flavator F., Pteromalis pogonocheri Ratz. and Pyracmon xoridiformis Holmgr. Pupation takes place in the autumn; the pupa sometimes overwinters, in which case metamorphosis will extend from one to two years. The imagines eclode in very early spring, the adults emerging in March, when they may be beaten off dead, lopped off branches and dying needles of their coniferous host plants. The beetles occur until as late as October. Those that turn up accidentally are usually found in undecorticated planks and pit props. Acknowledgements The following are thanked for their records and information: — A.A. Allen Esq., Miss I. Baldwin, Royal Museum of Scotland, J. Cooter Esq., the Librarian, Royal Entomological Society, H. Mendel Esq., D.R. Nash Esq., Dr J.P. O’Connor, National Museum of Ireland, Prof. J.A. Owen and Mrs S.L. Shute, Dept. of Entomology, Natural History Museum. References Aurivillius, C., 1923. Lamiinae in Junk, W. & Schenkling, S., Coleopterorum Cata- logus, 74: 326-332. Berlin. Bily, S. & Mehl, O., 1989. Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) of Fenno- scandia and Denmark. Leiden. Chinery, M., 1986. Insects of Britain and Western Europe. London. Cooter, J. & Cribb, P.W., 1975. A Coleopterist’s Handbook. 2nd ed. Feltham. Curtis, J., 1837. A guide to the arrangement of British Insects: 71. 2nd ed. London. Demelt, C. von, 1966. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands, 52: 2. Bockkafer oder Ceram- bycidae, 1. Jena. Dibb, J.R., 1948. Field book of Beetles. Hull. Donisthorpe, H.StJ.K., 1939. A preliminary list of the Coleoptera of Windsor Forest. London. Donovan, E., 1793. The natural history of British Insects, 2, pl. 64, figs. 2-3. London. Duffy, E.A.J., 1953. A monograph of the immature stages of British and imported Timber Beetles (Cerambycidae). London. Fowler, W.W., 1890. The Coleoptera of the British Islands. 4. London. — , & Donisthorpe, H.StJ.K., 1913. Ibid., 6 (Supplement). London. 246 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 Freude, H., Harde, K.W. & Lohse, G.A., 1966. Die Kafer Mitteleuropas, 9. Krefeld. Hansen, V., 1966. Biller, 22. Traebukke Danmarks fauna. Copenhagen. (Text in Danish.) Harde, K.W., 1984. A field guide in colour to Beetles. English ed. Hammond, P.M. London. Hickin, N., 1987. Longhorn Beetles of the British Isles. Princes Risborough. Honnorat, E., 1878. Sur un Cérambycide polyphage Pogonochaerus dentatus Fourcroy, Bull. Soc. zool. Fr., 3: 312-314. Joy, N.H., 1932. A practical handbook of British Beetles. 2 vols. London. Kaufmann, R.R. Uhthoff-, 1948. Notes on the distribution of the British Longicorn Coleoptera. Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 84: 66-85. — , 1948. An annotated list of the Scottish Longicorn Coleoptera, Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edin., 23(2): 83-94. — , 1989. Browne versus Watson: Round two, Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 101: 61-63. Klausnitzer, B. & Sander, F., 1981. Die Bockkdfer Mitteleuropas. Wittenberg Lutherstadt. Kloet, G.S. & Hincks, W.D., 1977. A check list of British Insects, 11(3), Strepsip- tera and Coleoptera: 71, 2nd ed. London. Linssen, E.F., 1959. Beetles of the British Isles, 2. London. Marsham, T., 1802. Entomologia Britannica, 1, Coleoptera. London. Martyn, T., 1792. The English Entomologist, tab. 24, fig. 5 (non 10)? London. Planet, L-M., 1924. Histoire naturelle des Longicornes de France. Paris. Reineck, G., 1919. Die Insekten der Mark Brandenburg, II, Coleoptera, Ceram- bycidae, Dtsche. Ent. Ztg., 1919 (Supplement), 1-92. Samouelle, G., 1819. The Entomologist’s useful compendium. London.. Sharp, D., 1880. Insecta Scotica: the Coleoptera of Scotland, Scot. Nat., 5: 371-378. Speight, M.C.D., 1988. The Irish Cerambycid fauna (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), Bull. Ir. biogeog. Soc., 41-76. Spry, W. & Shuckard, W.E., 1840. The British Coleoptera delineated. London. Stephens, J.F., 1829. A systematic catalogue of British Insects: 197. London. — , 1831. Illustrations of British Entomology, Mandibulata, 4. London. — , 1839. A manual of British Coleoptera. London. Torka, V., 1907. Pogonocherus fasciculatus De Geer, Z. Forst- u. Jagdw. 339: 674-676. Tozer, D., 1953. Pogonochaerus fasciculatus Deg. (Col.: Lamiidae) breeding in England. Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 89: 170. Villiers, A., 1978. Faune des Coléoptéres de France, 1, Cerambycidae. Paris. Walker, J.J., 1932. The Dale Collection of British Coleoptera, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 66: 105. Wilson, J. & Duncan, J., 1834. Entomologia Edinensis, Coleoptera: 270. Edinburgh. Winkler, A., 1929. Catalogus Coleopterorum regionis palaearcticae, 10: 1209-1210. Vienna. A record of Utetheisa pulchella Linn. at m.v. light at Buckland, near Reigate, Surrey. A specimen of this rare migrant was found in my garden trap on the morning of 6th October 1990. The specimen, a male, was exhibited alive at the annual exhibition of the AES later the same day.— COLIN HART, Four- penny Cottage, Dungates Lane, Buckland, Betchworth, Surrey RH3 7BD. OVIPOSITING IN HESPERIA COMMA 247 THE ADAPTATION TO A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT BY CHANGING OVIPOSITING CUES BY FEMALES OF THE SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER (HESPERIA COMMA LINN. 1758) K. WILLMOTT 34 Daybrook Road, Merton Park, London SW19 3DH. I HAVE been studying the fortunes of several different sites on the North Downs properties of the National Trust, all of which usually contain good populations of H. Comma. One of the compartments which comes under close scrutiny is figured in E.B. Ford’s New Naturalist Series No. 1 — Butterflies (first published 1945), plate XVIII facing page 135. In recent years I have noticed a marked diminution of suitable larval foodplant — the Sheeps-fescue grass (Festuca ovina). Although the actual quantity of the foodplant has little changed, its suitability has diminished due to severe grazing pressures by the ever-increasing rabbit population. The abundant Festuca appears to be the most favoured pabulum of the rabbit in preference to the Brachypodium and Bromus which also tend to dominate the chalk escarpments, and it is closely grazed to a bowling green like appearance in many of the more open areas. The eggs of H. comma are very easy to find during the latter part of August, as they are rather large and conspicuous on the hair-like blades of Festuca. Those tussocks that are relatively isolated and with a percentage of bare ground in close proximity are the most frequently used ovipositing sites. Trying to locate eggs in late winter (February early March, before they hatch) is a different proposition.They are decidedly more difficult to locate and H. comma apparently suffers heavy mortality in the overwintering egg stage. In August 1988 thirty eggs were marked out in situ on the North Downs for re-locating the following spring. Twenty-one of these eggs disappeared during the winter months. I have come to the inevitable conclusion that most of these egg losses are incurred by grazing rabbits. | The extent of grazing varies from site to site and in different sections of an individual compartment, with areas of a more open nature perhaps being more susceptible to grazing pressure. My observations lead me to believe that the rabbit feels more secure when grazing in these open sites, having an all round vision of any possible predator attack and thus being able to instigate a quick and effective escape to nearby warrens. In areas where there is variable scrub growth and therefore restricted vision, grazing seems to be less intensive and a percentage of Festuca remains suitable for ovipositing H. comma. With this background, the future for H. comma on the North Downs and elsewhere must seemingly be threatened, despite its obvious survival with the rabbit populations of pre-myxomatosis times — I have certainly observed a marked decline in the number of suitable Ovipositing sites for females over the past five years. Regular August 248 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 151x199) inspections of the Festuca have been made and several formerly good sites are now devoid of eggs, with merely the remnants of once succulent Festuca tussocks remaining as evidence of years past. During August 1989 whilst working one of the most affected compart- ments, I noticed a female H. comma, after its typical low, short, buzzing ovipositing flight settle on an isolated tussock of Wood False-brome grass (Brachypodium sylvaticum) and deposit a single egg low down in its base. There were very few other possible ovipositing sites in the compartment, butanother egg was located a short distance away on Festuca, which had little chance of survival as the tussock was already grazed almost to soil level. 1990 saw a decided drop in adult numbers in this heavily grazed compartment, but on the other sites where the pressure was not so intense, numbers were well up to average. Most adult sightings in this depleted compartment were confined to small areas where there was a supply of nectar plants. These mostly consisted of rather small growths of Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) and Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare). Fortunately H. comma does seem to be a mobile species and stands of tall scrub do not seem to act as a barrier. I have observed on several occasions H. comma fly up and over tall scrub and they are often encountered some distance from their breeding areas, usually at nectar sources, although a temporary colonisation of a site distant from a major breeding site has been noted. This colony became extinct through a complete Jack of grazing and was formerly winter grazed by two or three horses before being colonised by H. comma. Several of those nectaring in the Festuca depleted compartment were seen to be females and it was not too long before I once again observed another female showing great interest in the small drought affected tussocks of Brachypodium sylvaticum. The previous fine summer and mild winter had provided the ideal conditions for further increases in the rabbit population and together with the 1990 summer drought had exacerbated the plight of Festuca and this was the response of H. comma to such a hostile environment. It became commonplace to see the females ovipositing on Brachypodium and eggs could even be located on this grass by searching the distinct isolated small tussocks. On one site in the Buckland Hills, a disused quarry, I also observed a female ovipositing and located eggs on Tor grass (Brachypodium pinnatum). In the North Downs compartment figured in Ford’s book only at the top of the slope, where there was hawthorn and birch scrub, could eggs be located and the females seen Ovipositing on the normal Festuca sites. The lawn-like main slope is dotted with now suitable tussocks of Brachypodium but there are very few nectar plants available to adults. This unusual event in the ecology of H. comma appears to be another example of a positive response to environmental changes within a specialised habitat. A similar comparable event must have been experienced by the White-letter Hairstreak (Strymonidia w-album Knoch, 1782) in the OVIPOSITING IN HESPERIA COMMA 249 early 1970s at the onset of the severe outbreak of Dutch Elm disease. However, I believe that rather than actually changing from Elm (U/mus sp.) as its larval foodplant, it successfully took advantage of different growth forms of the elm, using the young suckering growths rather than the mature trees of pre-Dutch Elm days. It is therefore to be hoped that H. comma can overcome this pending crisis in a similar innovative manner, and always prosper on the North Downs, regardless of the fortunes of the rabbit. My studies will continue over the winter 1990-91 to re-locate eggs in the spring in order to get some indication of their overwintering success or otherwise.; It will also be important to confirm that the resulting larvae actually accept the Brachypodium as a larval pabulum. Wild larvae are difficult to find on Festuca growth but I am hoping that the silken structures they abide in will be more obvious in the Brachypodium. Damage to foodplant by larval eating should certainly be more distinct on the wider blades of this grass. Postscript: Unfortunately the follow-up work on the Brachypodium sylvaticum was ruined by the ravages of rabbits who ate the small tussocks to the ground, also breaking off the markers in the process. Some ecologists believe that neither Brachypodium sylvaticum nor B. pinnatum are used by rabbits. My observations on both these species, at least in their spring flush of fresh growth, tell otherwise. K.J.W. Amphipoea lucens Freyer, the Large Ear, and A. fucosa Freyer, the Saltern Ear (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Hertfordshire. From a total of 246 male individuals of the genus Amphipoea caught in the network of 26 Rothamsted Insect Survey (R.I.S.) light traps operating in Harpenden in 1990, 245 were found by examination of genitalia to be A. oculea L. One individual, caught on 24th August, is A. /ucens. The trap which caught this specimen is situated in the middle of a field in intensive arable farmland. No A. oculea were caught at this site, or at two others nearby in a similar habitat. A. lucens is usually absent from England south of a line from the Severn estuary to The Wash, although this species is reported in Heath, J. and Emmet, A.M. Moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 10, 1983 as occurring in Devon and Somerset. It also occurs in at least two wetland habitats in Cornwall. It may well be present but overlooked in suitable habitats in southern England owing to the difficulty of definite identification without examination of the genitalia. It is possible that routine examination of the genitalia, and less reliance on superficial characters, will reveal regular movements of Amphipoea species from their known distributional ranges. 250 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15..1x-199) It is relevant to note that a single male A. fucosa was caught ina R.LS. light trap at Rothamsted on 25.viii.1949. Identification was confirmed by examination of the genitalia. So far was we are aware, this record has not previously been published. A. fucosa is usually regarded as being a coastal species, though its range in S.E. England does extend some way along the Thames Valley.— ADRIAN M. RILEY and MARTIN C. TOWNSEND, AFRC — Farmland Ecology Group, Dept. Entomology & Nematology, Rotham- sted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ. A plea for legal protection for the Sandhill Rustic (Luperina nickerlii leechi) (Lep.: Noctuidae) at its site in Cornwall Several species of animal and plant are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and subsequent Schedules. This Act makes it an offence to kill, injure, take, possess or sell protected animals or to damage places used by them. All birds are protected except a few pest species, as well as all bats. In many cases species are protected that are not threatened and abundance in certain areas is no bar to protection, as the adder (abundant in Cornwall) is now a protected species. Habitat protection is often the most important means of conservation, but many rare species are scheduled even though their habitat is protected, such as the Swallowtail. Protection focuses attention onto a species, stimulating conservation efforts and encouraging the creation of suitable management plans designed to protect the designated species (A.J. Whitten, 1991, Recovery and hope for Britain’s rare species. British Wildlife, 2: 219-229). Even within a protected nature reserve, legal protection enhances the status of the species, as is the case with the Heath Fritillary on protected sites in Cornwall, Somerset and Kent. The Sandhill Rustic ssp. /eechi is under threat because of the following factors: This subspecies occurs at only one site. Access to the site is unrestricted, including by 4-wheel drive vehicles. The site is heavily used by holidaymakers. It is easy to collect, and has been collected in the past. The site has been recently damaged by construction work. The site is vulnerable to winter gales. Niveai protection for the Sandhill Rustic would help limit damage under items 2-5. It would make collection illegal, control damage by construction workers and encourage management of the site to discourage over-use by people and vehicles. The site could be managed to encourage the spread of the larval foodplant, Elymus farctus. Careful single-species conservation often increases the conservation value of an area, particularly for other insects, as has happened at the Cornish site for the Heath Fritillary. Nothing can be done to avoid the threat of factor 6. ADRIAN SPALDING, Lerryn Cottage, Lostwithiel, Cornwall. Nn hwnd = REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST ae REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST E.P. WILTSHIRE Wychwood, High Road, Cookham Rise, Berks SL6 9JF. (Continued from page 180) Fortunes of war (Pt. 1). Even had the weather been suitable, it was not the time for entomology in Mosul, with the Polish division bivouacked around our Consulate, and our own army running a subterranean military hospital in the old marble quarries. It was a forward base against the expected attack by the axis armies, then probing the Caucasus. However, the battle of Alamein and the defence of Stalingrad saved the Middle East from that pincer- movement. Professor Bodenheimer, of the Hebrew University, whom I had visited when in Beirut, had newly come to Iraq to organise locust-control which threatened cereal crops. He had written much about many animals but now plunged into entomological field-work. His presence in Baghdad favoured the publication by the Government of Iraq in 1944 of the first, rather scrappy, edition of my Lepidoptera of Iraq. Basra was an unhealthy place, and both my wife and I had troubles there. My wife in fact had a serious hospitalisation in Tehran, where her mother resided, while I took a shorter summer leave there, just long enough to meet and pass a few days with Desmond Vesey-Fitzgerald, who was reconnoitring for Boris Uvarov’s ‘‘Anti-Locust Units’’ in Iraq and Iran; we climbed to the top of To-Chal, the 13,000 ft peak dominating Tehran. Later he collected a few specimens, for me to name, when scouting for locusts in N. Oman and Dhofar. These however were not quite the first I received from the Arabian peninsula, for I had some from the botanist Violet Dickson of Kuwait, who was a good general naturalist outside her speciality. I had first met her during my stay in Basra, whence I visited Kuwait briefly once or twice. The town of Kuwait, twice transformed since, had then a population of about forty thousasnd souls and was circled by crumbling walls of coral and mud; on its sandy beaches Kuwaitis were building two or three Arab dhows at a time, with teak imported from South Asia; this and perhaps smuggling were its main industries. Violet was often far outside the town in the desert, in the tent of her husband, the expert on Arab nomads (see Dickson 1949, 1951 or 1983). She was well able to distinguish one species of moth from another, and the rarer from the commoner, which I cannot say for all the naturalists who have kindly sent me specimens. After catching some moths in late October about fifty miles south-west of Kuwait, she wrote: 252 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15-1x2 1991 ‘*T think I have caught you a good selection. At one time there were quite thirty on the tent and as many on the ground. This time I feel sure there are some Chondrostega among them as in spring there are always a few red caterpillars in this vicinity. They came in very slowly and the first didn’t come for an hour. The small browny ones did not fly but came fluttering along the gound. The two large white specimens flew and then sat on the tent as you described with their wings closed like a butterfly.’’ (These two proved to be, respectively, the types of Chondrostega brunneicornis Wilts., and C. fasciana ssp. feisali Wilts., the latter described from Iraq). Violet Dickson lived on to a ripe old age, mostly in Kuwait, respected and loved by all. I didn’t see her again and often wondered what she thought of the prodigious changes resulting from the exploitation of Kuwait’s oil fields. She was lucky in not being there in the 1990 catastrophe. I was invalided hcme for a convalescence in England in early summer 1944; we travelled by troopship. During my first week I spent the time in London, before starting the healthy visits to kith and kin in the country. The city was being peppered with buzz-bombs, fired from Picardy. I of course revisited the Museum, noticing that there was a gap in the terraces in the south side of Cromwell Road, and several in Queen’s Gate, but the Museum itself was comparatively intact. I found Willy Tams and Brigadier Evans in the basement, looking after the main bulk of the collection, their work enlivened by occasional ping-pong. Willy had assisted Dr S. Corbet in producing their enduring contribution to the national war-effort (Corbet and Tams, 1943). Brigadier Evans was about to finalise his first volume on the world’s Skippers (Evans 1949), and when I commented on the bomb gaps, he replied with relish that he was fortunate in having heard the bomb coming and having ducked behind his work-bench on which a drawer of butterflies rested. Half-a-minute after the bang, when the glass and dust had settled, he raised his head to see that all that remained of the drawer were bare rows of pins sticking up from the paper-lined base. At the start of the war the Museum had sent its types to the Zoological Museum, Tring, for safety from expected bombing; my foreign lepidoptera were also transferred to Tring from Norwich. I spent most of my leave in the Norfolk countryside, and then proceded to the Consulate-General, New York. Prout died in England during World War Two, and so, on the continent, did LeCerf and Zerny. My principal European correspondents survived the war, not without upsets and tragedies; some, such as Amsel and Daniel (of Munich) had degrees of difficulties, but eventually pursued their lepidoptera-studies happily into their old age. Dr H.G. Amsel was a bright, slim young man, in the prime of life, who had made a name for himself after visiting Palestine and Sardinia, and REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 253 specialised in the pyralidae and Micros; Hitler’s magic wand switched him away from his museum studies into police uniform in Norway, where, for all one can tell from entomological results, he might have been in another planet. However, in 1945 he reappeared safely in Germany, was “‘de- nazified’’ and pulled all possible strings to return to his former place at the Bremen Museum, but someone else secured that place. He keenly resumed contacts with me and other pre-war colleagues and I was glad to hear that my boxes of Middle East Lepidoptera were mostly all right, despite damage to Bremen Museum itself. To support himself, his wife and two children, he provided the German market with edible mushrooms and fungi gathered by his own hands, as he circulated on a motor cycle in the Black Forest. We saw them all 1951 while driving across Germany. It was not until 1955 that he secured an appointment at the Karlsruhe Museum, where he worked until his retirement in 1970. The entomological world certainly appreciates the sumptuous volumes of Microlepidoptera Palaearctica which, starting in 1965, he edited, but may be unaware that he also published much on economics and criminology, and the works of Ernst Jiinger. Finally, as late at 1979, he collected a remarkable lepidopterous material from the Asir mountains of Saudi Arabia. Charles Boursin was, I think, less fortunate; like Amsel he lost his Museum position at the end of world war two and pursued lepidopterology to the end of his life, thanks to his knowledge and competence in his special field. In my relations with him I have nothing to complain of, but he was unpopular with many colleagues on various counts. Perhaps thinking of himself, he told me that the French nation was ‘‘trés critique et difficile a gouverner’’! He had had a German governess in his youth and wrote with ease in that language. He stayed in Paris during the German occupation of the French capital, and continued to publish in the leading French publications well illustrated works. He married during the war but the union was brief. In a letter, after we resumed our correspondence in 1945, he congratulated me on my marriage adding: ‘‘Moi-méme je me suis marié en 1941, mais j’ai fait, a cette occasion une ‘‘erreur de détermination ! si bien que j’ai di me separer de ma femme un an aprés’’. After this he did not marry again, thinking entomology and marriage were not well-suited. However many years later he was helped by a Mlle Carrié whom he greatly admired, and whose death from cancer in 1961 despite Boursin’s constant efforts to get her saved, upset him deeply. He travelled during these post- war years to work on the Noctuidae of various European museums, including our own in London, when I met him again. I remember taking him to see Russell Bretherton at Bramley and on a nocturnal moth-hunt with Charles de Worms near Stonor, in July 1964. When not away, he was evidently in reduced circumstances, living in a single attic-room in a modest Paris hotel. Dujardin and Lajonquiére, among his fellow countrymen, appreciated his qualities, the latter taking him on expeditions to Spain, the former by publishing his later articles on 254 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 good paper with copious illustrations in his own periodical Entomops. Boursin died of a brain tumour in 1971 and bequeathed his personal library, papers and collection to a German Museum, Karlsruhe. At least the fortunes of war had not uprooted him from his country, as happened to the Brandt brothers and also to Sheljuzhko, a Ukrainian lepidopterist, whom I met in Munich after the war. References (Part 7) Corbet, A.S. & Tams, W.H.T., 1943. Keys for the identifications of the Lepidoptera infesting Stored Food Products. Proc. Zool. Soc. s. B. 113: 85-148, 5 pls., 287 figs. Dickson, H.R.P., 1949, The Arab of the desert. Allen & Unwin. — , 1983. Idem. Third edition, edited and abridged by R. Wilson & Freeth. Allen & Unwin. Evans, W.H., 1949. A catalogue of the Hesperiidae from Europe, Asia and Australia in the British Museum (Natural History). BMNH, London, 502pp., 52 pl. Wiltshire, E.P., 1941. New lepidoptera from S.W. Iran. Journ. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 42(2): 41. — , 1953. Narrative of a trek and of natural history observations in Kashmir in May-June 1942. Idem 51 (4): 825-838 2 pls. Fortunes of War (Pt.2) I hardly knew Leo Sheljuzhko, a refugee from Kiev. When I met him, he was employed in the Zoologische Staatssammlungen at the Munich Schloss Nymphenburg. He appeared a gentle, lonely batchelor, and carried a pet (?) hamster in his jacket. As joint author with Otto Holik (1953-58) he wrote 579 pages of the geography of burnet moths and a number of shorter articles, as sole author (1954-67) on other Palaearctic Lepidoptera, in Austrian and German periodicals. All this in addition to his technical skill lavished on the Museum’s collections. We co-operated on some Mongolian desert material taken by the Hungarian Dr Kaszab and published at Dresden in 1967. The Brandt brothers were a younger generation, of German (Hamburg) extraction but born in St Petersburg before the revolution. They thereafter resided in Finland but carried Estonian passports. I got to know them earlier than Sheljuzhko, owing to our studying the same fauna; at least, I got to know one of them, Wilhelm, quite well on paper. In the thirties Fred did the Iranian field work, papering his specimens; and Wilhelm set them meticulously, studied, and published them. His first, unillustrated article with co-author Bytinski-Salz (this magazine 1937), left him dissatisfied. My transfer from Iraq to Iran in late 1937 meant that Wilhelm and I would have more to discuss than ever, for Fred had visited Shiraz three years before me. We exchanged photos and reprints, and he tried to convert me to his point of view: ‘‘Why do you let others describe your dis- coveries?’’ he asked me, on noticing in the literature descriptions by Boursin, Wehrli and Bytinski-salz, with ‘‘types leg. EPW’’. REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 255 I replied stressing my isolation in distant towns and comparative lack of experience in taxonomy. ‘‘My brother and I are not greybeards,”’ he retorted in a reply running to six pages, ‘‘but after my experience with Pfeiffer, Bytinski and Wehrli, I have decided to describe everything myself. You devalue your success by letting others profit from your work!’’ I had never thought of getting profits from moths and butterflies, beyond a few swaps of specimens and reprints, and when I now re-read his beautiful hand-written letter, its bitter tone still puzzles me; but it was a point of view not without some subsequent effect. Fred returned to Herrala in Finland with his final Persian catches, made near Meshed, in July 1938. In May 1939, Wilhelm told me that Fred had gone to Estonia and ‘‘wanted to get married’’ so I wondered whether I might see them both in Tehran, where I spent the summer of 1939. But in fact I never met Fred. War intervened. Through other sources I heard that he was in Afghanistan and had had an encounter with gendarmes when a companion and he were trying to smuggle arms across the Afghan-Indian frontier. His companion, the story went, was killed and he was wounded in the leg and remained in hospital in Kabul for some time. Many years later (in late 1990, in fact) Fred told me that he had been appointed “‘interpreter’’ in Afghanistan, and had only had one month to collect moths which he sent back in papers to Wilhelm. Not a word about the shooting escapade! How and why he became involved in these un-neutral activities I have no idea, but I presume that Hitler’s pact with Stalin, handing over the Baltic republics to Soviet Russia, may have forced Fred to move westwards from Narva and that his bride may have had a say in the matter. His experience in Persia may have suggested to the German military authorities that he could be more useful to them in the Middle East than in Germany at that juncture. When the war ended I was in New York, and I received my first letter from Wilhelm for about four years, saying that he had remained all this time in Herrala with his mother. He had obtained my address from Eugen Wehrli, the Swiss Geometrid specialist. He said he had tried to emigrate to the United States in 1940, and now that hostilities had ended, his London uncle, who was an English banker, hoped to persuade Fred to go west rather than east. Fred insisted on going to find his wife in Thiiringen, Central Germany. There he was arrested by the Russians. Wilhelm complained that Fred never would do as he was told! Now why, I asked myself, should a German-speaking Russian be arrested in the Russian zone of Germany? Wilhelm also mentioned that on returning to Europe, Fred had assisted English officers in the Balkans. Wondering what was going on, I surmised that the British repatriated to Europe those Germans trapped in Afghanistan and opting to go home to West Germany. 256 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 The London uncle had left a good impression at least on Wilhelm who, as a boy had been invited to stay with his English cousins in their country mansion, Nutsfield Priory, Surrey. At the end of the war Wilhelm, if not pro-British, retained a Scandinavian, neutralist outlook. Fred’s experiences had left him with German loyalties and (?) a German wife. Wilhelm remained in Finland until 1947 when his mother died. By this time Eastern Europe had settled down and in Finalnd you could judge which route to follow if you wanted to get out. Wilhelm went to Sweden, sold the collection to the Stockholm Naturhistoriska Museum and emigrated to Australia. He didn’t even know whether his brother was dead or alive. Writing from New Guinea in July 1950, Wilhelm said that he was collecting butterflies there for “‘Mr E.J. Halstrom, our refrigerator king. The point is to get a real collection of New Guinea butterflies and I understand that I am working ultimately for Australia... . I like Australia very much. Nobody ever asked or told me to come here. I came because I wanted to myself. And I want to stay here. But I feel lonely, sometimes. It is because I lived too long with my dear Mother, she was all I had, Mother and friend. Since I lost her I feel so restless... . I have nobody! I do not know if my brother is alive or not, probably dead. They got him and that is all I know. His wife lives somewhere in Western Germany but I am not on speaking terms with her. I don’t even know her address.”’ The two brothers seem to have become estranged through misunder- standings, and on his later return Fred felt robbed of his share of the proceeds of the sale of the collection, with which Wilhelm ‘“‘had run away to Australia’’. On his return years later to Germany, my German colleague told me that Fred’s health had been undermined by his captivity and that he received some sort of pension from the West German Government. Dr Amsel told me that he had also employed him to set lepidoptera for the Karlsruhe Landessammlung but that he lived at Paderborn. I was told he would appreciate it if I sent him reprints of my latest articles on Iran and Afghani- stan; I was then studying Klapperich’s material from Afghanistan and was glad to send them to Fred, with whom I exchanged one more letter that year (1961). Wilhelm Brandt visited the British Museum in the sixties with many well- set New Guinea moths, of which he hoped to write an account to match his famous works on the Lepidoptera of Iran (1937-39). None of this material however remained in our Museum on his return to Australia, but I hear that it is safe in a Museum at Canberra. The funding for his work on it ran out; and he died a disappointed man in the eighties in Australia, without publishing anything on it. (to be continued) BRASSOLINAE IN BRITAIN AND EUROPE 257 BRASSOLINAE (LEP.: SATYRIDAE) IN BRITAIN AND EUROPE C. ROGER BRISTOW Davidsland, Brendon Hill, Copplestone, Devon EX17 5NX. IN AN earlier article (Bristow, 1986), I listed five records of the occurrence of the Neotropical brassoline Opsiphanes tamarindi in Britain. Feedback from that paper and further literature research extends the number of specimens of tamarindi in both Britain and Holland as well as recording the presence of O. cassiae in Britain and Caligo sp. in Britain and Holland. Surprisingly, none of these occurrences is mentioned in Emmet and Heath (1989), even though it was John Heath who brought the Ramsey Market specimen of O. tamarindi to me for identification. The inclusion of these rare adventives would bring the total number of butterflies recorded in Britain to 114. In Britain, additional records of tamarindi are from Bridlington (Winter, 1985 and pers. comm.) in May 1984, and Leicester (Lott, 1986) in February 1984. Winter’s specimen, found as an adult in a banana warehouse, is reputed to come from the Windward Isles, but this is not possible as no brassolinid is known from those islands (Riley, 1975). As stated in my earlier paper, O. tamarindi is not known from further east than western Venezuela. Lott’s specimen, discovered as an adult male in a greengrocer’s shop, is from Colombia. It most probably belongs to the nominate race. A second Dutch specimen of O. tamarindi, a female, was found in Amsterdam in October 1963 (B.J. Lempke, pers. comm.). It had been imported with bananas from Ecuador. Photographs kindly supplied by Dr Lempke confirm that it is subspecies corrosus Stichel. In London, two specimens of Opsiphanes cassiae were bred from pupae found in banana crates from Brazil in 1937 (Tulloch, 1939). Unfortunately, the whereabouts of these specimens has not been traced and their identity has not been confirmed. They were originally in the Stepney Borough Museum. However, in December 1953, the natural history collections were sold. All the insects reputedly passed to the London Hospital Medical College (H. Watton, pers. comm.), but Mr D. Nunn of that college informs me that only a few insects of medical importance were acquired by them. Assuming that these specimens did originate in Brazil, then it is fairly certain that they are O. cassiae, as tamarindi, a close relative, does not occur there. Other Opsiphanes species from Brazil do not feed on banana. Another banana-feeding brassoline genus that has been found in Britain is Caligo. In fact, this is the earliest brassoline to have been recorded in this country. It was found as an adult, presumably having travelled as a pupa, amongst bananas at Aspley near Huddersfield (Mosley, 1926). The bananas are reported to have come from Jamaica. This again is most unlikely, because apart from one dubious record of Caligo on that island, Brown and Heineman (1972) have no record of any brassoline on Jamaica. 258 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.ix.1991 Luckily this specimen still survives and through the courtesy of Ms D. Harding of the Tolson Memorial Museum, Huddersfield, I have photographs of it set in “‘life’’ position. Unfortunately, specific determina- tion is not easy from the photographs, and consequently its country of origin is difficult to narrow down. In Holland, a specimen of C. memnon was found at Rotterdam on 26th January 1977 (Boot, 1978). Acknowledgements The following have kindly helped in the compilation of this article: Ms D. Harding of the Tolson Memorial Museum, Huddersfield, Dr B.J. Lempke of the Institut voor Taxonomische Zoologie, Amsterdam, Mr D. Nunn of the London Hospital Medical College, Mr R.I. Vane-Wright, Mr H. Watton of the Local History Library, Borough of Tower Hamlets, and Mr P. Winter. References Boot, J.P.C., 1978. Caligo memnon (Fldr.) aangetroffen in vrachtschip te Rotterdam (Lepidoptera: Brassolidae). Entomologische Ber., Amsterdam, 38: 150. Bristow, C.R., 1986. The occurrence of Opsiphanes tamarindi Felder & Felder (Lepidoptera: Satyridae) in Britain. Ent. Rec., 98: 96-97. Brown, F.M. and Heineman, B., 1972. Jamaica and its butterflies. E.W. Classey Ltd. London. Emmet, A.M. and Heath, J., 1989. The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 7, pt. 1. Harley Books. Colchester. Lott, D.A., 1986. A further British record of Opsiphanes tamarindi Felder & Felder (Lep.: Nymphalidae, Brassolinae). Ent. Rec., 98: 256. Mosley, C., 1926. Caligo sp. at Huddersfield. Entom., 59: 171. Riley, N.D., 1975. A Field Guide to the Butterflies of the West Indies. Collins. London. Tulloch, J.B.G., 1939. Insects and other things which arrive by steamer from over- seas. Entomologist, 72: 114-116. Winter, P., 1985. A tropical butterfly imported to Britain. Proc. Trans. Br. Ent. Nat. Hist. Soc., 18: 14. Eupithecia valerianata Hb. and Eupithecia pygmaeata Hb. (Lep.: Geometridae) in Scotland On July 12th 1984 I found larvae of Eupithecia valerianata commonly near New Galloway in Kirkcudbrightshire, feeding upon Valeriana officinalis, and I bred a short series of imagines which emerged the following year. On June 10th 1986 near Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, I came across a meadow in which flourished a number of large patches of chickweed (Cerastium sp.) over which in bright sunshine Eupithecia pygmaeata were flying. For the relevant county I am unable to find previous records for these two species.— B.K. WEST, 36 Briars Road, Dartford, Kent DAS 2HN. MOTHS IN BRITTANY AND CORNWALL 259 MOTHS IN BRITTANY AND CORNWALL ADRIAN SPALDING Lerryn Cottage, Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Cornwall. IN 1988 I visited the nature reserve Michel-Herve Julien at Cap Sizun near Douarnenez on the coast of Brittany in order to study the moths. The reserve is a haven for seabirds, but is also interesting for its plants and animals. The granite cliffs covered with western gorse and heather provide a habitat very similar to the maritime heathland of Cornwall. I found that the 68 moth species caught here between 2nd and Sth June 1989 were very similar to those caught in Cornwall, although some species such as Rivula sericealis (Straw Dot) seemed to be flying some three weeks earlier than in Cornwall. All the moths that I found in Brittany at this time occur in Cornwall, although Ewproctis chrysorrhoea (Brown-tail), Nudaria mundana (Muslin Footman) and Eilema complana (Scarce Footman) are rare. I compared the moths of the reserve with the moths of a similar habitat in Cornwall and concluded that the lepidoptera of each place was similar (Spalding, 1989). I returned to the reserve between 17th and 19th July 1990 to record moths, searching by day and using two traps and a mercury vapour lamp at night. The actinic traps were weighted down with stones against the wind. I recorded a total of 121 species, most of which I have found to be equally common on the coast of Cornwall such as Hada nana (The Shears) and Hadena perplexa (Tawny Shears). There were numerous Cilix glaucata (Chinese Character), hard to find on the granite rocks. The presence of trees such as sallow at the top of the cliff explained the presence of Epione repandaria (Bordered Beauty) and Jpimorpha subtusa (The Olive), which I had not expected to see so close to the coast. Some of the species have been found in Cornwall, but are very rare there. The lovely moth Lozotaeniodes formosanus is spreading westwards through England and was first recorded in Cornwall by S.C. Madge in 1990. Its distribution in Brittany is not well known but it occurs in Europe as far as Russia (Bradley, Tremewan & Smith, 1973). Another species extending its range in Britain is Hy/oicus pinastri (Pine Hawk-moth), which was first recorded in Cornwall in Newquay in 1976 (Smith, 1984). Both species feed on Scots pine, which is present at the edge of the Cap Sizun reserve. I was surprised to find a single Laspeyria flexula (Beautiful Hook- tip). This species is rare in Cornwall and has only been found three times (Doubeblois 1902, Bodinnick 1961 and Liskeard 1990). It is a woodland species in Britain and at Cap Sizun the larvae probably feed on lichens in the extensive blackthorn thickets covering the cliffs. I recorded a single Cyclophora punctaria (Maiden’s Blush) at actinic light. This is an oak- feeding species (although I could see no oak nearby) and is rarely recorded in Cornwall (a single was recorded on the coast at Downderry in 1990). The 260 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.ix.1991 coastal species Cucullia absinthii (The Wormwood) has not been seen for several years in Cornwall, but occurs at Cap Sizun. Mutuuraia terrealis, which feeds on goldenrod, has only been recorded in a few places in Cornwall. Gastrophacha quercifolia (The Lappet) and Jdaea vulpinaria (Least Carpet) have not been found in Cornwall for nearly 100 years. Several species were found which are regular migrants in Cornwall. Some of these species probably breed in Brittany, others are migrants from further south. The single specimen of Euplagia quadripunctaria (Jersey Tiger) found at Cap Sizun is probably from a local population, as this species breeds throughout France. The occasional sightings in Cornwall are probably vagrants from Devon or the Channel Islands. Several migrant species were recorded on each night, including Autographa gamma (Silver Y), Peridroma saucia (Pearly Underwing), Rhodometra sacraria (The Vestal), Udea ferrugalis and large numbers of Nomophila noctuella. It is possible that some of these moths were on their way northwards to Britain. Agrotis ipsilon (Dark Sword Grass) was common and probably breeds here in the summer before returning to the Mediterranean region in the winter. Mythimna unipuncta (White-speck) was abundant and may be resident here over mild winters. It is spreading northwards in France (Heath & Emmet, 1979). Large numbers were recorded in Cornwall in 1989, some of which may have survived to produce a generation in 1990. I recorded a single Heliothis peltigera (Bordered Straw) at Cap Sizun on 19th July. This sub-tropical species is unlikely to breed in Brittany, although I have found it commonly in the Dordogne region 400 miles south of Brittany. Eleven species (9% of the total) have not been found in Cornwall. Pleurota bicostella and Oegoconia caradjai have not been found in Cornwall to my knowledge. Clostera curtula (Chocolate-tip) and Eremobia ochroleuca (Dusky Sallow) are south-eastern species in Britain and have not reached Cornwall. The British subspecies (bivittata) of Coscinia cribraria (Speckled Footman) is confines to the heathlands of the New Forest, whereas the paler subspecies arenaria was abundant on the coast at Cap Sizun, where it was well camouflaged on the lichen-covered granite rocks. Idaea contiguaria (Weaver’s Wave) is confined in Britain to the Welsh mountains, but was common at Cap Sizun. I found several Meganola albula (Kent Black Arches) on the reserve but it has not been found in Cornwall, although it has been found on the Isles of Scilly. A single Dendrolimus pini (Pine-tree Lappet) was recorded on 19th June. According to South (1961) this species has been recorded twice in Britain (Richmond Park and in the Norwich Hospital). It has also been recorded in the Channel Isles (Peet, 1989) and is widespread in Europe. I found several Trachea atriplicis (Orache Moth), which is now extinct in Britain and the bracken-covered slopes were ideal habitat for Callopistria juventina (The Latin), which is a very rare migrant in Britain. I recorded the lovely green- winged moth Polyphaenis sericata (which feeds on honeysuckle and privet) in three separate areas of the reserve. This species is not on the British list MOTHS IN BRITTANY AND CORNWALL 261 but is widespread in Europe as far north as Germany. It is perhaps surprising that Trachea atriplicis, Callopistria juventia and Polyphaenis sericata have not been recorded as migrants in Cornwall, which is not far from Brittany. It is likely that all these species could survive in Cornwall if they were introduced. The tentative conclusion I reached in 1989 that the moths of Cap Sizun were similar to those found in Cornwall has not been supported by further study. There were a number of moths on the reserve in July 1990 which are either rare in or absent from Cornwall. Continued study of the reserve may show further species that are foreign to Cornwall and possibly to Britain. References Bradley, J.D., Tremewan, W.G. & Smith, A., 1973. The British Tortricoid Moths. Volume 1. The Ray Society. London. Heath, J. & Emmet, A.M., 1979. The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 9. Curwen Books. London. Peet, T.D.N., 1898. Dendrolimus pini L., the Pine-tree Lappet (Lep.: Rasipcamn, dae) in Gueanse7. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 101: 248. South, R., 1961. The Moths of the British Isles. Warne. London. Smith, F.HN., 1984. A list of the butterflies and moths recorded in Cornwall 1950-1983. Cornwall Trust for Nature Conservation. Spalding, A., 1989. Some moths of the reserve Michel-Herve Julien, Cap Sizun, Brittany. Br. J. ent. Nat.*Hist. 2: 161-167. Lithophane leautieri hesperica Bours. (Lep.: Noctuidae) larvae feeding on common juniper (Juniperus communis). At Porton Down on the Wiltshire/Hampshire border two larvae of Lithophane leautieri were found feeding on native juniper on 25.v.1990. One was on an old juniper at Blakes Firs near Easton Down in Wiltshire (SU2336) and the other on a younger female juniper on the ‘‘Breck’’ area in Hampshire (SU2538). Both were relatively conspicuous on the foliage and were in the penultimate instar. In captivity both larvae fed on common juniper foliage, and after moulting they went into aestivation in spinnings. One died, but the other emerged as an adult on 17.x.1990. Although L. /eautieri has been recorded in continental Europe feeding on Juniperus communis (Heath, J. & Emmet, A.M. (1983) The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, 10, Harley Books, Colchester), this appears to be the first record for Britain of this native foodplant being utilised. Porton Down has been visited in May every year since 1982 for studies of juniper demography, which include the examination of 200 bushes, and larvae have never been seen before. So it can be assumed that this moth has only recently colonised these large juniper stands. L. leautieri is now widely and regularly caught in light traps in West Wiltshire (J. d’Arcy, pers. comm).—L.K. WARD, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Furzebrook Research Station, Wareham, Dorset BH20 5AS. 262 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15-1x2199)1 Aneuropria foersteri (Kieffer, 1910) (Hym.: Diapriidae) — a species and genus new to Britain. On 11.iv.1987 I collected a specimen of the parasitic wasp Aneuropria foersteri (Diapriidae, subfamily Diapriinae) crawling amongst downland turf on the White Downs, Surrey (TQ1148). Following consultation with the British Museum (Natural History), as it was then, drawings were sent to Dr Lubomir Masner of the Biosystematics Research Institute of Ottawa who stated that he was ‘‘reasonably sure’’ of its identity. This is a variable species which has been recorded from most of Europe eastwards to Turkey and also according to Dr Masner (in /itt.) from Morocco and Iran; there is in addition one isolated record from Central Africa. My specimen was of the brachypterous form which is apparently the commoner. An illustration can be found in Masner, L., and Sundholm, A., 1959, Casopis Ceskoslovenské Spolecnosti Entomologické, 56: 161-168. The said paper also details the synonymy of Aneuropria Kieffer, 1911. I thank Drs L. Masner and J.S. Noyes for their help with identification.— D.A. PRANCE, 209 Peregrine Road, Sunbury, Middlesex TW166JJ. A further note on Scolopostethus pictus (Schilling) (Hem.: Lygaeidae) On 31.i1i.1991 I was examining a dead cubically fractured trunk of alder on the River Severn bankside (SO83) near Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire. At a height of some two metres, just above the limit of flood sediment penetration of the wood, I located a Scolopostethus pictus. The left antenna was aberrant. The second antennomere was longer than normal, the third almost as long as a normal third and fourth, and the fourth was vestigial. The finding is in line with my earlier note (Whitehead, 1991, Ent. Rec. 103: 82). A single specimen of the notable staphylinid Atheta basicornis (Muls. & Reg.) was also taken in fairly typical habitat, as an addition to the Gloucestershire county list.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcs WR10 3EP. The Stout Dart, Spaelotis ravida (D. & S.) (Lep.: Noctuidae) — a recent record from south-east Scotland On 6.ix.1989 I found a dead specimen of the Stout Dart, Spaelotis ravida entrapped in cobwebs in an outbuilding on the Bush Estate, near Penicuik, Midlothian (v.c.83; OS Grid ref. NT2463). Although arachnid thorough- ness had ensured that the body was well mutilated, the wings were in almost immaculate condition; hence identification posed no problems. The signifi- cance of the find only became apparent to me when I saw that Bretherton, Goater & Lorimer (The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Volume 9) state that it is ‘‘not reliably recorded this century in Scotland.’’ The immediate vicinity around the outbuilding consists mainly of unimproved grassland and deciduous woodland border.— K.P. BLAND, 35 Charterhall Road, Edinburgh EH9 3HS. THE ART OF FEIGNING DEATH 263 THE ART OF FEIGNING DEATH — THANATOSIS IN EUPLOEA (DANAINAE) AND OTHER APOSEMATIC BUTTERFLIES TORBEN B. LARSEN c/o Birgit Larsen, Jacobys alle 2, Dk 1801 Frederiksberg, Denmark. Introduction Some years ago in the Nilgiri mountains of southern India I did experiments with Danaid butterflies which I had hoped to incorporate into a more general review of the feigning of death among butterflies. Geographical considerations make it unlikely that I shall be able to complete this review in the foreseeable future and the results of my obser- vations in South India are given here, together with a few general remarks. The art of feigning death has been called thanatosis (after the Greek for death), and this term will be used here as a convenient short-hand. The case of Euploea core and E. sylvester Among butterflies, thanatosis is best developed in the Nymphalid sub- family Danainae, and among the Danainae it seems best developed in the genus Euploea. These are butterflies that are unpalatable to many vertebrate predators, most evidence being in respect of birds. In South India, two similar species were readily available (E. core Cramer and E. sylvester Fabricius). Their behaviour and re-action patterns did not differ so the results from these two species are pooled. When a member of either sex of one of these species is handled, by holding the wings and touching the body, the following behaviour is invariably seen: 1. The abdomen is strongly curled downwards. In the male the yellow abdominal hair pencils are extruded. They emit a very pleasant smelling pheremone, the smell of which is readily evident to the human nose and varying from species to species. The female also has yellow patches on the ventral side of the tip of the abdomen, almost as if they were “‘mimics’’ of the male hair pencils. This is suggestive that the extrusion of the hair pencils are also intended to have a startling effect. The abdomen of a Danaid is not visible in its normal resting posture. 2. The legs are tucked tightly against the thorax, so that getting a grip even with a pair of tweezers is difficult. 3. The forewings are moved strongly forwards in relation to the normal resting posture, probably to expose as much of the warning colour pattern as possible. 4. The butterfly now rests inert in this position as long as it is still being manipulated, even lightly. 5. Once the specimen is released and laid on a flat surface, the hair pencils are gradually retracted, and the abdomen slowly straightens out, again becoming covered by the anal fold of the hindwings. 264 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 6. The forewings are gradually drawn back, significantly decreasing the total exposed surface. In the rare cases where the wings were held slightly open in the preliminary phases, they now close tight. 7. After a variable period of time, the butterfly will start moving its antennae. Shortly after that it rights itself abruptly, usually flying off immediately it is upright. By and large this sequence was executed also by other Danaid genera tested in South India, but the extrusion of the hair pencils was infrequent in the genera Danaus (two species), Parantica (two species), and Idea (one species); two Tirumala species extended the hair pencils in about half of all tests. These species tend to have grey or brown hair pencils, not the brilliant egg-yolk colour of the Euploea, and may therefore have less of a startling effect. Experiments in the Nilgiri Mountains In the Nilgiri Mountains I brought back to my house a few live, papered Danaids after each of my collecting trips (April-October 1986). They were released in a room till the following morning. When it was fully light and the butterflies began flying spontaneously, they were caught by holding the discal area of the forewings with two fingers. They were then given a very light pinch on the thorax with two finger tips. When the abdomen immediately began to curl, it was rubbed lightly with the tip of a finger nail. This was meant to simulate a tentative predator attack. The butterfly was then placed on a sheet of newspaper in full light, but not in direct sunlight. The amount of time spent inert was noted: Table 1. Time spent in thanatosis by two Euploea species. Seconds Males Females Total Percent — 30 2 6 8 9.1 31— 60 7 9 16 18.2 61 — 120 V 6 13 14.8 121 — 180 11 4 15 17.0 181 — 240 5 4 9 10.2 241 — 300 5 2 7 8.0 301 — 600 4 4 8 9.1 601 — 900 u 1 8 | 900 + * 4 0 4 4.5 Total 52 36 88 100.0 * Actuals were 2280, 2220, 1800, and 1100 seconds, i.e. between 38 and 18 minutes. THE ART OF FEIGNING DEATH 265 It will be seen from the table that only a few specimens flew away more or less immediately after being handled, the majority of these staying almost 30 seconds. Twenty percent of the sample were inert for between 30 seconds and a minute. Half the sample was inert for between one and five minutes, while the remaining quarter of the sample spent more than five minutes in thanatosis, with a maximum of 38 minutes in a male of Euploea core. The median time spent in thanatosis was two to three minutes. There is a tendency for females to spend slightly less time in thanatosis than males, with a maximum of 12 minutes in E. core. I obtained very similar results with about 100 E. core in New Delhi, but the notes are not available. Smaller numbers of other Danaid genera show a similar pattern, with a specimen of Tirumala septentrionis Hewitson at a maximum of 30 minutes and a Danaus genutia Cramer at 17 minutes. Why thanatosis? The purpose of thanatosis seems to be to stop a predator attack before serious damage has been done, in order that (1) the prey may escape, since the predator believes it to be subdued; (2) the prey has the opportunity to deploy some other defensive mechanism; or (3) the predator has time to discover that the prey is inedible or unpalatable. Some harmless snakes and lizards fall in the first category, flipping over on their backs, lying inert, and then suddenly making a dash for it. The click beetle feigns death in order to deploy its splendid escape mechanism and falls in the second category. Danaid butterflies are usually unpalatable or even noxious, not least in respect of insect-hunting birds (many examples are given by Ackery & Vane-Wright 1984). They therefore fall into category (3). The median time of two to three minutes in thanatosis would appear to be a suitable length of time to ensure that the predator has abandoned the attack. Two naive kittens were given Danaus chrysippus and various unpalatable moths in Botswana; most survived a considerable amount of pawing, in some cases feigning death for more that an hour, finally being completely ignored by the kittens. The advantages of thanatosis in Danaid butterflies are enhanced by their being much tougher than most other butterflies. It can be quite difficult to kill them with the traditional pinch of the thorax. This toughness combines with the neophobic approach to prey characteristic of many predators. They will swallow an unfamiliar prey item only after careful assessment and may well recognise a Danaid as unpalatable before lasting damage has been done. A quick survey of the Lepidoptera will show that thanatosis and toughness of the integument (especially the thorax) is largely, perhaps exclusively, limited to unpalatable species of the type that are models in mimicry complexes: Pachliopta, Atrophaneura (Papilionidae); Delias, 266 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 Pereute (Pieridae); many Acraeinae, Ithomiinae, Heliconiinae, Cethosia (Nymphalidae); many Zygaenidae, Ctenuchidae, and Arctiidae (Heterocera). I cannot recall any butterfly which displays thanatosis for which there is not good evidence that it is also unpalatable. There are, however, unpalatable butterflies which have not developed strong integuments, especially in the Pieridae, but this seems to be mainly in genera where only some species are unpalatable, and which appear less specialised than those mentioned above (Pieris brassicae Linne being a good example). On the other hand, among the butterflies, I know of only two species which are apparently palatable and yet have tougher integuments than even the Danainae. One is the virtually indestructible Thaduka multicaudata de Niceville (Lycaenidae: Theclinae). Even the strongest pressure on the thorax with a pair of nails, accompanied by audible cracking of the thorax, fails to do damage. In the evening it will fly out seemingly undamaged from its paper. Bibasis sena Moore (Hesperiidae: Coeliadinae) is almost as tough. They are, however, very much exceptions to the rule, and their toughness is not shared with their closest generic relatives in southern India. There may be more examples among the Heterocera (e.g. the Cossidae). Conclusion Thanatosis, in various guises, is common throughout the animal kingdom. However, at least among butterflies it normally seems to have co-evolved with unpalatability and the development of a particularly tough integument. Since all three elements have co-evolved independently in a number of different butterfly families their combination appears to have particularly strong survival value. Reference Ackery, P. & Vane-Wright, R.I., 1984. Milkweed butterflies. British Museum (Natural History). London. Sedina buettneri Her., Blair’s Wainscot (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Kent. A single male S. buettneri was caught in the Rothamsted Insect Survey (R.1.S.) light trap at Lydd, Kent (Site No. 462, OS grid ref. TR 044 203) on 2.x.1987. S. buettneri was known to occur at Freshwater Marsh, Isle of Wight, from 1945 to 1952 (Skinner, 1984). Its history at Freshwater, and accounts of its biology, are given by Blair (1946; 1950; 1951), Tams (1946), Robinson (1950) and Heath & Emmet (1983). There were no further records of this species in Britain until an individual was caught at mercury vapour light by Tweedie (1967) at Playden, near Rye, E. Sussex on 14.x.1966. There were few primary migrant Lepidoptera recorded during October 1966 (B. Skinner, pers. comm.). Following this record, B. Skinner and K. Satler made an extensive search of Romney and NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 267 Romney and Winchelsea Marshes but failed to find the larval foodplant, Carex acutiformis (B. Skinner, pers. comm.). A further specimen was caught at light by J.T. Radford at Walberton, W. Sussex on 30.ix.1985 (Bretherton and Chalmers-Hunt, 1985). This capture was accompanied by many immigrant species and it was assumed that the S. buettneri was of continental origin. As no migratory species were caught in the R.I.S. trap at Lydd, or at nearby m.v. light traps at Dungeness, on the night the present record was made, it was felt possible that S. buettneri was resident in the area. Consequently, research into possible breeding sites was undertaken. J. Badmin (pers. comm.) states that no Carex acutiformis was found by members of the Kent Field Club in an extensive survey in 1985 of the pits around Dungeness Point and Skinner and Satler (loc. cit.) had already failed to find this plant in the Romney Marsh area. However, Forster and Wohlfahrt (1963-71) state that the larva of S. buettneri occasionally feeds on Glyceria. Further, Heath and Emmet (1983) state that larvae accept G. maxima in captivity. Consequently, it seemed possible that S. buettneri, if resident, could be utilising an alternative foodplant. Several other Carex spp. occur in the area (J. Badmin, loc. cit.) and G. maxima and G. fluitans are not uncommon in the Romney district (Skinner, pers. comm.). Contradictory opinions were given regarding the origins of the extinct Freshwater colony. Heath and Emmet (loc. cit.) suggest that it was probably a recent colonist rather than a long-established resident. However, Blair (1950) believed the species may have occurred at Freshwater prior to the extension of the Marsh when, before 1914, the area was primarily grazing land intersected by drainage ditches. He suggested that small populations could have been maintained in the network of ditches. As Romney Marsh is primarily agricultural land intersected by such ditches, it was assumed that this might be the case in Kent. In 1988 and 1989, Ian Woiwod ran m.v. light traps on the edge of a large gravel pit near Lydd and also at a nearby drainage channel. These appeared to be the two most likely sites in the immediate vicinity of the Lydd trap. However, the weather was unsuitable with heavy rain and low temperatures. Very few moths were recorded and S. buettneri was absent from the catch. Another expedition was mounted in October 1990. Three m.v. lights over sheets were operated at the same gravel pit, sugar was spread on posts and trees near the pond margins and searches were made by torchlight. However, the sky was clear and the temperature dropped quickly after dusk. Again, very few moths were caught and no S. buettneri were seen. No further attempts to find this species have been made. Whether the Lydd record represents an immigrant or a resident is still uncertain. The fact that no primary migrants were recorded at the time of capture suggests the latter. Intensive trapping specifically to catch 268 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.ix.1991 immigrant Lepidoptera takes place on Dungeness shingle every year during October. S. buettneri has never been caught by such means so it is unlikely to be resident in that area. Provided S. buettneri is able to utilise an alternative larval foodplant, it is possible this species could maintain itself in the system of drainage ditches around Romney Marsh. There is much suitable ground on Welland Marsh between the records at Lydd and Playdon. Blair (1951) states that it is a feeble flyer ‘‘ . . . not given to wandering far from its breeding ground”’ and Heath and Emmet (1983) observe that, although it is attracted to lights placed deep inside a colony, mercury vapour lights outside the marsh edges are less effective. Consequently, sites and methods used to search for this apparently sedentary species must be carefully chosen. Thanks are extended to A. Heath for operating the R.I.S. light trap at Lydd and for arranging permission to run m.v. lights on private land. Also I. Woiwod, M. Townsend, I. Wynne and D. Riley for operating m.v. lights in search of this species and to B. Skinner and J. Badmin for their helpful advice. References: Blair, K.G. (1946). Notes from Freshwater, Isle of Wight, including a Wainscot (Lep.: Agrotidae) new to Britain. Ent. mon. Mag. 82: 140-141. Blair, K.G. (1950), Notes on the life history of Sedina buettneri Hering (Lep.: Caradrinidae). Ent. mon. Mag. 86: 47-49. Blair, K.G. (1951). Sedina buettneri Hering at Freshwater, Isle of Wight. Entomologist’s Gaz. 2: 249-252. Bretherton, R.F. & Chalmers-Hunt, J.M. (1985). The immigration of Lepidoptera to the British Isles in 1985. Ent. Rec. J. Var. 98: 223-230. Forster, W. & Wohlfahrt, T.A. (1963-71). Die Schmetterlinge Mitteleuropas. Stuttgart. Heath, J. & Emmet, A.M. (1983). The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 10. Harley, Colchester. Robinson, H.S. (1950), Sedina buettneri Hering. Entomologist’s Gaz. 1: 150. Skinner, B. (1984). Colour identification guide to the moths of the British Isles. Viking, Harmondsworth. Tams, W.H.T. (1946). The discovery of Sedina buettneri Hering (Lep.: Agrotidae) in the Isle of Wight. Entomologist 79: 215-218. Tweedie, M.W.F. (1967). Exhibits — annual exhibition. Proc. Trans. S. Lond. Nat. Hist. Soc. 1967: 112.—ADRIAN M. RILEY, AFRC Farmland Ecology Group, Dept. Entomology and Nematology, Rothamsted Exp. Stn., Harpenden, Herts ALS 2JQ. Hazards of butterfly collecting — the art of playing dead, India 1952. Elsewhere in this issue appears a short note on the art of playing dead, thanatosis, a subject which has interested my since I first came into contact with it when living with my parents in New Delhi, India. This was where my interest in butterflies began, at the age of seven, and one of my mentors in this respect was the Common Tiger (Danaus chrysippus), a very common butterfly in those parts, and one of the largest and most beautiful of the fauna. By the time I was eight I had worked out reasonably fully, and independently, the mimicry relationship between Danaus chrysippus and its superb mimic, the Diadem (Hypolimnas misippus). I still remember how much a let-down it was when I found out that this splendid discovery had NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 269 been made before. The inaria form of Danaus chrysippus without black and white wing tips, while common in East Africa and parts of Arabia, is exceedingly scarce in India, and I still remember the anguish with which I made the decision to give my only specimen to the ‘‘Pusa Institute’? — in exchange for which I was given my first cyanide jar and assurances that my mother would never be told exactly what it contained. Danaus chrysippus was also the first butterfly I bred, and I was both horrified and intrigued to find that larvae would engage in cannibalism, devouring the pre-pupae and freshly moulted pupae of their siblings or cousins. A notebook from those days says ‘‘that maybe this is because the leaves of the foodplant (Calotropis) are difficult to keep fresh and there are too many caterpillars in the box’’, which seems about right. So, while I have every reason to remember this butterfly as a budding entomologist, it is in fact as an entertainer manque that the most vivid memory persists. I had noticed thanatotis, and though I could not yet come up with an explanation, I did mange to put it to good use. When I was about nine, on the occasion of some worthy international children’s day or something, I was selected as Danish participant in an international show of kiddy talent. Danny Kaye was to be in the audience, in his capacity as ambassador for UNICEF, and I had to come up with a routine. So imagine, if you will, the following scenario: The stage is all set; three worthy members of the audience (we decided that including Danny Kaye would be too intimidating) are seated on stage in comfortable chairs as witnesses; yours truly is waiting in the wings. The master of ceremonies announces the next number: ‘“‘Dead butterflies that fly!’’? At this point I enter from the left, for heightened effect on roller- skates, with a very dead-looking Danaus chrysippus in my right palm. It is duly pronounced not to be alive by the three witnesses. I proceed to the right of the stage, push off triumphantly on the roller-skates as fast as possible, and when passing the witnesses toss the butterfly into the air, from where it promptly and very much alive departs to the delight (I seem to remember) of the audience. I exit to the left of the stage to the applause (I seem to remember) of the audience, and the Indonesian folk dances begin. This was my first and last foray into show business. Danaus chrysippus is doing rather better at holding centre stage. Its biochemistry has been studied in much detail, showing that being aposematic is not an either/or situation, giving rise to the concept of the palatability spectrum within a model. Its polymorphism has been the subject of considerable work, and many papers have been written about its mating and other habits. During the last decade it has begun to figure frequently in the European butterfly literature, because it has invaded the Mediterranean basin to an extent which has not happened before. Though I suspect that the Mediterranean populations may well be wiped out by a couple of severe winters, others have already heralded the phenomenon as the first effect of global warming.—TORBEN B. LARSEN, 358 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL. 270 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 [S.ixe (99 Green-veined White (Pieris napi) ovipositing on parsley piert (Aphanes arvensis) In early June, 1990, whilst walking along a farm track at Steeple Ashton in Wiltshire, I became aware in the distance of a ‘‘white’’ butterfly which according to its progression I considered to be searching for suitable sites for ovipositing. When the distance between us had closed sufficiently, I was able to determine that the insect was a Green-veined White and that she was in fact going through the motions of egg-laying. What intrigued me was that she carefully selected at intervals a leaf of her choice on various plants of parsely piert. There was no deviation in her choice of pabulum and there were no cruciferous plants on this particular track. I marked two of the sites which she had visited and discovered a single egg under each leaf. As the plants were very prostrate this was a ‘“‘hands and knees’’ job. In this short time she had disappeared. Unfortunately, I was there to investigate how some of our cattle had gained access into the neighbour’s cornfield and I did not take the ova to rear them through on this particular pabulum. As far as I am aware, the Green-veined White is only associated with cruciferous plants. Aphanes arvensis is a member of the Rosaceae and would seem to be an unlikely or unexpected foodplant.— M.H. SMITH, 42 Bellefield Crescent, Trowbridge, Wilts. Suicidal behaviour in invertebrates A tendency for suicidal behaviour is not restricted to lepidoptera (J. Koryszko, Ent. Rec. 103: 118). On 22.v.1991, I was sitting outside a taverna in Elounda, Crete. As the cup of hot water arrived, plus tea bag, three flies (resembling house flies, Musca species) simultaneously dived into the cup and instantly died.— DENIS TOWNSEND, 8 Cornwall House, Ravendale Drive, Lincoln LN2 2BU. A further record of Nascia cilialis Hb. (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Hampshire Subsequent to Mr P.M. Pott’s note regarding the distribution of this local pyralid in Hampshire (Ent. Rec. 102: 191) it may be of interest to record the capture at MV of a single male specimen at West Wood, Winchester, Hampshire on the night of 23rd May 1989 by Mr S. Swift when out trapping together. Whilst this does not prove the existence of a colony, further investigation would seem warranted. Our thanks to Mr Barry Goater for his positive verification of the specimen captured.— J.W. PHILLIPS, 16 Grove Road, Havant, Hants PO9 1AR. Xylena vetusta Hb., the Red Sword-grass (Lep.: Noctuidae) in south Essex in December 1990. On the night of 29.xii.1990, I was delighted to find a specimen of this species inside my Robinson trap. The capture of this insect on a cold evening in late December is made more surprising as this is my only record of vetusta in 16 years of almost continuous recording. My father, A.J. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 271 Dewick, has taken this species here on a few occasions, but not since 1982. Skinner (Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles, Viking, Harmondsworth, 1984) states that vetusta is ‘‘resident, reinforced in southern England by immigration.’’ In view of the extreme scarcity of this species here, perhaps it is likely that my specimen had arrived with other imigrants during the autumn and then hibernated.— S. DEwiIck, Curry Farm, Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex. Early sightings of Macroglossum stellatarum L. in east Sussex At an amphibians open day at Woods Hill in April 1991, I was told of two early sightings of Macroglossum stellatarum. The first was seen on 18.1v.1991 on a sunny wall outside the Black Horse pub in Lewes. Later on the same day, my informant saw one hovering by a patch of valerian flowers in his garden on the other side of Lewes.— DENNIS DEY, 26 Manor Avenue, Hassocks, West Sussex BN6 8NG. A further Welsh record of Hadrognathus longipalpis (Mulsant & Rey) (Col.: Staphylinidae) | Hadrognathus longipalpis was recently added to the British list by Lott (1989). It is a distinctive omaliine staphylinid with more recently recognised populations in south Wales (Holmes, Boyce and Reed, 1990). Lott (op. cit.) first located H. longipalpis in Cumbria, whilst the Welsh records result from the Welsh Peatland Invertebrate Survey of the Nature Conservancy as was. This survey found H. /ongipalpis in the Watsonian vice-counties of Carmarthen, Glamorgan and Brecon. In Europe, H. longipalpis is more or less montane, largely within influence of Atlantic Ocean-influenced weather systems. All of the Welsh records to date show H. longipalpis between 5 and 330 metres altitude, demonstrating that in the principality, it is not exclusively montane. I can now add a further record for the Brecon Beacons when I encountered a specimen in SO 02 (in the Llanfrynach area) on 13.iv.1991 at 661m O.D. The specimen was found in damp moss amongst Juncus inflexus L. on a grazed hillside during a substantial survey of beetles in the area, with two people working simultaneously. It seems therefore that H. longipalpis is genuinely local at the site. It appears that the spread of H. longipalpis in western Britain is both mildly explosive and continuing, and is a good example of rapid colonisation of a ‘‘natural’’ habitat. The establishment and colonisation- rate of H. longipalpis has few recent parallels in the British fauna; its spread appears dramatically faster than Leistus rufomarginatus (Duftschmid) (Col.: Carabidae) and it may well compare with that of the Collared Dove in the British avifauna. It will be interesting to see how far north H. longipalpis reaches. What is clear is that perhaps by specialisation rather than direct competition, H. /ongipalpis has created a niche for itself in a long established biological system. 2AZ ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 151x199! There is a direct maritime route from Britain to Santander in Northern Spain and a good body of evidence for exotic insects to be transported in caravans. In fact, the possibilities are legion — it could even have arrived here in damp moss collected for hanging baskets! The risk of desiccation presumably militates against unassisted long-distance travel. On the Brecon Beacons H. /ongipaipis shared the habitat of the . following beetles dominated by Amischa analis (Gravenhorst) (33%) and Hypnoidus riparius (Fabricius) (22%) with Bradycellus harpalinus (Serville) (1%) with virtually blackened antennae, Gabrius subnigritulus (Reitter) (1%), Quedius boops (Gravenhorst) (2%), Boreophilia spp. (identity not pursued for the moment following discussion with Mr A.A. Allen) (5%), and the rare (sometimes montane), wide-ranging, hygrophilous species Oxypoda procerula Mannerheim (1%). Notable beetles nearby were Carabus arvenis Herbst. and Acidota crenata (Fabricius). I wish to thank Mr A.A. Allen and Mr P.R. Holmes (Welsh Peatland Invertebrate Survey) for advice on specific matters. References: Holmes, P.R. Boyce, D.C., & Reed, D.K., 1990. Hadrognathus longi- palpis (Muisant & Rey) (Col.: Staphylinidae) in South Wales. Br. J. Ent. Nat. Hist. 3: 192. Lott, D.A., 1989. Hadrognathus longipalpis (Mulsant & Rey) (Col.: Staphilinidae) new to the British Isles. Entomologist’s Gaz. 40: 221-222.— P.F. WHITEHEAD, Moor Leys, Little Comberton, Pershore, Worcestershire WR103EP. Magpie moth, Abraxas grossulariata (L.), (Lep.: Geometridae) and other caterpillars on gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa, in south Cumbria I was interested to read B.K. West’s paper (Ent. Rec. 103: 89-92) discussing the decline in urban populations of A. grossulariata (in N.W. Kent in particular) as possibly being connected with an abandonment of gooseberry and other Ribes species, and Evonymus japonicus, as foodplants. Urban populations may have suffered similar declines quite widely; for example, among the 200 or so literature citations for A. grossulariata listed in the Scottish Insect Records Index (see Shaw, Ent. Rec. 99: 37-38 for an account of this resource) there are enough that specify foodplant to show that, at least in the East, gooseberry and E. japonicus were also regularly used in and around Scottish towns when the moth sometimes locally reached pest status up to and including the middle third of this century, since when it seems to have declined considerably. When I lived in Reading and Oxford in the late 1960s and 1970s I remember that A. grossulariata occurred commonly on E. japonicus in quiet parts of the towns and on Prunus spinosa in the countryside. Perhaps I rarely looked, but the only time I can recall seeing larvae on gooseberry was in my parents’ garden in Drayton St Leonard, a relatively isolated Oxfordshire village, as recently as 1989. Prompted by West’s article, I took advantage of a long weekend at the end of May 1991 at Beetham, just in NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 273 Cumbria near the Lancashire border, to see whether in this rural setting the fairly numerous patches of gooseberry growing wild in hedges and in woodland supported A. grossulariata larvae. The results of this investigation (in which I was greatly helped by my daughters Zerynthia and Melitaea) were very interesting, as all of the species of lepidopteran larvae found had a clear-cut preference for either fully exposed plants or those growing in almost completely shaded situations. A. grossulariata was present on most gooseberry bushes in sunny hedgerows but entirely absent on plants in full shade. Altogether 46 were collected from about ten well separated stands. The behaviourally similar larvae of the geometrid Semiothisa wauaria (L.) were also found only on gooseberry growing in the sun (15 on four stands), as were about 15 larvae of the noctuid Conistra sp. (probably vaccinii (L.)), collected more or less singly (and feeding also on other plants). In complete contrast, larvae of the geometrid Eulithis prunata (L.) were found only on more or less fully shaded gooseberry in woodland understorey (22 on eight stands), and no other Lepidoptera were found on such plants. A large colony of A. grossulariata was also found, more or less accidentally, on a hedgerow stand of Prunus ?cerasifera, and in another place a few larvae were noticed feeding on Corylus avellana, again in a sunny hedge. The tachinid fly Phryxe nemea (Meigen) had found a few of the A. grossulariata on each of the three foodplants from which they were collected, but parasitism was at a very disappointingly low level overall — and certainly did not stand any comparison between plant (or even Lepidoptera) species. Whether the demonstration that in rural N.W. England gooseberry continues to support A. grossulariata has any bearing on West’s observations on foodplants in N.W. Kent is debatable, but I wonder whether it might be merely attrition from factors such as the increased levels of electric street lighting, garden pesticides and pollution from road traffic, rather than a change of diet as such, that has harried A. grossulariata from previously favourable urban and suburban environments generally?— MARK R. SHAW, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH] 1JF. Utetheisa pulchella L. the Crimson-speckled Footman (Lep.: Arctiidae) in the Channel Isles The contributions by J. Clarke and A.M. Riley in the March-April 1991 issue of the Entomologist’s Record (103: 69 and 100) recording the capture of five specimens of Utetheisa pulchella in Cornwall and Devon have stimulated me to report the two seen in the Channel Islands at about the same time. On 2.x.1990 D. Buxton showed me the five specimens which had come into his kitchen in Vallée des Vaux, Jersey, an inland valley about two miles north of Saint Helier. This was two days after the first of the English 274 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 specimens, and R.A. Austin informs me that on the following day, 3.x.1990, one came into the kitchen of Mrs J. Wells in Saint Martin, Guernsey, about two miles south-west of Saint Peter Port. During the previous day or two the islands had been having mild, southerly winds but I am not aware of any other migrant species of note being found. The only other Channel Islands’ records of U. pulchella are of two in Guernsey in 1889 and one in Jersey in 1968.— R. LONG, Ozarda, Saint John, Jersey, Channel Islands JE3 4FP. Eriogaster lanestris Linn., the Small Eggar (Lep.: Lasiocampidae) in south Norfolk (v.c.27) Upon returning from a walk recently (late June 1991) my wife commented on having seen several webs of caterpillars in a length of Norfolk hedge, beside the main A143 Diss to Great Yarmouth road. Having been aware that Eriogaster lanestris had been reported in this part of Norfolk — three webs of caterpillars in Hargham Road, Attleborough in June 1990 (Paul Cardy pers. comm.); a single adult to light at Rocklands, near Attleborough, in the spring this year (Jane Lee pers. comm.) and four webs reported from New Buckenham Common on 22nd June 1991 (Steve Ward pers. comm.) — I was anticipating a further site for the return of this species to Norfolk. As I approached the stretch of road in Billingford, near Diss, I could see several webs in the hedge whilst I was driving along. These were just the large nests as I discovered when I walked the length of this particular piece of hedge, between a pond and a road junction. In the distance of a quarter of a mile I counted 73 webs, of which four were on elm, two on blackthorn and the remainder of hawthorn. These were all on the south facing road side of the hedge to the north of the road. I walked back to my car, counting webs along the north facing side of the hedge to the south of the road and recorded another eleven, with nine on hawthorn, one on elm and one on a small scrubby spindle bush which was almost totally defoliated. Because of tall crops, and recent heavy rain, I did not look on the field side of either of these two roadside hedges, but would assume that there were further webs to be found. I did walk a further 250 yards northwards from the road junction at the eastern end of the first hedge surveyed and counted another eleven webs in the east facing hedge alongside this road — all these on hawthorn. On the opposite west facing hedge there were only four webs to be seen — one on hawthorn and three on elm. After 200 yards from the corner there were no more webs to be found. The lengths of hedge where Eriogaster lanestris larval webs were so prolific are all well maintained, and regularly cut mechanically, with only the current year’s growth standing out from the dense body of the shrubs. Other more straggly, and infrequently cut, hawthorn bushes and the short, NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 275 isolated stretches of similarly maintained hedgerow, within the immediate vicinity had no sign of the webs. The majority of the webs were moderately small, but there was a proportion of much larger, really obvious, webs scattered throughout the whole length of the infestation. These were very obvious, even when driving past, particularly when I was specifically looking for them. The larvae were in all growth stages from second instar to fully mature, with several seen to be moving away from their communal feeding and living grounds. I carried out a fairly comprehensive, but not intensive, survey of several miles of apparently suitable hedgerow within a three mile radius of the webs discovered at Billingford and saw no evidence of the larger webs that were so noticeable initially. It seems most remarkable that along some 700 yards of roadside hedgerow there are 99 webs of Eriogaster lanestris larvae to be found and yet no others, apparently, anywhere in the immediate vicinity. This species was recorded by Barrett (1901) as ‘‘Plentiful in some seasons, its larvae forming large silken nests on the hawthorn hedges’’ but has not been in evidence in recent records. Skinner (1984) blames its serious decline in recent years on the wholesale destruction and indiscriminate trimming of hedgerows, combined with pollution from motor vehicles and the drift from agricultural pesticides. From the very limited evidence from these few observations it seems possible that Eriogaster lanestris is making a resurgence at the moment and, certainly at Billingford, it is thriving on well-trimmed hedges, beside a major road, in an area of intensive arable agriculture so perhaps its decline could be attributed to other causes, or it is adapting to late 20th century conditions. The use of both elm and spindle as larval foodplants may also indicate adaptability, as neither are mentioned in Allan (1949) or Scorer (1913). References. Allan, P.B.M., 1949. Larval Foodplants. Watkins and Doncaster. London. Barrett, C.G., 1901. Lepidoptera. In, Victoria History of the Counties of England, Norfolk, 1. ed. H.A. Doubleday, 142, Archibald Constable, Westminster. Skinner, B. 1984. Colour Identification Guide to the Moths of the British Isles. Viking. Middlesex. Scorer, A.G., 1913. The Entomologist’s Log-book. George Routledge. London. M.R. HALL, ‘‘Hopefield’’, Norwich Road, Scole, Diss, Norfolk IP21 4DY. Scotopteryx peribolata (Hb.), the Spanish Carpet (Lep.: Geometridae) at Studland, Dorset. On 12th September 1990, whilst running an m.v. trap on Shell Beach, Studland, Dorset, I recorded a single specimen of Scotopteryx peribolata (Hb.). The specimen, a male, was somewhat worn and I am grateful to Brian Baker and Norman Hall for confirming its identity. According to Bernard Skinner (Colour Identification Guide to the Moths 276 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.1x.1991 of the British Isles, 1984) the species is well established in the Channel Islands but there are only three previous records from the British mainland. I have been unable to trace any records of this species since 1984.— D.A. YOUNG, 32 Valley Road, Burghfield Common, Reading, Berkshire. Abundance of Omphaloscelis lunosa Haw., the Lunar Underwing (Lep.: Noctuidae) in 1989 and 1990 I read with interest R. Fairclough’s note in the Entomologist’s Record (103: 40) relating to the abundance of Omphaloscelis lunosa at Leigh, surrey. At Ninfield, East Sussex, this is also a common species. However, in 1989 on the 21st, 24th and 25th September, this species was so numerous that I noted the species as abundant (not having the time to count numbers more accurately). Only on 23rd September did I estimate the number of individuals present, recording a figure of 450+. In 1990 I was only able to run the trap on two occasions in late September; on the 28th, when I again recorded the species as abundant, and on 29th September when I conservatively estimated that 2,100 individuals were present.— M.PARSONS, The Forge, Russells Green, Ninfield, East Sussex. Meligethes haemorrhoidalis Forster (Col.: Nitidulidae) in Surrey Two specimens of this species which was recently added to the British List (Parry, J.A., 1990, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 126: 237) were collected on 31.i11.1991 from flowers of Narcissus by a stream on Bookham Common (TQ1255). Their identity was confirmed by dissection. Parry records the beetle from Southern England, with the site of discovery in Kent and one assumes that the above find is part of a continuing spread. I thank the National Trust for permission to collect at Bookham.— D.A. PRANCE, 209 Peregrine Road, Sunbury, Middlesex TW16 6JJ. Argyrotaenia ljungiana (Thunb.) — a surprising foodplant I was interested to read the notes by A.A. Allen (Ent. Rec. 102: 8) and C.W. Plant (ibid. 188) since the species had become very common in Grays, Essex over the last few years. It was particularly common near the entrance to Grays Chalk Quarry where much Sainfoin grew, and I was keen to discover whether this might be a foodplant but never managed to establish it as such. On 20th April 1991 I was collecting leaves of Pyracantha from a site in West Thurrock as part of a survey concerning the spread of Phyllonorycter leucographella (Zell.). The same afternoon when I had returned home amidst snow showers I was surprised to find that a moth had already emerged — the more so since it was A. /jungiana. Two days later, 22nd April, a further specimen emerged from leaves of Pyracantha from Hackney, London E8, where they had been collected on 10th April. It BOOK REVIEW ZIT. seems most unlikely that this is the only foodplant in urban areas so this species is probably polyphagous on a wider range of plants than was formerly thought.— DAviD AGAssiz, Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, Berks SL5 7BS. BOOK REVIEW A Coleopterist’s Handbook by Jonathan Cooter. 3rd edition 294pp. Boards. The Amateur Entomologists’ Society. 1990. £14.00. Like earlier editions, this multi-author handbook aims “‘to give advice and guidance’ to those wanting to become coleopterists. About one third is devoted to the practicalities of finding, identifying and preserving beetles, about a third to accounts of beetle families as they occur in Britain and the remainder to the matters of beetle larvae and their rearing and to conservation as it relates to coleopterists and other entomologists. There is a glossary of terms and an index to beetle genera referred to in the text. Perhaps of most value to the beginner will be the accounts of where and how to look for beetles and how to catch them. The use of a number of different nets and traps is described and the various natural and man-made habitats of beetles catalogued. Caution is needed, however, before some of the advice offered is accepted. Thus, the glycol-based (anti-freeze) solution recommended for use in pitfall traps will make many specimens so rigid that they will be virtually useless as cabinet specimens. Again, the suggestion that trays used in a flight interception trap inspected daily need only corrugated card to trap intercepted beetles is unlikely to be satisfac- tory; many intercepted beetles dropping into the trays will simply fly off again or crawl out when it gets dark. Moreover, it is going to be much more stressful harvesting small, live beetles such as ptilids and pselaphids from 20 or so pieces of corrugated card every day than picking them out from an aqueous medium in the usual way. As far as identifications go, the required equipment and books are listed and there is a clear description of the process of examining beetle genitalia, a cornerstone of modern taxonomy. There is also an excellent account of the conventions used in scientific nomenclature. The section providing accounts of beetle families is perhaps the least satisfactory part of the handbook. You cannot really describe beetle families for beginners without adequate illustrations which, these days, means colour. The very few illustrations of adults beetles are undoubtedly excellent in detail but they lack scales so that a beginner will not know what size of creature is depicted. The coverage of the different families is very uneven, no doubt because different authors were involved. Thus, accounts of some families include long bibliographies or list of species not included by Joy in his well known handbook or accounts of the status of species in Britain while others provide none of these. One cannot help feeling that it would have been better to refer beginners wishing an overview of beetle 278 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.ix.1991 families to one or more of those publications on British beetles, replete with coloured illustrations, which are already in bookshops. The chapter relating beetle species to plant species represents the outcome of a formidable exercise and provides a wealth of information for use in searching for individual species. One wonders, however, whether the information ought not also to have been given put the other way round — the beetle species associated with particular plants or plant groups (as in the first edition of the Handbook). Thus, as mentioned in the weevil section, a series of the same weevil shaken from Dyer’s Greenwood is very likely to be Apion dificile and looking at a list of beetles associated with this plant would give the beginner an immediate clue to its identity. True, this particular beetle-plant association is contained in the chapter as written but the beginner may well have difficulty in finding the place. It is very nice to note in the Handbook such good account of beetle larvae and how they may be reared. Indeed, there are more figures of different beetle larvae in the Handbook than of different beetle adults. For long, rearing or breeding insects has been mainly the province of lepidopterists and only relatively recently have coleopterists realised that beetles, too, can be reared or even bred. Indeed, a number of beetle species, such as many of the wood-inhabiting elaterids are more easily found as larvae than as adults. The Handbook ends with a section on conservation of insects which very clearly spells out for coleopterists the problems which have to be solved if some of our beetle species are still to inhabit Britain a hundred years from now. There is much to ponder on in this section. One might wonder, after reading it, whether a coleopterist in seeking beetles from a wasps’ nest is really justified in pouring ‘‘ammonia.. . over the nest’’, killing the wasps and probably all the other invertebrates present as well. It might, too, have helped beginners to adopt conservation-friendly techniques if some of the advice carried over from the first edition, such as ‘‘Bracket fungi. . . (or dry bark) . . . may be ripped off’’ had been rephrased to encourage a more gentle approach to the environment. The Handbook would have been improved with a general index covering, for example, terms such as ‘‘autocatcher’’ which is explained in the section dealing with summer activities rather than, as might be expected, in the section dealing with collecting equipment. Likewise without an appropriate index, locating references to insects of other orders or to plants is not at all easy. The layout and type-style used make for easy reading but I noticed quite a few misprints, such as “‘laural’’, ‘‘teasle’’, “Amara intima’’, ‘‘ Dasytes caerulenus’’ and ‘‘Oberia’’. Even with its failings, this book is good value for money and should be in the hands of every would-be coleopterist. Many of those who have passed the tenderfoot stage will find it contains material of interest and value to them also. J.A. Owen Contents — continued from back cover Suicidal behaviour ininvertebrates. D. Townsend . . ere ee 4)/ | A further record of Nascia cilialis Hb. (Lep.: Pyralidae) in Bemeeines JEW Phillips >. Soe ce: BO Xylena vetusta Hb., the Red Sword-erass (Lep.: Noctuidae) “ pont Bacey in December 1990. s. Dewicke St ha lace “ord bee. Early sightings on Macroglossum srelatararna in ease Green D. Day) ost taeda ich = EL A further Welsh record of Hadrognathus longipalpis Muls. & Rey) (Col.: Staphylinidae). P.F. Whitehead . . Berne 7 (| Magpie moth, Abraxas grossulariata L. Tew iaeouenadee) rad pineE alas on gooseberry, Ribes uva-crispa, in south Cumbria. M.R. Shaw . . . exten nee Utetheisa pulchella L., the Crimson-speckled Footman (Lep.: ie in the Channel Isles. R. one aus Be utes Eriogaster lanestris L., the Small Boca (ust Lastounaiite ¢ in sani Norfolk. MER Hiall . . 274 Scotopteryx eee Hb., ‘the Sean lene (ee Geom aey at Seadiands Dorset: D:A. Young... . . Dah ies pS eee Abundance of Omphaloscelis lose awe. is Lares deere (Lep.: Noctuidae) in 1989 and 1990. M Parsons. . . i Mel ei BTS Meligethes haemorroidalis Forst. (Col.: Nitidulidae) i in Set D. A. “Eepues es ee A Argyrotaenia ljunfiana Thunb., asurprising foodplant. D. Agassiz. . . . . PAG EOGMice sR ee ee ee ee te he Suan DATA PROMPT EFFICIENT SERVICE LABELS OVERSEAS ENQUIRIES WELCOME For details and sample labels, write to: P.D.J. HUGO, 115 Thrupp Lane, Thrupp, STROUD, Gloucestershire GL5 2DQ. Telephone: Brimscombe 882134 (Please mention this Journal in your reply) FOR SALE: Watkins and Doncaster Robinson MV trap, choke, freestanding lampholder and seven white MV bulbs. New value £330. The lot for £150. (No of- fers.) D.A. Saunders, 128 Loose Road, Maidstone, Kent ME15 7UB. NORTH OF ENGLAND SPECIMEN COLLECTORS’ CABINETS AND DRAWERS Thomas Whitaker (Eastburn) Ltd. is a long-established specialist joinery firm employing skilled craftsmen working in both traditional and modern methods and materials. We are able to offer ‘‘one off’’ design and volume production of drawers, cabinets, and stands in the material of your choice. Matching up to your existing collector furniture in design, finish and colour is also available. Should you be interested in our products and feel that we may be of service to you, please contact us: THOMAS WHITAKER (Eastburn) LTD. Greenfield Joinery Works, Eastburn, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD20 7SR Telephone: 0535 653281 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J.W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) Contents Notes on some Borneo Hawk Moths (Lep.: Sphingidae) including Eupanacra hollowayiSp.N. and Macroglossum amoenum Roth. & Jord. new to Borneo. W.J. Tennent . . ee ee ene. 223 Orthoptera around hinmeshes. ih Pan ae og tae, The genus Pogonocherus Zett. (Col.: Lamiidae) in aie British Teles. R. R. Uhthoff- Kaufmann . . , Se ets The adaptation toa hostile sicegarett oa sracete ofgesters. cues a females of the Silver-spotted Skipper (Hesperia comma L.). K.Willmott. . . . 247 Reminiscences of an amateur lepidopterist, 1920-90. E.P. Wiltshire. . . . . . 251 Brassolinae (Lep.: Satyridae) in Britain and Europe. C.R. Bristow . . . . . . 257 Moths in Brittany and Cornwall. A. Spalding. . . 259 The art of feigning death — thanatosis in Euploea (eee) fad athe SUCsena ee butterflies. 7.B: Larsen. 50. 3 a Sa Oa a a ee Notes and Observations A remarkable assemblage of beetles under onestone. A.A. Allen. . . 235 A further record of Pelosia muscerda Hufn., the Dotted Footman (Lep.: Arctiidae) in Kent. A.M. Riley . . « 236 A melanic form of Carabus arvensis none (Col.: Cahiee - P. ia Whitehead . » 236 The Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata L.) in North Cheshire. P.B. Hardy. . . 242 Farmland ecology light trap network: mates sini records for September 1990. A.M. Riley . . . + Se eee A record of Utetheisa areae The ae: m.v. light i in Se. C. Hart ou oi a ae Amphipoea lucens Frey., the Large Ear, and A. fucosa Frey., the Saltern Ea (Lep.: Noctuidae) in Hertfordshire. A.M. Riley . . 249 A plea for legal protection for the Sandhill Rustic Giecend mickerlii leech (eae Noctuidae) at its sitein Cornwall. A. Spalding. . . mr eS)! Eupithecia valerianata Hb. and E. pygmaeata Hb. (Lep.: ieeome ride in Scotland. B.K. West. . . oy SO Lithophane leautieri hesperica Boar (ushe Noctuidae) ae feeding. on common juniper. L.K. Ward . . < ae Aneuropria foersteri (Kief.) (pie Bienes) —a pees rad ertse new ie Britain. D.A Prance . . . \o Soke A further note on Scolopostethus qieos (Schil. ) (Hem.: sentdae. P.F. Whitehead . . . «3: eee The Stout Dart, Spaelotis one D. & S. ea Noctuidae), a pecent record from south-east Scotland. K.P. Bland . . ce eee Sedina buettneri Her., Blair’s Wainscot ques: Neemiae: in Kent. a M. Riley « 266 Hazards of butterfly collecane — the art of playing dead. India, 1952. 7.B. Larsen. 268 Green-veined White (Pieris napi) ovipositing on parsley piert (Aphanes arvensis). M.A SMithh.. 8 oa ee ne ae a ee RR SPECIAL NOTICE. The Editor would be willing to consider the purchase of a limited number of back issues. Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: 0277-224610. ‘Lob a PUBLISHED BI-MONTHLY Nos 11—12 Witezae = LIBRARY Ss JAN 2 1 1992 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by P.A. SOKOLOFF, r.res. Assistant Editors J.A. OWEN, F.R.E.S. & A. SPALDING F.R.E:S. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1991 ISSN 0013-3916 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’ RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Editor P.A. 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' Readers are respectfully advised that the publication of material in this Journal does not imply that the views and opinions expressed therein are shared by the Editor, the Editorial Board or the publisher. PHYLLONORYCTER PLATANI 279 A DESCRIPTION OF THE ADULT AND EARLY STAGES OF PHYLLONORYCTER PLATANI (STAUDINGER, 1870) (LEPIDOPTERA: GRACILLARIIDAE) A.M. EMMET Labrey Cottage, Victoria Gardens, Saffron Walden, Essex CBI] 3AF. IN MY PREVIOUS paper (antea, p.1) I narrated the circumstances of the discovery of Phyllonorycter platani in Britain. The purpose of the present article is to give a full description of the imago and life history. PHYLLONORYCTER PLATANI (Staudinger) Lithocolletis platani Staudinger, 1870, Trudy russk. ent. Obshch. 7: 277, tabs SeeilGe oe Type locality: Italy; Lake Como. Description of imago Wingspan 8 - 10mm. Head with vertical tuft yellowish white mixed fuscous, frons shining white; antenna golden with obscure fuscous annulations. Thorax golden yellow with three lines, outer two white, median silver edged black. Forewing golden yellow; four costal strigulae, first silver edged black, very oblique and continued as a fine silver edging along costa to base of wing, second to fourth more vertical, white on costa but in disc silver, all inwardly edged black, third and fourth almost reaching termen; two dorsal strigulae, both silver edged black, first extending from wing base subdorsally to one-third, then obtusely angled and continued very obliquely to just beyond apex of first costal, second moderately oblique, extending almost to apex of second costal and occasionally merging with it to form a fascia; basal streak to one-third, silver edged black, broad and slightly sinuous; an apical black dot; fringe line strong, black, extending from fourth costal to tornus; cilia pale golden, tips slightly darkened at apex. Hindwing pale grey; cilia pale shining golden. Abdomen fuscous in male, whitish fuscous in female. In living specimens the apex of the forewing is flexed upwards as in Leucoptera Hibner. The ground colour of the forewing, more yellow than in other British Phyllonorycter, and the shape of the first dorsal strigula readily distinguish P. platani from all other members of the genus. Life history Ovum. Laid on a leaf of plane, generally on the underside. The London plane is a form of Platanus orientalis, variously known as Platanus x hispanica, P. x acerifolia or P. hybrida. Larva. Head pale yellowish brown, mouth-parts darker. Abdomen sordid white, gut dull green or reddish according to the colour of the food ingested (see below); legs concolorous with abdomen. 280 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 Mine. Generally underside but occasionally upperside, especially as a minority in leaves carrying several mines; twelve have been recorded in Britain and Staudinger found 54 in one leaf at the type locality (Stainton, 1869, p. 140). One of the largest of British Phyllonorycter mines, averaging 37.5 x. 11.3mm, the largest measured having been 69 x 22mm; the mine becomes narrower as internal spinning causes the lower epidermis to contract. Underside mines are normally between veins but those on the upperside may straddle a vein like that of P. corylifoliella (Hiibner). The upper epidermis becomes mottled by the feeding and later, when all the parenchyma has been consumed, turns uniform dirty white. The frass is at first dispersed but later stacked in a heap in the centre of the mine. Larvae of the autumn generation feed on well into November. There is virtually no “‘sreen island’’ and the larvae are able to thrive on mesophyll that has turned brown after leaf-fall. The larva appears to be less vulnerable than its congeners to mine damage. Even when the lower epidermis is split right across the centre, the larva seals off one half of the mine with silk and continues to feed therein. A number of mines have a small hole in the lower epidermis that does not appear to have been caused by physical damage. Platanus is very seldom used as a foodplant by lepidopterous larvae and probably the nutrient value of the leaves is low. This may account for the big mine and the large quantity of mesophyll eaten in proportion to the size of the moth. Prior to pupation the larva spins a flimsy cocoon attached to the upper epidermis near one end of the mine. The spinning causes further contraction and the position of the cocoon is often betrayed by the presence of a small bulge. Pupa. Pale brown; setae long; dorsal spines of abdominal segments evenly distributed but larger anteriorly; cremaster with two pairs of slender processes, the inner pair straight, the outer pair hooked, the hooks turned outwards; the form is closest to that of P. sylvella (Haworth) (now acerifoliella (Zeller)), as shown in MBGBI 2, fig. 105 (p), but in P. platani the shafts are straighter and the hooks larger. On emergence the pupa leaves the cocoon and wriggles towards the end of the mine before eclosion. June-July; November-late April or May. Imago. Bivoltine, late April-May; August. It is possible that the November larvae arise from a third generation in the autumn. Because of the distribution of its foodplant the moth will always be restricted to a suburban habitat. There does not seem to be any obvious place for it in the British list. Leraut (1980) places it immediately after P. messaniella (Zeller) and Schnack (1985) next to P. acerifoliella, a position possibly prompted by the form of the cremaster. Leraut’s arrangement seems better and I suggest that it is adopted and P. platani be given the Log Book number 321a. PHYLLONORYCTER PLATANI 281 Ale aN i as Fig. 1. Phyllonorycter platani (Staud.) Fig. 2. Mines in Platanus sp. 282 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 Parasites. Two species, Sympiesis sericeicornis (Nees) and S. gordius (Walker) (Eulophidae) have so far been identified. Distribution. At present known in Britain only from the West End of London and northern Surrey, where it is plentiful at Kew Gardens. Southern and Central Europe, but currently extending its range northwards and westwards. Acknowledgements I am indebted to Dr D. Nash for the drawing of the mine, to Dr M.R. Shaw for identifying the parasites, to Mr M.F.V. Corley for drawing the Stainton (1869) reference to my attention and to Canon D.J.L. Agassiz for certain statistics and the figure of the adult. He told me that he found the pale ground colour and the silvery hue of the strigulae difficult to represent clearly in a black and white drawing. | References Emmet, A.M., 1991. Phyllonorycter platani (Staudinger, 1870) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) new to Britain. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 103: 1. Leraut, P., 1980. Liste systematique et synonymique des Lépidopteéres de France, Belgique et Corse. A/exanor, suppl. 1980, 334pp. Schnack, K., 1985. Katalog over de danske Sommerfugle. Ent. Meddr. 52, hefte 2-3. Stainton, H.T., 1869. The Tineina of Southern Europe, 370pp. London. A note on the life history of Blastobasis decolorella (Woll.) (Lep.: Blastobasidae) In October 1990 I was searching for larvae of Cydia aurana Fab. in seedheads of Heracleum sphondylium at Bickley, Kent. Almost every seedhead contained larvae but, all being of a pinkish colour, they were clearly not those of aurana, which is white. Many of the larvae had made neat, round holes in the stem below the seed heads and were resting inside the stems. As the identity was uncertain, I split the larvae into two batches: some stems and seed heads were placed in a linen bag and overwintered in a shady place in the garden. The remainder were put in a flower pot containing some earth and leaf litter, and left outside for the winter. The linen bag was brought indoors at the end of April. On opening the bag I found the larvae had spun cocoons in the linen folds, but these contained only dead larvae — possibly killed by some severe spring frosts. The flower pot was left undisturbed and the first moth — a male Blastobasis decolorella — appeared on 6th June 1991, with others on subsequent days.— D. O’ KEEFFE, 50 Hazelmere Road, Petts Wood, Kent. DIOCTRIA COTHURNATA 283 OBSERVATIONS ON DIOCTRIA COTHURNATA MG. (DIPTERA: ASILIDAE) IN DORSET ALAN STUBBS 181 Broadway, Peterborough PEI! 4DS. FIVE species of the robber fly genus Dioctria are known in Britain and a basic statement on the ecology and distribution can be made for four of them. The enigmatic species is D. cothurnata for which little can be said of the sparse but widespread records. Thanks to the discovery of this species at several localities in west-Dorset by Martin Drake in mid-July 1987 it has been possible to take a small step towards further understanding the ecology of this species. My only previous encounter with cothurnata was along the Radnor/Montgomery border where a male was taken 22m north-east of Pant-y-dwr on 26th July 1975. This rather unlikely spot at 300m was a sheltered glade with a stream (Rhydyclwydau Brook), flanked by immature conifer plantation. This perhaps speaks little for the natural habitat in Wales and my wide travels in that country have not revealed other sites for the species. Dioctria cothurnata was found at Mapperton, Dorset, where Martin Drake had taken a series of rapid sweep samples at various places along the various spring fed streams, with alder lined banks and alder carr widespread. He also sampled a number of other valleys and found cothurnata at Stones Common (Lower Kingcombe) and West Milton. The initial indication was that the robber fly is associated with woodland margins in wet valley bottoms but there had not been time to define more specifically the circumstances of capture. I succeeded in finding cothurnata at all three sites, though only at West Milton did I see the insect at the same location as Martin Drake within a site. Mapperton My own visit to Mapperton on 21st June 1989 led to a small glade where a large sallow had fallen over within valley side alder seepage carr. Soon I saw a male hovering, with occasional forward movement, among tall lush leaves of Ranunculus repens. It was only visible fleetingly, being so heavily screened beneath the leaves. There was a small prey item being carried so the robber fly was netted with a deep sweeping stroke — the Dioctria was successfully caught but the prey item was unfortunately not in the net. Regrettably this was the only individual seen here with prey but the circumstances suggest that mate seeking is pursued in this very secretive fashion. This observation was made where the Ranunculus was at the edge of some Ribes rubra close to an Alnus, the whole in full sunlight at about 12.00 BST on a hot sunny day. The related flora was Chrysoplenium oppositifolium together with nearby patches of Caltha palustris and Allium 284 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 ursinum, growing on peat that may well have been a metre or more thick. If it had not been for the long drought of previous months this would have been a very wet situation, though at this time only very moist. To the uphill side there was a moist sandy bank with Carex remota and Dryopteris dilatata under alder and hazel, then a cattle grazed meadow. About an hour was spent here searching and sweeping in the clearing, in dappled light and in denser shade under alders, without further encounter with cothurnata. Then, for less than a minute, two more males were seen on Ranunculus leaves and flying in ichneumon-like fashion at the edge of the same sunny clump of Ribes. Also a female was seen at rest low on a leaf in dappled light, its position screened by higher herbage. Eventually a male was swept in dappled light in a similar area of carr about 50 metres away. Another location with D. cothurnata was found when a female was seen sitting on Urtica dioica leaves, fairly well hidden from view. Though apparently not disturbed by my presence, after a while it flew leisurely deeper into the nettle patch. A female was again seen about four metres away under similar circumstances and another then came out onto exposed leaves, before flying off hurriedly (almost certainly disturbed by my movement). This nettle patch contained Galium aparine and some Equisetum telmateia. It was situated in a sunny position on the valley floor adjacent to an Alnus lined stream, with an uphill narrow fringe of Holcus lanatus before grading into varied dry grassland. West Milton On 22nd June the morning was spent in West Milton Valley. At about 11 am BST a female Dioctria rufipes (Deg.) was seen perched on a leaf about 60cm above ground. This observation was at a sunny patch of brambles, Rubus fruticosus agg., on a dry bank just above seepage. The thought that a neat ecological difference between species was thereby portrayed was soon dashed when five metres further along the same bramble covered bank there was a female D. cothurnata in an almost identical situation. The latter female was carrying prey. It soon flew leisurely down to sit on a Ranunculus repens leaf where it was netted together with its prey item. (To my great disappointment this prey was subsequently lost but it seemed to be a small braconid.) The location was a sun trap glade with alder seepage peat extending below and to either side. The bramble patch had some Urtica dioica, with an outer fringe below of Holcus lanatus. The Ranunculus was the dominant herb on wet seepage. The observations were made about five metres from the nearest alders. Shortly after the encounter with the above female, a male was seen in about the same position on the brambles, though only 30cm above ground. It flew down to the Ranunculus repens leaves and after leisurely moving position over a total distance of about seven metres, within the sun, it rapidly flew off. DIOCTRIA COTHURNATA 285 Stones Common In the afternoon of 22nd June a visit was made to the Stones Common area of the Kingcombe nature reserve of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Dioctria cothurnata was not seen at an alder lined stream across a field where Martin Drake had previously reported it. Away from the stream I was sweeping fairly casually at 3.30 pm when I noticed a female D. cothurnata just as the sweep net captured it. On confirming identification the insect was released so the subsequent erratic sightings may have all been of the same fly. This situation was in a north-east facing hollow in the angle between two alder hedgerows. There were some small clumps of Juncus effusus among Glyceria fluitans and local Juncus articulatus, with areas of Ranunculus repens and Holcus lanatus. About half the vegetation was in the sun and all observations were made in this sector, about 3 - 5 metres from the nearest alders. The female was swept from Juncus effusus about 4 - Scm above ground and on another occasion one was at a similar height. For the most part they settled within 10cm of the ground, variously sitting on Juncus or Ranunculus leaves. The flight was leisurely or moderately fast, and on one occasion involved flying fairly quickly through a clump of Juncus effusus leaves about half way up as if there were no obstacles. If disturbed, departure was swift, usually impossible to trace beyond the first few yards. In all there were perhaps five encounters though only one insect was seen at any one time. Discussion It is confirmed that there is a strong association with woodland and woodland margin habitat on very wet valley peat mire. The only other British asilid that one might typically expect in such situations is Dioctria rufipes whose peak emergence is much earlier. Other robber flies (such as Leptarthrus brevirostris (Mg.) and Machimus atricapillus Fin. can be found in wet places but these can persist in entirely dry habitat and may be best interpreted as visitors. These observations in west-Dorset show a particular association with Ranunculus repens and related plant communities on wet seepage peat in the proximity of Alnus. This habitat is widespread in Britain and is strongly represented in some districts. I have swept this sort of habitat in many situations whilst recording craneflies yet have not found cothurnata in such situations before. Martin Drake obtained his specimens by general sweeping without particular attention to robber flies. Either the area is particularly favourable for the species or his technique of sweeping is in some subtle fashion different from mine — it is not uncommon for different people to find very different faunas by sweeping. Our conclusion is that this area of Dorset has relatively good populations of the robber fly. 286 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 There is the possibility that weather conditions affect the location of the adults, giving a misleading impression of the likely breeding site. Though 1987 had a cool summer, Martin Drake’s observations were made during a hot sunny period. My visit was in the dry sunny summer of 1989 so apart from a longer build up of drought in 1989, the two sets of observations were made under somewhat similar conditions. In hot dry weather insects might head for cool moist situations. However, it seems reasonable to infer that the habitat association is normal, though still saying nothing firm as regards indicating the situations where larvae develop. Dioctria lay eggs whilst in flight but they could choose rather different habitat for this purpose. The prey is typical of Dioctria, which are specialists on parasitic Hymenoptera. In common with other members of the genus it is probable that other small insects are included in the adult diet. The behaviour of the species remains an enigma. On my first day’s observations the species was maddeningly secretive and elusive, easily accounting for the rarity of records. On the next day, when the weather was not markedly different, the species was out in full view showing a far more visible life style. Even in the latter mode it may be easy to overlook but it ought to be intercepted and recorded with moderate success. Hopefully these observations will provide a stimulus to finding out more about this species. Acknowledgements Thanks are passed to Martin Drake for allowing me to draw upon his original observations. Eulamprotes phaeella Heckford & Langmaid (Lep.: Gelechiidae) in Kent At Holly Hiil near Snodland, Kent, on the night of 11th July 1990, I took an Eulamprotes species at m.v. light which did not match E. atrella which appeared at the same time. Later examination of the genitalia, with the help of Mr P. Jewess, indicated that the specimen was of the recently described species Eulamprotes phaeella. This species was taken in Kent in 1937 by L.T. Ford at Bexley, although he had identified it as Aproaerema anthylidella (Heckford, Ent. Gaz. 42: ~ 188). This current specimen is certainly the most recent, and the most easterly record so far for Kent. No doubt, this species, if searched for, will be shown to be widespread in Kent. For a description of this species see Heckford, R.J. & Langmaid, J.R. (1988) Ent. Gaz. 39: 1-11. Phaeella is illustrated in colour by Sokoloff, P.A. & Bradford, E.S. (1990) Br. J. ent. nat. Hist. 3(1) 23-28.— D. O’KEEFFE, 50 Hazelmere Road, Petts Wood, Kent BRS 1PD. THE BARBERRY CARPET MOTH 287 BARBERRY CARPET MOTH, PAREULYPE BERBERATA D. & S.: THE DISCOVERY OF A SECOND BREEDING COLONY IN BRITAIN AND OTHER RECENT RECORDS. P. WARING Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, Peterborough PEI 1JY. THIS PAPER reports the discovery of three larvae of P. berberata at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire on 12th September 1988 and a further three on a return visit on 30th June 1989, feeding not on the usual native barberry, Berberis vulgaris, but on a Berberis which the arboretum dendrologist, John White, has not been able to determine precisely, because it is probably a hybrid or cultivated variety. The best estimate is B. turcomanica possibly var. integerrima. The background to the discovery and the implications for the status and conservation of the moth in Britain are given below. Background information In 1969 a colony of P. berberata was discovered near Winchester, Hants in a locality in which a single individual was recorded in 1940 (Goater, 1974). During the 1970s the three bushes of B. vulgaris on which larvae were found were scorched by uncontrolled stubble burning (Skinner, 1984, 1987). The bushes subsequently recovered but the moth has not been seen there again in spite of a number of searches by concerned entomologists (B. Skinner pers. comm.). Since then only a single breeding colony of this moth has been known in Britain. This is the traditional site in Suffolk which consists of just 120m?’ of hedgerow barberry, Berberis vulgaris, the native foodplant of P. berberata (Waring, 1989). Formerly the moth was not so rare. In the nineteenth century P. berberata was widespread in England and Wales (Jenner-Fust, 1868). It reached at least as far north as Marr near Doncaster, Yorks (Porritt, 1883). The discovery that B. vulgaris was a secondary host for the wheat rust fungus Puccinia graminis, led to farmers grubbing out the plant from hedgerows and the loss of colonies of the moth (Barrett, 1902). Recent records of P. berberata In spite of this destruction of habitat, occasional adult specimens of P. berberata have been reported in recent decades from widely scattered localities. Skinner (1984) notes single specimens from Blandford, Dorset on 23rd May 1926, Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire on 15th May 1949 and 25th July 1952, Westonbirt, Gloucestershire on 8th September 1962 (reported by Newton 1963) and several mostly worn examples near Ifold, West Sussex on 4th and 5th June 1969, the latter report also appearing in Pratt (1981). Recent records which have been collated subsequently include 288 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 a singleton from Slapton, Devon on 13th June 1959 (Richardson, 1960), two specimens, on 4th June and 19th August 1979, and a third on 31st May 1981, at Faringdon, Oxfordshire (M.F.V. Corley, pers. comm.), and further single specimens from Westonbirt, Gloucestershire on 25th August 1974 and 8th June 1980 (Rothamsted Insect Survey files) and in June 1980 (no day given) (Newton and Meredith 1984), a specimen from Crawley, Hampshire on 30th August 1984 (R.A. Bell, pers. comm.) and this year (1990) a single female from a second locality near Winchester, Hampshire from which site there are no previous records . There are also records which require investigation from Dyfed (1962) and Bedfordshire (1969-1971) on NCC files and examination of the local lists catalogued by Chalmers-Hunt (1989) may turn up additional records. Previous searches for breeding colonies based on the above records Location of the breeding colonies from which specimens like the above have come is not necessarily an easy matter and can be time consuming. Jack Newton (pers. comm.) described to me how he searched the Westonbirt area ‘‘a couple of years’’ after capturing the 1962 specimen reported in Newton (1963). The arboretum was ‘‘like a jungle in places’’ and he had difficulty in locating the barberry bushes. Consequently none was beaten and he has found no larvae in the intervening years nor knows of any through his work as county recorder for Gloucestershire. When Martin Corley (pers. comm.) went on 4th May 1988 to check the nearest B. vulgaris known to him at the site where he recorded his specimens in Oxfordshire in 1979 and 1981, he found that the Berberis had been removed during hedge tidying and ditch maintenance. In Sussex Pat Cordell was unable to locate any B. vulgaris in the vicinity of his captures and according to the ‘‘local Floras’’ the plant does not occur in this part of Sussex nor the adjacent area in Surrey (B. Skinner, pers. comm.). In view of my discovery of P. berberata on a cultivated Berberis rather than B. vulgaris it may be that the Sussex specimens and others have come from colonies that are now feeding on exotic Berberis species which do not appear in the county Floras. The search at Westonbirt During 1988 and 1989, the Nature Conservancy Council moth conservation project (Waring, 1990a), provided the opportunity to investigate Westonbirt Arboretum. The site was visited four times in all. The first visit was made on Ist June 1988 by Paul Hatcher who was assisting with surveys for the moth in Oxfordshire, while I was working on the species in Suffolk. Equipped with hand net and torch, he searched from dusk until 21.30 hours, mainly in the vicinity of two bushes of B. vulgaris. It was a cloudy night, drizzling, with no wind and other geometrid moths were seen, but no THE BARBERRY CARPET MOTH 289 Barberry Carpets. There was a blank result on the same night at the Suffolk colony. On 4th June Rachel Thomas and I investigated Westonbirt Arboretum. We allowed a full day to walk around the site, and we needed it. There are 116 Berberis plants, of a variety of species, in the numerical listing for the site (FC computer file, 1988 version) and we set out to look at them all so that I could decide the places where we might be most likely to find the moth breeding if it was present. In this exercise we were greatly assisted by the Forestry Commission staff at Westonbirt who provided us with maps locating all the plants. To round off the day we set up a Robinson trap by some old established Berberis which had large fleshy leaves like B. vulgaris but which at that time had not been identified. We operated a Heath trap by other Berberis nearby and patrolled these and the area around the permanent Rothamsted trap until 23.00 hours. It was a cloudy calm night with a dusk temperature of 12°C which had dropped to 8°C by the time we packed up. We noted five other species of geometrid moths on the wing but no P. berberata. Possibly the flight period of P. berberata had ended by this time. Owing to other survey commitments the next visit was on 12th September 1988, four days after finding second generation larvae in Suffolk. Paul Hatcher and I started beating at exactly the place where I had operated the Robinson trap in the arboretum on 4th June and immediately we got three larvae from these undetermined Berberis. All three larvae were in the final instar, just as in Suffolk. Two were returned to the bushes and one was retained to be photographed and reared to adult for absolute confirmation of this record. It began to spin its cocoon on 18th September 1988. We left these bushes well alone as soon as we had established that larvae were present, and moved on to try elsewhere in the arboretum. In spite of beating a total of 90m?’ of Berberis at several other locations which I had considered promising within the arboretum, we found no more larvae. Two possible explanations for this result are that the larvae are very localised within the arboretum or that we just caught the last tail-enders before pupation. For comparison note that on the previous day, 11th September 1988, 95% of a batch of 70 captive larvae reared at outdoor temperatures were fully fed and some had begun to spin cocoons (R. Eley, pers. comm.) and most of another batch kept in a garden shed had pupated (G. Haggett, pers. comm.). On 30th June 1989 I returned to Westonbirt in the company of Ron Louch. We were successful in finding three part grown larvae almost immediately when beating the same bushes that had produced larvae the previous September, but we found no more larvae on any of the bushes elsewhere in the arboretum. All three larvae were returned to the bushes from which they came and we did not disturb these again. Berberis species were beaten in all parts of the arboretum and we covered as much as we could reach from the ground. There are some very large bushes — one is 290 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 over 5m tall — and inevitably some Berberis foliage could not be beaten, but at this stage the moth must be considered as having a very local distribution within the arboretum and the individual bushes on which the larvae were found must be conserved even though there are similar bushes elsewhere on the site. The discovery at Westonbirt is important for several reasons. It is only the second colony of the Barberry Carpet known to exist in Britain at present. It is far removed from the Suffolk colony and gives hope that the moth could still survive elsewhere within the large area of southern and midland England that it occupied in the nineteenth century. It is the first time that the moth has been recorded on a Berberis hybrid or cultivar rather than on the native Berberis vulgaris and this opens up the possibility that other colonies could exist on introduced Berberis. The host plant at Westonbirt is similar to B. vulgaris in having fairly large fleshy leaves and a relatively thin cuticle in comparison with many Berberis. This type of foliage is probably more palatable to the early instars. From captive rearing it has already been established that the larvae will develop successfully on some of the exotic Berberis species such as B. ottawensis, B. thunbergii and B. wilsoniae. It would be useful to rear the same number of larvae on several of the more common Berberis species and compare their growth rates. What is clear now from the discovery at Westonbirt is that the female will lay in the wild on at least one of the Berberis species or hybrids other than pure B. vulgaris. In these circumstances there is a final point which may help explain why the Barbery Carpet survives at Westonbirt but appears to be absent elsewhere and that is the continuity of the habitat. The arboretum records show that Berberis vulgaris has been represented on the site since well before 1927. In that year Jackson (1927) reports ‘“There are exceptionally fine plants of this well-known shrub at Westonbirt, one in Silkwood at the west end of the Broad Drive is no less than 18 ft high, 22 ft through and 40 ft in circumference.’’ No planting date is given but the specimen must have been there for several decades to attain such a size. This would take us back to some time in the previous century, perhaps before the large-scale eradication of barberry and certainly when the moth was a commoner insect in the countryside. There are no earlier written records confirming the presence of Berberis vulgaris on the site. The curator Jonah Neale left a diary for 1858 which mentions some of the plants in the arboretum but which is known not to be comprehensive. Berberis vulgaris is not mentioned. The arboretum was started in an open field with adjacent woodland by Robert Holford in 1829. The present arboretum dendrologist (John White, pers. comm.) informs me that it was Holford’s aim. to represent all the native British trees and shrubs in his collection. As Berberis vulgaris was then not an uncommon species and well-known, with culinary and herbal uses (Bean, 1970), it is very likely that Holford would THE BARBERRY CARPET MOTH 291 have obtained it. So, while the Barberry Carpet has been recorded intermittently at Westonbirt since 1962, it may well have been on the site for very much longer. It is fortunate in that its habitat requirements have continued to be met on a site that has undoubtedly changed a great deal even since 1962. The Forestry Commission now own the site and I alerted them and our regional staff to the presence of the moth as soon as we discovered it. I have drawn attention to the fact that the use of insecticidal sprays in the vicinity of the Berberis may jeopardise the moth and that the removal of leaf litter from under the bushes may remove pupation sites for it. Captive rearing experiments suggest the larvae prefer to pupate at the soil surface just below leaf litter but raking away the dead leaves may expose the pupae to predators. In view of the discoveries reported above it would be well worth investigating large stands of long-established Berberis in other parts of Britain. B. vulgaris is widespread, although considered to be introduced in many places (Perring and Walters, 1990). Even where the plant is introduced, it is conceivable that eggs and larvae may have accompanied the bushes if these were transplanted in leaf many years ago. The Juniper Carpet, Thera juniperata, has been widely introduced in this way in recent years (Waring, 1990b). On the question of beating unexplored Berberis sites. In view of the apparent rarity of P. berberata and continuing threats to the traditional breeding site (Waring, 1989), the species was given the full protection of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 5, in 1981. This makes it illegal to collect or disturb the species in any of its stages without a licence issued by English Nature or the Countryside Commission for Wales or to trade in it without a licence issued by the Department of the Environment (DoE). There is a maximum fine of £2,000 per specimen for any deliberate infringement. Consequently deliberately setting a trap or beating a barberry bush for the species, such as at a known breeding site, is illegal. However, it is unlikely that any court would consider it an offence if an entomologist accidentally caught a specimen at a light trap away from the known breeding sites. In this event statutory bodies would not seek a prosecution and would be most grateful for details of the record (Species Adviser, M.A. Palmer, JNCC, pers. comm.). Deliberate beating of Berberis in search of the larvae needs to be covered by a licence. This can be arranged for bona fide surveys and, in view of the great value of these in clarifying the true status of P. berberata in Britain, applications will be considered favourably. I am happy to be the initial JNCC contact and would welcome and assist any proposals for survey work. JNCC may also be able to assist in obtaining permission from owners for surveys on private land. 292 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 Acknowledgements I thank Hugh Angus, the curator, and his staff from the Forestry Commission for permission to work in Westonbirt Arboretum, and for their concern to conserve and protect the Barberry Carpet moth there. The Nature Conservancy Council supported this project and issued me with the necessary licence to work on this moth, in compliance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 5. I would like to thank Adrian Riley of the Rothamsted Insect Survey, Reg Bell, Martin Corley, Jack Newton, Bernard Skinner, Dougie Sterling and John White for information; Paul Hatcher, Ron Louch and Rachel Thomas for assistance with the fieldwork and Rafe Eley and Gerry Haggett for assisting with captive rearing experiments. References Barrett, C.G., 1902. The Lepidoptera of the British Isles. Vol. 8: 138-140. Reeve & Co. London. Bean, W.J., 1970 (8th edn.). Trees and shrubs, hardy in the British Isles. Vol. 1. John Murray. Chalmers-Hunt, J.M., 1989. Local lists of Lepidoptera. Hedera Press. Uffington, Oxon. Goater, B., 1974. The butterflies and moths of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Classey. Faringdon. Jackson, A.B., 1927. Catalogue of the trees and shrubs in the collection of the late Lieut-Col. Sir George Lindsay Holford. Oxford University Press. London. Jenner-Fust, H., 1868. On the distribution of Lepidoptera in Great Britain and Ireland. Transactions of the Entomological Society (Series Three). London. 4: 417-518. Newton, J., 1963. Notable Lepidoptera in Gloucestershire in 1961-62. Entomolo- gist’s Rec. J. Var. 715: 46-47. — , and Meredith, G.H.J., 1984. The macrolepidoptera of Gloucestershire. Cottes- wold Naturalists Field Club, Gloucester. Perring, F.H. and Walters, S.M., 1990. Atlas of the British Flora. Botanical Society of the British Isles. Cambridge. Porritt, G.T., 1883. List of Yorkshire Lepidoptera. Yorkshire Naturalists Union, Leeds. Pratt, C., 1981. A history of the butterflies and moths of Sussex. Borough of Brighton, Booth Museum of Natural History. Sussex. Richardson, A., 1960. Twelfth report of the Entomological Section. Transactions of the Devonshire Association, 92: 339. Skinner, B., 1984. Colour identification guide to moths of the British Isles. Viking. Harmondsworth, Middx. — , 1987. In Shirt, D. (ed.) 1987. British Red Data Books, 2. Insects. Nature Conservancy Council, Peterborough. Sterling, D.H., 1991. A possible new colony of Pareulype berberata D.& S. (Lepi- doptera: Geometridae), the Barberry Carpet in North Hampshire, vice-county 12. Br. J. ent. nat. Hist. 4: 118. Waring, P., 1989. Conserving the Barberry Carpet moth in Suffolk. Transactions of the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, 25: 37-41. , 1990a. Conserving Britain’s rarest moths. British Wildlife 1(S): 266-284. — , 1990b. Moth report. British Wildlife 1(3): 1 9-170. BATRISODES SPECIES IN BRITAIN 293 BATRISODES ADNEXUS (HAMPE) (B. BUQUETI AUCTT. BRIT.) AND B. DELAPORTI (AUBE) (COL.: PSELAPHIDAE) IN BRITAIN HOWARD MENDEL The Museum, High Street, Ipswich IPI 3QH. THERE ARE tthree British species of Batrisodes Reitter, adequately separated by Joy (1932) and by Pearce (1957) (once it is realised that his ‘‘clender’’ and ‘‘robust”’ with reference to the antennae in couplet | should be transposed (Allen, 1960), and that it is B. delaporti that may be recognised by its robust antennae with segments 5-7 strongly transverse). All of the British species are myrmecophilous, B. venustus least strictly so and occasionally found under bark or in rotten wood. Records of B. venustus are widely distributed throughout England from South Hampshire to as far north as Cumberland, though the species is very local and generally uncommon. Neither B. adnexus nor B. delaporti have, until now, been reported outside the Windsor area. Both species are closely associated with the ant Lasius brunneus (Latreille). B. adnexus has been found on very few occasions since it was first taken with L. brunneus in Windsor Great Park, by H.StJ.K. Donisthorpe on 25th June 1924 (Donisthorpe, 1924). Bedwell (1926) took the second Windsor specimen on 11th July 1925, and on 30th June 1926 Donisthorpe found the third, in Windsor Forest, again associated with a nest of L. brunneus (Donisthorpe, 1927). A.A. Allen took the fourth British specimen, a female, in August 1939 ‘‘in a rotten oak stump which held a small colony of the ant Acanthomyops (Donisthorpea) niger L. in Windsor Forest.’’ (Allen, 1946). Since that time I know of only one additional record, other than my own. My friend Prof. J.A. Owen found a single female in wood mould taken from the centre of a fallen ancient oak in Windsor Great Park on 12th August 1986. The tree held a large nest of L. brunneus. On a visit to an area of Epping Forest near Chingford, South Essex, on 15th March, 1987, I was fortunate to find an old oak, Quercus robur L. with a large rot hole allowing easy access to the heartwood, in which there was a thriving colony of L. brunneus. | sieved a sample of the nest through a standard garden sieve in the hope of finding myrmecophilous Coleoptera but found nothing. Hoping for more success with a Winkler extractor, I took the sievings home. My single extractor was in use, so I put the sample in a rearing tub instead. This consisted of an inner bucket (filled to the brim with the sample) inside a slightly larger white plastic tub with a close-fitting lid. In August, the same year, Batrisodes began to emerge and on dropping over the edge of the inner bucket were easily seen against the white surface of the tub. Once the first few specimens had been found in this way, the contents of the bucket were carefully examined and in total nine Batrisodes were collected, including one which was entirely yellow and presumably teneral. To my surprise, they proved to be B. adnexus. Unfortunately, all 294 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1.1991 were females. Although the sample was kept a further 18 months no other beetles emerged. Single specimens have been given to Mr A.A. Allen, Dr C. Besuchet, Dr P.S. Hyman and Prof. J.A. Owen. Mr Allen and Prof. Owen have confirmed that the Epping specimens are conspecific with their Windsor B. adnexus. In recent years there have been different opinions as to the name that should be applied to our species. Dr C. Besuchet was first to question the occurrence of the true B. adnexus in Britain (Pearce, 1974) but the absence of sufficient material for study prevented Pearce from deciding whether the British species was B. adnexus or B. buqueti (Aubé), a closely related species not uncommon in France. Besuchet (1974) again cast doubt on the identity of the few British specimens, a doubt reflected by Pope (1977) who listed the British species as ‘‘adnexus auct. Brit.? (Hampe, 1863)’’. Hammond (1987) adopted the name B. buqueti for our species. Although on the basis of European distribution it was reasonable for Besuchet to question the identity of British specimens, there has not yet been any good reason for calling the British species B. buqueti. The problem is that to date all of the British specimens have apparently been females which are considerably more difficult to identify with certainty than are males. However, a significant character, evident in all British specimens, appears to be the small but distinct pointed tubercle at the elytral shoulders which is not found in female B. buqueti (Besuchet, 1988). Besuchet has identified one of the Epping specimens as B. adnexus, but with reservations, ‘“‘Il faudrait au moins un male pour confirmer définitivement adnexus pour la Grande-Bretagne.”’ (in Jit.). In conclusion, there is no firm evidence to support the suggestion that the species known as B. adnexus in Britain is really B. buqueti, and no evidence at all that both species occur here. However, female B. adnexus are extremely difficult to determine with absolute certainty and a male specimen has yet to be recognised in Britain. It is possible that our species is parthenogenetic as probably is the closely related and recently described B. unisexualis Besuchet on the continent (Besuchet, 1988). B. delaportiis a much less uncommon species in the Windsor Forest area and probably occurs in the majority of well established L. brunneus nests, as it was said to by Donisthorpe (1939). These are most frequently found in the dead heartwood of ancient living oaks and must take many years to excavate. Working such nests for Coleoptera can be seriously damaging and it is perhaps fortunate that many are so inaccessible. According to Hammond (1987) B. delaporti is only known from the Windsor Forest area including nearby Silwood Park, where R.C. Welch collected five specimens in 1964. In the Claude Morley Collection at Ipswich Museum are a male and female B. delaporti labelled in Morley’s hand, ‘‘Batrisodes delaportei NF. 30vi26 with Lasius brunneus (Don).’’ ‘“‘NF”’ is Morley’s usual abbreviation for ‘‘New Forest’’. Although it is vaguely possible that the specimens did come from the New Forest, I BATRISODES SPECIES IN BRITAIN 295 suspect that they have been mis-labelled. Donisthorpe discovered B. delaporti in Windsor Forest in 1924 (Donisthorpe, 1924) and over the few years following found over 100 specimens (Donisthorpe, 1927); more than enough ‘‘duplicates’’ to distribute amongst friends and colleagues. From Morley’s collection it is evident that Donisthorpe used to send him ‘“‘duplicates’’ of rarities and species new to the British list. From Morley’s entomological diaries (also at Ipswich Museum) it seems that Morley was in Suffolk, not the New Forest, on 30th June 1926. However, Donisthorpe was collecting in Windsor Forest on that day, the very same day he found his second example of B. adnexus! Finally, according to Barrett (1979), L. brunneus is not known to occur in the New Forest. It is worth drawing attention to these specimens in case they are noticed in the future and the record accepted without question. Acknowledgements I thank Dr C. Besuchet for confirming the identity of one of the Epping B. adnexus. I am grateful to Prof. J.A. Owen and Mr A.A. Allen for helpful discussion and for comparing Epping specimens with examples of B. adnexus they have taken in Windsor Forest. Prof. Owen has been most generous in allowing me to include reference to his previously unpublished capture of B. adnexus. References Allen, A.A., 1946. A third British specimen of Batrisodes adnexus Hampe (Col.: Pselaphidae). Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 82: 96. — , 1960. Batrisodes spp. (Col.: Pselaphidae): a correction. Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 96: 102. Barrett, K.E.J. (ed.), 1979. Provisional atlas of the insects of the British Isles. Part 5. Hymenoptera: Formicidae. Huntingdon: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. Bedwell, E.C., 1926. Batrisodes adnexus Hampe at Windsor. Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 62: 241. Besuchet, C., 1974. Familie: Pselaphidae, pp.305-62. In: Freude, H., Harde, K.W. and Lohse, G.A., 1974. Die Kdfer Mitteleuropas, vol. 5. Krefeld: Goecke & Evers. Besuchet, C., 1988. Description de deux Batrisodes paléarctiques nouveaux (Coleoptera: Pselaphidae). Revue suisse Zool., 95: 433-437. Donisthorpe, H.StJ.K., 1924. Batrisodes delaportei, Aubé, and B. adnexus, Hampe — two additions to the British list of Coleoptera. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 36: 117. — , 1927. The guests of British ants their habits and life-histories. London: G. Routledge and Sons. — , 1939. A preliminary list of the Coleoptera of Windsor Forest. London: Nathaniel Lloyd. Hammond, P.M., 1987. Batrisodes buqueti and B. delaporti, pp.172-3. In: Shirt, D.B., 1987. British red data books: 2. Insects. Peterborough: Nature Conservancy Council. Joy, N.H., 1932. A practical handbook of British beetles. 2 vols. London: H.F. & G. Witherby. Pearce, E.J., 1957. Coleoptera (Pselaphidae). Handbooks for the identification of British insects, 4(9). 296 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1.1991 — , 1974. A revised annotated list of the British Pselaphidae (Coleoptera). Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 110: 13-26. Pope, R.D., 1977. Kloet and Hincks. A check list of British insects. Coleoptera and Strepsiptera. 2nd ed. Handbooks for the identification of British insects, 11(3). Cyphostethus tristriatus (F.) (Hem.: Acanthosomatidae) in S.E. London, and its occurrence on Thuja orientalis L. In a note recording this shieldbug from East Surrey (1984, Ent. Rec. 96: 187) I hazarded a guess that it might before very long turn up in my more suburban district. This ‘‘prophecy’’ has now been fulfilled: on 12th May 1991, I found it to be not at all uncommon in the warm afternoon sunshine on a short boundary-hedge between my own and my neighbour’s garden. This consists of young trees of Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), none exceeding head height. The bugs favour one of them in particular, with large dense masses of purplish-glaucous young cones weighing down the foliage; one appeared to have its rostrum plunged right up to the base into such a cone. I have just (12th June) taken another look at this tree, and, in bright sunshine, counted a dozen of these colourful insects, including several pairs, in about as many seconds — though, strangely, none were apparent on any of the others. They are sluggish and seem to remain motionless for long periods, often half-hidden, yet conspicuous enough from their colouring. On 12th May I detected a specimen on one of two smallish trees, also cone-bearing, of Chinese Thuja (Thuja orientalis) in a local park, and another on the same tree on 2nd June. (Mr Bernard Verdcourt, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, kindly identified a sample.) It seemed possible, at least up to the second date, that the Cyphostethus might have strayed on to this tree from nearby Lawson cypresses; but against that is the occurrence of two specimens, and (still more perhaps) my inability up to now to find the bug on any of the last-named — which is curious. Indeed, I have kept a sharp look-out for it on this and other related potential hosts elsewhere in the district, but without result up to now; these include Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata), Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa) — not adequately searched — and Savin (Juniperus sabina). I have seldom seen berries on the latter, which may be why it seems hitherto not to harbour C. tristiatus notwithstanding that the bug’s wild host in Britain is J. communis. Though doubtless now well established in the London area, my experience suggests that the species may be very local, or perhaps situation may be important. Mr Verdcourt informs me (in litt.) that he does not know of it from Kew Gardens; he has however, a record from “‘cypress’’ in a garden at Richmond Hill (1.vii.87). A number of bugs were found, and also their blue-green eggs on the young cones.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. LEPIDOPTERA IN FIFE 297 INTERESTING LEPIDOPTERA RECORDS FROM NORTH-EAST FIFE JOHN CLAYTON Lothries, Kinross KY13 7EZ. THE FOLLOWING noteworthy Lepidoptera were taken in North-east Fife during 1988 and 1989. They originate from the two neighbouring localities of Morton Lochs National Nature Reserve (OS grid ref: NO4626) and Earlshall Muir SSSI (OS grid refs: NO4822 and NO4922), both v.c. 85. Several of the species have also been taken at the nearby Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, and also, further north on the east coast, at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve in Kincardineshire. Coleophora lixella Zeller, 1849. A single imago of this species was taken on 6.viii.1988 flying in afternoon sunshine over dry grassland adjoining the coastal sandhills at Earlshall Muir (NO4922). Its identification was confirmed by examination of the genitalia. This species has a coastal distribution in Scotland, having previously been recorded in Fife from Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve (Pelham-Clinton, 1970) and Pettycur (Bland, 1986), as well as from Kincardineshire (v.c. 91) (Hulme, Palmer and Young, 1978), Berwickshire (v.c. 81) (K.P. Bland, unpublished) and Skye (v.c. 104) (Agassiz, 1984). The single inland locality for this species at Straloch, Perthshire (v.c. 89) (R.P. Knill-Jones and K.P. Bland, unpublished) is rather curious, and may indicate a wider distribution than currently known. Eulamprotes wilkella (Linnaeus, 1758). Several imagines of this species were taken in a battery-powered light trap among the sand dunes at Earlshall Muir (NO4922) on the nights of 15.vi.1988 and 6.viii.1988, and another was taken similarly in an area of dry grassland at Morton Lochs on the night of 24.vi.1989. The August record would appear to confirm the bivoltinism of this species in Scotland. There are three old (pre-1930) Scottish records, two from East Lothian (v.c. 82) and one from Midlothian (v.c. 83). More recently, it has been recorded in Fife from Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve (Pelham-Clinton, 1970), and in Kincardineshire (v.c. 91) from St Cyrus National Nature Reserve (v.c. 91) (Hulme, Palmer and Young, 1978). Phalonidia manniana (Fischer von Rosslerstamm, 1839). Several imagines of this species were taken on 7.vi.1989 flying in the afternoon sunshine amongst a variety of wetland plants at Morton Lochs. Their identification was confirmed by examination of the genitalia. A further visit to the same locality (9.i.1990) produced several hibernating larvae in the stems of Mentha aquatica L. There appear to be no previous records of this species from Scotland. 298 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1. 1991 Cydia internana (Guenee, 1845). A single worn imago of this species was taken flying in morning sunshine at Earlshall Muir (NO4822) on 27.v.1989. It was flying around bushes of Ulex europaeus L. at the edge of an area of birch woodland in the company of large numbers of C. succedana (Denis and Schiffermuller, 1775). The identification was confirmed by examination of the genitalia. There are a number of old (pre 1930) Scottish records of this species — Roxburghshire (v.c. 80), Midlothian (v.c. 83), Dumbartonshire (v.c. 99), Wester Ross (v.c. 105) and Easter Ross (v.c. 106), but the only recent Scottish records are from Renfrewshire (v.c. 76) (Christie, 1985), Kincardineshire (v.c. 91) (Young, Palmer and Hulme, 1981) and South Aberdeenshire (v.c. 92) (Palmer and Young, 1984). Chilo phragmitella (Hiibner, 1805). A single imago of this species was taken in a battery-powered light trap operated adjacent to reed beds at Morton Lochs on the night of 4.viii.1989. There are only two previous Scottish records, from the Tay Estuary, near Inchture, Perthshire (v.c. 88) (Pelham-Clinton, 1959) and from Adderstonelee Moss, Roxburghshire (v.c. 83) (Bland, 1983). The two occurrences referred to by Goater (1986) as Mid-Perthshire and the Tay Estuary both refer to the Inchture record. Agriphila geniculea (Haworth, 1811). Single imagines of this species were taken flying in sunshine over the coastal sandhills at Earlshall Muir (NO4922) on 6.vili.1988 and 17.viii.1988. Another was taken in the same locality in a battery-powered light trap on 6.viii.1989. There are two old (pre 1900) Scottish records, one from the Isle of May (v.c. 85) and one from East Lothian (v.c.82). Recent Scottish records are all from the Inner Hebrides, from the islands of Canna, Sanday, Rhum, Coll and Muck (v.c. 103 and 104) (Harper and Young, 1981, Wormell, 1983, Bland, Christie and Wormell, 1987 and Dobson, 1990). Anerastia lotella (Hiibner, 1810-13). A single imago of this species was taken flying at dusk over the sand dunes at Earlshall Muir (NO4922) on 15.vi.1988. There are a number of old (pre 1902) Scottish records, one from Wigtownshire (v.c. 74), several from Ayrshire (v.c. 75) and two from Morayshire (v.c. 95). More recently it has been taken in Fife at Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve (Pelham-Clinton, 1970) and in Kincardineshire (v.c. 91) at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve (Palmer, 1975). Mesoleuca albicillata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Beautiful Carpet). A single imago of this magnificent species was taken at a battery-powered light trap in an area of alder and willow carr at Morton Lochs on 4.vili.1989. Although widespread further south and west, this appears to be the first record from East Central Scotland. Noctua orbona (Hufnagel, 1766) (Lunar Yellow Underwing). A single imago of this species was taken at a battery-powered light trap in a marshy area close to the coastal sandhills at Earlshall Muir (NO4922) on LEPIDOPTERA IN FIFE 299 17.vili.1988. Until the middle of the century, this species seems to have been widespread in Scotland, with many published records. However, since 1960, the only occurrences are from Findhorn, Morayshire (v.c. 95) (Harman, 1967 and 1971), Denholm, Roxburghshire (v.c. 80) (Buckham, 1974), Ordie, Aberdeenshire (v.c. 92) (Palmer, 1974) and Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, Fife (v.c. 85) (Pelham-Clinton, 1970). Acknowledgements I am very grateful to Dr K.P. Bland for help with the identification of many of the species discussed here and for making available unpublished records, and to Dr M.R. Shaw of the Royal Scottish Museum for allowing access to the Scottish Insect Records Index. I am also grateful to Mrs R. Charles and Mr P. Kinnear of the Nature Conservancy Council for arranging access to the sites. References Agassiz, D.J.L., 1984. Microlepidoptera — a review of the year 1983. Entomolo- gist’s Rec. J. Var., 96: 245-258. Bland, K.P., 1983. Notes on Scottish Microlepidoptera, 1982. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 95: 183-184. — , 1986. Some records of Scottish Microlepidoptera. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 98: 25-28. — , Christie, I.C. and Wormell, P., 1987. The Lepidoptera of the Isle of Coll, Inner Hebrides. Glasgow Naturalist 21: 309-330. Buckham, A.G., 1974. Records of Macrolepidoptera in Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire. History of the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club 1973: 210-212. Christie, I.C., 1985. Lepidoptera in the West of Scotland. Glasgow Naturalist 21: 93-96. Dobson, R.M., 1990. The Natural History of the Muck Islands, North Ebudes, 6, Moths and Butterflies. Glasgow Naturalist 21: 585-597. Goater, B., 1986. British Pyralid Moths — a Guide to their Identification. 22-23. Harman, T.W., 1967. Season ’66. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 79: 129-135. — , 1971. The End of a Decade. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 83: 171-179. Harper, M.W. and Young, M.R., 1981. Additions to the Lepidopterous Fauna of the Isles of Canna and Sanday, Inner Hebrides. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 93: 150-153. Hulme, P.D., Palmer, R.M. and Young, M.R., 1978. Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kircardineshire. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 90: 237-241. Palmer, R.M., 1974. Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. [bid. 86: 33-44. — , 1975. Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. /bid. 87: 180-188. — , and Young, M.R., 1984. Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. Ibid. 96: 162-164. Pelham-Clinton, E.C., 1959. Microlepidoptera new to Scotland. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 71: 68-72. — , 1970. Lepidoptera collected in Tentsmuir NNR, 1970. NCC unpublished report. Wormell, P., 1983. Lepidoptera in the Inner Hebrides. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 83B: 531-546. Young, M.R., Palmer, R.M. and Hulme, P.D., 1981. Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 93: 116-119. 300 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1. 1991 Early Stag Beetles (Lucanus cervus L.) in Colchester The early emergence of Stag Beetles in South London during 1990 (Morris, 1991 Ent. Rec. 103: 106) was also observed in the species’ other British stronghold in the Colchester area of north-east Essex. Males were observed around the Castle Park, Colchester during the first two weeks of May 1990 several weeks earlier than is usual. The Colchester Museum Biological Records Centre holds two other early stag beetle records, both for 1974 — Lexden, 15th May and Stratford St Mary, April. A survey undertaken in the Colchester area in the 1960s (Clark, 1964, Essex Nat. 31: 167-172) found that the peak date for records of males was 3rd July and for females 11th July.— JERRY BOWDREY, Colchester Museums, 14 Ryegate Road, Colchester, Essex CO1 1YG. Thereva plebeia (L.) (Dipt.: Therevidae): a recent find in E. Kent. On 21st May 1991, while collecting near Graveney on the shore of the Swale between Faversham and Seasalter, with my friends Mr S.A. Williams and Prof. J.A. Owen, I found a dipterous pupa (obviously Therevid) at roots of herbage in dry, slightly sandy soil alongside a breakwater. On 7th June it was seen to have produced a male imago, which had probably emerged a day or so earlier. It closely resembled the common Thereva nobilitata (F.), which I had expected it to be, but careful examination revealed important differences and it was finally identified from Oldroyd, 1969, Handbk Ident. Br. Insects, 9(4a): 99, 102, as T. plebeia. The really decisive structural feature visible externally is the hooked process of the male terminalia in lateral view (fig. 235, p.99), more or less hidden among the long hairs but evident when they are moved a little aside. This is far easier to see without dissection than the sole (rather obscure) character given in the key (p. 102) for the male of plebeia. Comparative differences from nobilitata in that sex, shown by my specimen, are the yellower occipital hairs and the thicker, rather longer and much more golden-yellow hair of the basal abdominal segments, especially at the sides. Thereva plebeia was formerly not rare in the south-east and midlands, but its status is now upgraded to ‘‘notable’’ (Falk, 1991, A review of the scarce and threatened flies of Great Britain, 1: 110)* It is stated there that “‘only a handful of modern sites have so far been confirmed’’;-and that it was recently reared from a larva found by Prof. Owen in the soil of an allotment at Epsom, Surrey. The habitat of my specimen is, perhaps, scarcely typical.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. *I] am greatly obliged to Mr Falk for a copy of this most informative and useful work, published by the Nature Conservancy Council as No. 39 of the series Research and Survey in Nature Conservation. UNCOMMON WELSH CARABIDS 301 NATIONALLY UNCOMMON GROUND BEETLES (COL.: CARABIDAE) FROM WELSH WETLANDS P.R. HOLMES, D.C. BOYCE & D.K. REED Countryside Council for Wales, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EE. THE WELSH Peatland Invertebrate Survey (WPIS), a Nature Conservancy Council survey, studied the invertebrate fauna of Welsh peatlands from 1987 - 1989. The aims of the survey were to record the distribution of invertebrate species in Welsh peatlands and to study the effects of site management on the invertebrate communities present. The sampling programme used pitfall and water traps, and litter searches and, in each of the three years of the survey, a different area of Wales was studied. The distribution of study sites is shown in Fig. 1. The full background and methodology are laid out in Holmes et al. (1991). In total, the survey recorded 18 nationally scarce species out of a total of 113 carabid species recorded. Several of these were recorded only as single individuals, or from a single site, but some were widely distributed. The statuses listed after each species are from Hyman (1986) and Shirt (1987) as follows: RDBI — Red Data Book species, endangered; Na — found in less than 30 10km squares; Nb — found in less than 100 10km squares. These statuses are provisional. Blethisa multipunctata Linnaeus (Nb) This is a widespread species in Britain, generally scarce but it can be abundant in some places. There are several previous Welsh records and it was recorded as abundant at Rhosgoch Common, Radnor (Key, 1987a, b). WPIS found it in 10 sites. These were all nutrient rich fens and the species was most numerous where there was saturated ground with the vegetation short from heavy grazing. Recorded from the following vice-counties: Glamorgan, Carmarthen, Radnor, Cardigan, Caernarfon, Anglesey. Map fig. 2. Elaphrus uliginosus Fabricius (Na) Results from the carabid recording scheme (M.L. Luff, pers. comm.) suggest that this is a genuinely scarce species. There are some previous Welsh records, most recently in Radnor and Cardigan (R.S. Key, pers. comm.). WPIS found it to be widespread, with records from 13 sites, although only one was in North Wales. Most records were on one or two individuals but 24 were captured at Crymlyn Bog, Glamorgan. The sites from which E. uliginosus was recorded were mostly soligenous flushes, i.e. where there is lateral water movement through the substrate but the species appears highly dispersive and one individual was captured in flight by a road near Cors Caron, Cardigan. Recorded from: Monmouth, Glamorgan, Pembroke, Brecon, Cardigan, Merioneth, Caernarfon. Map fig. 3. 302 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 Clivina collaris Herbst. (Nb) There are previous records for this species in South Wales, Radnor (Key 1987b), and Fowles (1990) found it to be widespread on river shingle in Cardigan. C. collaris would appear to be a riverbank species, not confined to shingle but also found on muddy substrates. WPIS found it in 1988 in Dolgarrog reedbed, Caernarfon. The site was an estuarine reedbed, and several other notable species were recorded at this site (see below). Miscordera arctica Paykull (Nb) This is a northern species, often found in bare peat in upland areas. The bare peat provides a suitably friable substrate for this apparently fossorial species. It had previously been recorded in North Wales. WPIS recorded it UNCOMMON WELSH CARABIDS 303 Fig. 1. The distribution of WPIS study sites in Wales by !0km squares. Fig. 2. WPIS records of Blethesa multipunctata. Fig. 3. WPIS records of Elaphrus uliginosus. Fig. 4. WPIS records of Agonum ericett. Fig. 5. WPIS records of Badister dilatatus. Fig. 6. WPIS records of Chlaenius nigricornis. Fig. 7. WPIS records of Oodes helopioides. in 1989 in a single upland site, at Gors Goch, Radnor, which may be the southernmost British record. M. arctica is thought to be predatory on beetles in the family Byrrhidae (Lindroth, 1974) and both Byrrhus pilula and B. fasciata were present in this site. Trechus rivularis Gyllenhal (RDBI) The discovery of this species, in upland blanket bog sites in Montgomery and Caernarfon in 1988 has been reported elsewhere (Holmes et al., 1990). We were disappointed not to discover it in further sites in 1989, particularly in the Berwyn Mountains, which had appeared similar habitat to the earlier sites. It has recently been found in similar sites in North-east England (Luff & Wardle, 1991). 804 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 Trechus discus Fabricius (Nb) Single individuals were found in two sites. Llangoffan Fen in Pembroke in 1987 and Magor Marsh in Monmouth in 1988. This species was first recorded in Wales from Carmarthen in 1987 (Morgan, 1988). 7. discus is thought to be subterranean species found on nutrient rich fens, presumably with bare mud into which to burrow. Trechus micros Herbst. (Nb) This is a widespread species in Britain. WPIS had a single record, from Gwenfro, Anglesey in 1988. Like T. discus this is probably a subterranean species, and both are likely to be under-recorded. Bembidion iricolor Bedel (Nb) Recorded in 1988 in Dolgarrog Reedbed, Caernarfon as with Clivina collaris above. There are previous Welsh records from similar saline/ esturine habitats in Cardigan and Carmarthen (D.C. Boyce, unpublished). Tachys bistriatus Duftschmid (Nb) A single individual was found in a grazed sedge fen at Magor Marsh, Monmouth, in 1988. This species has been recorded previously in South Wales at Crymlyn Bog, Glamorgan by Dillwyn (1829). Pterostichus anthracinus Illeger (Nb) Several individuals were recorded from Magor Marsh, Monmouth in 1988. These may be the first Welsh specimens. Magor Marsh had the richest carabid fauna of any site studied (40 species), and included five nationally notable species. Pterostichus gracilis Dejean (Nb) Several specimens were collected from a reedbed site in Pembroke in 1987 and a single individual was found in a reedbed in Carmarthen in 1989. The only previous Welsh records appear to be singles from Pwllpeiran, Cardigan (Miles, 1960) and Bardsey Island, Caernarfon (M.L. Luff, pers. comm., per R. Loxton). Agonum ericeti Panzer (Nb) This species shows a very strong association with ombrotrophic mires (i.e. those fed by rainwater only), being found on both high altitude blanket mires and lowland raised mires. In our study, it was recorded in 12 sites, in the following vice-counties: Glamorgan, Cardigan, Merioneth, Montgomery, Caernarfon, Denbigh, Shropshire (Wem Moss straddles the Denbigh/Shropshire border). At Figyn Blaen Brefi, Cardigan, there was a high incidence of the usually uncommon black form. Surprisingly A. ericeti seemed able to persist where the hydrology has been damaged by peat cutting at Fenn’s Moss, Denbigh but this may be because intact bog areas remain adjacent to the cut areas. Map fig. 4. UNCOMMON WELSH CARABIDS 305 Agonum nigrum Dejean (Nb) Recorded in Dolgarrog Reedbed, Caernarfon, with Clivina collaris etc, and in a second saline reedbed at Farch-Ynys, Merioneth, both in 1988. In Wales this is an exclusively coastal insect generally found on esturine saltmarsh. Badister dilatatus Chaudoir (Na) This is a very scarce species, previously unrecorded in Wales. WPIS found it in three sites. One individual was trapped at Trefeiddan Moor, Pembroke in 1987, and in 1988 three were found at Cors Geirch, Caernarfon and two at Cors Goch, Anglesey. It may be significant that the three sites (map fig. 5) were in the hyper-oceanic regions of Wales; a similar distribution was found for the very scarce staphylinid Philonthus corvinus. Badister sodalis Duftschmid (Nb) One was recorded in poor fen at St David’s Airfield Heaths, Pembroke in 1987. This may have been the first Welsh record, but there have since been several records from Carmarthen and Cardigan (A.P. Fowles, pers. comm.). Chlaenius nigricornis Fabricius (Nb) This was by far the most numerous of the ‘‘notable’’ species recorded by WPIS. It was found in 26 sites, and was abundant in several of these. Most sites were lowland and nutrient rich, so the species has a western distribution in Wales (map fig. 6), because of the preponderance of lowland fen habitats along the southern and western coastal fringe. Many of the sites where it was most numerous were floodplains. However odd individuals turned up on other sites, in particular on humid heaths, but it is not possible to say whether this is a real ecological association or just the result of dispersal. Recorded from: Monmouth, Glamorgan, Pembroke, Carmarthen, Cardigan, Merioneth, Caernarfon, Anglesey. Oodes helopioides Fabricius (Nb) This is a southern species in Britain, previously recorded in South Wales with a single record in North Wales. WPIS found it in several sites in South Wales only, and it was generally fairly numerous where it occurred. All sites were nutrient rich fens. Recorded from: Monmouth, Glamorgan, Pembroke, Carmarthen. Map fig. 7. Odacantha melanura Linnaeus (Nb) This species had previously been recorded from Crymlyn Bog, Glamorgan (Dillwyn, 1829; Tomlin, 1912). Although WPIS did not find it at Crymlyn, we did record it in 1989 at the nearby Pant-y-Sais, which is hydrologically part of the same unit. Acknowledgements We would like to thank all the landowners and NCC staff who assisted this 306 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 — 15.xi.1991 study. We are grateful to Martin Luff who checked several of our specimens, and supplied information on distribution, Stuart Ball who produced the mapping routine for our figures and Roger Key and Adrian Fowles who read and commented on earlier drafts of the paper. References Dillwyn, L.W., 1829. Memoranda relating to the coleopterous insects found in the neighbourhood of Swansea. Murray & Rees, Swansea. Fowles, A.P., 1990. The Coleoptera of shingle banks on the River Ystwyth, Dyfed. Entomologist’s Rec.J. Var. 101: 209-221. Holmes, P.R., Boyce, D.B. & Reed, D.K., 1990. Trechus rivularis in Wales. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 126: 109. — , 1991. The Welsh Peatland Invertebrate Survey — Preliminary Report: Methodology and study sites. CSD report no. 1125, Nature Conservancy Council, Peterborough. Hyman, P.S., 1986. A national review of British Coleoptera. Part 1A. A review of the status of British Coleoptera. ISR report no. 64. Nature Conservancy Council, Peterborough. Key, R.S., 1987a. Blethisa multipunctata (L.) (Col.: Carabidae), abundant at Rhos Goch Common, Radnorshire. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 123: 116. — , 1987b. Radnorshire field meeting 6th - 8th June 1986. Coleopterists’ News- letter 26: 17-22. Lindroth, C.H., 1974. Coleoptera: Carabidae. Handbooks for the identification of British insects, 4(2). Royal Entomological Society of London. Luff, M.L. & Wardle, J., 1991. Trechus rivularis (Gyll.) (Col.: Carabidae) in North- umberland. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 127: 42. Miles, P.M., 1960. (No title.) Nature in Wales 6: 97. Morgan, I.K., 1988. A summary of interesting beetle records from Carmarthen- shire. Dyfed Invertebrate Group Newsletter 9: 14-16. Shirt, D.B. (ed.), 1987. British Red Data Books: 2. Insects. Nature Conservancy Council. Tomlin, J.R. Le B., 1912. The Coleoptera of Glamorgan. Part 1. Trans. Cardiff Naturalists Soc. 45: 41-58. Aplocnemus pini (Redt.), not nigricornis (F.) (Col.: Melyridae) in Epping Forest, Essex. In the list of Epping Forest Coleoptera by the late F.D. Buck (1955, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 91: 172-192), the rare A. nigricornis (p. 184) is given as widely distributed in the area, while there is no mention of the less rare A. pini. I have no doubt, however, that this is an error due to the fact that Joy (1932, Pract. Handb. Brit. Beetles, 1: 431) treats our two species as one under the name nigricornis. Actually they are quite distinct, as is now universally recognised (cf., for instance, Allen, 1975, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 111: 210). I have found pini more than once in Epping Forest and also not far away at Waltham Abbey and Cheshunt but never nigricornis, which I have taken only in East Kent (Orlestone Forest, Ham Street).— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, SE7 8QG. REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 307 REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 1920-90 E.P. WILTSHIRE Wychwood, High Road, Cookham Rise, Berks SL6 9JF. (Continued from p.256) The news of Wilhelm’s death made me wonder if he had ever become reconciled with Fred. When I heard that Fred had for years been setting lepidoptera taken by Dr E. Diehl and P. Sianter in Sumatra for Dr Kobes, who was a dentist and amateur lepidopterist living in Géttingen and editing ‘*Heterocera Sumatrana’’, I wrote to the latter for further news of Fred. Dr Kobes replied that Fred had been obliged to give up setting due to Parkinsonism, after years of valuable assistance. But Fred had not been entomologically active otherwise; instead, he had become quite famous as a cactus-grower, and continued to live with his wife at the Paderborn address. This prompted me to write again to Fred for further enlightenment, on past events, and present conditions. Fred replied, dictating the words to his wife, and gave me a few more dates and facts. He was an interpreter in Afghanistan from 1941, was ‘‘appointed in 1944 to Albania’’ where he ‘‘assisted English officers’’; briefly visited England as a prisoner, was released and went to find his family in the Russian zone, was there arrested by the Russians and sentenced to twenty-five years’ imprisonment ‘‘as an English spy’’; received an amnesty after fifteen years and returned to his family. He had two sons, a daughter, nine grand- children and one great grandchild. He reciprocated my Christmas greetings. But not a word about his brother, with whom he evidently did not become reconciled. Can’t one say that Fred was the less unlucky in the end? References (Part 8) Brandt, W., 1938-9. Beitrag zur Lepidopteren-Fauna von Iran. Entom. Rundsch. 55: 43-56: 61, partim. 318 figs, s col. pl. — , 1939. Idem, ibidem, 56: 231-300, partim. 3 pl. — , 1941. Beitrag zur Lepidopteren-Fauna von Iran (3,4): Mitt. Munch. ent. Ges. 31: 836-886, 5 pl. — , W., 1947. Notes on some Harmodia species. Notulae entomol. 27: 1-4, 2 pl. Bythinki-Salz, H. & Brandt, W. (1937). New Lepidoptera from Iran. Entomolo- gist’s Rec. J. Var. 49 (5-7) sup. 1-9. Holik, O., & Sheljuzhko, L. Uber die Zygaenen-Fauna Osteuropas, Kleinasiens, Irans, Zentralasiens und Sibiriens. Mitt. Miinch. ent. Ges., 43-48. Wiltshire, E.P. in L. Sheljuzhko, 1967. Noctuidae des 1 & 2 zoologischen Forschungen von Dr Z. Kaszab in der Mongolei. Reichenbachia, Staatss. Mus. Tierk. in Dresden 9(24): 209-227, 1 pl. 9. New York I reached New York in late August 1944, travelling on one of the two ‘“‘Queens’’ acting as transatlantic troopships for Americans and half-empty on the westward trip. We were in convoy, though the U-boat menace had by then diminished. 308 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15-x1-.1991 I worked down-town in the Consulate-General near a ferry-terminal and small park called the ‘‘Battery’’. Immense sky-scrapers were all around, and a seamen’s club near-by where we met those who entertained our merchant-marine when on shore-leave. My flat was on the eighteenth floor of an apartment-block at Fifth Avenue and Washington Square. It had a balcony with a fine view, but no moths of interest came to its lights, unlike those that came to balcony lights at our Rio flat, in 1958. As the seas seemed now safer I wrote to Bombay and asked the Natural History Society to ship my Persian lepidoptera-boxes to me there. They had been stored already packed in straw and a zinc case. To my joy the whole lot arrived in perfect condition. New York was the first big city since Bombay and London (and my stay at Bombay was brief). Such places all have their own entomological circles, centred around a natural history museum, a club, and a periodical. The first American entomologist I met was the hymenopterist Albro Gaul, a young entomologist working for the Department of Agriculture in touch with the US Customs. He and his Anglophile aunts entertained our merchant marine. He had a dark-room in their flat where he showed sailors how he developed photographs. The staff of the splendidly equipped American Museum of Natural History at Central Park and 79th Street were my next entomological contacts. For one familiar with the group of stuffed African elephants that greeted one in South Kensington, where now dinosaur skeletons rear up the jointed necks, the dioramas of this New York Museum on either side of the hall were impressive particularly the ones showing African mammals in their jungle habitats. In upstairs rooms I met Schwarz, a coleopterist with an English-born wife, also Comstock the Rhopalocerist. It was natural I should meet Wm. T.M. Forbes from the US-state Cornell University at Ithaca, when he ‘‘came to town’’. He was known as ‘‘Pinky’’ to his many students, and was a great character, a staunch Repulican and anti-New Deal zealot. He was remarkably tolerant of amateurs like myself and encouraged one’s first steps using a microscope. I showed him my Persian boxes and he kindly drew pictures of the genitalia of some, and wrote descriptions, which I inserted in my next article for the Royal Entomological Society, London (1946b). It was my second article to illustrate genitalia and my own figures (1-4) owed something to those by Forbes (5-7). My first to do so was published the same year in this magazine, showing Melitaea genitalia (Wiltshire, 1946a). Among lepidopterists I also met a refugee from Europe, one Albert Zerkowitz, who made his entomological mark in the States with an article on Portugese lepidoptera (1946); he had spent a year or so in Lisbon before jumping a ship to New York. He was a large man with a tiny wife and worked for a shipping firm whose offices were in the Battery area; this permitted me to lunch with him opposite the Consulate-General quite REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST 309 Danaus plexippus. Albert Zerkowitz (left) and the author. New York 1945. frequently and we compared notes on various topics, such as the zoogeography of lepidoptera, techniques in studying them, and the good and bad points of lepidopterists (he had got to know Boursin when in Paris). He also introduced me to the nearest lepidoptera-habitats near New York city; the easiest good one to reach was Van Cortland Park for which one descended at one of the furthermost stops on the Elevated Railway crossing the Bronx and running the whole length of eastside Manhattan. It was so different from the tamed rectangle of Central Park, hemmed in by roaring avenues and streets. At Van Cortland one was in genuine country with masses of American golden-rod and tall trees; I remember plenty of Camberwell Beauties (Nymphalis antiopa L.) flew there on our day of visit. Another time I attended an amusing sort of field meeting, more social than entomological, at Baldwin, Long Island. But I took a photo of a Monarch (Danaus plexippus (L.)) which I snapped on top of Zerkowitz’s bald head. In my photo you cannot tell what the substrate is, but someone else took a brilliant photo of me and Zerkowitz which reveals all. I still laugh when I see it, which I wouldn’t do if I had the pinned specimen in a box. Actual Monarchs, in late summer around New York, are two-a- penny, not merely in garden suburbs like Baldwin, but quite often on the docks of the Hudson and East River in the city. It seemed to justify the theory that Monarchs from America reach England by hopping a ship. 310 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 Of course the loveliest country in that part of the States was among the lakes and woods of the Adirondacks, where my wife and I took a week’s break in a motel with my old Cambridge room-mate Alistair Cooke, his wife Jane, and some friends. One evening I took sugar and my light into the woods and was struck by the wealth of Catocala species flying around. But I collected none, in any of these outings, for I sensed that I would be going back to the Old World before long, and my Persian lepidoptera occupied rather fully most spare moments. We left New York for Cairo, via Newfoundland, Shannon and Geneva on TWA trip 934, our first air flight, carrying with us a small daughter, Kaye, weighing 12 lbs, 11 oz. It was 6th August, one year after the first atomic bomb fell on Japan. We were at peace again. References (Part 9) Wiltshire, E.P., 1946a. Middle East Lepidoptera IV _ (mis-printed VII). Entomologist’s Rec. J . Var. 58: 25-32 with Plates I, II, III (IV, VI, VII) (March & June 1946). Wiltshire, E.P., 1946b. Middle East Lepidoptera V. Proc. R. Ent. Soc. London (B) 15 (9-10): 118-128, 1 plate, 7 figs (Oct. 1946). Zerkowitz, A., 1946. The Lepidoptera of Portugal. Journ. N.Y. Entom. Soc., 54(3): 61-87. 10. Cairo days Working as Consul in our Consulate General in Cairo for three years from 7th August 1946, I soon found the headquarters of my favourite Egyptian institution, the ‘‘Fouad 1 Society of Entomology.’’ As an enlightened paternal monarch the previous king, Fouad, had supported science and the arts, and under his patronage the entomological society got handsome quarters after his death and succession by his son King Farouk, who was likewise patron. Unlike some European kings, he was not particularly interested in lepidoptera but on principle followed his father’s example. The secretariat and insect collections were housed in this building, the secretary, organiser and editor being a charming old Greek batchelor called Anastase Alfieri from Corfu. He had collected several orders of insects all over Egypt and specialised in the hymenoptera. In Alfieri’s flat I met perhaps the most prominent Egyptian entomologist, Efflatoun Bey, a professor of entomology at Fouad 1 University. This westernised old gentleman had explored the Gebel Katerina of southern Sinai with Alfieri in 1940. Of the interesting species they had taken there some lepidoptera were still undiagnosed, or even wrongly determined in 1946. Another big building in Dokki, Cairo, was the Ministry of Agriculture. Like the University it had its own insect collection and two or three entomological employees, those whom I met there being Abdul-Hamid Ibrahim Effendi, Dr Priesner (a thrips specialist) and the excellent artist Assaad, who painted the colour plate of my first important article (1947) showing the new moth species, Coenobasis farouki and REMINISCENCES OF AN AMATEUR LEPIDOPTERIST aA Anydrophila fouadi both from S. Sinai. At that time they were known from nowhere else; but both proved to extend into Arabia, the former in the west and south, the latter widely eastwards in deserts. I had already dedicated a new blue from Gebel Katerina to Alfieri himself; it was published the following year; and these two handsome moths, I suggested to Anastase, might be named after the first two patrons of the Society. **Yes’’, said he, ‘‘provided His Majesty consents.”’ He eventually obtained the king’s permission, but not without difficulty. The king hummed and hawed and was quite suspicious, and Alfieri only just managed to persuade him that it was not shameful or demeaning to combine the generic name Coenobasis with the king’s name. Such an idea had never occurred to either of us. Born speaking Greek, Alfieri was able to assure His Majesty that the words referred to the wing-venation. Alfieri was most helpful in many ways, negotiating with a superannuated member of the Society to sell me his used Zeiss binocular microscope, and above all editing with his customary skill and organising ability my manuscript of the Lepidoptera of Egypt, revising the larger moths and butterflies of the country; it appeared in the Society’s Bulletin in 1948, 9, in two parts. For the first I was able to get the printing of the plates done by V. Siviter-Smith & Co. of Birmingham, whose brilliant work had first appeared in Bernard Kettlewell’s 1943 article about Callimorpha dominula (L.) (1943). The photogravure work, in black and white, of the second part of my list (1949) was, as Alfieri thought advisable, printed by a Cairo printer, who was less meticulous. Though I did collect myself around Cairo and the Mariout at first, the Arab-Israeli war of 1948 made excursions rather undesirable, and for reasons also of a change of air my best collection trips of these three years were done in Cyprus, on local leaves with my family. The first of these was to the fascinating Catsellis Dome Hotel of Kyrenia, on the island’s mountainous north coast in March-May 1947. The second was in the higher Troodos mountains in August-September 1949, en route to a new posting. The highest points of Cyprus, of course, do not compare with those of the Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq or Iran, being wooded to the top. They lack those interesting, isolated areas of dwarf shrubs where endemic races or species survive above the tree line. The genus Zygaena, too, is an absentee on the island. As for the coastal strip around Kyrenia, I noted there many of the same species as in the Lebanon, with several endemics added. I had already visited the Dome hotel in 1934 with my mother at Christmas, a season when moths or larvae are active at that low altitude. Another interesting aspect of the peak zone of Middle Eastern mountains was the annual upward migration of the common migrants such as the Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui L.), the Silver-striped Hawk (Hyles livornica Esper) and the Small Mottled Willow (Spodoptera exigua Hb.). I had begun tabu- 3A2 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1.1991 lating the dates and heights at which these insects or their larvae appeared, and was coming to conclusions contrary to many views held by stay-at- home philosophers on the survival value of northward migrations to the British Isles and northern Europe. In those early years, the facts of such northward migrations could no longer be denied but theoreticians tended to consider them as analogous to those of migratory birds. The conclusions I deduced from my tabulations was that migrations to local peaks were of at least equal survival value to those to the more distant northern lands, for these common and widespread migrant lepidoptera. Boris Uvarov, for whom I had collected some orthoptera in Iraq and Iran, was interested in my conclusions and persuaded the Royal Entomological Society to publish my paper of tables and conclusions in 1946. Boris was now in charge of an independent army of small anti-locust units working throughout the desert zone of Africa and S.W. Asia, at the end of the war. These teams were not army units like those combating malaria organised by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, some of whom I had come across at Basra about 1943, though both had been co-ordinated by the Middle East Supply Centre, Cairo, under a British Minister. There remained a task, after hostilities had ended, for this organisation to do while the many countries involved slowly returned to some sort of normality. The locusts continued to threaten local food-supplies and that particular war went on. So we saw entomologists in the teams who regarded Cairo as a base for relief from their field activities in Arabia. Roger Waterston was one of these, and his wife and daughter stayed in Cairo. The teams caught lepidoptera in between attacking locusts and many of the specimens were passed to me for study. To name them I was forced to tackle the Afro-tropical fauna, which predominated in S.W. Arabia. Thanks to the studies of these teams, especially the work of Dr Rainey, insect migrations came to be correlated more with meteorology and topography and considered less a matter of individual purpose and intelligence in the migrants. References (Part 10) Kettlewell, H.B.D., 1943. A survey of the insect Panaxia (Callimorpha) dominula L. Proc. & Trans. §. Lond. Ent. & Nat. Hist. Soc. 1942-3: 1-49, 4 pl. Wiltshire, E.P., 1946. Studies in the geography of lepidoptera IV: Some Middle East migrants, their phenology and ecology. Trans. R. Ent. Soc. Lond. 96(10): 163-186. — , 1947. Middle East Lepidoptera, VI. Two fine new species from southern Sinai. Bull. Soc. Fouad I Entom. 3: 1-2, 1 pl. — , 1948. The Lepidoptera of the Kingdom of Egypt, Pt. 1, ibidem, 32: 203-296, figs. 1-68 & 7 pls. — , 1949. Idem Pt. 2, ibidem 33: 381-460, figs 69-114 & 2 pls. (te be continued) HIBERNATING MOTHS 313 ON THE HIBERNATION OF TISSUE MOTHS TRIPHOSIA DUBITATA L. AND THE HERALD MOTH SCOLIOPTERYX LIBATRIX L. IN AN OLD FORT R.K.A. Morris! AND G.A. COLLINS? ' Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Monkstone House, Peterborough PEI INA. ? 15 Hurst Way, South Croydon, Surrey. Introduction THERE ARE occasional published records of hibernating lepidoptera in both natural sites such as caves (Tulloch, 1935) and man-made structures (Showler, 1960). These refer to a variety of species, but especially the Herald moth Scoliopteryx libatrix, the Tissue moth Triphosia dubitata and the Peacock butterfly Inachis io. Detailed studies of hibernation in Britain do not seem to have been undertaken. During the winter of 1985/86, we were fortunate to obtain the permission of the National Trust to examine the invertebrate fauna of a late 19th century fort at Box Hill, Surrey. This site was already known to support hibernating moths and had been a popular venue for collectors of the Tissue moth. The fort had recently been isolated by fencing in preparation for renovation and was therefore unlikely to be seriously disturbed, thereby making it suitable for a long-term study of the moths. This article records the findings of our study which was intended as a pilot study to be followed up by a more detailed investigation. Description of the fort The fort was constructed in the late 19th century as a mobilisation centre for infantry. It passed into private ownership in 1908 and subsequently to the National Trust in 1914 (Littledale, Locock and Sankey, 1984). Thereafter, it fell into disrepair and deteriorated until 1985 when external repairs commenced. It is constructed on two levels (see figure 1). The upper level comprises five major chambers, each with twin iron doors and shuttered windows, and three small ante-chambers. This section is above ground and, today, all the major chambers are open to the elements with Fig. 1. Cross section of Box Hill fort, showing the relative positions of the upper and lower chambers. Shaded areas indicate ground level. 314 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1. 1991 shutters and doors either jammed open or missing. Access to the lower chambers, which would have held the magazine, is gained by a series of steps from both ends of the building. The lower level is effectively subter- ranean, having been covered with earth after construction. A major corridor links both staircases and provides access to the three main chambers (see figure 2). A narrow corridor runs around the rear of these chambers with a small ‘‘window’’ into each chamber, presumably to allow observation of the contents. Each chamber was ventilated by flues which are now blocked with rubble. The fort’s interior is generally sound but with some leaching of lime and corrosion of iron reinforcing. Survey techniques Visits to the fort commenced on 13th October 1985 and ceased on 27th April 1986. Whenever possible, visits were made on two consecutive days so that overnight activity and associated physical conditions could be measured. It was our intention to record overnight measurements every two weeks but this became impossible in mid-winter when the site was snowed- in for some time. Each chamber of the fort was allocated a code number (see figure 2) and the numbers of individuals of two moth and one butterfly species were recorded. Particular attention was given to the Tissue moth including separate counts for each sex. Three physical parameters were identified as possible factors affecting hibernating species. One, light, was not investigated because of the difficulty of making accurate readings. However, all of the chambers on the lower level were effectively in complete darkness whilst those on the upper level were either well lit (Gl to G5) or sparsely lit (G6 to G8). Measurements of humidity using a whirling hygrometer were attempted but abandoned because there was some doubt about their accuracy. More Fig. 2. Plan view of Box Hill fort with code for identification of individual chambers. HIBERNATING MOTHS 315 advanced equipment was not available to us. Maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded from various parts of the fort and compared with a sheltered location outside the fort until the theft of one thermometer. From thereon, measurements of external temperature and that of LG2 only were recorded. Results As discussed earlier, examination of the physical parameters was rudimentary and only a limited amount of data was obtained. Data comparing one lower chamber (LG2) with external temperatures does, however, illustrate the differences between the protected and insulated lower chambers and the external environment. This is demonstrated in figure 3 which shows that the maximum temperature variations in LG2 amount to no more than 2°C on any one night whereas external fluctu- ations of between 3 and 9°C were recorded. It seems reasonable to suggest that there are similar trends in the adjoining chambers and that, at least in part, these explain some of the observations on the Lepidoptera. However, each species exhibited different characteristics and therefore the results for each species are discussed separately. KEY o——. External temperature max. & min. (eet Internal temperature max.& min Temperature - °C - N Eee s=~r Nn 1 1s o a 8 28- 29.12 08-09.03 22-23.03 28 - 31.03 0 o @ = = = S 1 o 2 11-12.01 1986 25-26. 01 19-20 04.1086 Date Fig. 3. External and internal maximum/minimum temperatures in Box Hill fort during the winter 1985/6. Internal temperatures are based on readings in chamber LG2. 316 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1.1991 The Tissue moth There are some twenty records of TJriphosia dubitata in Surrey, the majority of which are of single individuals with the exceptions of those from Box Hill where this species is known to breed; those for the winter 1985/86 constitute the largest density of individuals recorded in the county. Triphosia dubitata has very clear preferences when choosing a hibernation site, as is illustrated in appendix 1 which shows its preference for the lower chambers. Taylor (1979) found large numbers of 7. dubitata hibernating in a limestone cave and estimated the temperature of the cave to be between 50°F and 55°F (10 - 12.5°C) and suggested that it varied little from this. In November 1985 at Box Hill, we found the lower chamber LG2 temperature to read 6.5°C or 43.7°F by day and as can be seen from figure 3 the lowest temperature recorded over the winter was 2.5°C (36.5°F) on the coldest night. Although there are fluctuations, these do not replicate external fluctuations. During all of our visits, the majority of the moths were scattered randomly with very little evidence of the frequency of pair associations described by Taylor (/oc. cit.) who found each female accompanied by a male. During the study, short-term pair associations were observed, however, as was mating. Although the moths often appeared torpid, there was Obviosly some movement during the winter and mating may not be confined to the autumn. Mating pairs were found on: 26.10.1985, one pair in LGS, continued in cop. at least until 27.10.1985; 16.11.1985, one pair in LG2 which had parted by 15.30 on 17.11.1985; 23.11.1985, one pair in LG4, continued in cop. at least until 15.45 on 24.11.1985. On three occasions pair associations were observed: 26.01.1986, two pairs in LG2; 16.02.1986, one pair in LGS5; 23.03.1986, one pair in LG4 which remained in this position until 30.03.1986. On the basis of these observations, ic is difficult to establish the role of the pair association. If, as one might suspect, the pair association follows mating, there would seem to be som. evidence that mating is not confined to the autumn period. Moreover, « mating were confined to the autumn, there would be no reason for the survival of the males through the winter. During the study period, the ratio of males to females never exceeded 1:3. The mating strategy of 7. dubitata would appear to be intermediate between that of species such as Inachis io which mates in the spring after overwintering (Emmet and Heath, 1989), and species such as Chloroclysta miata L. that mate in the autumn and only the females overwinter (Skinner, 1984). On one occasion, moths were found beneath scattered timbers and rubble on the lower level. This might help to explain the fluctuations in numbers during mid-winter. Possibly, individuals secret themselves in inaccesible places, only to be counted at a later date after a period of HIBERNATING MOTHS 317 Number of Individuais a Survey Perlod 13.10. 85 27.04 Fig. 4. Total numbers of the Tissue moth Triphosia dubitata in Box Hill fort during the winter 1985/6. Sampling dates are given in appendix 1. activity. There certainly appears to be substantially greater activity among the sample of 7. dubitata than amongst that of Scoliopteryx libatrix with quite considerable fluctuations in numbers between individual chambers. The sharp declines in the numbers of 7. dubitata recorded in early winter may reflect a shifting population responding to changes in temperature but other reasons are more likely. The first decline between 17.11.1985 and 23.11.1985 of seven individuals reflects losses, including six from LG3 coinciding with the construction of a small fire in that chamber. Similarly, on the night of 14/15.12.1985, the site was entered and a thermometer was stolen. Over the same period, seven 7. dubitata were recorded to have left. This night appears to correspond with a visit by collectors subsequently reported to us. It is interesting to note that the numbers recovered to some extent and perhaps in early winter the population is far from stable with losses replaced by new arrivals. From mid-February onwards, there was a steady decline in numbers which presumably reflects the gradual cessation of hibernation. However, during this period, a number of small bats (up to three, possibly Daubentons’ bat Myotis daubentoni) were observed. These may have contributed to the decline, especially as 7. dubitata appears to be active and therefore more susceptible to bat predation than the more torpid S. libatrix. 318 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 The Herald moth With the exception of the most exposed chambers G1 to GS, S. /ibatrix was found throughout the fort, initially in greater numbers on the upper floor but subsequently the balance changed in favour of the lower chambers. This is represented by figure 5 which depicts the fluctuations over the survey period. Up until the end of December, both total numbers and the numbers in individual chambers fluctuated considerably, with some evidence of casual movement between chambers. From late January onwards, most moths were torpid and numbers remained relatively constant in most chambers. Some chambers, however, proved to be far less suitable for torpid moths, especially G7, G8 and LGS, all of which are more likely to be exposed to unusual air currents and the effects of temperature variations. This is particularly true of G7 and G8 where 90% of the moths disappeared. It seems likely that these were casualties of extreme cold, exposure to wind, or the presence of a predator (probably either bats or spiders). The first obvious fall in numbers on the upper level corresponds with a sharp drop in the overnight temperature (see figure 3). The second fall corresponds with the loss of nearly all the occupants of chamber G7 and might reflect the activities of a predator. South (1961) suggests that the earliest moths to emerge from hibernation are those that hibernate in buildings. This may be true, as a comparison between the rate of departure on the upper and lower levels of the fort (figure 5) suggests that those in the upper chambers respond first and KEY 56 Total number —7-7-= Number in L.G. chambers 48 — — Number in U.G chambers 32 Z . 2S 24 aa / 7a : Sbiaabaliiie. onder eben Wea rors oe “ - s . Number of Individuals ry 4 Survey Period Fig. 5. Analysis of the distribution of the Herald moth Scoliopteryx libatrix on the upper and lower levels of Box Hill fort during the winter of 1985/86, compared against total number recorded. Sampling dates are given in appendix 1. HIBERNATING MOTHS 319 perhaps exhibit similar trends to those hibernating in outhouses; however, this does not seem to be a satisfactory explanation for the losses in January and February when conditions were sufficiently severe that the programme of visits was disrupted. Peacock butterfly Inachis io A total of seven individuals were recorded. Of these, six were found in the upper chambers and the seventh close to the top of one stairway (LGS5). All seven remained until at least 02.02.1986 but in the period between this visit and the subsequent visit on 16.02.1986 all but one had disappeared. The survivor remained in hibernation until late April, disappearing between 20.04.1986 and 27.04.1986. The sample size was too small to make any definite comments but it would seem that the species seeks out sheltered spots, rarely far from well lit areas, which would be consistent with its diurnal habits. Having established their hibernating position, the butter- flies do not move, regardless of the conditions. Indeed, it was not uncommon to see them covered with condensation. The principal chambers used by the butterfly were G3, G6, G7, G8 and LGS. Other observations During this study, it became apparent that each species of lepidoptera adopted differing positions on the surfaces of the fort. Inachis io invariably chose a high point, usually hanging from a ceiling; Scoliopteryx libatrix predominated on the ceilings or high on the walls whereas Triphosia dubitata rarely settled anywhere but on the walls or under rubble. Examination of a pill box at White Downs to the west of Box Hill also indicated the wider range of hibernation sites used by S. /ibatrix and I. io. At this site, a large aggregation of S. /ibatrix was found on the roof of the pill box together with smaller numbers of J. io but 7. dubitata was not present. We were also fortunate to observe the arrival of the hoverfly Eristalis tenax searching for hibernating positions. Stubbs and Falk (1983) record that this species hibernates in buildings and sheltered crevices. It is therefore interesting to note that we found aggregations of this fly in holes in the wall of G5 where nails or bolts had been removed together with a portion of plaster. These individuals were first noted on 26.10.1985 and were found to have departed between 09 and 22.03.1986. The fauna of the fort was otherwise very limited but included large numbers of the mosquitoes Culex pipiens L. and Culiseta annulata (Schrank), and the cave-dwelling spider Meta menardi (Latrielle). Limitations This study was undertaken to establish the feasibility of a more detailed project and, as such, experienced many of the difficulties which might 320 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 influence the results of such efforts. Indeed, it became clear that very heavy commitment would be required and this was beyond the options open to the authors. The study commenced some time after hibernating species started to assemble and therefore the entire hibernation pattern was not recorded. It is clear, however, that with more detailed examination of physical parameters and more frequent recording of the populations, a very useful insight into moth hibernation might be achieved. This site proved to be far more vulnerable to intrusions and disturbance than was originally thought. On one occasion, a fire was lit in one of the lower chambers (LG3) and as a result the moths moved to other venues, some appearing to vacate the building entirely. The theft of, and vandalism to, the thermometers was a serious blow as replacements were not immediately available. It also transpired that a visit by collectors resulted in the loss of some of our sample. Discussion The results of this study suggest that hibernating lepidoptera adopt a series of different hibernation strategies. The importance of physical parameters, such as fluctuation in temperature, seems to vary between species. It is likely that Triphosia dubitata has quite exacting requirements for hibernation sites whilst Inachis io and Scoliopteryx libatrix are far less demanding. This study also indicates that the degree of activity by each species during the hibernation period varies. It would appear that T. dubitata is comparatively active for much of the time whilst S. /ibatrix becomes extremely torpid during the coldest months. Inachis io, however, is capable of withstanding quite unpleasant conditions which are avoided by the other two species. This study also raises the intriguing question of mating patterns in Triphosia dubitata. It would appear that there is some activity throughout much of the hibernation period. Furthermore, what is the purpose of the pair association? It is equally interesting to note that throughout the survey, no mating pairs of Scoliopteryx libatrix were recorded. Given greater effort and better funding, a more detailed study at this site offers considerable potential. It is particularly interesting because an examination of temperature gradients is possible within what is effectively an enormous choice-chamber. Acknowledgements This study was carried out with the permission of the National Trust. We would like to thank Mr Malcolm Locock and his staff for their help and co- operation during this study. We would also like to thank Mr J.H. Bratton and Dr P.M. Waring for useful criticism of this text. References Emmet, A.M. and Heath, J., 1989. The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and freland Vol. 7, pt. 1. Harley Books, Colchester. HIBERNATING MOTHS 321 Littledale, H., Locock, L.M. and Sankey, J.H.P., 1984. Box Hill. The Box Hill Management Committee. Showler, A.J., 1960. Scoliopteryx libatrix in hibernation. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var, 2 30° Skinner, B., 1984. Colour identification guide to the moths of the British Isles. Viking. South, R., 1961. The moths of the British Isles (4th ed.). Warne. London. Taylor, B.J., 1979. Triphosia dubitata Linn. hibernating in limestone caves in Breconshire. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 91: 173-174. Tulloch, J.B.G., 1935. Vanessa atalanta, Scoliopteryx libatrix and Triphosia dubitata hibernating in caves. Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var., 68: 93-94. Appendix Records of Triphosia dubitata and Scoliopteryx libatrix on both upper and lower levels during the survey period. T. dubitata S. libatrix Date Lower level Upper level Lower level Upper level 13.10.1985 36 1 5) jap) 26.10.1985 39 0 19 Shee 0) 27.10.1985 40 0 ie 23 16.11.1985 38 1 12 mn 17.11.1985 40 1 14 23 23.11.1985 34 0 19 ZS 24.11.1985 35 0 24 25 30.11.1985 32 2 22 24 01.12.1985 , 34 2 23 DS 02.12.1985 35 72 24 ZS 14.12.1985 35 0 Pj ZS 15.12.1985 28 0 743 7253) 28.12.1985 374 1 27 27 29.12.1985 29 1 28 DT 11.01.1986 33 1 5) PZ | 12.01.1986 34 1 26 27 25.01.1986 33 1 27 26 26.01.1986 36 1 27 22 02.02.1986 31 1 26 22 16.02.1986 29 1 24 17 02.03.1986 26 1 23 17 08.03.1986 25 1 23 17 09.03.1986 25 1 24 17, 22.03.1986 24 1 23 | 23.03.1986 22 1 24 9) 28.03.1986 23 1 22 16 30.03.1986 23 1 24 16 31.03.1986 21 1 24 16 06.04.1986 20 0 24 16 13.04.1986 23 0 24 15 19.04.1986 14 0 21 10 20.04.1986 13 0 11 9 27.04.1986 2 1 13 5) 322 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 Hazards of butterfly collecting — Brazil, May 1989 After finalising a business trip to Brazil, there was a week left on my Cruzeiro airpass, so I decided to go up to Manaus. I had already flown half a dozen sectors on this pass, so value for money on the 200— it had cost was already high. I could not get a seat on a direct flight, so my final itinerary became Sao Paulo, San Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza, Belem, Santarem, Manaus. The many hops somewhat camouflaged the vastness of Brazil (emphasised more clearly on the direct return flight to Brasilia which lasted four hours and twenty minutes). Manaus is an agreeably disorganised place, though the famous Opera House was closed for expensive restoration, the subject of much political controversy. The next day I set off to organise the five days I had available. For two days I hired an outsize, chauffeur-driven, American gas-guzzler of uncertain vintage with the promise of reaching the receding edges of the rainforest. The package came to the same as a normal rental car, which was unavailable. The driver turned out to be one of the stewards from the plane; most Brazilians work on two, three, or even four jobs. One of the saddest things about Brazil is that many, if not most, well-educated young people have emigration as their main ambition. In Latin America it is often difficult to find some accessible rainforest unless you know in advance exactly where to go. One reason for this is that city people on the while find the forest both irrelevant and sinister, and are therefore unable to give sound advice. Only recently, and mainly among the young, is this attitude changing. Anyhow, we did find some suitable forest, but obviously it was a poor season. I recorded less than a hundred species during two days, and I seem to remember someone claiming 600 (either at Belem or Manaus). Next, I went on a nature trip up the Solimoes River (Manaus is on the junction of the Solimoes and the Amazon itself). Even the small and cheap operator I had chosen charged about the same per day as the most expensive hctel in Mauaus, but given the time constraints there was no way in which I could organise a river trip alone. We were only three people on the trip, a Swiss couple — both investment bankers — and myself. An ancient river boat with a leisurely pace took us up to the rickety ‘‘river camp’’, perched on stilts, in four hours. Butterflies were few and far between, so I decided to follow the general programme. By the standards of Africa it was all small beer: Piranha fishing (they must have nibbled off three times their own weight in meat bait and their taste was very bland); sloth hunting (did you know that they are excellent swimmers?); crocodile hunting (their eyes glow red in the dark); toucan watching (they look even more silly in the wild than in zoos); brazil nut picking (they fit 30 or 40 inside a round container which could be used as a cannon ball without any modification); and a bit of swimming (in water that we were assured was both croc and piranha free). Leaf cutting ants were found and their story told to the great fascination of the bankers. The NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 323 guides were enthusiastic and a good time was had by all. That this kind of upmarket nature trail tourism is possible holds out some hope for conservation. On the last day, as we were chugging up the river in a motorised canoe, the largest, bluest, freshest Morpho possible flew past us. By then the Morpho had quite a head start, but the river was a kilometre across, and a Morpho can be seen from a long distance. I positioned myself in the prow of the narrow, wobbly canoe. It was not much of a platform, and doubtless the piranhas were licking their chops in anticipation. I ordered an intercept course of about 30 degrees from behind the Morpho. We were close enough to see it was a perfect specimen. The second intercept was even closer. The third intercept was perfect, the driver having got the hang of it by now. A swipe from behind and below, a good follow through, and the huge butterfly was safely in the net. Had it been new, Morpho aquatica might have been an appropriate name.— TORBEN B. LARSEN, 358 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PL. Notes on the behaviour of Luperina nickerlii leechi (the Sandhill Rustic, Lep.: Noctuidae) at its site in Cornwall Luperina nickerlii leechi is found at a single site in Cornwall, which the owners have requested is kept secret. The moth apparently rarely flies and does not come to light (Goater, B., 1976. A new subspecies of Luperina nickerlii (Freyer) (Lep.: Noctuidae) from Cornwall. Entomologist’s Gazette, 27: 141-143). The adults may be seen at night in August and September, clinging to the stems of the foodplant Elymus farctus, rarely moving, although of course the adults must move to mate and lay eggs, and to hide during the day. I surveyed the site between 1987 and 1989, using light traps and quartz-halogen searchlight, in an attempt to calculate the number of moths on the site. I found 371 moths between 14.viii.1987 and 24.ix.1989 (Spalding, A. in press. Notes on the population of Luperina nickerlii leechi at its site in Cornwall, 1987-1989). Excluding those found at light traps, I found 33 before 10pm, 116 between 10 and 11pm, 81 between 11pm and midnight, and 79 between midnight and lam. I found 46 after lam, including one after 5am, but these moths may have emerged much earlier. Mating seems to take place late in the night. J found nine mating pairs, but none before midnight even though I found over half the moths (230) before this time. I found three pairs between midnight and lam, four pairs between 2am and 3am, and two pairs between 3am and 4am. It appears that pairing lasts between two and five hours in the wild and the pairs separate sometime between 4am and 5am. One mating pair I saw first at 0.09 had separated by 4.15am. Another mating pair, first seen at 2.0S5am was still paired at 4am but had separated by 4.40am. A third pair, first seen at 3.02am, had separated by 4.55am. A fourth pair, first seen at 3.06am had separated by Sam. 324 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.x1.1991 I also recorded the resting position of each moth and found that most of the moths (320) were resting on the larval foodplant, Elymus farctus (sand couch-grass). Most of them were between 5cm and 10cm above the ground, although I found two males resting near the tip of grass stems 20cm above ground level. On this site, Elymus farctus is generally between 14cm and 30cm high (Spalding, A., 1991. The distribution of Elymus farctus on site L 1986-1989, unpublished report). Two males were found resting on a hybrid Elymus grass. Other Sandhill Rustics were resting on Festuca rubra (six moths), Hypochaeris radicata (4), Ononis repens (4), Plantago lancealata (2), Circius spp. (1) and Tripleurospermum maritimum (1). I found 15 resting on the sand. Many of the moths found resting on Elymus farctus might have just emerged from their pupae in the sand. Where do they go during the day? It may be that Sandhill Rustics spend the day resting on grass stems. In fact, at 9.50pm on 30.viii.1989, I found a male resting on Elymus farctus with its wings covered in rain drops. Since the last shower that evening had been at 6pm, the moth must have been resting in the open at that time. However, I made several searches during the day for resting Sandhill Rustics, but found none, even in marked grass clumps where moths had been seen the previous evening. To find out where the moths spent the day, on 4.ix.1988 I marked the position of some moths seen before midnight and then watched them from 5.15am onwards. Dawn was about 6.20am, when it was light enough to see without torchlight. Some moths seemed reluctant to move. I saw one female resting on Elymus farctus at 11.54pm and it remained motionless for over five hours until 5.42am, although it had disappeared by 6.06am. Another female sat on an Elymus farctus stem from 11.15pm to 5.45am, after which it dropped to the sand below. It moved about 3cm at 6.40am, then crawled into a small depression, where it remained until at least 7.55am, when I went to get breakfast. Although I had marked this specimen with red felt-tip pen, I could not find it again later. Another female sat on Elymus farctus for several hours from 11.45pm, but had moved onto the sand by 5.40am near to a resting male 9c_m away. The male was uninterested in the female moth, and flew away. The female then crawled across the sand, moving north-west, then east for a few centimetres, then north again. It stopped at 05.59 for three minutes in a depression (made by me whilst kneeling) before moving north-west, then back into the depression, then north-west again. At 6.05, it moved under a dead leaf of Eryngium maritimum (see holly), where it remained at least until 7.55am. During the night it had not moved for at least 5 hours 55 minutes, but at dawn it crawled 103cm in nine minutes. It probably had not flown at all. Only 14 Sandhill Rustics (12 males and two females) were seen flying during the period of the survey, which indicates that the Sandhill Rustic is a very sedentary moth. Apparently, some beach-dwelling flies are reluctant NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 325 to fly, possibly as an adaptation to living in a linear habitat where flying in a strong wind could lead to loss of contact with the habitat. The Sandhill Rustic may have adapted to life in a wind-blown habitat by flying only when the wind is light. In fact, the moths rarely took to the wing when disturbed and those I marked with red felt-tip pen walked in circles in the sand instead of flying away. 6.47% (24) of the moths seen had deformed wings and were unable to fly. That Sandhill Rustics do fly is shown by the numbers that I caught at light. On 4.ix.1988, at the height of the flight period, I placed a Heath trap in the middle of the site. The wind was slight, possibly about Force 2 and the minimum temperature was 13.5°C at 6.45am. I caught several moth species, including 15 Luperina testacea, but the commonest moth was the Sandhill Rustic (20 caught). Of these, one was a previously marked female, three were previously marked males and 16 were males caught for the first time, including two which were darker than usual. Three days later, I ran an m.v. lamp on a white sheet. This time, the wind was strong and I caught no Sandhill Rustics, only Autographa gamma, Tholera decimalis and Luperina testacea. Either the wind was too strong, or Sandhill Rustics are reluctant to come to m.v. lamps. Males appear to fly and come to light more readily than females. At the Heath trap on 4.ix.1988, the ratio of males to females was 19:1. Females rarely seem to fly and they crawl to their daytime resting places. A tendency to fly may be an evolutionary disadvantage for females, which seem to rest on the foodplant waiting for males to arrive. In the survey period, I found seven females resting on plants other than the foodplant and these females would have to move before they could lay their eggs. For the other females, it would be possible to mate and lay eggs without leaving the foodplant. In fact, Elymus farctus is a rhizomic plant, forming large clumps joined underground by a lengthy root system and when the larvae feed on the roots after winter they could travel a great distance on the roots of a single plant clump.— ADRIAN SPALDING, Lerryn Cottage, Lerryn, Lostwithiel, Cornwall PL22 0QB. Distribution Mapping with IBM-compatible Personal Computers DMAP is a computer program which is available for producing Distribution Maps and Coincidence Maps on IBM-compatible PCs (e.g. Amstrad PCs). It runs on all true compatibles with all commonly fitted graphics displays (e.g. Hercules, CGA, EGA and VGA). Maps are displayed on the screen (in colour for EGA and VGA) and can be printed on a wide range of printers including ordinary dot-matrix printers, inkjet printers, laser printers, and PostScript laser printers. Maps can also be generated as PC-Paintbrush or Encapsulated PostScript files for importing into Desk-Top Publishing packages. DMAP reads data files which contain grid references defining the species distributions and study area boundaries. A wide range of grid reference 326 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 formats is accepted, including tetrad codes. A variety of symbol types is available for plotting the distributions, and text can also be displayed on the maps. The scale of mapping and the size of symbols can be fully controlled, thus allowing distribution mapping at site, county, regional, or national scale. Data entry can be by a simple text editor (one is supplied), a simple database program supplied with DMAP, or alternatively, DMAP can be linked to a database written in a database language such as dBASE or Advanced Revelation. For further details, write to: Dr Alan Morton, Imperial College, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SLS 7PY. Notes on two British Bagous spp. (Col.: Curculionidae) B. diglyptus Boh.: in Shirt (ed.), 1987, British Red Data Books: 2: Insects: 248, the Norfolk Broads is one of three localities given for this extremely rare Bagous. I know of two alleged records for this area, but both have been found to refer to other species. B. diglyptus was recorded from Sutton Broad in Fowler & Donisthorpe, 1913, Col. Brit. Is/. 6: 311, as taken by Chitty and Donisthorpe; however, in 1935, (Blair, Ent. mon. Mag. 71: 250), in adding the true B. frit (Hbst.) to our list, pointed out that this and not B. diglyptus was the species actually taken there. Again, Sharp had in 1917 (ibid. 53: 106) mentioned a specimen supposed to be diglyptus in the A.J. Chitty collection at Oxford, from Stalham Broad, 8.vi.1906, which he could not reconcile with the descriptions; this I examined in 1963 and made it out to be a large example of B. /ongitarsis Thoms. If there is a genuine Norfolk record of B. diglyptus, it would be interesting to have details. It is perhaps not well known that there are two Suffolk records of this species: Ipswich, near the R. Gipping, from dead reeds (Morley, 1897, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 33: 44) — I believe that he later took a second specimen at the same spot — and Brandon, one from a ditch (P. Harwood, in whose collection I have seen it). B. longitarsis Thoms. is a species I believe to be rather more widespread than the very few records suggest, and not quite so rare as supposed. Its headquarters here is the Romney Marsh area of S.E. Kent, but it has occurred also in the extreme east of W. Kent. I took one specimen in April 1948 and several in June 1949 at Allhallows-on-Sea, by the side of a little brackish ditch apparently devoid of vegetation but very good for Bagoi. I failed, however, to find it in the Higham Marshes below Gravesend where, when conditions were right, I have had seven species of Bagous together in the sweep-net. It should occur in East Anglia, and indeed if my re- determination of the Chitty ‘“‘diglyptus’’ as longitarsis is correct (see above), it has — Stalham Broad, Norfolk. I can further add E. Sussex: Rye (not far west of the Romney district), a series in coll. Donisthorpe standing as “‘claudicans Boh’’; and Surrey: Woking (Champion), in coll. Power, standing as arduus Sharp. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS BAT) In passing I may remark that B. /utosus (Gyll.) seems to have been accidentally omitted from the Red Data Book. It is one of our generally very rare species with only some three established (7?) colonies known.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Moltcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. Urocerus gigas (Hym.: Siricidae) patrolling bare hilltop At 1900 hours on 21.vii.1991, at the top of Knock Hill (NJ 537551) in Banffshire (v.c. 94) I noticed a large wasp-like insect continually patrolling the area about one metre above the ground in warm sunshine and a moderate breeze. I netted it (Somewhat nervously) and found it to be a male Horntail Urocerus gigas. The summit of Knock Hill reaches an altitude of 430 metres, and is covered only with stunted heather, mosses and lichens. The nearest conifers are over half a kilometre distant and 140 metres lower. Not being familiar with the habits of the Siricidae I have no idea whether this sighting was unusual; could it have been an instance of hill-topping as practised by various butterflies? ROY LEVERTON, Whitewells, Ordiquhill, Cornhill, Banffshire AB45 2HS. Omosita depressa (L.) (Col.: Nitidulidae) apparently new to Kent I was surprised to sweep an example of this beetle near the rubbish heap at the end of my garden on 29th April 1986. Though common enough towards the north and in Scotland, it is (as stated by Fowler, 1889, Col. Brit. Isl., 3: 238) rare in the south, where I have only twice taken it, singly: Fawley (Hants) and Windsor (Berks). It is known also from Surrey and Sussex, and probably other southern counties. Strangely, however, I find no published record for Kent, of which the present one would rather appear to be the first. Most likely the specimen was attracted to bones, as are its common congeners O. colon (L.) and O. discoidea (F.), the latter being very frequent in the garden.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. Pammene agnotana (Reb.) (Lep.: Tortricidae) resident in Kent On 20th April 1990, a cool cloudy day, I was beating hawthorn at Dartford, Kent, to collect Pammene rhediella Clerck. This is a nice way to collect fresh specimens of this species. Another tortricid, which I did not recognise, fell onto the tray. When set, it was tentatively identified as Pammene agnotana. However, in the absence of confirmation I decided to have another try for the species as soon as conditions permitted in 1991. On 26th April, another cool cloudy day, I secured another four fresh specimens after about two hours’ beating of the hawthorn bushes. It turns 328 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 out that my 1990 specimen is the third for Great Britain and the first for Kent. Finding the species at the same locality in two successive years would suggest that it is resident in this Kentish locality. I am grateful to Michael Chalmers-Hunt and the staff of the Natural History Museum for confirming the identity of these moths.— D. O’KEEFFE, 50 Hazelmere Road, Petts Wood, Orpington, Kent BR5 1PD. Cold tolerance of the immature stages of Autographa gamma L. (Lep.: Noctuidae) In the United Kingdom the Silver Y (Autographa gamma L.) is considered to have the status of an immigrant, appearing from spring to autumn (Skinner, 1984). Although a few cases of winter survival by moths have been proved, the earlier stages are believed to be unable to develop at low temperatures, larvae and pupae being killed by frost (Heath & Emmet, 1983). In April 1991 I was shown an adult gamma which had been reared from larvae found by the Wooding family on 25.11.1991 at Great Oakley, N. Essex (TM 1927). Two larvae had been found feeding on commercially grown Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) in an open field. The parsley crop had been cut back in autumn to promote new growth, as is the normal practice, and had been left exposed to the elements thereafter. On being brought into a warm kitchen the larva spun up around 28.iii.1991 and the first moth emerged on 7.iv.1991. At average English summer temperatures development from ovum to imago takes 45-50 days (Heath & Emmet Joc. cit.). This period must presumably be increased at lower temperatures. Only 60 days before the date of emergence of the first gamma N.E. Essex had experienced some of the coldest weather conditions in four years, with heavy snowfalls and daytime temperatures below freezing lasting for about one week. The local press reported a minimum of — 4°C in the Colchester area, with —6°C being recorded at Stansted Airport on the same night (Norwich Weather Centre data). Even allowing for the insulating effects of the snow and the accelerated development caused by the final stage larvae being brought into the warm, the early stages of gamma must, in some instances, be able to survive exposure to freezing temperatures and still complete their metamorphosis successfully. I should like to thank Pat and Charlotte Wooding for bringing the moth to my attention, Brian Goodey for his advice and Norwich Weather Centre for temperature data. References: Heath, J. & Emmet, A.M., 1983. The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland 10 Noctuidae (Part II) and Agaristidae. Harley. Skinner, B., 1984. Colour Identification Guide to Moths of the British Isles. Viking. —JERRY BOWDREY, Colchester Museum, 14 Ryegate Road, Colchester, Essex CO1 1YG. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 329 Rum, Roum, or Rhum? The question of the correct spelling of the name of our neighbouring island (Ent. Rec. 103 passim) can be settled if the following facts are allowed for: (a) ROUM is the Scots way of spelling the name, OU in Scots = long U in Gaelic. (b) RH is a Welsh combination of consonants, not used in Gaelic at all. (c) James A. MacKay’s Islands Postal Series reveals that the official spelling of the name of the Island had been altered from RUM to RHUM to please a well-known proprietor, who came from England. We locals are glad that the correct spelling has been restored. At one time earlier, a previous proprietor of the nearby Isle of Muck had tried to get the name changed to Monk Island, unsuccessfully. Here MUCK = Gaelic MUC = pig, but used in the Isles for WHALE, the full Gaelic name for Whale meaning literally ‘‘sea-pig’’. As for the origin of the name RUM, it seems to be both pre-Norse and pre-Gaelic, and the meaning unknown, as are names such as MULL, ISLAY (ILE), and UIST. RUM can hardly be connected with DRUIM = “*Ridge’’, as the genitive of DRUIM is DROMA, ‘‘The island of the ridge’’ would be EILEAN AN DROMA. Compare Tyndrum in Argyllshire, which is Taigh an Droma in Gaelic = House of the Ridge. Incidentally, the name CANNA is supposed to be connected with Gaelic CANA = a dolphin. Whales and dolphins are frequently seen around these island, and the map shows Canna’s dolphin shape.— J.L. CAMPBELL, Isle of Canna. Early spring moths in June The spring of 1991 was about a month later that the early springs of 1989 and 1990 and the early summer was cool but dry with below average temperatures producing some unusually late dates for some of the spring moths which emerge in March. I took Orthosia stabilis (D. & S.) and Orthosia gothica (L.) as late as Ist June at Freshwater and Mr N. Holland recorded Xylocampa areola (Esp.) at mercury vapour light at Queen’s Bower, Shanklin on 15th June. This very late date may suggest that this species can sometimes spend two years in the pupal stage.— S.A. KNILL-JONES, 2 School Green Road, Fresh- water, Isle of Wight. An additional pupation site of Limnaecia phragmitella Stainton (Lep.: Cosmopterigidae) While examining a dead Typha lJatifolia plant at Colwick, Nottinghamshire on 21st June last, I noticed a number of exit holes in the leaf-sheaths low down on the plant. These were clearly too small for a wainscot species. Some of the holes had been ‘‘capped’’ while others were left open. Pulling these leaves away from the stem revealed short mines with pupae head- upwards close to the exit holes. Additional holes were found in the stem itself and splitting this revealed pupae in the pith. Reference to the Field Guide led me to believe that I had discovered the pyralid Calamotropha paludella (Hiibner), though this would have been a north-westerly 330 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 | 15.x1.1991 extension of its known range (British Pyralid Moths, B. Goater, 1986). I had dismissed Limnaecia phragmitella because the Field Guide states that it pupates in the seed-heads. However, when the first imago eclosed on 14th July, it was at once obvious that this was not a pyralid but L. phragmitella after all, the only other micro known to be associated with Typha in Britain. However, because the pupae were in the “‘wrong”’ situation, I felt unsure of my own identification and collected more tenanted sections of Typha stem which I sent to Col. A.M. Emmet for his appraisal. I was pleased to receive confirmation when his specimens emerged and would like to thank him for his comments and verification.— A.S. BooT, Buntings Lane, Carlton, Nottingham NG4 1GX. Limnaecia phragmitella in the stems of bulrush It seems worth while recording that in April 1991, at Salary Brook, Colchester, I found larvae of Limnaecia phragmitella Stainton (Lep.: Cosmopterigidae) abundant in the stems of Typha latifolia. At this time of year the plant material rather resembles tightly packed corrugated cardboard, and within these papery layers larvae had spun cocoons made from silk and chewed-up pith, giving an impression that feeding had occurred. Exit holes, measuring 1mm in diameter, each covered by a cap of silk and chewed pith, were constructed by larvae prior to pupation. In A field guide to the smaller British Lepidoptera (Edn. 2, 1988) the only pupation site mentioned is in the seed-heads.— B. GOODEY, 298 Ipswich Road, Colchester, Essex. Nycteola revayana Scopoli (Lep.: Noctuidae) during the summer Looking back on my past Essex records for the above species over the last five years I found that 50% of captures have occurred during June-July. Although none of the recently published textbooks I have consulted mention a second generation for mainland Britain Pelham-Clinton, in volume 10 of The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland (1983), does state that the species is bivoltine in the Isles of Scilly (p. 321). It would be interesting to know if this is a spreading trend, due perhaps to the warmer summers of late, or whether it is purely a local phenomenon.— B. GOODEY, 298 Ipswich Road, Colchester, Essex. The Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria L.) reaches N. Aberdeenshire Barbour (Ent. Rec. 98: 98-105) documented the recent range expansion of Pararge aegeria L. in N.E. Scotland, as it spread from the west to reach the Moray Firth by about 1954 and Banffshire (v.c. 94) by 1983. He predicted that Aberdeenshire would be colonised by 1986, and may well have been correct, but partly because of the scarcity of observers there was still no definite record by the beginning of 1991 (R.M. Palmer, unpublished list). On 4.viii.1991 I was visiting a friend, Mr D. Thorn, whose land backs onto the eastern edge of a mature conifer plantation of pine and spruce known as Kinnoir Wood (NJ 5542), near Huntly in N. Aberdeenshire (v.c. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 2)3) 93). Thinking the habitat looked ideal for P. aegeria, | asked whether it was present. He replied that he had seen one nearby just a few days earlier, but had not realised its significance. Following his directions, I soon found a very freshly emerged female. This suggests that unconfirmed reports from the same area two or three years earlier (Dr M. Young, pers. comm.) were almost certainly correct. The Ringlet, Aphantopus hyperantus L., was also present in good numbers, though outside its area of distribution as shown by the latest maps (Emmet, M.A. & Heath, J. The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Harley, Colchester, 1990). Perhaps as P. aegeria spreads eastwards, A. hyperantus is spreading westwards, using the same shaded and sheltered grassy habitat provided by the rides and edges of the now- maturing conifer plantations. The Scotch Argus, Erebia aethiops Esp., was also abundant at the site: it too has apparently colonised this part of Scotland within the last century (Barbour, Ent. Rec. 88: 1-11). Carduelis spinus L. were calling overhead, leaving me feeling that, in some habitats at least, ‘‘coniferisation’’ is not as wholly bad for wildlife as one fears. —ROY LEVERTON, Whitewells, Ordiquhill, Cornhill, Banffshire AB45 2HS. A nomenclatural comment In the Editor’s review of a recent work by G.S. Medvedev (antea: 215) he suggests that the reader must take a sympathetic view of the nomenclature used, giving as an example ‘‘endings such as Prays fraxinellus rather than fraxinella’’. Indeed this particular reader takes a very sympathetic view. Might it, I wonder, be that the author was schooled in the classics and could not bring himself to countenance such a crude barbarism as the combination P. fraxinella? For Prays (Greek ‘‘gentle, mild, tame’’) is an exclusively masculine form, as anyone capable of using a Greek lexicon could have verified in a few moments; and we must surely assume that its author, Htibner, so intended it. The rules of nomenclature require gender- agreement, in which they are at one with normally accepted standards of literacy.— A.A. ALLEN, 49 Montcalm Road, Charlton, London SE7 8QG. IMMIGRATION OF LEPIDOPTERA 1990 AND 1991 A NUMBER of readers have asked about the 1990 report on the immigration of Lepidoptera. The sad death of Russell Bretherton earlier this year has delayed the compilation of this report, but Michael Chalmers- Hunt and Bernard Skinner hope to complete the work for publication early in 1992. We are very pleased to announce that Bernard Skinner has agreed to collate the records for 1991 and subsequent years so that the annual reports in the Record can continue. Will readers please send details (species, date, locality, method of capture and any other relevant details) of all 1991 immigration records by the end of January 1992 at the latest, to B. Skinner, 5 Rawlins Close, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 8JS. Editor 332 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 [Ssxiel 99 A natural history of the butterflies and moths of Shropshire by Adrian M. Riley. 20Spp. 32 colour illustrations. Paperback. Swan Hill Press. 1991. £19.95. This first list of Shropshire Lepidoptera since the Victoria County History comprises a brief introduction to the county, a chapter on recording and conservation in Shropshire, the main ‘‘natural history’’ and a variety of appendices — an inventory of the microlepidoptera, butterfly distribution maps, gazeteer, bibliography and index. Each species noted between the recording windows of 1807 and 1990 is listed by ‘‘log-book’’ number, English and scientific name. Records are divided into VCH and post-VCH categories; the flight-time is noted as are foodplants and any other points of interest. For the distribution, only the year and locality are given, with reference where appropriate to the bibliography. The larval foodplant list is culled from current literature, but known Shropshire foodplants are indicated. The colour illustrations cover habitats — particularly useful for those unfamiliar with the county — a plate of historic specimens, one of unusual forms and the now obligatory clutch of butterflies in natural poses. It is nice to see the microlepidoptera listed — although the author acknowledges that the microlepidoptera are poorly known, the compiled list shows a good range of species and provides a sound base for further research. Although a number of proof-reading errors have crept in, this is a well-produced and well researched book at a reasonable price. PAS Nordens Ugler by Peder Skou. 566pp, 37 colour plates, 530 figs and numerous maps. Boards. Apollo Books, 1991. DKr 600 (about £50). This fifth volume in the Danmarks Dyreliv series covers the Noctuidae of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland. Although there is a short English introduction, the text is in Danish. Unlike the Nordens Malere, we understand there will be no English edition. After a brief description of each species there are comments on its range, the habitat, flight period and notes on the general biology. The text is augmented with many figures of larvae, habitat and, most usefully, monochrome photographs of closely related species showing diagnostic features. Genitalia are illustrated where appropriate. The colour plates, produced from photographs by David Wilson, are of high quality. This is the first textbook seen by the reviewer in which specimens (six of each) of the recently separated Mesapamea species didyma and secalis are illustrated. The last few years have seen a number of good publications on the European Noctuidae, including the reprint of Culot. One wonders what there is new to say or see — but not for long! The illustrations are well worth studying in detail — especially those showing diagnostic features. The text, although needing some head-scratching and a dictionary, yields much of interest. Apollo Books are to be congratulated on maintaining the high standard of this series. Paul Sokoloff CURRENT LITERATURE 333 Madam Dragonfly — the life and times of Cynthia Longfield by Jane Hayter-Hames. 208pp. Illustrated. Boards. The Pentland Press Ltd. 1991. ENS) -O5). Biographical accounts of entomologists are somewhat scarce, and this account of Cynthia Longfield’s life, by her great-niece, is particularly welcome. Most naturalists will immediately associate the Longfield name with the two popular works Dragonflies of the British Isles in the Wayside and Woodland series, and Dragonflies, in the Collin’s New Naturalist series. Few will have any insight into her extraordinary life — self-taught scientist and inveterate traveller and explorer. The book takes us from early childhood in the 1890s through Longfield’s many journeys across the globe to the last years before her death on 27th June 1991. The text takes a narrative form, with liberal quotations from Longfield’s diary and photographs illustrating her travels and personalities with whom she worked — including one of Evelyn Cheesman, a companion on several expeditions. There is also an interesting illustration of Longfield’s mothing screen, taken in Brazil in 1927. A well researched book which makes fascinating reading. PAS The butterflies of Britain and Ireland by Jeremy Thomas. Illustrated by Richard Lewington. 244pp, numerous colour illustrations. 250 x 250mm. Boards. Dorling Kindersley. National Trust 191. £16.99. Another book on butterflies! — but do not despair — this one is different. Rather than treat each of the species in the conventional way, each — typically one or two text pages with distribution map — is treated differently, focussing on its individual points of interest, be they life history, habitat, courtship or a host of other headings. Jeremy Thomas has a great talent for combining astute observation, scientific accuracy and a really readable style. Even those who have read every recent book on butterflies will find this book interesting and informative. Surprisingly, there is not a single colour photograph of a butterfly in the book. The author has chosen paintings — typically each species has a page of illustrations, upper and underside of each sex, an occasional form or aberration, a resting pose, and a variety of early stages. Lewington’s illustrations are superb, both crisp and delicate. The quality of printing and presentation is excellent. The only real criticism is the format — the virtually square size of the book makes it an aberration on most bookshelves. PAS The Role of Ground Beetles in Ecological and Environmental Studies. Edited by Nigel E. Stork pp.424. Intercept Ltd, Andover. 1990. Price £40. This is an account of the proceedings of the seventh European Carabidologists’ Meeting held in London in September 1989. It comprises written versions of most (31) of the oral presentations given at the meeting and of the 16 poster sessions. 334 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 103 15.xi.1991 The topics cover carabid biology and ecology from sites as far away as Australia and the Galapagos Archipelago, though most refer to studies in western Europe in contexts familiar to British entomologists. Understand- ably, the presentations will be particularly of value to those who study carabids but the non-specialist British coleopterist also will find much of interest, such as the accounts of carabid beetles in urban areas, in ruderal parkland and in grass/arable mosaic. Those who use pitfall trapping to obtain specimens or for site evaluations will wish to read about the influence of ethylene glycol (as a trap preservative) on carabids and other arthropods caught in such traps while those concerned with ‘‘green’’ issues will need to read the accounts of the action of pesticides on ground beetles. A point which the editor highlights is the lack of consensus on scientific nomenclature among the contributors. Non-standard scientific nomen- clature is, of course, nothing new to those who consult Fowler, Joy, Kloet and Hincks, and the other R.E.S. Handbooks but the matter of scientific nomenclature is something entomologists should try and deal with soon. The laws of priority have really not stood the test of time. For European entomologists it is not just a matter of better communication; there is always the possibility, these days, of Brussels stepping in with an official list. This volume upholds the traditions established in published proceedings of earlier meetings of the group. Though many nationalities were represented among the contributors, the proceedings are in very readable English, which says much for the combined diligence of the contributors, the referees and the editor. Proscribed reading for carabid specialists, this volume should be readily available to all British coleopterists. If you can’t afford to buy yourself a copy, suggest it as a birthday present or get your librarian to acquire it. J.A. Owen Cynthia Longfield, 1896 - 1991 Cynthia Longfield died on 27th June 1991 at the age of 95. Although without any formal training in entomology she became perhaps the most influential figure in the study of British Odonata, and achieved international recognition for her taxonomic work on dragonflies. Most amateur naturalists will remember her for The dragonflies of the British Isles published in Warne’s Wayside and Woodland series in 1937, and reprinted in 1949. She was also co-author of the New Naturalist publication Dragonflies published in 1960 — a book that still commands a staggering price on the secondhand market. For 30 years she worked in an honorary capacity as a taxonomist at the British Museum (Natural History), and during her lifetime travelled extensively over five continents — including a six month solo trip across Africa in the early 1930s. A biography entitled Madam dragonfly has recently been published, and a review appears elsewhere in this issue. DATA PROMPT EFFICIENT SERVICE LABELS OVERSEAS ENQUIRIES WELCOME For details and sample labels, write to: P.D.J. HUGO, 115 Thrupp Lane, Thrupp, STROUD, Gloucestershire GLS 2DQ. Telephone: Brimscombe 882134 (Please mention this Journal in your reply) THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY The Society was founded in 1935 and caters especially for the younger or less experienced Entomologist. For details of publications and activities, please write (enclosing 30p towards costs) to AES Registrar, 22 Salisbury Road, Feltham, Middlesex TW13 5OP. L. CHRISTIE 129 Franciscan Road, Tooting, London SW17 8DZ. Telephone: 01-672 4024 FOR THE ENTOMOLOGIST Books, Cabinets and Set Specimens THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J.W. TUTT on I5th April 1890) Contents A description of the adult and early stages of Phyllonorycter platani (sinadee 1870) (Lep.: Gracillariidae). A.M. Emmet . . ; 279 Observations on Dioctria cothurnata Mg. (Dipt.: iSides = Moree ‘Stubbs at 2S Barberry Carpet moth, Pareulype berberata D. & S.: the discovery of a second breeding colony in Britain and other records. P. Waring . . . | at eo Batrisodes adnexus (Hampe) (B. buqueti Auctt. Brit.) and B. ae (Aube) (Col.: Pselaphidae) in Britain. H. Mendel . . : . ee Interesting lepidoptera records from north-east Fife. of. Clayton 5 ais Pee 2ST) Nationally uncommon ground beetles (Col.: Carabidae) from Welsh ede PR. Holmes,-D:C. Boyce & DIK: Reed 2-7. - . 3 een Reminiscences of an amateur lepidopterist, 1920-90. B P. Wiltshire . saat 2 OOF On the hibernation of Tissue moths, Triphosia dubitata L. and the Herald aoe Scoliopteryx libatrix in an old fort. R.K.A. Morris& G.A.Collins . . . . . 313 Notes and Observations A note on the life history of Blastobasis decolorella Woll. (Lep.: mein D. O’Keeffe ieee Eulamprotes ganeelir Flee tord & Lanewaid Giese Golem in Kent. DIO Regie Rum, Roum, or Rhum? J.L. Campbell oe eee 329 Early spring moths in June. S.A. Knill-Jones . . . . ae eh eee An additional pupation site of Limnaecia phragmitella Staint. ieee Cosmopterigidae). A.S. Boot . . + eho (2 oe Limnaecia phragmitella in the stems pibnlaueh B. Goodey eA 1-0 oleae ote Nycteola revayana Scop. (Lep.: Noctuidae) during the summer. B. Goa co 3 oe Amnomenclatural comment::A.As Allen 0 2 bags 5 2 a ee 331 Book reviews . . ee ae CMe ree 332. 334 Obituary, Cynthia Seqete di ee ee eR eS SPECIAL NOTICE. The Editor would be willing to consider the purchase of a limited number of back issues. Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: 0277-224610. The Entomologist’s Record and Journal of Variation SPECIAL INDEX | Compiled by Lieut. Colonel W.A.C. Canter. \.2Y Newly described taxa (species, genera etc.) are distinguished by bold type. Tae nee ae Britain or newly recognised as British are denoted by an asterisk. Vol. 103, 1991 Page LEPIDOPTERA ABICLAGRM Tt nn tee eo co etl eee 126 Abele ates gee cay et aakgegnaegsioe 69 ABSIMOMIN ora ere nc toes eget ae 260 acenitowellat tit). oo bet. eperee 280 ESSENSE.) 5 Re RoR eee Or OER NERS | 25, 104 ACCLOSAC fos eas ds eae 2 Ue 144 AGHATAM AG do oo ose So os x Se 151 ICRA CHINA GI Sig oss eee our a ae 266 ACTONAMGH A oe a Ba eee Be 148 ACEACOM I 5 eS oh ct 199 ACHCUS free Ae). co ot Lae eae 234 aCtmMiInNataita: =... sd. sw ee 107, 152 ACURA ssc ks ye RE 111, 161 aenteltiserns ceo. esas nts ee 142 addendarabe 2 on eo ae ie 10 ACID POR Onis ee oe aa ae 199 ACR Chama nt hes ok 17, 33M INCDCHICU ek a aoe a 132 ACRROPAES EEK ce oc otc case GOERS 234 aeCEfehanus...55.ehe. eke - Se Meera 104, 150 DiUINGAT AM oy eee Ee 150 AGAVE Ao cc 5 28 oi ae os 33 AGM OlAM Ai gers co soe conus oie ous ic Se eRe B27), APONODIEHIX -..0 0 oo 5 oc eo ee 26 apne Olas. oo pe oo 121 NOROLISHAA so sec os ic ek ones a NRE 138 albensana® spot dos ot ee 151 aibredlatat ovrewsteie? oy as eee 298 AlbicOStarme ss oo Se woes dn ee 147 albidellasnie co ee co oe 126, 147, 148 albiinontella-....... 23. co gle 142, 148 aIDIPUNEba a. 9.8 aus oat A 69, 158 albitagsellag <2 4. ces oo eee 147 albovenosa...... fe oo aa el ee 1 EISEN ae meee > 260 albmlataeiss ok so os ee aR 184 albunnelial...; s.ocadad on 13 A 149 BICCIOR Eo rae eR ks re Be 234 AIEMUS Bes Oa ces Hs es oe) SRO MET 83 alnetellae J03 2 aXe a 143 CERT he tt tan d+ 9 9 a Be VO 31 Fe ECI(O) V2 (Sheree tata bar a es 146 AIDC terrae eae ye eS ee tS eA ee 146 OSTA | id) Bie eae le ie aati dee aE. TBARS 148 alpiviclhanie verte races pee nos ce aoe [S74 A HEVAL IAS es ee ate ee ae 19 FSET FIG sh eal pr alae. TR Pe a 102 CZ APR 26 199e smbiguts o Peete ANTIPUN VE. 6 5s. > ocs.cce 6. 6 6 ee, eee @MIPMEYSUS: 2602.2. -cateees oa ee 2 ere Bi anlatipennellay cc). 2 bo ae 147 ARI CEP SOR. 86.4 sacks, haw 4 oe 96 ANCCUSH Hehe ee Ok ek Bee 228 Pe AY SLUG) af Lek oe eta eer REPS nea Me 138,5152 aneusticolella? 222% 822s 5290 eee 144 ANIC Aas tee eo. tr ens Ot oe 35 anthylidella.. > 3 2. 2.22... eee 286 antwaurolancea. abs 22.2 24.0). 44 10 alibicastane@abs oa02% 1 oo ee eee 10 ANtODSCUFA AD 2 382 2s. 23s ee ae 10, 14 BELLO Pa re ee Eo ore 8, a payee Bi Vs) antiultratulvescens7abe> =. 222) 5. (aaa 10 aquilay et eins So 2 eee es 233 anoutellareie Sit 2.' bes Pee ee ae 126 ANCHIGAC’ Fee ako er oe ee 266 andeaepennellal ss) 22425 oe. > eae 147 ahenagiad.. 20 soo 5 22248 eee 260 ARCOLA ek he ke Ok She ee eas 329 argentimactlella ys ./2.4°225 52 20 ae 144 ancentulae’ 255 2625) 2 Seer 17, 147 AROVOL IS ss eh eee 16, 46, 77, 134, 210 AED USM a ian ok ae Yo ee 199 ALON MOPEZ As. 22 Sido ee else Ce 143 anidellar ie 3.24.9 es A ee Se eee 152 ALIOMe rye ee ee Oh ee ee 64, 199 anistellaes et fee. oie oe ee ee 148 F108 9) (=) 1 ae eae a Re 69, 158, 204, 208 ATEAXKECEX ESI fli Ss oe oe ee 199 antenusicolella gre :te Pe: oh. 5 eee 147 arpemusicllae\ oS. eee eee 149 ASLCRIST No fos Se oe Oe eee 25 atalanta ee 25 22% 17, 27. 31, 32,2035-208 athaliay ees. hue ale Ce ae 199 INA CIGAR foe Sih eed § eee aa 122 atOManian 0). es ee eee 36 18 (Co) | ig ar A RR AE eR aE 286 ALFESCENSta Dee. te SOP Oe ee 12 atnicapitelia’?: 22). 05.2520). 5 eae 201 SRC Olis 1 re tee 5 os Oe eh eres 143 atmipliceamrr ri) tan eerie: 126, 149 AEIplicisw tt) Pehete ae eee 260 Atrophaneura 4054224 -242)2 >. ee 265 AIRE POSH exter eee: 32, 160 atropunctaitay..2 4554 504.444.5400 4eee 100 THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J.W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) Contents A description of the adult and early stages of Phyllonorycter platani (Staudiaees 1870) (Lep.: Gracillariidae). A.M. Emmet ; 279 Observations on Dioctria cothurnata Mg. (Dipt.: Asilidae) i Danse. ‘Stubbs i 283 Barberry Carpet moth, Pareulype berberata D. & S.: the discovery of a second breeding colony in Britain and other records. P. Waring 287 Batrisodes adnexus (Hampe) (B. buqueti Auctt. Brit.) and B. delaporti (Aube) (Col.: Pselaphidae) in Britain. H. Mendel : any: : 293 Interesting lepidoptera records from north-east Fife. J. Glayton : 297 Nationally uncommon ground beetles (Col.: Carabidae) from Welsh wetlands. P.R. Holmes, D.C. Boyce & D.K. Reed . 301 Reminiscences of an amateur lepidopterist, 1920-90. iE P. Wiltshire . 307 On the hibernation of Tissue moths, Triphosia dubitata L. and the Herald ah Scoliopteryx libatrix in an old fort. R.K.A. Morris & G.A. Collins 313 Notes and Observations A note on the life history of Blastobasis decolorella Woll. (Lep.: as D. O’Keeffe ; 282 Eulamprotes phaeella Heelford & Leneanandl (ua Gelechiidae) in Kent D. O’Keeffe : 286 Cyphostethus tristriatus ie Gene Acarosaneidae) in S. E. Loner. oa its occurrence on Thuja orientalis L. A.A. Allen 296 Early Stag beetles (Lucanus cervus L. di in Colchester. J. Beware ee 300 Thereva plebea L. (Dipt.: Therevidae): a recent find in E. Kent. A.A. Allen 300 Aplocnemus pini Redt., not nigricornis F. (Col.: Melyridae) in Epping Forest, Essex. A.A. Allen. . . 5 Laie ae 306 Hazards of butterfly pallecine — Brazil, May 1989. . B. Lowen Sasae Notes on the behaviour of Luperina nickerlii leechi, the Sandhill Rustic, (wee : Noctuidae) at its site in Cornwall. A. Spalding . ; 323 Distribution mapping with IBM-compatible personal soryeniers. ie eres : 325 Notes on two British Bagous spp. (Col.: Curculionidae). A.A. Allen 326 Urocerus gigas (Hym.: Siricidae) patrolling a bare hilltop. R. Leverton . : 327 Omosita depressa L. (Col.: Nitidulidae) apparently new to Kent. A.A. Allen 327 Pammene agnotana Reb. (Lep.: Tortricidae) resident in Kent. D. O Keeffe 327, Cold tolerance of the immature stages of Autographa gamma L. (Lep.: Noctuidae). J. Bowdrey. . . geo ot ae tle rate eae 328 Rum, Roum, or Rhum? J.L. Gamage , 329 Early spring moths in June. S.A. Knill-Jones . 329 An additional pupation site of Limnaecia phragmitella Staint. (labs Cosmopterigidae). A.S. Boot ; 330 Limnaecia phragmitella in the stems of epee. B. anney 330 Nycteola revayana Scop. (Lep.: Noctuidae) during the summer. B. Gunee 330 A nomenclatural comment. A.A. Allen. aisle des aN hth SE er 331 Book reviews . . dase id pal eh RA et N GRE TS AG a ae 332-334 Obituary, Cynthia Mare atelel : 334 SPECIAL NOTICE. The Editor would be willing to consider the purchase of a limited number of back issues. Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4TA. Tel: 0277-224610. —“ The Entomologist’s Record and Journal of Variation SPECIAL INDEX. Compiled by Lieut. Colonel W.A.C. Carter YY ny re Newly described taxa (species, genera etc.) are distinguished by bold type. Taxa en ink Britain or newly recognised as British are denoted by an asterisk. Vol. 103, 1991 Page LEPIDOPTERA Abletaniet Bee cn seo oe eee 126 ablelellae: f.004ie syies or urcta ack co see 69 ISSA G CPhI EE CMMI od nt a 260 ACEhILOMWeAG £2 BE) cto oc Sa ook SBE 280 EGS) G Se.) 4, ASR es EO REO a eR 25, 104 aACCtOSACH oe on tot au. See: 144 ACHACAM Abs fis bc os oa sl os BOERS 151 INCRACMIA CH Sse eee an oe ee 266 ACTHONAIMOM A. oS soos ensuooworctu BER OBE 148 ACPAC OR Mes ous corcsaase gees ous 199 ACTCUS Pe is altho sy 5 es a eee 234 Acwminatanal. 6... ts oc. 1 en soe 107, 152 ACUb are oc 2 oe ope 111, 161 ECU LS so eee ae a RRS BF 5 142 addendarabs 2 ..co0 oe hee BE 10 ACIP DOM es sl eoauucom es ee 199 RACE CIA PAS fled. teeta 7 eis NGC Chia Rs oc ee gt A 132 ACO OLARP ees bss ow GS as ee EE 234 ACHHCEANMS: 5.5 Sse ene ee ee tae 104, 150 TIAA Soe yo ielSloh olan sco ie Saw GE 150 ADAM AR ea oes Sane ee a 33 AGMOATI ARS. 3 oh ean toe a ach oyu ee 327 AS ONO DUSTIN 3. eas ot SEE 26 ADMCOlLAM ao oases oS bes oo 121 PCA AOG See 4s OR RR eS 138 albersanal sp ots We a Sd oo PS albreilatatverer trie to 5550"... eee 298 albicostaime coc: cccon Ges -RSSOe 147 albidcllavars. 6 3 teh eee Se 126, 147, 148 aibuinontella<< 5204. se ete 142, 148 albipumetan ne. wae ek ea 69, 158 albitansellae eo cas os we eee 147 albovenosa...... Be a hee el ts ag 1 PILOT £ sks Eee Ore NORE nee Rene nea EERE 5 5 1 260 allyl ata hee eS, hence Sets... 184 albumnellai oe obec 3 RY 149 ALE CLOR a ioe eu a oS wricadec ene Re 234 SUICMUS As es 2nd ee ne + eG 83 alimbetc tae 94k ed ee Ons. oO 143 ITT Nee ete 52 Mend 6 6 dot, 8 ¥ ooh BES CRS Bd! 31 GE NTBVI IO) ENS. ccaerae lees an tpn JAN ea te ae ae 146 CIISTEIN TE or cusrreurbors eum cpa ee dea rmna mene amet 146 PSST (2) | Ch) Eh eats tate igs De Ran Bete ge meat RP 148 FS TY SA | sited Nit he te a SZ AIFCHMAGIAUS ON ce NS ke as ea 19 ALLSTATE tore te a aR be: on niaceiet 102 APR 28 1992 smbigua..... UNIVERSE ASIP MIP VAG ©: s3.!s'-02 oso nica eee AMIDHEVSUS 2.) 040 520. oo oes eee or anatipennellas. . 202.2% 2a See 147 ANGCEPSNP sie dw oe eke, ora ae oees 2 ee 96 ANCCUSH ee eA eee es eee ee 228 ANOUSTCANR oe heen. ee oes 138-5 152 angusticolella’ 22655526) 305.2 pee 144 annUlatane 00.2). UR ee ee 35 anchyhidellays/ 2 et kn kao eA ae 286 antiaurolancea‘ab: 22... 5.0.4 see 10 anbicastaneaabs {252-655 oe 10 anhiobscunaabyas eet eee ae 10, 14 aNNOPae Mae ee a ee Way BUS) antiultratulvescens*abs, 23.55 5. seer 10 AQUILA SY 3.5. a Se ek Oe ae 233 anDUtellayen safe 4 A ee ee 126 Arctiddes Joe ie en oo ee 266 andeacpennellay= q- eae ee oo eee 147 alenaniay 206) ls ae ee ee 260 anCOla ee A ee ee eae 329 aneentimaculellae sn) ao sa ae 144 ancentulays (2.282 1c ee fe eee 17, 147 aLLIOUIS as) Cee: 16, 46, 77, 134, 210 AGUS eee MRR rors an a 199 ALQVLOPeZae.: sai ee Se Lee eRe 143 and@ellae = 0.58 he Gee 152 ANON eee eee ss et Seo Pe 64, 199 anistellaes eh en ae eee 148 ahimigenrde | 00 69, 158, 204, 208 ATLAXKEDKES EY. £5) A oo ee ee 199 artemisicolella woe 208 298... oe 2 eee 147 artemusiellann ee oe eee 149 ASICLIS fe eas oo eee 25 atalantaweee 2233.24 17, 27, 3; 32520355208 athialia er Mee ne oh i ee 199 IMT CI SSS sho ee BIAS. ok RR ee 122 ATOMALiae ses, ooo ee Ue eee 36 Strela Bees, veel yh 2a ee eee 286 dlrescenStabe.10 2h) Se er eee 12 atnicapitella 220. -354.%.3 5. eu 201 Atm COlNS 24 8) ee AA OSR ere oe een aN 143 abniplice lide fl ieee oe 126, 149 atniplicise ss 5 845.5 354,06 ya ate Cn oe 260 Atrophaneura: 22522222222). eae 265 AEROPOS ste eeeeeese eda ee eee eee 32, 160 atropunctana’ .~ 3.54 55.46. eee 100 Page Page alrepunctana 2. FA ee, fo, ee 100 Caradnintat: 224,4..5F 55a Oe 122 aurana... 26. Re eS 1525 282 CarGamines: =...45 28> adeas Soe 27, 28, 78 alrantiaria cs: a. Soe ee 28 Carduitese7. 5,096 5 5%. 36479; 121, 203,301 lee lavete OPE ds ee ee Onna 127 CanmiOliea . 21. on... scien eee 24, 25 AUTINIA”. 3. Face eee eee 2 30, 199 Gassiae 8h. Pek a be eee 25, TLIO tae roe are ee ak Be en ee 154 CASE isc sora seas ees) sas eet eee 179 ANISETAMS (CCIS) Ii: .< ne tN oe a ae! 32 Catocala yas eee 310 AILOMICG ONE ee ee ee 229 Cavellan cw. cds seu 5s oe ee 145 AV CES Atal een ok rea ne es LOD 242 COlETIO‘R SB: so. boos Sanne Saas pe ee 233 cenasicolella ... 62... 0s. oe ee 145 B (OS (1): MR eS. PZ, badhpenitcta Sanh beth.) te eames oe 146 cespitalis.............-.-+-2++005- 102 banksiella od | SARE CR a ae Oh cae ee er ty 202 Cethosia Pirie ser ae Sar Mite ae Cee i OS 1 ea oa. 266 Batavitisen an moe, ee ee once ee 200 Ghalcites...):. Lee Cee hee eee EES 61 bellargus oe. tre eee 199 eharlomia..5 5 .0.. 24.0 ae ee 79 Herberata ss te eee ee See 287 CHLOLOS ALA oe. 650080 cos ser. ee 49 betula: a. ee Sr Ske ee 153 CliySipPUSeee = = 24a ae 25, 124, 265, 268 betulae PRs Seer aan Ales 127, 145 Cliny Stlis) restr) 97a eee 102, 107 betulac Th Poh th RE Re EO 199 chnysolepidella. . 4) 4355-44434 143 betulaniasGetoanle UA Sem aMiice UemONs 49 chinyserihOeaarei = eee 259 Demilicolae asa eie es. See eee 125 CiltaliSe.§. . cock Seeder 1532 270 bhagattriooter ¥4 "Povo me eae 139 Giltellae 22.4. diekeee.. kee 148 Bratomella.+.72ten 52 teeree 148 Gl Gsaeococesscsecc acc 25 2cec: 70 bicostella: 3-2-8... oR em 260 emereopunctellal3 7442-95 945s aeeeee 148 Bicrinisens: the eee FR 26, 28, 102 ciniflonella tte a aettwien eee 148 bidenlatateete.. oie ee 49 cinnamomeana .................-. 150 Dilasciana=oses era hea Se 151 111.4 ne eC Rn ee ek ho 30,2199 bilinecatas ees OR. ee 102 CINSHIBVIS Geo oes00ececc0sc72 202505 139 bilineata (Clams) ssi: boo R eee DF GUSIAMA 6. coe ahs iran ee eee 154 BRA aks ns eee St Ris oe tee 242 CAV ARTA. bo. oot 139 DIpURCte airs. 6 ts hen ore 148 CERWIN Seo ee65555950525005005220- 226 bipunctOsats-- 222-0. toe 148 Glavipalpis! 27557 22.45 49. 44a30e ee 138 Pestontataes Pit es Se aren 184, 242 cloacellaw. 3 Oe Fs fee eee 34, 156 bisthigella eet eee, bir eas Re 127 Clovhioe Aria «ort a=ae er eee 234 Binittatae «4a eet... SR 260 CHECATIA sieiwcss Ys Geos dk ee 150 byerkandreilas ee tee ee eee 145 Cnicellac:. L.nSth.4 ss 40 eee 202 blancandellasee Ie ueicay. OF. 4a 125 COMBI, 5265305 35e206427224 102, 138 Diaidaniiere et. esi te tek Oe 69 comma Hy 1.22.06. seer eee 199, 247 © Blandellanas: eyetine fe eee 149 commayM.s.n%:. 8: Geer a eee 105 Boerhaviae sey Batinl: Beiuseuees SE 233 comparella: 3-2 ee.) eee 145 BOIS AIG Al lia teaceet dans «Heri Aa ws han 233 complana. Feiner 353-259 BOmCEISIsta needs as + aes AoE 230 compositella......-< 4. <2 eee 152 Bothalas. ee Aca hatt aa. Weer wel fet 5 142, 151 COMPUAle. ee) een oe ee ee 88 PuASSIC ACI ecapcvcu 2 Soi Siibes eke 28, 35, 138 compunctella: 2 eee 126, 146 brassicae P...... 25, 42, 79, 203, 204, 266 concolor -ab........ 25. .46 58k e eee 22 BEassolinaees. .73.5ur5.ue soe 257 confluens)ab...2 << + 2:22.54 see 181 ROOK AR eee ca escheat oe Rome 224 confusella.. . 2252.6 <521 2232 144 DRA ee eo. 2733 CONIStH a a ond wae nlks eee eee 273 Guceplialaee: site tine te 25. 30831 contaminellas 3.63.54 36345 2a eee 152 Puctineni eee tee eee: fe AOL. eat 266 conterminella.........-.++++++++5 He rar CONPIGUMATIA: . o..< hoce.cks peek eee SUNG IRIS tn eer ae 2 ak vies oe Pa ea 229 COnTEEGiclic., poe eee 127 C convolvulli. ee 69, 109, 126, 204, ae ase coracipennella:. 2... 5-:.4 2 eee eo ee Trig Lbsles,¥ pieeyttabl: 5 3 red COLE... 61. ee ee 265 Meee ok 5 0. 78 coridon F baat bees, ERS a pe 182, 199 Berane i ea Re aaa ait Eceaeent ae , COL eT eee we 49 Caligo... 6.6... eee eee eee eee eee 257 conythus 24420 4h: basoeee eee 232 CERES 2 ia ins. s 1 20. | hbialis: sc 102 Caprana........ 6... eee eee ee ee, 127 CHASSEDUMC balance uence 14 CAP CUINA: aye ct olor sn) 2h = seo 2h 31 crassipuncta-addenda ab.....:..0...- 12 Canad jais Fy eae Paik eee amkie emer. 260 Crassiusctlla»..¢ 414. At 4. Se eee 150 PiataCeell get s cis.5.5 35 aussie, eck Re 146 CE ALACRI AM ex ssc cve shes es bgseeds ac ake oe Pg fee CRATACIUED ait 5 5.34 a, tgspe ons 9 tees acl ed ene 24 Crakipennella. sd cea pe os ost oe EE 147 CRCMALA Ns alos a ackuce’ qe nats Mere 36 GHEOM arama nny cae torn eens eae ue 154 crepusculellay: ME4. 2aey oe oa ares 144 RMON LA wee ce cia siden ds heres alnn'e ee 260 GROCCUS de ne ees eal ek aor tan ee dee 79 (STU IE eerie ea 5 ie i SIR eect iene aire me 31 ny Ola 5 ars sk 5k Os ew Shee RSME 121 Grenenidacks st. acc en ota © Sten 266 CUCU Arran ashes es cas uae ae eZ CLINT ee nr 7 ey Gulitantarn oss acu Lee eeeere 184 GUPRESSAlamc. ok ee ne oad oe 6 158 (UIT EAN epee aceite. sri er irene 260 D DAM AaUSter rte oe cee eee ae ene 264 GapliGicere reel ett ee ee 16 decentellas. -0 hin. cee. is Sas ee 143 GECIMANSH cacy < See ees oe ee 325 GECOlLOR Gee eee enh hee Ee DD, decolonellacws .sswsngs sane: 1261272282 Gccrell ley, Sarees ne eo ee mean On 5 ae 149 GEO Malas eee Me Ns ee 8 ee e836 Wenepliilabey- sve anew nc weace hye aeees 32 DShiwSewwe es oe ae tee oe eee 265 demanvcllavenes cit tte teeta. cere 127 GISTAIE IIS A ee ea Me te ect a Re eter ee Re 152 Geplanayren eRe eek ASA eee 103 GCMiValiS@A ARE AA. cae Ree BAN ey rc 95 OVICTO RVG) AOU: Be Myo ee fe ae eA A A DER Beet 177 CLICHY TN ARE B98 Nh Fs a os 57 dilectellans 4s ate eit Gy ae oe Biee 145 Gilutatatte tio TES he heen 26, 27 CUTAN A TAY St Petpet tes tes Sa eee Popo OL GISCOndCHIAMEs obs + bn. * bee ene 147 disparm(lycaena)iti he 65, 199, 200 dispar (éymantria).-2: 2.45. PLN DIS 372 GiVensanagnas sts ane yt ee ee eee 150 Godoneatas<: +4 72225 eee tee eee 45 GONCHV I 34.455 5 SS Se eee 229 GONCMUSE S24 2 $2 hea be Re ees YY at ee 228 GOMEeS CAINS Vt eA ae Oe Ee 102 Gulbrel layer se eins 5 tte es ee 17/ GILSON Zt eee i eR ter gl 313 Gubitellabes ss 5 5A. ete, Lee 145 E TEAL ASIEE sch cys paps, 1c tes, os ay RT 175 SGMCCIIS ae ee ghee el cays es ae 233 Ekcoladelian since iiue cn ita 127 1225] pnt Fe Se Saeed aS emtE © 122 SISO nag chet a ohn se 68 ehayie GU ss ante ee A lyk ean ee 34 CNC MOTE se soe ap aecns ol ois las ERTS 29 embenizaepenella... 2... ...0. 00-2. - Bae 145 epileiienellan «Meee aa.) ee 152 Page EDI MUOMNG Bie 2 org, nit oo ees 199 OGG re ste enc.) oo eee, 26 EDItOlaie needs sar. ao od ae 95 COCR Ae artes auc ten ace ie ea 145 BIGINGN Ay thet: Soncaee ine eee a eee 149 CLOSAaniar Bhs. Birt. e Be oO en 126 CrOtUSHS Ae. Lae. be SOE ee soo 228 EDPNKOSYME:. .:.. 3.4 253 dans on eee 199 BD IVGEVAS «oo e0c soc. bbe, «ons Sena 30 BUpIMecta. > 45.3 bees eee 35 BNplOCA yc 205. G26 6 oie ss eee 263 QUEM Api nk oes waene a eNee 143 evonvinicllan ce. -e nee 44, 142, 145 Gxanthematals .. (0. 402.4, ee 102 CxclamatiOMis.. ./.42.4 5.45.4 «4 ee 102 CXICM ered eee es 69, 100, 208, 311 F TADRICIAM AG oi) ono Seda cae ee 26, 35 FBO oso sous Sie ac jee ok sides 31 fagiolandama: 3.0: anc aa os ee 152 faleataMys oo as cnc « ee 232 faleataiG th Ae: BO oc ee ee 229 falSellae eee te bie sree 242 fan ANISt pees os ec oa ee oe 153 FAO ee tres ok on on a oycnorec cc ee 232 fanoukit. 2S! OR 8S... ....... 3IGRBe 310 fATKEN M6 ccocects ae acer oe 142, 146 haSCelibat cers. ae an Aus oS eee 23 fascelinellars. 1.22.) Seo oh 120 See eee 52 fasciamaihetSal 0.02. .5 6s odes +a ee 7/7) PAS CHAE D A oo oss see Svsucu teary REE 187 PAU AS ys. res sk se vatdsee uc ya doce asso as han 95 ferchaltella: os 5 545.45... 3 Re 156 PERRAG Ops Ae ap sooo dos tayo te ae D2 fennUSAalisen so. 225 ISS el S84 203e2 04" 242, 260 PMN CAV OR Ayo vache eouck expose TEE 17, 144 filipMENAUIAC, «cc. Yodan o ca Pgh, JAI) filam Cave 5 als 3 5005 a ae ame 33, 188 AIAN Cea Ue goog cwcucp ye 158, 160 flame OL AG Ay pcos vy conch xaroceees-. Oe 184 AVAVACO TINS: Gives asec ca eR ee 33 LEXA eta stearic ay crate oR 210, 259 AUN HUG Aeon gee ee ia now eacdacasee ne 49, 102 Kaori Ai occa Cae 6 eee 52 folliculanSnc: 40 cs 23 oss eee 147 fONMOSAMUS.) & o.5 os Sone 229 @Rieatar. yaa a aosc sh ete 29, 102 FINUTIAULTS Es yfoyc nsec os aewemcd mcusncntnonves 9 A eee 126 FAO TG CIV AY..sionc ve versn cece ov ses +02 eR 150 hyanolapathellaw ac c.ccc: ome 146 CPST CRS, eee eee nner ime ©): 151 TU CHAMNOLIS 5 «cease xcigons Counce -wnge [S52 OChTOlEUCA He eteesc cet 28, 210, 260 OCU CAN Firges aie eadieticns Sasha eee 249 ochimannicllace.s.. 4.40 eee 144 Oldenlandiaeer cise eS oc Fe eto eae 234 @lenaACea eink 8-: 2 bo: 2334-355 LOZIBS OlIVA CCAM 3 esis oles kee eee D2 ONOMIGIS A 550 ke ail oe eal, ce Rear 145 Ophiogramma saan oe eee 104 ONDONA pied a odin ee bo % 298 OncChal cea te) ost. Yo. os a a 149 OMNMODUS Hy hoes om cee bee ee 140 OnStad the wears 65 ook 5 noe eee 126 COV NOS Seto ae eee ee 138 OSURIMANIS Reds sce ees 102, 126, 153 OU Share eee a bo eee a eee 120 oxycanthella.. «6 65.5. gees ooo ee 125 P Bachhio pais. t5.c065,.0 62. 0s ae 265 DAG CM Abies jk cane oe eee on oo ee 24 PaAlaemONO? 35.6512 noha ok noes 65, 199 DAlGACC Ars hye sees 3 ee 16 ALCAN 0S 0's Fase cue dons sue snc 18 Page Palen ee ee 315 36, 138 palliatellal teste. en ae ee ee 147 (OI LNG Ie Vitae banat Meet ane Ree a cs ey PICMG AR AR weer ene an en mene 7 Pallidataer ts 45 eee ae Ae tae S52 PaUUStTIS 3 cyeps ea: Secs. easy pe os 65 Palpellavee shone cos inact: AR 148 Panicgellawet ts we eee, 104, 152, 329 ANP ATlSs Seo tent eee ON Se ee 78 [ORIOLE a, Star ota Ase teen eine teas hi 181 PAP PIChellat we eee Aine | aeeneee eee 147 ananticares ara can Aas corer oe 264 Dalvalae ge eee eee en ron 35 panipennellaw sw eee ree 147 panpunccellatre yet eae ees 149 DASSAINSE ent. tot ett rent eet, 232 PAvOMian: LS earns the Me MUR Oe re 24 pechinatania ate. ets. a eos ee 102 DECLINE Aetna merit nue nse rr eene 127 DelOnClARe IAA te LAA eT AS eS see 126 Peligenaet yest s U8 cee 8 69, 208, 260 pendulariane: es. OAs AS Ue 35 Pencllam ss! teat waatte * ACs 77 Pee Al) PEIN AG Aye eS tee art ee eS tee 126 PACHCULCES: P88 8e FAL Cat» 48. 9 een nme oa 266 penibolatags 462-455 tet Ah! SAR mee A 275 PeuluCidalisy <5 5 chee san 2s 22,103, 153 PAYEE ©) KEG: A Se a fla ae ee ee 259 perpyemaccllaces ert Ae 125 Pensorellay sees: H5 hae ah seus hee eee 34 DERI Encl de SA © Shin Sn es See eie 152 PN ACE ANCE CM Les Fe 6 se as 126, 286 [ELTUE CAG 0 ao et na an ne 16, 78, 80 PHOCMICCAtAy A498 ee, ee eee 18 plmagmitellas S205 435252: 149, 298, 329 phycidellaxrns tic sc ees. 5 ie ee 155 PICACHENMIS S158 hee soo: Oe Pe 150 DICICCIN SS Soe E RN ORs ats S16 Fs ote eee 127 Plcncella sees 24) Ako es ec) Ree 144 PILI AT ay. Meta ai ans 8 +. 4 sae 5 Oe 196 Posada: sherk e aos: ss See 28, 140 PIM ASOD eet te eet too eet, DT AS21032 59 Pilelign ates Mee kee ec htt thd he ee 152 FRITH (11 Cee ae egies NESE oie Bs oe 32, 36, 260 POU Sey id Adare ae A AA * A © SU 34 PIMIABIA® © iattss 6 ue, 2 4 te +, ER Sao 30 PilliVOrahats =.42 Steve hee eee Sl PSs eee le Sa ae ee ss he es 9 ee ai ACI ar ey 2. A tsi +2, ae 228 PIANMACIMIS +s 4256.8 254 SA SEAR eee 24 Platan = as eet fee Rk ee 1279 plantanoidellar.:.:.:t. 0.060 ee 145 PLSD CIAL AY. <. “sahs torte". nn ee 151 PICMPPUS: tes %25 sea tk 205, 309 POWCINOROS Ho 6 dos Sicse so Susie Sosiees 32, 199 BOI GECtANIS I woe ce ais: 55 xu sence 209 pelyeomalisiy.:.-.ce ote os ee 69 pomonella’ +. 24:24 544..5443.54 555 29 POPUL. Hn sce eae eset eS 25, 32,102 O(OLIE LCs te eh er EPC Rac de 35 POGDIY GAs nosso csterote occa Saeco 33 POLKTE CE Ay s+ v0 «> hens koe 146 postmultifidus ab: ......>-=+s6= eee 10 POSE VACLAI As. ccc. o-.eihc0c+. toe ncn 42, 150 POtAtOMasasscss55450 58455 55 242 PEACCOX a yr a Hou wo oar are 36 praclatella:.<+ . + « sence 4a 144 pratella sass :6 225 52 3 33000 202 Proboscidalis). 1s .-.<2.0.500 ee 102, 138 PROCIIS oho. oy ors} ais eon eo ee 5 94 PLOMUDARS 4 <..44555a eee 18, 31, 363188 propinquella-= 22. 44-+ 556s 45, 127, 149 PEUNALA eo noo qa et ee 273 PEMD .404554 en ye a5 eae 27,653,199 prunifoliad 4.254065 02000 008 Se 209 DEVCR +s ooo date ae So eee 226 PSalteia +... eee ee 230 PSCUdUNgGUeS =. -s- 44555 -.8 eaeee 230 DSi cts aes. ode Aahchete tats dees ee 25926 pudibunday.....2.4 2.2.0.5 nee 22; 2829 pulchellay. ... 69, 100, 203, 208, 246, 273 pulveralis: . 5.62... #8. 235 50e= eee 51 pulverosellus 223 .%a..>-0.0 eee 126 punctalis. D. ..0. e.c.0..0 5 eee 153 punctalis S.::<:::.:ad:e:s0579445eee 153 PUNCtaPIa: «6 2 6 een eee 259 puppillaria.. «.-.c:....0..'5..45 ee 35 PUEPUTALIS :.. 026 Aree eee 24, 126 DUtags sete cece ecto eee 102, 138 PUELTISG «5202025 5e0 4022636 102 pygmacata......... 4.54522 eee 258 PYSMIMNA 6-66 55 hee Se eee 210 pyralina ......2...43.. 8) 30 PYT here cocdt caret oie ste ntalee 32 Q quadrimaculana: <: 5.2552 s4aneeeee 151 Guadripunctaria.<. 2... 5) eee 260 quadripunctatus ...¢. 2. = eee 227 QuercetiCar.... io oe ee 122 quercifolias : ss: ::53 6456.2 ee 22, 260 Quereinaria’... 50)... eee 104 quercus (ls 6-42.70... ee 33,35 quercus: Oy.) 6 ose oe es eee 2 quinqueguttella\>.2 2522-54 145 R Fatidain :.355 2552453565413 eee 124 rajellate ccc A eee eee iA) ramosella: : 4:2 5255531 26 eee 142, 147 FAP Ac wap eect eee nee 25, 283 1285208 raptricula’. 6.0.00 oo ee ee S74 raschikaellay. 5. :e)..<'. wcll toe 149 Fatzeburgiana:......'.. 6s ee ee 151 PAVIG Ast. "ehatetete's toe 262 TECUTVANIS '.!.°5 22/00. sees sts 52 nepicllas) SECC ay ere. ahrere kee tor trite. oie ahaic 146 SCG MM te ere whe ey eet be sae oy, «i 2 138, 204 Schestediailaiee mseiteam. . opkiradbspeee 145 SEMUICOStella. . . cee ee tate peor 425: 149 SEMMiASela ites. where nctcatie 145 SEIMMMASCIAT Ab rer ch: betaine abe os 23D SEMI Anewe-t, a2 ehies Act Pies 153 Semitestacellantns cb hdc. eee 127 Sema See ee cnet vs Ss ebeaae 266 SEMICCUGINA Eo eer aoe oo ie soto eth a ee 106 seprembrella. viades saunas Bee aris SED(ENUMIONIS] 0.2 7-.4cRa ros a eee 265 SECUIAKE «0 crc6s) coor 5: oto ... .eeeeeee 41 CHILOPODA FithObius. ....,.... 5 sciascin an: Gane eee 3 COLEOPTERA Abax parallelepipedus ....... Pees). 82 Acanthocinus : 5... ...5,4000- ee 189 Acanthocinus aedilis. 2.255. .eeeee 189 Acidata crenata......<...45. eee 272 Adalia decempunctata.............. 24 Aderus oculatus) =: 22.24 5655s 140 populneus «-.24..4)3.2-eeee 139 Agapanthia .0::.:..4'2 as Se 189 Agapanthia lineatocollis ........... 191 villosoviridescens....... 190 Agonum) ericeti <4... ..4-222 eee 304 muellert) <0. oye 82 Nigrum 2s 36.5. Ae ee 305 thoreyi.s:4 2242854228 40 Agrilus pannonicus... ..2= 2 eee 161 Agriotes acuminatus. $=: .2).0seeeeee 82 ObDSCUFUS...8.1.5 eee 82 Aleochara).<......444.404.24 eee 159 Alevonota aurantiaca.............. 100 elegantula:.2542..0s=eee 101 eracilenta kee 101 rufotestacea..44.45eeeee 101 Splendens:«: ..s=seee Paatol Amara lucida: :.2444.4< eee 39 praetenmissa:<.2.04.0.) eee 39 Amischa analis: ....29. 444509 eee 202 decipiens 4..4.24..55 eee 236 Anaspis bohemica:....2.. 55.2425 eae 48 Page Anaspisi Tutilabrisacta. et, Be, 48 Anisodactylus binotatus............. 40 Anthicus bifasciatus.....-.:...- 81, 159 flonalis 4¢kver coco ee 81 PAATIUHGEMUIS Es Bee BIN; os oe co oa ee 50 Aphodius acistinChys .. 3 ca. moe. se 39 NDIOMEIMOGESUUM cesar so cee: 157 SUITMC HAREM cs So. 2 i, 0 kee Tans 96 Aplocnemus nigricornis............ 306 PUN ecideedctom sein kes 306 Arhopalus atnistis:. sHacqireetn nce 40 Acilius tsulcatus aseeete pete. ces 42 Astenusspulchellus. <-. cere eee 81 Atheta basicOmis: #14 fsee oat 262 NarmwOOG las «306s «oA. Fe 159 luRIGIpPeNnnis: 5. se ee ee 236 palustris marti 29: BESS 236 Atholus duodecemstriatus.......... 159 Badistendilatatusw eee eee. ee 305 SOdAlISMSMA hee et ce 305 Bagousidiglyptuseee.:- cc. ace ss oo: 326 lonpibansis-ea82 2 on Aerts eee 326 INNCOSUS Ps ere atc os occas ou 327 BatnodesaGnexusia.. 055. ose enw ce 293 bUQUEHI Se occ a aoe eee 293 delaporti ... autebons- tee 293 VENUSTUS AS Wye Res: 293 Bembidion fermoratum............ 236 Cenels ce een eee ee 236 IFICOLOP SY hee a 304 Blethisa multipunctata............. 301 Boreopiiliaence ss ccs) otek gsenteus des Die Brachisomus echinatus............. 186 NirtUS.< aproteerts ssc 185 » Brachyusaiconcolor. senses Bee 47 Bradycellus harpalinus............. PAID VERDASCIK4 Rostets ere etc) x sul 46 Byrrhius tasciataye anes oe ers 303 pilulager Arye se. . cd 303 Calvia quattuordecempunctata....... 82 @arabus-anvensiS....... «0. . 3 cotta ee 26 ARCITY ClACIIMIP ESSA: saison ee oc 36 [Repida. Cate eee 36 AtTOpidOnia ittOrata. ee 132 Bactromyia aurulenta............... 29 Bessat parallel ai «ix. ve Rieenes GEM: 24 Billaea, microcera...... sees occa: 3 Billaca, pectinata ........ .a6eeee see 3 subrotundatal <-.cick sGhelneeee 3 Blepharipa: pratensis).)47 45 45s oe 32 Blepharomyia pagana............... 36 Blondel... o. .u... < eas oe eee 24 Cadurcia Casta... : . .i2..3.4 sk eee 3) Cadurciellatmitdeniata. 4 eee 29 Canipylochaeta imeptae.--- oe 36 Carcelia’ gnlava)...+2.°.\.) <0... eee 29 lucorums i Va: Pee 30 Cavalaria genibarbis: -5.2) --ssseeee Pai Geranthia abdominalis- 2.5.) =eeeee 35 hehtwardtianal ae 35 @eromyia bicolor: .... 4h sneeeeeee 35 Compsilura concinnata.............. D5 Culex pipiens... ...,.. -pheeeeeeee 319 Gulisetatannulata...- = 45 319 Gystophlebairunicola.....seeeeeeeeee 37 Gyzenis al DicanSi5o77401n4 0 ae 31 Didea fasciata\........ ...... + sabres 103 Digonochaeta setipennis............ 132 Dioctialcomurnata. oe 283 RUPIPES.. oo... cee ee 284 Dionea nitidulay 5552-4 45-0 eee 132 Drinomnconspiciias 2 eee 29 Lota ore ee ee 29 Flodia: morio's..222 32.62 g2 Endaunus; caudatus...-= eee 132 Epicampocera Succinctaseeee = eee 26 Eristalis’ tenax:):: ; 203s sa0rws> ae 319 Prnestia Tudis'. .......... see eee 33. vagans 2 i)... abe 3 eee 33 EGNeS@tm jks. cc .cca keene 33 Erycia festinans....4. 7. eee 30 furrbunda’s 3.3057. ee 30 PRryciii:: r.000 Jac ce ee ee 26 Eumealineariconmss 945 one 30 Eunithia consobrina, - See aaa 34 Exonista fasciatal. 2s ee eee 23 erandis<':::: Aakers 24 larvarum : 3.6 oy. eee 24 ROVal So s5 4.55355 eee 24 Segrepatuinl =... 457 24 sorbillans! os. 2 es ee 24 Exoristini: 4-332. 0) 2 eee 23 Frontina -lactai-n sae ee 32 GON. a5. 380) 3 oo Re 30 Leopoldius, signatuss tec) seer 103 Beptarthugus) brevinOsthisnees oer 285 Linnaemyla, TOSSICA) . jaetee ere 33 Vil PIM a.» s<2.- cgsetio pee 33 LAMMACTV ING, 5 cts tue pesce loa oh eae 33 Lydella stabulams - -.. \c 3 4.40) eee 29 Lypha.dubia. ©... 0.0: oc 2 33 Machimus atricapiullus: |. - oe eee 285 Miasicera pavonlde’-.-. 0. . oo ue 32 Sphingivotd . 2% 25... eee 31 sylvatica’? +:t2 See 132 Medina lucttosa?.-=>- ee 24 sepafratay ¢ My) foU iS, eae ...24 Nearini {4640 « «« 4o ee. Aaa 34 INemoraea spellucidaeeinge: era 33 Nemoraeititi. .v..<.. 20a Se Gee 33 Nemorilla floralis);.. anes. see 26 maculosa:.... : Aesere BARE 26 Page Neoplectops pomonellae............ 34 INilea hortulanass : dyna ced taco taco 26 Ales MaVIG arn. = cris pene itemen 0 6 ote 30 RarasarcOpnhaga ALAGhIK crepe cvs coeieeen 3 arasetigena SilVeStris\.,...%,a0c:-- + ok 24 elatachina tibialis). 2... senha: o- 34, 132 Belatachinini. 22. < do.0:. <. donate ee 34 Reribacaapicali@:....% «.. seviaemepers« oem 35 IDI ATS 2 82. olcras oor eee 35 PNTYyXe Cry tanOSstOMa . - aicati. a yee VA AMECUROPHIa fOErsteni* sew. ... -6s.. 262 Apanteles hoplites<.<..4% aeorrs et 132 AISCORAStCI-RIMIGeNS:... pean oaks: «2 oe 132 Atanycolus denigrator ............. 132 AMDIODUS CATDONALIUS «5 gca5- +> o> se 127 Brachycentrus brachycentrus........ 132 BEACONEGISCOIGENIS: otitis os vires oe 132 AAW LANTIS oo cases ie ic. eines 245 WHIIPIATLICUIUS:.,<. - r-veeaene euacelt 132 UA CEISUIS ON. SP aie nas: och os 190 Cenocoelius agricolator.75, 243, 244, 245 AUVAISE oo eae 75, 243, 245 Chelontslaevigaror = 363 is ck aioe 132 TOTS WA a yeas oko oie 132 €oclobracom mitiatoer. osc: eo LOO INCEST 5.13 onc les a oot 190 @oeloidessabdomunalis 4. ce 190 INItlALON eer ee ee 190 (0) | Ci eb Cae eee 1277, CTOSSOCELUS 5 6.02. Fee Deets ee a 128 Crypts: WidUdtOnlUsSpe eee eee oe 2 132 Cyrtogaster Vulgaris 2 eee - o- 163 Dacnusa. gedanensis: 2. ae; 20 2. 132 Deuteroxorides albitarsus..... Se 755132 IGNCUS:-- 270 Saree cee US) iN PekatOlwae eee ee 75 Diadromus subtilicornis:. 5... .....-..- 132 DIPRION 5 ene Gis Sia ae Cc 29 Doryctes 1SNeUSe .. aek te Pe ee 245 IM PERatO la wee 5 uae 190 DONMIATIUSE. .. anaes 75, 190 undulatus? : 2 2.ace- 243, 244 Echthrus nubeculatus. 5. sass e oe 132 PopuIncusen ere 132 REMICCAMON Aga dyyo © ee 132 EE CtGMNUS 5. a eee ee 128 ENGOLus, candatus! <2 ..5.ttsegeacuee 129 Entydonichaly bacus:.254--2 oe eee 132 Ephialtes abbreviatus?3-65- 2.2.5. - 132 CX CMSOR a5 on yew cg ac 132 CXtHICAtOl yam aces cee 245 TSTMS aye tyes uc eek 132 NEtEnA DUS wees ae ee 132 IWCCIDESi: cit. oe ee ge h2 manifestator..... 132, 244, 245 TMCS@CENEIS sear eee ee 190 TESSOle Bas? - See T4, 155132 POPUlaeUS - 22 wack: 1295 132 Sap aXertywen 4. Samer ect 245 SAD ANS etc Pau ae ere 245 LENE DEAN Sere atiep ya 244, 245 tuberculatus...... (Se 382, 190 Eurytoma eccoptogasth- 9... a. 244 Eormica cunicularial. - .24 ee ole 93 SAN PUINCAs M . aac ee 93 Glyptacephippigeraa. 3. n+ eee 132 FOStHALUS). 44. ae eee 132 LETCSn so ae hot ey ee ae 132 Gonieryptus andlish:4....- 2 32424 2: 132 GoOLnytes *DICINCtUS) 4 oe... oe cise 128 Quadnitasciatus). 055.6 ase 128 UTI GUS 5 is ceca oe eee 128 Habrobracon palpebrator....... 75, 243 Habrocytus dahlbomi.......... Sie. DAS SuttatuSe se en Me ee 245 Habrocytus tenuicornis............ 132 DMGULAOISs. sn ea 245 edychnridiml9 andens: . 0455-4... 4 127 COnACCUMI oe ae 7, ROSCUIMD evo eres ce Se 127 elconrannulicormmis. .... 4: -.4. >be WS CAninalOlrae 2 oe cao ee 75 langatoles- + cats on en eee 75 Helcostizus brachycentrus.......... 132 Hemiteles aestivalis................ 245 IMelananmuUsn 114448 132, 245 TMOGESCUS aes soe oe ae oe 132 AVIAeUS COMMIS 4428 2c as a g3 7. Hypoponera punctatissima.......... 97 Kdiolispaanalis. =). +... os ecco 132 Iphiaulax flavator........ chelator: 245 IMPOStOls. 5 oo c: W5etS2-0190 iSchnocenus filionmis; 7-402 o 0 oe 129 GMSEICUS =. Neat ons 129 Seticonnmis...\- os ae WD WEASIUSPAlienUSiett et ce te cee ee ee 93 IDRUTINEUS 22° oo hes ce os Se 293 Men(GiONaliS 4. ches oe ee 93 faAbAUGIA ot Sc oe oe eee 93 Keptothoraxmacervonuml. 3222-55... 3° 43 indeniusialbilabns....0:.-. 3... - 3 - 128 Eyconnatniangulitera: 4.505 a2 O45 44. 132 Meteorus tabidus.......... Sig Nil SY Miyrmica pueniliseet 2. 2). tna 92 SLU OF la aoe pe cepacaen a ctairali esl al dahl arte ae 44 SCabrinodis. ... 8 fos. se 93 SCHENCKIM ern a Lis 93 SHECIOIGES eee ee re oe 92 INGERemmnmuUSiHiGdiUS. waa ee te ee 163 INeoxonides collanisi.. 52. oe at 190 MILENSS ee ene ee ee 129 INVSsOnadimidiatisi: == 5.08. >. asso 5 128 inUlincatliSee ese ee 128 Orihocentmus fulvipes: =. -=..-... 75, 131 Pachyneuronsaetestator: «5... .. ae 75 Rimplavaculitenamee {2 oso. se, 2 13y2 AlUCEN ANS: tee ee ees 132 EOCMIIASnOlAlawree te oe ce eae 190 R@neraicoanctatalse't. 3.) t ss sae oe 97 EFOSCUSSSUSPICAKS 24.54. oe oh oe eo 8 132 Pteromalus aeniocornis............ 132 posonochent sees +44: 245 Evracmone melanunus-ee soe) 26. Tes) ROMGMORMISH es Sty ee 245 Rhimphoctona fulvipes............ 129 SichiiiatilionnisMeea fo ee 190 Page SyMIpPlesis POKCIUS 455-4 6— eee 282 SenIGEICORMIS:- eee 282 MapinomavaMmbiguvum. 22 eee 93 erraticum’.-... 3 eee 93 Tonymus macrocenthus 2-2. - eee 1372 QUerCINUS S22) - eee 132 Wrocenisecigasainam Si cee 327 Wiespaxcrabro’.. ee. 24 eee 41, 159 Orientalis:. «0. 3... eee 41 Vespulaveis 20k: 4 eee 199 Vespula wulgariss 2. 0 eee 42 Miphydrus™canielus.. + eee 131 Xorides brachilabnis.... eee TS filiformis "". ) eee 75 INGdiCAtOnIUS 4. 1. ee 75 intigator: hcl See 75, 190 PpraccatoOnus. +. eee 75, 13h SCCURLONMIS + 42> eee 75 Xylophrunus lancifer == .. 4.25. 1305182 ODONATA Aeshna cyanea. -..q450ee See 200, 239 IMIXta. ... -AREisee. ee 199 Gordulegaster boltoni.. -=eeee eee 239 Enallagma cyathiferum...- 2) Jseee 239 estes, Sponsa'........ . .”).. pea eee 239 Keucorrhinia dubia... -. pees ones 239 Mibellula depressa..-:...ee2eeEeeee 239 quadrimaculata. :) aaa 239 Orthetrum: coerulescens,,.. 5. eee 239 Sympethum! danae- ase) a aeeeeeee 239 Striolatum . heen eee 239 ORTHOPTERA Acheta domesticus’... 4 eee 169 Chorthippus albomarginatus...173, 238 MITTS ns ees oe WP a2 il parallelus>; > 171i, 72238 Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa............. 170 Leptophyes punctatissima...... 169, 240 Mantis religiosa=') 3: 2). 4 41 Meconema thalassinum........ 168, 240 Metrioptera brachyptera....... 169, 239 Myrmeliotettix maculatus...... 173, 238 Omecestus vVintdulusts 9.0 ae WA ee 237 Pholidoptera griseoaptera. .167, 168, 240 Platycleis albopunctata...-- = eee 169 Stenobothrus lineatuss so seen 171 Tetrix subulatas = 52245 52 170, 240 undulata s.r e 170, 239 Printed in England by Cravitz Printing Company Limited, 1 Tower Hill, Brentwood, Essex. 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