SP PREY VMS TE WATS PD PNR PE THE BULLETIN OF THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY VOLUME 13 (1954) Edited by B. R. STALLWOOD The Amateur Entomologists’ Society 1 West Ham Lane, London, E15 AES BULLETIN, Vol. 13 INDEX Compiled by A. BLACKBURN (1715) CONTRIBUTORS Aldridge, R. V., 50, 51, 56, 64, 72, 79, 88, 100, 116 Nila Bs M., 64, 78, 91 Alten: S: E.; .66 Nshibye, G. J.; 11 Baynes. HooS: A., 12 Beaufoy, L. S8.. 89 Bilbie, W., 23, 58 Bingham, C..D.. 108 Chandless, R. E., 89 Cross, G. S. E., 62, 100 Groene. J. B., 3, di, 72. 109 Dannreuther, T., 113 Wolrons EE Ih., 39 Eade, G., 72 Farwell, Ian G., 82 Ceorten Ra s.edd. 15, 53 Green; J...-4 Greenslade, P. J. M., 92 Riiogive were Vane. 7. 9) 20: 54, 74 Hansonmas: Meads. 712. - Hardman, J. A., 83 Harper, G. W., 50 Heppell, D. H., .12...50, 66 Higginbottom. Edric. 4 Lsome Gs Ei. 59 Johnson, J. H., 15, 76 Kettlewell, H. B. D., 114 ROMP Es. We 23. 00, 3 Lewis, E., 115 Lewis, E, S., 15, 68 omias, B., 57, 65. 90 Lomas, D.. 94 Maggs. P., 6 Major, Alan P., 79 Marcon, Rev. J. N.. S80 Marston, H. H. M., 85 Moore, John, 4 Wiomris. VW, HL H.., 24 Newton, A. H., 98 Ollevant, D., 116 Peacey, A. F., 52, 99 Philp, E. G,, 108 Pringle, J. P. S., 58. 104 initley EL. "72 Rorke, D. W., 95 Rosamond, P., 58 Russell, S. G. Castle, 55. 73, 80 EU Van ls Si. 8, 5d Sankey, J. H. P., 23 pargent, H. B., 18 Shaw, H. K. Airy, 92 Siggs, L. W., 1, 114 Smart; P| E., 107, 108 Sinith, W. R., 22, 96, 100 Southwood, T. R. E., 83 Spoczynska, Joy O. I., 87, 106 Stallwood, B. R., 59. 67 Stradling, D. J., 58 Suffield, N. L., 106 Syms, EK. B., 3, 13 ANTON, Wh MN Taylor, ©. de, 14 dheivdlone, IP) (Gi, GS, Gil, Ss, ills mebbs, He ., 24, 62 Townsend, A. L. H., 3 Tremewan, W. G., 108 Uffen, R. W. J., 92 Underwood, R., 102, 106 Valletta, A., 84 Vincent, P. S., 52 Waddington, L. G. F.. 14. 19 Wakely, S., 104 Wallis, B., 89 Warterson. E., 89 \Wweusons do do Seq 10s Watts; W. J., 3 Weaving, W., 51 Wiolelace, J05 Ss, By Rl) Wood, A. E. B., 2% Wood, E. R., 60 WOWINE, IN, 135, 8 SUBJECTS Advice on Micro-Lepidoptera, 104 Advisory Panel, 48 All in a Lifetime, 81 Annual General Meeting. 67 Another Idea for a Pupa Cage, 51 Another Junior Members’ Number, 72 Apparatus and a Technique for making mounts of small.specimens, 82 Bean Aphid and Allied Species, The, 93 Beetle Parasite, A, 114 Behaviour of Adult Lepidoptera in Winter, 98 Betrothed, The Bride and the Spouse, The, 105 Butterflies in 1953, 24; in 1954, 108 Camberwell Beauty in Durham, 106 Coenonympha tullia Muell. in Malta. 66, 84 Clouded Yellow in Rhodesia, 8 Collecting Dung Beetles, 5, 20 Collecting in Malta, 12 Colour Variety of the Red Admiral. ‘58. 73 Conservation of Rarities, 108 Council for 1954-55, 67 Council for the Promotion of Field Studies, 66 Council’s Report for 1953, 67 “Don’t do It” Tips, 15 Doodle-bug, The, 79 Editorial, 101, 109 iv Egg Parasite, An, 109 Excreting Habits of Forficula auricularia, 11 Experiments with the Muslin Moth. Cycnia mendica, 104 Final Thoughts on Scientific Method. 69 Fluid Emission by Larvae, 83 Food Plants :— Artemisia vulgaris, 50 Cirsium arvense, 93 Clematis vitalba, 87 Epilobium angustifolium, 75 hirsutum, 75 Euonymus europaeus, 94 Galium verum, 112 Impatiens biflora, 75 Polygonum convolvulus, 94 Rumex crispus, 94 Senecio viscosus, 72 Solanum nigrum Viburnum opulus, 94 Fraternising Butterflies, 8 Further Observations on Arctia caja, 61, 89, 99 Garden Ecology, 72 ‘Hand-fed”’ Butterflies, 89 Honorary Member, 3 How Was It Done? 20, 83 Hover Flies, 10 Idea for a Pupa Cage, Another, 51 In Lighter Vein, 60 Insects in a Coal-mine, 22 Investigators Investigated, 53 Junior Members’ Number, Another, 72 Kettlewell, Dr. HB. D., 143 Killing Bottle Note, 50 Lepidoptera in the Middle East, 85 Lepidoptera in the New Forest, 103 Lepidopterist, The, 1 Lepidopterist’s Notes, A, 1953-54, 107 Letters to the Editor, 3, 15, 23, 52, 59, 72, 89, 108, 114 Life Cycle of Chloroclysta mtata, The, 50 Light on the Stoep, 96 Littlewood Pupa-cage, The, 77, 90 London Meetings Group, The. 13 Looking Back, 5, 54 Membership List, 25 Micro-Lepidopterist’s Group, 116 More about Citheronia brissotit, 100 Moth Migrations to the British Isles, 110 Mugwort, A Dual-purpose Plant, 50 Naphthaline Headed Pins, 50 New Collecting Method, A, 114 New Zealand Stick Insect in Devon, 115 Observations, 8, 51 Observations of Rutterflies in Essex, 47 One of the Last Few, 13 Other Folks’ Activities, 66 “Other’ Insects at Light, In Hampshire, 65 In Malta, 65 Other Orders attracted to Light: of Flight. 92 the Larva of Height AES BULLETIN. Vol. 13 a Paired Feeding of Lepidopterous Larvae, 95 Pearl Bordered Fritillary, The, 89 Philip M. Miles’ Sugaring Trap, The, 114 Practical Hints, Setting Desk, A, 23, 64 Practical Hints :— May, 56 June, 64 July, 71 August, 78 September, 87 October, 100 December, 116 President’s Message, i Puss Moth, The, 89 Rearing Heliothis peltigera, 72 Record Swallowtail. A. 108 Reviews :— “Atlas Geografica -de la Argentina’, 113 Butler, Colin G., “‘The World of the Honey-bee’’, 84 Handbooks for the Identification of British tnsects: Buck, F. D., ‘‘Coleoptera, Lagriidae to Meloidae’’, 92 Coe. Ro L.2 =Dipieea: Q4 Delany, M. .J:, Diplura’”’, 92 “Insectes Sociaux” : Bulletin de l’Union Internationale pour l’Etude des Insectes Sociaux, 59 Lisney, Amy F. E., “‘The Bee Walk’’, 67 Neal, Ernest, ‘‘Woodland Ecology’’, 16 Pain, Nesta. ‘‘Lesser Worids’’, 52 Ribbands,. C. R., “‘Behaviour and Social Life of Honeybees’’, 8 School Natural History Society Reports, 102 Scientific Method in Entomology, 4, 69 Setting Desk, A, 23, 64 Setting Hints, 7 Silk Moth Longevity, 3 Silk Moth Rearing, 56 Some Intriguing Problems, 6, 9, 19. 73 Some Observations of Sphingid Larvae. 58 Some Problems of Pupae. i8& “South London”, The, 1 Spiders, 10 Spring Butterflies in North Kent, 79 Squeaking Pupae, 12 Study Groups, 49 Sugaring Trap, Mr. P. M. Miles, 114 Sugaring Vagaries, 14 Termes badius Hav. (Isoptera, Termitidae), O04 Transmission of Virus Diseases, 72 Use for Nylons, A, 65 Variety of Leucozona lucorum, A, 106 Wainscoting in Northamptonshire. &5 Wasp Nest in January. A, 59 Why? 14 Why not Collect Flies? 17 Wintering Pupae. #2 Republica Syrphidae’’. “Thysanura and AES BULLETIN, Vol. 13 INDEX OF NAMES NEMATOMORPHA Parachordodes violaceus, 115 ARACHNIDA .- Aranea diadema, 11 Drassodes lapidosus, 11 Lycosa narbonnensis, 11 Pisaura inirabilis, 11 Xysticus lanio, 10 INSECTA ORTHOPTERA Carausius morosus, 85 Forficula auricularia, 14 Miomantis semialata, 97 Orxines macklotti. §8 ISOPTERA Amitermes atlanticus, 97. Termes badius, 94 HEMIPTERA Aphis acanthi, -93 armata, 93 cognatella, 94 ewuonymi, 93 fabae, 93 hederae, 93 ilicis, 93 rumicis, 93 sambuci, 93, 94 viburni, 94 Brachypelta aterrima, 65 Ceruraphis eriophori, 93 Lygaeus pandurus, 65 Pemphigus bursarius, 93 Reduvius pallipes, 65 personatus, 65 Rhinocoris erythropus, 65 NEUROPTERA Creoleon plumbeus, 65 Morter hyalinus, 65 LEPIDOPTERA Abraxas sylvata, 64 © Abrostola tripartita, 103 Acherontia atropos, 12, 58 Achlya flavicornis, 56, 71 Acontia luctuosa, 64 Acrocercops brongniardella, 98, 99 Acrolepia granitella, 99 Agapetes galathea, 24, 107 AGlLOtS wunticae, 8, 12. 24. 74. 79. (83 Agrotis exclamationis, 53 — ripae, 79 Agrochola circellaris, 87 lychnidis, 22 macilenta, 19 Allophyes oxyacanthae, 19, 100 var. capucina, Aon V Alucita pentadactyla, 22 Amathes c-nigrum, 22, 53 Amphipyra pyramidea, 78 tragopogonis, 22; 78 Anarta myrtilla, 78 Anchoscelis helvola, 14 litura, 22 Antheraea pernyi, 3 Apatele aceris, 87 Apatura iris, 54 Aphantopus hyperantus, 24. 57, 103 Araschnia levanda, 52 Arctia caja, 22, 61, 62, 79; 88, 89, 90, 107 villica, 61 Arenostola elymi, 87 extrema, 8&6 phragmitidis, 86, 107 Argynnis aglaia, 55, 107 cydippe, 55, 79, 107 Var. brenzeus, 79 charlotta, 79 confluens, 80 euphrosyne, 89. 108 paphia, 55, 57, 103, 107 Aricia agestis, 24,.79, 84 dtolmis rubricollis, -100 Biston betularia, 103 Brachionycha sphinx, 19 Bupalus pintarius, 56 Callithea sapphira, 95 Callophrys rubi, 12 Calophasia lunula, 87, 108 Calothysanis amata, 53 Catocala nupta, 88,105 promissa. 105 sponsa, 105 Celastrina argiolus, 24 Cerostoma radiatetlus, 99 Cerura vinula, 89 Chesias legatella, 56 Chiasmia clathrata, 79 Chloroclysta miata, 9, 50, 100 siterata, 9, 50 Ciliz glaucata, 22 Cirina forda, 95 Cirrhia fulago, 87 Citheronia brissotii, 20. 100 Citrea lutea, 87 Clostera nigra, 54 Coenonympna pamphilus, 12, 66 exer. lyllus, 84 UNG, $2, wil, Oo, fA var. laidon, 66 ab. philoxenus, 52 Colias eroceus, 8. 12) 245 57 electra, 8 Colocasia coryli, 87 Colotois pennaria, 22, 100 Conistra ligula, 87, 100 vaccinii, 87, 100 Cosmia affinis, 64 diffinis, 64 Crocallis elinguaria, 22 Cryphia perla, 79 Cucullia absinthii. 50 asteris, 79 lychnitis, 79 gnaphalii, 71 Cybosia mesomella. 103 Cycnia mendica, 22, 104 Danaus chrysippus. 85 var. alcippus, 84 plexippus, 85, 107 Dasypolia templi, 50 Deilephila elpenor, 15, 22. 58, 74. &3 Depressaria applana, 99 arenella, 99 Deuteronomos fuscantaria, 22. 79 Diarsia rubi, 53 Diataraxzia oleracea, 22 Discoloxia blomeri. 64 Drepana cultraria, 103 falcataria, 71, 87 lacertinaria, 87 Dryobota protea, 78 Dypterygia scabriuscula, 103 Dysstroma truncata, 22. 53 Ectropis bistortata, 9 crepuscularia, 9 Eilema complana, 103 Electrophaes corylata, 53 Epermenia chaerophyllella, 99 Epione repandaria, 103 Epirrhoé alternata, 53 Episema caeruleocephala, 19 Erannis aurantiaria, 56. 116 defoliaria, 56, 116 progemmaria, 22 Erebia aethiops, 13 epiphron, 13 Ruchioé cardamines, 24 Eumenes semele, 6, 73, 107 subsp. thyone, 73 Euphydryas aurinia, 54 Eupithecia castigata, 53 centaureata, 22 inturbata, 56 linariata, 108 nanata, 78 pimpinellata, 78 sobrinata, 56 succenturiata, 87 vulgata, 22 Euplagia quadripunctaria, 24 Euplexia lucipara, 22, 68 Euproctis chrysorrhoea, 22, 103 Gastropacha quercifolia, 61. 103 Gegenes pumilio, 84 Geometra papilionaria, 56 Gonepteryx cleopatra, 84 rhamni, 12, 79 Gortyna flavago, 79 Gracillarta betutlicola, 98, 99 cuculipennella, 99 elongella, 98, 99 Gracillaria semifascia, 98, 99 stigmatella, 98, 99 sulphurella, 98. 99 Griposia aprilina, 78, 87 AES BULLETIN, Vol. Habrosyne derasa, 100 Hadena bicruris, 6A conspersa, 64 cucubali, €4 lepida, 64 serena, 103 Suasda, 53 thalassina, 53 w-latinune, 53 Heliothis peltigera, 72 Hemistola immaculaia, 71. 8&7 Hemithea strigata, 103 Hepialus hiumatli, 53, 83 lupulinus, 53 Hlerse convolvuli, 140, 112 Hipparchia algirica. 84 ITylesia nigricans, 109 Hyloicus pinastri, 103. 105 Laothoé populi, 58 Lampides boeticus, 84 Leucania impura,. 87 lithargyria, 22, 78 pallens, 22, 86, 17 Lithosia quadra, 103 Limenitis camilla, 54, 58, 107 var. nigrina, 57 Lophopteryx capucina, 22. 6% Luperina testacea, 79 Lycaena phlaeas, 12 Lycia hirtaria, 19 Lymantria monacha, 105 Lyncometra ocellata, 103 Lyonetia clerkella, 99 Lysandra bellargus, 79. coridon. 79. 107 var. obsoleta, 107 Macroglossum. stellatarzum, 110, 112 Macrothylacia rubi, 103 Maculinia arion, 13 Maniola jurtina, 6, 12. 57. 80. 89 var. hispulla, 84 Meganephria oxyacanthae, 8&7 Melanchra persicariae. 100 Melitaea cinxia, 13 Meristis trigrammica, 53 Minoa murinata, 64. 103 Vormo maura, 79 Nonagria cannae. 87 dissoluta, 86 sparganii, 86 typhae, 86 Nymphalis antiopa, 106 io, 12, 24, 99 polychloros, 13. 57 Ochropleura plecta, 53 Operophtera brumata, 116 Opisthograptes luteolata, 53 Oporinia autumnata, 100 dilutata, 22, 100 Orthosia gothica, 22 populi, 56 Ourapteryr sambucaria, 2 Papilio machaon, 12 subsp. britannicius, 108 13 AES BULLETIN, Vol. 13 Pararge aegerid, 12, 24, 54, megerd, 84, 103 Parasemia plantagenis, 88 Perconiau strigillaria, 64 Peronea cristata, 99 ferrugana, 99 Phigalia pedaria, 22 Philosamia cynthia, 73 var. obscura, 3 Philudoria potatoria, 107 Phlogodis dolabraria, 53 Phlogophora meticulosa, 53 Phytometra wiridaria. 103 Pieris brassicae, 12, 24, 83, napi, 12. 24, 107 rapae, 12, 89 Platyptilia acanthodactyla, cosmodactyla, 99 Plebeius argus, 103. 107 var. obsolela, 108 Plusia bractea, 71 chrysites, 43 festucae, 71 Ganna 22,33, WO. 142 Poeciloeampa populi, 116 Polygonia c-album, 12. 2. eged, 84 Polyommatus icurus, 12. 24, Polyploca ridens, 71 Procris geryon, 64 Strigilis, 22 Pseudoterpra pruinata, 56 Plerophorus monodactylus, Pterostoma palpina, 53 Pyrgus malvae, 24 Rhizedra lutosa, 85. 107 Saturnia pavonia, 57 Selenia bilunaria, 22 tefralunaria, 79 Simaethis pariane, 99 Smerinthus ocellatus, 22 Spilosoma lubricipeda, 22. Sterrha muricata, 103 Strymon w-album, 2 Tarucus telicanus, 84 Thecla quercus, 24. 107 Thoiera popularis, 79 Thyalira batis, 103 Thymelicus acteon. 12 Tiliacea aurago, 8&7 Tinaea pallescentella, 22 Trichiura crataegi, 64 Triphaena pronuba. 22 Triphosa dubitata, 53 Dis Ts WR. aor var. hatehinsoni, 107 107 Vanessa atalanta, 12, 24, 58, 71, 73 var. bisecta, 107 COT ONO., 12. Wh Bye. le io, & Nanthorhoé ferrugala, 53 montanata, 353 Nylophasia monoglypha, 22 Zelleria hepariella, 99 Zenobia subtusa, 56 Zyyaena trifolii, 103 COLEOPTERA Agabus bipustulatus, 65 Amphimallus solstitialis, 66 9a Aphodius contaminatus, 20 fimnetarius, 20, 65 punctato-sulcatus. 65 rufipes, 20. 65 Apomocyna binubila, 97 Alractocerus brevicornis, 97 Blaps gages. 65 Brachinus crepitans, 97 Criocephalus polonicus. 6d. 66 Pytiscus marginalis, 5d. 65 kurynebria complanatla, 97 Geotrupes stercorarius, 65 79 Lampyris noctiluca, 65 Longitarsus melunocephalus, 53 Melolontha melolontha, 92 vulgaris, 65 Necrophorus vespillo, 65, 66 99 Phosphuya atrata, 115 Phyllobrotica 4-maculata, 65, 66 Prionus coriarius, 65 Nysterocera marginalis, 97 89, 111 HYMENOPTERA Acanthomyops niger. oA Apis mellifica, 60 Eremotylus marginatus, 53 Ophion spp., 53 res DIPTERA Catabomba pyrastri, 102 Chrysotoxum festinium, 102 Eristalis intricarius, 101 pertinax, 104 Leucozona lucorum, 106 Pseudacteon formicarium, 51 Rhingia campestris, 102 Volucella bombylans. 102 pellucens. 102 zonaria, 67 XNanthogramma ornatun, 102 Vil Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists Society. 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. 1955. pe F F f= x le cae daelw cae i i" DTH OR oe Wave ene. WRC ae ace aaee PaPN cad ays Wd Seva Privacy. SVM OA, cawitts Yo 6 ws ie ro nha meaty hay 7 Se ay Hea pee A feces ie i Ac ewe ale - Sh ps Ba flit 2 LSAT 1K é ake aa eal aoe, Be i So ie fel nag ; een ee mty Bi SVR LORE _ = tod a ah : 2 . i j EGC “au ; sy i, y i ' j { t ak ; ‘ Fi i " i ily ; rOLAN : ; i ~ = i rs : i ey : i ay " i ' i eh ; hk a ‘i ey sales oy et eae . 2h Yea, Ef : ’ ‘s PL ‘ie. ein ely es vb avery aa ») a3 if » Be bc ue eo ‘ Psa Le eu . x ST ie LAr 3) A 2 1 ‘ ‘ r Ve E 4 Sia Mines, ck SU ORM a 1 kek” . iy fit se a } ’ ie + } ‘ j ‘ . Pi p r Sehr lie sieht neni inal its afi ‘bata lthel tyey ie ss 2 iy Co ott Bi caeah ds DB iiactt Pm No. 157 JANUARY THE BULLETIN iL ff fe pd ah Dg LL SE FES III FS > LPP PLEEP LS) LA Lh fiudahip iff buf er ar ar er aw ae eT Ta ee OF THE AMATEUR -ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY EY Ds Yr Wye “Yip EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD ett 555555508 Loh bSSESS5SS555SSSSSS595$5995559S954 $995555449555$S55555555S45O554455SS544SS5S54 Sd PESSOSOOOOS OOOO OO TEOOEEHOSESEDODEDEDGS DHHOHOHOHOOHOOD PEPOPOO OPO DO OOOO DODO OOS OUOL TOO OOOO HOODOO OSOOOOD. © oe ‘ oe o¢ . . . . oe 3: If you have Book Tokens to spend, write first for our Special List of the 3 _ oe a oe oe oe oe : oe 33 WAYSIDE & WOODLAND SERIES 33 oe oe oe oe 33 and Other Nature Books 33 oe oe oe . *¢ 33 This 64-page Catalogue will be sent post free on request. 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That’s why ] never adopted lepidoptery : I do not wish to live in jeopardoptery. some feline .@) PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE This Bulletin will arrive, I hope, on the breakfast tables in Britain, at least, before you have had time to break any new resolutions and while you are still in the mood to look ahead. In each recent year the AES has taken some new step forward and has consolidated old ground. What of 1954? One recent innovation is the Lon- don Meetings Group, which holds monthly meetings on Saturdays at 6 p.m. with a talk on some aspect of entomology followed by discussion and a display of exhibits. Perhaps other centres will try out the idea, possibly with smaller groups meeting in one another's homes. There is more fun and more success in entomology when it is shared. That leads me to suggest that more use should be made of the Member- ship List, which will appear again in April. I know that some members already look upon thig list as one of the most valuable assets of the AKS. Make sure that you know all the other members within a reasonable radius of your home. Maybe you can organise a meeting, especially a field meeting, and possibly a Group. And before you go on holiday, write to the local members and ask if you may call on them. The holiday will be the more enjoyable if you can. (If you want to amend particulars relating to your- self in the List, you should write to Mr. Byerley immediately.) BULLETIN Nioherd dod JANUARY 1954 I have another suggestion. Your honorary officers devote many hours to the job of helping the Society to tick over, even to the extent of neglecting their own entomological interests. I am sure you would wish to help. You can, in two ways at least, by paying your subscription at once (or sending in your resignation if that is the way you feel), and by writing articles for this Bulletin or getting other entomologists to do so. You see, just as the mercury vapour trap, by increasing the number of specimens captured, increases the number of ‘‘ good things ’’ taken, so the Editor would be able to select even better material for the Bulletin. After all, the Junior Members showed us last November what can be done, and I hear that we are to have in this issue a contribution from an over-80 member. Speaking of the editorship, I would draw your attention to the new name on the cover. Mr. W. J. B. Crotch, who stepped into a breach nearly three years ago, has persuaded Mr. B. R. Stallwood to take over from him. The Council have, in turn, persuaded Mr. Crotch to remain as General Editor, looking after future Hand- books and Leaflets. I am sure you would wish me to express our thanks to Mr. Crotch for deeds past and to Mr. Stallwood for deeds to come. Finally, may I remind you that the Hon. General Secretary is always glad to have new ideas for improving the Society, which he will bring before the Council. L. W. Stees (248). @ THE “SOUTH LONDON”’ The South London Entomological and Natural History Society hon- oured the AES by inviting us as the Guest: Society to their Annual Dinner on 30th October. Many kind things were said about the success of the AES in fostering an interest in en- tomology among beginners. It was suggested that we are probably the largest entomological society in this country. Quite a number of those present were members of both Societies. , JANUARY 1954 RESPONSES OF STRYMON W-ALBUM Knoch. For the last three years I have been carrying out an ecological survey of Battlestead Hill Wood, Tatenhill, near Burton-on-Trent. During this time, a variety of interesting points have been noted, one of which is given below. It is in this wood that the White letter Hairstreak, Strymon w-albuin is found. (This is probably the colony mentioned in South’s ‘‘Butter- flies of the British Isles’’). The accompanying map will help to illustrate my point. It was noticed that the butterflies, in the morning, were to be found only on the eastern side of the hill, flying round the Elm (Ulmus glabra). They first began to appear about 6 a.m., by which time the sun was relatively strong (as it was July). No butterflies were to be found on the relatively cold west side. As the sun moved to the west, the butterflies moved accordingly with the sunlight, but, although the whole of the south and west sides of the wood are composed of elm, no butterflies were seen here. Most of the butterflies moved to the north west side, where there is a dominant shrub layer of Bramble; in favourable years the bramble flowers are covered with S. w-album. In the afternoon, when the eastern side of the hill was in shade, no w- album were to be found there. The sun provided a further effect on the well populated N.-west side. In the early afternoon, only the bramble bushes on the lower part of the hillside were illuminated, and w- album was confined to this region. As the afternoon progressed, bramble bushes further up the hillside were illuminated, with the result that the butterflies spread progressively up the hillside. Finally, by 5.30 p.m., although the sun was still relatively strong. practi- cally all the butterflies had disap- peared. This made me wonder what factors were involved; three of the possibili- ties that occurred to me are given below. (a) Light, duration. This occurred to me by way of the fact that one can have ‘long-day’ and ‘short-day’ plants, which require long and short periods of daylight accord- ingly. It seemed uneanny that the butterflies appeared almost ‘on the dot’ at 6 a.m., and dis- appeared at 5.30 p.m., every time Distribution of S.w-olbum: Bottlestead Hdl Wood. /{ Distribution of Bramble x Distribution of S. w-album. A.V. (9) a ag es P.M. early) +t Extension ee a P.M-_‘late) S Approx. summit of hill Scale: 42:-5in. = 4 mile ‘approz ) I visited the spot. I think the phenomenon is more _ probably linked up with :— (b) Light, intensity. I am ignorant as to whether my next assumption is correct, but if not, I hope members will put me right. Pos- sibly the butterflies have a photo- receptor mechanism, which reacts to the intensity of illumination at 6 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. It would be interesting to compare the intensity at these times by means of a photo-electric cell. Perhaps some insects have a mechanism almost analogous to that found in Vertebrates, and which controls the breeding season! ? (c) Temperature. The effect of heat is probably only to make the in- sects more active. but its effect is probably linked directly with that of light intensity, since on a hot, dull day, no insects are to be found flying. On a relatively cold day, when there is strong sunlight, many butterflies are found flying. The only really effective way to verify these assumptions is by care- fully controlled experiments, which, if possible, I hope to try in the case of (b) and (ce). I would be very pleased AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 if any members could direct me to any literature on the subject. M. T. Tanton (1890%*). ‘Times’ Science Review, No. 9. Art.: ‘Seasonal behaviour’ by Prof. Zucherman. @ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir, Acting on Mr. Trevor Trought’s fmnem Bulletin 12, 50, I write in appreciation of the article by Mr. C. H. E. Wiltshire (2098) in the same number. It is true that I possess a very expensive apparatus, equipped with 10 different lenses, a prism, and threads, screws, nuts, and joints innumerable, with which it is pos- sible either to make a reduced sketch of a vast landscape, or a much magnified drawing of a small object. But it reminds one of the very early wireless sets in which there were so many controls to adjust and re-adjust that the programme was finished be- fore one had successfully tuned it in. Therefore, having a choice of suit- able lenses, I went out to my work- shop almost immediately after read- ing Mr. Wiltshire’s article, and made the apparatus. It is very easy to make and use, and works admir- ably. Two slight alterations I made. First, a slot in the tube, so that I can use one or another of my lenses. Secondly a ‘‘ fine adjustment ’’ for the focus. The latter consists of a split block at G@ in the drawing, one half fixed and one movable, with springs between them, and an adjust- ing screw. Gratefully, A. L. H. Townsenp (1691). Se) Dear Sir,—I think Mr. Chapman’s article (Bulletin, 12, 79-82) on the seven Vespula wasps was splendid; it would be excellent for an adult, but is wonderful for a junior member. Any members of the AES who were interested may care to know there are two first class coloured plate pamph- lets issued by the Ministry of Agri- culture and Fisheries, 10 Whitehall Place, S.W.1—one on wasps and an- other on Ladybirds, Lacewings, Hoverflies, Ichneumon and Tachinids. When first published in 1924 they cost 4d each post free. The wasp one is “Miscellaneous Publications No. 44.” —Yours faithfully, W. J. Warts (240). HONORARY MEMBER The Council have elected Mr. E. E. Syms, F.R.E.S., as an Honorary Member in recognition of his services to the Society. Mr. Syms, who is well known in entomological circles in London, has represented the Society on the Committee for the Protection of British Insects, and has been a regular speaker at our Annual Exhi- bitions. He is always particularly ready to help the younger entomolo- gist and has the interests of the AES very much at heart. SILK MOTH LONGEVITY The Silk moths are totally devoid of mouthparts and cannot therefore take any form of nourishment in the per- fect state. They are necessarily short- lived in consequence and seldom en- dure much more than a week. Keep- ing them cool and completely inactive will prolong life: Mr. Crotch (1181) told me of a female Antheraea pernyt which lived sixteen days. We are maintaining in public view in a branch of Kensington Public Library a stock of Philosamia cynthia obscura which he gave to us origin- ally. I think it may interest mem- bers to know that one female emerged on September 15 and died on October 23; and another came out on Septem- ber 16 and lived until October 22. They were kept in a cage under con- ditions of both light and warmth. Some larvae which were offspring from these two moths escaped a few days before spinning up and, before they were discovered, ate up most of a begonia plant, flowers and all. The colour of the silk cocoons of these is richer than the rest. Did the begonia do it? N. E. Youne (2271). [Mr. Crotch comments: ‘‘ The longevity described by Mr. Young is astonishing, particularly under the conditions of the Library and especi- ally because the females had paired. Nature preserves for as long as pos- sible the unpaired female, but the adult which has laid her eggs usually dies a day or so afterwards. I do not think that the begonia influenced the colour of the silk. The race of moth is a hybrid one, not definitely obscura, and congeners have given me pure hte, papery grey and orange silks,”’ —ED, SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN ENTOMOLOGY It seems that the Editor has been slack in allowing the publication of “‘ debating point ”’ jibes at profes- sional biologists. Mr. John Moore writes (Bulletin, 12, 75) ‘‘ Professor J. Z. Young, presumably a biologist.”’ This is cheap and unwarranted, especially as he then goes on to criticise a quotation from one of Pro- fessor Young’s books; a quotation that he had not even bothered to verify, for, had he done so, he would have found that the words were taken from the introductory chapter to a book of seven hundred pages describing ‘‘ The Life of Verte- brates.’? The whole book may be con- sidered to be an attempt to define the life of a particular group of ani- mals. If this is thought to be a some- what excessive definition, it is per- haps well to remember the words of Mencius—extensively learn and in all detail state, so that one may later distil its essence. Mr. Moore also seems incapable of dealing with the quotation as a whole: he has to take it to pleces and then say of each piece, without relation to the other pieces, ‘‘This is not complete ’’ or ‘‘ This is ‘obvious.’ One deduces that he is not familiar with even the elementary books on biology, most of which give the characteristic ‘‘ activities and _ pro- cesses ’’ of living things referred to in the quotation. J. GREEN (1044). However distinguished a scientist may be, it is still incumbent upon him to present his communications in clear and decent prose. Having re-read the paragraph in question, I still think that it is far from lucid and that it fails to give a complete or accurate definition of those pro- cesses which we call ‘‘ organic.’’? If it was not meant to do so I owe an apology to the Professor; and so does Mr. Bradley, for it was he who quoted the paragraph in reply to a challenge by Dr. Fraser that he should give a biologist’s definition of “ life.” The challenge may have been unfair; for obv iously we do not yet know what “‘ life ”’ is, though we know a great deal about its various manifestations. All I ask is that scientists shall approach with proper humility those matters which they do ’ JANUARY 1954 not fully understand; and_ that when they seek to instruct us they shall remember that words well used are part of the armoury of science. The whole learning of Darwin would have been wasted if he had not taken the trouble in ‘“‘ The Origin of Species ’’ to present his massive argu- ment in a form which the average educated person could comprehend. JoHN Moore (146). IT am grateful to Colonel F. C. Fraser, if only for the thought-stimu- lating qualities of his letter (Bul- letin, 12, 74). This definition of life, though! He suggests that life is a slender thread (so is a_ piece of cotton), and then merely goes on to do as Prof. Young did and state some of life’s characters. I think that if we remember the law of the ‘Conservation of Energy’. then we have a key; this law states in effect that:—Matter is neither created nor destroyed, it is merely converted from one form into an- other. Life, in one respect, can be visual- ised ag a force, just as heat and hght are the products of mechanical or chemical energy—so is life. The skeleton of an animal or tissues of a plant are, so to speak, merely the moulds or containers in which chemical energy is converted, in part, into mechanical energy. Taking the same principle in an- other direction, ‘‘ A ’’ under stress insults ““B”, thus trigeerme “*B’s” adrenal gland, adrenalin finds its way into the blood stream and we all know how this chemical energy built up within us is released frequently as strong expiratory words or, in certain cases, in mechanical action which brings us back again to the original stress. Our Creator, God, to my mind, started us off with so much of each form of energy and arranged a whole series of chain reactions, as the lyric composer of ‘ Ilkley Moor Ba Tat ’ seemed to realise. Epric Hiearnsotrom (2266). [I feel that members who have studied the contents of the Bulletin over the past two years will have no difficulty in believing that Mr. Crotch would not have wished either AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 ~ iD) to give offence to a distinguished biologist, whose reputation is inter- national, or to decry scientific writ- ing, Mr. Moore has made his re- joinder above. I feel that the corres- pondence should now cease.—Kp. ] COLLECTING DUNG BEETLES (1) Having specialized for some time on the smaller dung beetles, I use cer- tain methods of collecting and preser- vation which have proved very suc- cessful and which may be of interest to other collectors of insects from this particular ‘‘ food plant.’’ The true dung beetles of the genera Aphodius and Onthophagus are better collected and brought home alive in damp moss. I use small wide-mouthed jars such as those used for hand cream or shaving soap, which are packed tightly with damp clean moss. The beetles need only be dropped on to the top surface and they will immedi- ately burrow to the bottom and when taking beetles in quantity from dung there is no need to replace the lid after each individual capture. A considerable number can be col- lected into one jar and on the way home, as the jar changes position in haversack or pocket, the beetles will always move downwards, so that they become perfectly clean after a few hours. If they are collected into tubes or killing bottles without moss the containers become fouled and once the dung has dried on the insects they are very difficult to clean. Upon reaching home or any time up to 24 hours later, the moss should be tipped out on to a large sheet of newspaper and the live beetles brushed into 2” x 3” glass tubes with a small brush. They will not attempt to fly, except in a very bright light, and will be shining and clean and the dung in their gut will have been evacuated. With the glass tube not more than half full of beetles one drop of ethyl ace- tate should be introduced on a small piece of blotting paper, after which the tubes should be well corked. Killed in this manner, the beetles will remain clean, dry and relaxed in the tubes for weeks. After care- fully going through the moss to make sure all the smaller beetles have been shaken out it can be replaced in the jar and used many times over. ‘‘ Small’? dung, such as that of deer and sheep, is best worked by hand. The piece should be picked up by the dry upper surface and worked through with a penknife from the softer under-surface. Some _ species will remain in the dung until it is dry all through, in which case it can be broken up between the fingers. The ideal instrument for working cow and horse dung is an ordinary kitchen knife. It is best to start by turning over the complete heap (when pos- sible) and then work from the under- neath and it pays to work patiently right through the heap, as certain species seem to favour certain depths and others are found up to one or two inches in the soil underneath. The British species of APHODIINAE (which number 50 according to the accepted lists) have been somewhat neglected in the past and their dis- tribution hag not been adequately studied. They include a few of our rarest British beetles but, unlike phytophagous species, there is no reason to suppose that these rarities have died out. (To be continued) L. S. WaicHer (1345). '@ LOOKING BACK Looking back over many years of collecting, I have vivid recollections and happy memories. IT remember when, as a small boy, with the aid of a home-made net fitted with a long cane stick, I chased brassicae and crataegi or Humble Bees and Dragon- flies. Every insect in flight fascin- ated me in those days. I have ever felt indebted to a benevolent aunt who presented me with a copy of Coleman’s ‘‘ British Butterflies ”’ (bound in cloth, one shilling) during mv early school days. T still possess this excellent little book and prize it verv highly. Jt was my guide and Vade mecum for some years and helped me to tread the early paths to the study of Entomology. T have recollections of primitive methods of breeding larvae and set- ting butterflies: of improvised store boxes; and the hundred and one diffi- culties encountered during my school days; and how the collection of one summer seldom survived the advent of the next. After leaving school, T went into business and life in lodgings in a 6 London suburb was not conducive to the pursuit of entomology. The em- bryo existed, however, and when after ten years I married and found myself living in a house with a small garden on the outskirts of an industrial city, the urge to pursue my hobby came bubbling up and with the acquisition of a cabinet and help and encourage- ment from my wife, I started to col- lect seriously. Opportunity was, of course, restricted to week-ends and one short annual holiday. How happy were those week-ends when we explored the moss, the heath and the woods. In contrast were those disconsolate ones, when after working the week through in the sweltering heat of bright sunny days, our plans were wrecked on ac- count of a cloudy sunless day at the end of the week. We usually spent our holiday in the New Forest district and our hunting grounds were the heaths and downs and woods of Hants, Wilts and Dor- set—those glorious downs, where we lived for a few short hours with cor- don, bellargus, cinxia and aurinia. I have happy recollections, too, of the New Forest as it was in the days before the first World War, when oak trees were tolerated in the covers and before economic planning demanded their ruthless destruction in order to provide space for large areas of sym- metrical rows of conifers. When the drives were veritable fairy glens, where paphia and camilla congre- gated on the bramble bloom and other denizens of the butterfly world availed themselves of nature’s pro- vision. To-day these happy condi- tion are a thing of the past. The natural drives are fast disappearing and are either replaced by broad gravelled roadways, drained by deep ditches on either side, or so damaged by tractors used for hauling timber that negotiating the deep water- logged ruts created by their wheels renders walking laborious and most discomforting. Many drives, too, are flanked by long stretches of wire netting erected to guard the precious conifers. Ah, well! I suppose the community demands pit props and _ telegraph poles, so it is inevitable that senti- mental aspirations submit to com- mercial considerations. JI am grate- ful that I had the privilege in the past of wandering in the unspoilt woods and rambling over entrancing downs which to-day are cultivated and irri- gated. ’ JANUARY 1954 Now I find myself a lone widower, approaching that period in life when | qualify to be classed an octogen- arian and I suppose if I wish to be a sedate and creditable member of that fraternity my correct procedure will be to spend my time leisurely in an easy chair and endeavour to stimu- late what mental faculty I possess by studying scientific literature and con- tenting myself with past memories. This, however, is not my intention, at any rate as far as I am permitted to plan my destiny. Unfortunately an ar- thritic hip somewhat reduces my phy- sical activity, but I still often find myself, stick in one hand and net in the other, visiting the old haunts on the downs, and not infrequently an indiscreet var. settles within range of my net. The examination of the con- tents of my m.v. moth trap is a source of interest and pleasure, and in this way I secure many specimens which I find useful for patching up or completing series in my cabinets. My breeding cages keep me busy during many months of the year and I de- rive some pleasure and satisfaction when I succeed in hibernating ‘‘those difficult larvae.’’ I am blessed with good sight and hearing and attribute my present physical fitness, in some measure, to the fact that during my life I have pursued a hobby which has afforded me healthy recreation in the open air and kept my mental faculties alert. P. Mages (244). © SOME INTRIGUING PROBLEMS (T) One of the most fascinating aspects of the study of any branch of Natural History is the frequency with which one comes across problems of one kind or another. Some of those problems have been solved and one can find accounts of their solution if one knows where to look; others have not been solved yet, and some probably never will be. It is a good thing that any such problems should be widely dis- cussed so that many people’s minds may work upon them, and it is with that intention that some questions which have been lately exercising the writer’s mind are being put into print. A curious problem concerns certain species of the Satyridae in West Cum- berland. The species concerned are Eumenis semele Hiibn. (the Gray- ling) and Maniola jurtina Linn. (the Meadow Brown) and the problem centres upon their different times of | AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 emergence in two different parts of the coastal strip. This strip of coast- line consists of low cliffs in its northern portion from Maryport to Seascale. The cliffs become much higher and precipitous at St. Bee’s Head. The rock is chiefly sandstone of the coal measures (of Carboniferous age) above Whitehaven, and consists of St. Bee’s Sandstone (Triassic) below White- haven (and it is with this part that we are concerned). South of Seascale an extensive area of sand dunes develops and the ground for the first mile or two inland is much flatter. Between Drigg and Ravenglass the sand dunes reach their finest pitch of development and they support a truly amazing profusion of insects among which are the two species of butter- files in question. But the strange thing is that here, among the sheltered hollows in the dunes, they both ap- pear on the wing considerably later than on the far less sheltered cliffs and sea banks a few miles further north. In this northera part of the coastal strip in question, around St. Bee’s, M. jurtina appears about the third week of June and is over by the beginning of August. It is single- brooded throughout the area, any second-brood specimens being extreme rarities anywhere in N.W. England. EH. semele appears about the first week of July and is only represented by hopelessly worn specimens by the middle of August. These dates are typical for both these species through- out this part of the country. But on the Drigg sand dunes M. jurtina is in perfect condition in the first half of August and #. semele can be found in good condition almost at the end of the month. This year the writer paid a visit to the sand dunes on August 12th; M. jurtina was in an absolutely fresh condition and pair- ing was taking place; the same remarks are equally true of EH. semele. A few worn specimens of each species were seen, but the majority had just emerged. On the same day in the St Bee’s area practically no M. qurtina or EH. semele were left at all, and those that still were on the wing were tattered almost beyond recogni- tion. Indeed, from the’ very beginning of August there had been no fresh M. jurtina there and only a very few fresh H. semele had been seen in the first ten days of the month, so that both species had clearly passed their peak before the end of July. Lest it should be thought that some particular conditions had produced this effect this year it must be made clear that the same peculiarity has 7 been noticed to an equally pronounced extent on previous occasions, and other entomologists have noted it as well. It certainly suggests that the two species are remarkably sedentary, for if there was an interchange of specimens this difference in their dates of emergence could hardly exist. It would be most interesting to know if anything similar has been noticed elsewhere, and also whether any plausible theory can be suggested to account for this strange dis- crepancy in the time of emergence in colonies so very close to each other. J. H. Vine Hawt (1520). e SETTING HINTS A Double-ended Setting Needle. I do not know if the idea is original but it was suggested to me by Mr. F. R. Sutton (538) and we have found it very handy in use. The handle is a 4” length of 33;” diameter wood dowel. In one end a piece of brass wire, suit- ably tapered, is forced leaving about 1” projecting. This is the ordinary setting needle. A similar piece of wire is fitted to the other end of the handle but this has the last 7;” bent at right angles. This provides a hook for arranging legs and on occasion the outer curve of the angle can be used to hold wings in position. TI find brass preferable to steel as it does not rust; 1t 1s quite strong enough. JoHn E. Kwnicur (94). Pith. For the grooves of ‘micro’ setting boards and for a_ pinning block I find artichoke pith most suit- able. Gather the stems of common or garden artichoke (the species of which the root is eaten) in December when it is quite dead. Dry indoors, cut into convenient lengths and split off the hard outer covering with the thumb nail. The resulting cylinder of pith can be cut into strips with a razor blade. If these are made over- size they can be forced into the groove of the board and no adhesive is necessary; replacement when re- quired is therefore easy. The pith can be smoothed with very fine glass- paper. In cutting from the raw a lot of material is wasted but plenty should be available, and the thicker the stems the more easy they are to handle. JoHn E. KniceuHr (94). ee ) JANUARY 1954 “WHAT ARE YouR VIEWS oN ‘ SPONSORED TELEVISION 7 “ By C. M. Idle (2118*) e@ OBSERVATIONS CLOUDED YELLOW IN RHODESIA T. J. Rurry (2114*) reports an in- teresting statement by a correspon- dent of his who lives in Southern Rhodesia, that a butterfly exactly similar to the Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus) of our Islands is flying there. iColaus croceus occurs in N. Africa, but in South and Eastern Africa it is replaced by Colias electra, a closely- allied species. It is not impossible that the two species may occur to- gether at the limits of their respec- tive ranges.—ED. | a FRATERNISING BUTTERFLIES On the 15th October last year, I found in an old school air-raid shel- ter, presumably just beginning their hibernation, twenty-five specimens of A. urticae and seven specimens of V. 10. | took these, which were in an area of about one square foot, home to my own room at my house; my reason for doing this was to prevent them from being found and undoubt- edly tampered with by the many boys at school who use the field adjoin- ing the shelter. After putting them into a bag I took them home and re- leased them in my room where within one hour they had arranged them- selves again in a similar small area Professor Fungus and settled down once more to hiber- nate. Is it usual for these two species of butterflies to hibernate together in such a friendly manner and in these large colonies? T. J. Rurry (114%). © REVIEW The Behaviour and Social Life of Honeybees. By C. R. Ribbands. Pp. 352; 9 plates; 66 line drawings. Bee Research Association Ltd., 1953. Price 21'/= The Bee Research Association are to be congratulated on the quality of their third publication. It maintains the high standard they have already set. The bee has had more books written about it than any other insect, but here is a book that is different. A book full of facts. The findings -of over 450 research workers in all parts of the world have been drawn on. De- tails of experiments in training bees to colour, shapes, temperature, scent and even time are given. How a bee orientates itself, recognises its fellow hive mates, produces wax and con- trols the temperature in the hive are all questions that are answered in an excellent way. Mr. Ribbands has made this book interesting to the layman as well as to the expert by the delightful style of his writing. To the research worker I would say this book will make a fine companion volume to ‘‘Snodgrass’’; to the lay- man, you will not find another book so comprehensive. It contains 19 tables, 66 figures and 9 plates of photographs which are of high qual- ity, in keeping with the text. Plate 2, ‘(Honeybee gathering pollen from columbine’’, and plate 9, ‘‘A forager on sweet clover’’, I would term works Of art: The three indexes cover (a) Refer- ences (indication is given if they are available in the B.R.A. library), (b) Authors and (ec) topics. B. Loe B: By G. S. Kloe’ ota Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists’ Society, 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. 1953. SOSSHSSHSSHSSSHSHHOSOHOSO DOO POO OOD © PE 255.555555555555555SH5H5H55HSHSSSSSS OS OP SO POPPPOOOP OP OD POPP PP POPP PPP P SOLOS Te SOSSSSSSSSSSSS SOOO HSH SOSHSH SOSH OHOSOHOHOO OOS AES NOTICE WHERE TO WRITE Membership applications, offers of help, Wants and Exchange notices (for March, May, July and October to be received by 15th of previous month) to: E. LEWIS, 8 Parry Road, London, S.E.25. Advertisers to: L. W. SIGGS, Road, Orpington, Kent. Changes of address and non-arrival of Bulletins to: B. L. J. BYERLEY, 48 Elm- grove Road, Harrow, Middlesex. Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit, etc., to: K. H. BOBE, 1/9 Hengist Road, London, S.E.12. Manuscripts, drawings and books for 10 Repton TEDL etOn Bb. Re STALLWOOD, 19° Southfield Gardens, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, Middx. Subscriptions (12/- per annum, 6/- for Juniors) to: P. C.. LE MASURIER, 85 Warren Drive, Tolworth, Surrey. Youth matters to: S. M. 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AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGIST (illustrated with photographs and line drawings ) Volume 9 ‘Practical Methods and Hints for Lepidopterists ”’ Contains articles on— Collecting Caterpillars Breeding Cages for Macrolepideptera ( describing 38 ways of making a cage ) Making a Beating Tray (describing six different kinds of tray ) Price 5s. To Member ( quoting membership naiber) 3s. 6d. Postage 2d. extra per volume, from c ee PRATT, 1 West Ham Lane ooo 060 i London, E.15 tesesesecccoscscososcceocosccsososeseseccocesees SOOOOSHOOD e COO stesseassensseaseessenseesseaseeseesseaseesscassesseassosseaseassesseassaszsseesss SISSCHSSSHS OSH IHOOOHO SOT SIO® SHOCSSSHSHSSHSSSHOSSHOOOHS: SOM veeerrsr COOOHHO~ oe SELELSLES SSS OSOSSESEESEOESOOEEESESSEESEOSEDESESESESEESESSEOSS ERS OOOPEOROSESESISEOSOSSSOSOOSOOSSOOOOOD 95 So PPPOOOSSSSSSSSO SOOO OOOO OD OS OOOO OOS EOSUOD OOOO OOOOSOS ESO OSOLOHIOY SHOHOOOOOHO DOO OOO OL OOOO OOH OO HOO HUGS %8 | ENTOMOLOGIST’S ~ : - GAZETTES i A Quarterly Journal Devoted to i British Entomology 33 = Well illustrated by coloured and plain plates and text oS: # figures. oe SSS SS = Deals with all Orders of British Insects and with all 33 subjects of importance to the Entomologist. — 2¢ SSS 3 Subscription 20/- per year. # © Edited by E. W. Classey, F-R.E.S. switee peers itanre = of a panel of well-known entomologists. 3 4 FREE SAMPLE COPY will be sent on application to:— 33 ENTOMOLOGIST’S GAZETTE, 33 91 BEDFONT LANE, FELTHAM, MIDDLESEX. oe - - ’ ~- + bb b455555555555555505555555SSSSSSooS Sooo o oa RR ED SEEEELELELL LLL eee o4 SO SSEOEL OSES ESSE OSES ES SESESEEESESEOEESOSESESSIEOESSOSOOSSSSSESSS COEEEOSSEESSSESESSSSSSS0GSS8b000080 02 VOL. 13 No. 158 1954 FEBRUARY ! ' 4. £2) THE BULLETIN OF. THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD » 64bOOOHO55555555HH5HHHHH5H55HhH5SSSSSobodbbdoooooobbaobnAaDAAAAAAAARE LT eeoee Sos et Oe CP COS ACPO LCS C UV CCCO VOL COOOL #ULCCCOL CP 2 @ COO OC Coes ces esesccsesssssesssessessosonseeccen. ri ee life. of oe oe ¢ cad 2 fa e¢ there is By John Clegg, rv.r.m.s. THE FRESHWATER LIFE OF THE BRITISH ISLES | 95 line illustrations. 21s. net. Lakes, Streams With 16 colour plates, 51 half-tones and This Guide to the Plants and Inverte- brates of Ponds. Rivers, is one of the very few volumes dealing with all aspects of freshwater Although Plant and Invertebrate life have received the main attention a chapter on the Vertebrates and 33 to complete the picture, and a useful oe oe of Lad a4 33 “Will 533 naturalist have a mind to stop complex life of our ponds and streams.” Gazette Sherrington Manor, of species. appeal to both the and serious student . Of absorbing interest to all —Entomologist’s From any Bookseller : Supplies Polegate, Sussex, England. We offer a large Selection of British and Foreign lepi- doptera : these species have. until now, been many of unavailable to the public. We also offer a large selec- tion of British live and set specimens chapter on the collecting and examining young alike who and explore the FREDERICK WARNE & Co. Ltd. 1-4 BEDFORD COURT, LONDON, W.C.2. 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STALLWOOD ENTOMOLOGISTS’ WU Wy 1954 No. 159 | aa iis a ewe io ay ses id ewe Y ; tated ay M oe d vy fi cr é oe put a ee Pi “Se . . oad : oe st Te Z s : Pat ; LtpN ax Me eae 2) | | , | a ee ae Ee , oe ° oe OOOoe Oooo oe POPFHSCHPOSVOO®D SHSSOCOSOHOOOS oe e oo? PROSSSSSCS SS OSSEPOSP PODS PEPSOSOSOSOSHPIOSOESOSOD oe FOPOS Se HK SHSHSHOSHSOSO SHO OPSOSSOSOS OHS HOOO SHPO OSIOO SEO OO! GHOOOHOHOHOOOOHOSOOD SOSCHSSSHSSSSSSHHSSSHSHSSSSSESSSSHOOSHHOSEO**OSO ROSS S OL FPSO PS 9S 9999S SD OSSD SDSS PS SSSSS SSS SO SS SOS ~SSSSOSHOSCOOD of the British Isles By Charies N. Colyer. r.R.n.s. ‘ in collaboration with Cyril O. Hammond, F.R.£.s. 30s. net. The only work of its kind, this book gives a profusely illustrated, com- prehensive survey of all the families of British Diptera. ii deals walulietinve structure and metamorphoses of flies, their life-histories and habitats, and their role im, Nature; and describes methods of collecting, rearing, examina- tion and preservation. With 48 plates in colour, 51 half-tone plates and 50 text figures and diagrams, depicting 286 representative species, from original enlarged microscope drawings by C. O. Hammond, F.R.E.S. “Beautifully produced in the best ‘traditions of The Wayside and Wood- land Series. Authors and publishers have quite manifestly done a real ser- vice to the science of entomology in Bri- tain.’—The Annals of Applied Biology. From any Bookseller FREDERICK WARNE & Co. Ltd. 1-4 BEDFORD COURT, LONDON, W.C.2. » AES NOTICE WHERE TO WRITE Membership applications, ofers of help, Wants and Exchange notices (for March, May, July and October to be received by 15th of previous month) to; E. Lewis, 8 Parry Road, London, S.E.95. Advertisers to: LL. W. SIGGS, Road, Orpington, Kent. Changes of address and non-arrival of $ Bulletins to: B. L. J. BYERLEY, 48 Elin- grove Road, Harrow, Middlesex. Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit. etc., to: K. H. BOBE, 19 Hengist Road, London, S.E.12. Manuscripts, drawings and books for TeviewW. 10: “Be Re = STALEWOODS 39 Southfield Gardens, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, Middx. Subscriptions (12/- per annum, 6/- for Juniors) to: P. C. LE MASURIER, 85 Warren Drive, Tolworth, Surrey. Youth matters to: S. M: HANSON, 467 Gunnersbury Park, London, W.5. 10 Repton $ PPPOE Or OO fe * e oe ee of ee oe eo oe ee Lad oe oe oe oe SHSSSSSSHSSSSOSCHSFSSHSSSHSFSSSHSHSSSSSHSOSHSHSSSHSHSGSSSSHSSGSSOSHSSSOSSHS HSS HHA FOSS SSSSOSS SHFSSSOSSSSSSSS SISOS SSESOOOSSOOU LS HOS SOES SESS OSSSSCOSSSSSOHS SESS SES OSSOSOSOS OSS LOSHOOSESDESH IDOE OO SS SOOS SS GCHSSSSESSSOSSHSSOSOSHOOSCHOOOOSE TILA ooOOOHOOOOHHHSSHOHHSSSHHSSSSSSFFFSSSFFSHSSSSF4SSSFSSSSS4H4SSSSS4SSSSSSSSFS4HSS5HHSHSSS5SOS SHSLOOS SSO SOOSOS ESOS OOOO OOOO HOO HOSS SODOD HOY HH OD OHO DODHOVOD ODIO OOO HD OLE DEOHOOD FOHODOHOOHHOP OOOOH OOOOD AES Members can help the Society in several ways:— (a) By dealing with advertisers and mentioning the Bulletin. (b) By bringing in new members. (Subscription, 12/- per annum. Juniors, 6/- per annum.) (c) By buying AES _ publications and suggesting Public Libraries should buy them. (d) By friendly co-operation with other members. (e) By taking just that extra bit of trouble required to record happenings of note for the Bulletin. E. W. Classey F.R.E.S. Entomological Bookseller and Publisher 91 BEDFONT LANE, Feltham, Middlesex ENGLAND CATALOGUES FREE ON REQUEST ee oe. SSSSSHSSHSSH SSH SHES SESSSO FHSS SH SH SS POP OSHHSH SSS OE SOS OOSESSESSSESSSS SES SSS SSSSSSSOSHESSSESSSE SSE SOSOOOS OO SHSSSSSHHSSHH SS HH OHHH HSS PH OHE SH HHO SD DODD OEHLED OOOO EHO OOOO SS SOHO SOS S ESOS SSSOSSSSSSSOSSSESSHSOSSOOOOOSD sss WHY NOT COLLECT FLIES? fo most of us flies are a plaguey nuisance, fouling our food, biting our ankles, buzzing up and down the windows, and depositing on paint- work and linen an ineffaceable black spot. And what is more maddening than the cloud of tormentors that follows us with such relentless persis- tency, when we walk in the country on a summer day? All this is most unscientific. As naturalists we have to think of them as Diptera—two winged—one of the Orders in the Class of arthropods known as Insecta. Reference to past issues seems to indicate that this is an Order much neglected by mem- bers of the AES. The extent of this neglect can be measured by examining the Index for 1952, where it will be found that 113 species of the Lepidop- tera were referred to during the year, whereas only 25 of the Diptera were noticed in four mentions of varying length. In space 64 columns out of approximately 180 were occupied by this Order. Why are the Flies so unpopular? To recite some of the possible reasons may be to produce a remedy: 1. The lack of an expert dipterist, with sufficient leisure, who could stimulate interest in them by contributing articles to the Bulletin at frequent or regular intervals. To this must be added the failure of members to pass on their knowledge, however limited it may be, by supplying the Editor with items of news from time to time. 2. The immensity of the task; over 5000 species is enough to daunt all but the most determined. 3. The idea there may be in many minds that they are dull and uninteresting. 4. The scarcity of textbooks and in- formative literature for the be- gcinner. 5. The nomenclature. _What can be said to minimise these difficulties, and to encourage any would-be dipterist? No. 1 requires no comment, the solu- tion is self-evident. —S BULLETIN 2. OV . This is a real difficulty. No. [59 MARCH 1954 Let no one be frightened by this figure of 5000, which includes a large number of small and very small Flies that only an expert can deal with and identify. The best course for the beginner is to leave all these to live out their little round undisturbed, and to concentrate on those that can be handled easily. This will keep the most industrious collector busy for a very long time. They will be found in plenty on Black- berry and Ivy blossoms; the flowering heads of umbellifer- ous wild plants; on trees, fences and the seashore; in ditches, reed beds and meadows, as well as in the most smelly and un- savoury places. The walls and windows of our homes will fur- nish an unexpected assortment of species. It will not be long before each typical venation comes to be recognised as a familiar landmark; from then on progress, although it may not be swift, should be steady. To hold this view is a very great mistake; anyone who has seen even a modest collection of the Flies must have been amazed at the beauty displayed. The variety of venation, from the most complex to the uttermost simplicity, and the patterning of the wings—barred, dappled, mottled or clouded—are a source of continual wonder and delight. There is plenty of literature, but much of it is highly technical, and to be found only in the publications of various scientific societies. Textbooks for the beginner are few and expensive, and the best of them can give no more than a comparatively small number of sample illustrations. IJdentifica- tion keys are obtainable, but they are not easy to manage, and are of no use at all until the dipterological terms have been mastered. Very few of the Flies have com- monplace names; apart from Daddy-long-legs, Blue Bottle and perhaps half a dozen more, onlv scientific (Latin) names are at- 18 MARCH. 1954 tached to every species. ‘‘Those who. collect inseets, and who do not wish to be utterly isolated, must learn to call them by names by which other people will know them’. These words of HH. T. Staimuon written in 1857 remain true today. The difficulty of nomenclature, in so far as it is a difficulty, must be accepted as such. There is no easy way of overcoming it, patience and per- severance is the only answer. Any member of the AES who, hav- ing read so far, decides to transfer his interest either partially or entire- ly to the Diptera, can be assured that once he embarks on this voyage of exploration, he will be led on from discovery to discovery, as he learns more and more of the lives and ways of these neglected but fascinating creatures. The very act of setting off in a fresh direction will be found to be both stimulating and refreshing. H. B. Sargent (1189). e SOME PROBLEMS ON PUPAE (1) If you have ever tried to rear from the larvae such common autumn emerging moths as the Mottled Umber, Scarce Umber, Winter moths, etc.., and early Spring ones such as Pale Brindled Beauty, March, Early, Spring Usher, ete., you will ap- preciate the implications of the head- ing to this article. Probably in most cases, in view of the fact that the moths in question are common and can as a rule be readily obtained in good condition in the imago state, there is little point in rearing them from larvae. It so happens, however, that the females are wingless, and consequently come less under observation, thereby aggravating the difficulties of getting them represented in the collection; breeding is the best solution to obtain- ing as many females as you require, and here you will find yourself up against it in practice. “Generally speaking, larvae which pupate in the early summer, go down into. the soil several inches, since by so doing, they are assured of the degree of humidity necessary to sustain them during the hot and dry summer months. It follows. therefore. that unless suitable conditions are provided. in. captivity approximating to those under natural circumstances, one’s efforts, are largely doomed to disappointment. The average type of breeding cage comprising a relatively shallow tray for pupation is In many Cases a snare and a delusion; they are admittedly suitable for larvae collected in the early Spring, such as those of the Broad Bordered Yellow Underwing, Purple Clay, or Double Square-Spot, which readily pupate in a dry or dryish: “soil” swithoutes 1mipertiiiys: emergence, but useless for larvae of the Brindled Beauty or Blossom Underwing. Repeated failures to rear some of these so-called ‘difficult’ — species galvanised me into evolving a method of circumventing the difficulties and finally achieving success; and I can only. trust that the following notes will. assist coileetors in obviating headaches and disappointments pre- viously encountered in breeding larvae. Disliking elaboration in any form, (to suit. me any device must be simple in construction, effective in results, and embrace a wide tolerance for neglect) I finally ‘decided on the following make-up. Purchase from your. ironmonger a feeding bucket; these. are shallow buckets, 7” deep and having a diameter of 14”. Next you will require a 13” flower-pot, while to complete the outfit get a tinsmith to make a eylinder out of galvanised iron—6” deep and 11” diam. with a groove pressed round about 1” from a rim. This cylinder is sub- sequently ‘sleeved’ and the groove is to secure the bottom of the sleeve by housing the encircling string. To make the outfit operative, the pot requires to be filled to within about 2” of the top with fine sandy soil, and the pot is then placed in the bucket: the cylinder is then worked down into the soil where it will soon impinge against the sloping sides of the pot. A bottle of water can now be sunk in the centre of the pot for foodplant purposes, and finally a loose fitting sleeve can be slipped over the cylinder, and the pot is now ready to receive the larvae. The sleeve will. obviously require some support, and various ideas com- mend themselves, such as bent canes, upright sticks, or ‘pieces of strip metal such as are used for binding crates and made into inverted ‘U’s; but personally I favour a light frame- work made from four pieces of 14” birch dowelling, say 18” long, drilled through near both top and bottom. Stout brass wire is then threaded through the holes, brought round into a eircle, the ends soldered, and the dowelling arranged uniformly round the ecirecle.. Needless to say, the frame must be made of a diameter AES BULLETIN VOT. 18 to fit inside’ the cylinder, and once made it will last for years. Up to this point the soil in the pot is dry, or presumably so, and not suitable for pupating larvae, and providing the larvae are nearing the full fed stage, it will now be necessary to ensure that the soil 1s not only dampened, but kept in that state. If the soil is bone dry pour half a gallon of water into the bucket. In two or three days it will have been absorbed by capillary attraction and a little distance from the surface the soil will now be found to be ideally damp; this state can be maintained by putting an odd ovint or so of water into the bucket when the previous instalment has dried up, but care must be taken not to overdo the replenishments, and periodical checks on the humidity of the soil are desir- able. It is, of course, possible to rear larvae in this type of cage when very small, but in practice I rear them until ‘nearly full grown in any of the simple box-type cages and then transfer them to the plant pot for final pupation, as this method reduces the accumulation ‘of frass in the pot and the consequent frequency of cleaning. Larvae which have gone down ean be left in perfect safety for months, provided the humidity is maintained, and can be dug up either in the autumn or early spring ac- cording to the expected time of emergence; alternatively they can be removed to the pupa box of a type I shall describe later on, when they have been in the pupa stage a few weeks, and free the pot for a further batch of temporary residents. The digging up process will, doubt- less, provide a few surprises, as I have recovered pupae of the Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria) from a depth of eight inches. This goes to prove how futile it is to try and rear larvae hke these in a shallow tray. You will also be gratified to notice the generally large size and _ healthy appearance of the pupae so bred. (To be continued) L. G. F. Wappinerton (169). e SOME ae a PROBLEMS 3) Anyone who has. worked with: a Mercury Vapour Trap -must have noticed repeatedly how different Species respond to the light in different ways. As a general rule the strongest insects with more powerful flight enter the trap, while the insects with weaker flight tend to come to rest outside and around it. This is only to be ex- iY) pected, and it makes it much harder to form an opinion concerning the abundance of species belonging to the Geometridae, than to the ‘Noctuidae. One has to be at the trap aS soon as dawn appears, if one is not to miss large numbers of the Geometridae, which will have flown away to some place of seclusion before one sees them, if one leaves the trap until long after sunrise. But the really strange and interesting thing is, that species with roughly the same power of flight re- spond in such strikingly different ways. Take, for example, two autumn species of the Noctuidae, both. of which come to the lght with reason- able frequency. This autumn (1953) just short of two dozen specimens of Brachionycha sphinwn Hufn. (the Sprawler) have come to the trap, but not one of them has entered it. With- out exception they have been found in the morning on a wall within the influence of the light, or even on a window adjacent to the wall in one instance. On the contrary, Aqrochola macilenta Htibn. (the Yellow-line Quaker) which has come to the light in rather larger numbers than B. sphing, has almost invariably entered the trap. Out of just over three dozen specimens, the only ones found outside the trap have been three or four hiding under leaves within the light’s influence. Other species are found inside and outside the trap in roughly equal numbers. Such, for instance, among species on the wing at the same time as the two already mentioned, are KHpisema_ caeruleo- cephala Linn. (the Figure of Fight) and Allophyes oxyacanthae Jann. (the Green-brindled Crescent). - Both these species come to the light in very considerable numbers, and are apparently equally likely to come to rest outside the trap as to enter it. I suspect that the inter- pretation of these facts would be a highly technical matter. I even doubt whether in our present state of knowledge an interpretation is pos- sible. But it certainly has the practical implication that all who use light traps should look not only inside them but around them. I deliberately place my trap so that it shines brightly on a wall, and on the win- dows of a small conservatory. Actually, in doubtful or wet weather I have the trap inside the con- servatory, and it still shines through the windows on to the wall outside. I have learnt this method by experience and by observing the different re- actions of different species. That they do react differently is’ an obvious 20 : MARCH 1954 fact: why they do I cannot say— though I should be most interested to see any suggestions as to why it might be. Anyhow, if I did not care- fully examine everything which comes within a reasonably close range of the light [I shouldn’i know that B. sphinx—and other species not men- tioned here as well—occurred in this neighbourhood at all. J. H. Vine Haut (1520). © COLLECTING ay te BEETLES 2) The genus Aphodius is one of the largest of the genera which comprise the extensive family Scarabaeidae. Approximately 1000 species, varying from 2 to 15 mm. in length, have been described to date, and they are widely distributed in almost every part of the world. The most recent monograph cover- ing the genus from a _ world-wide aspect, is that of Schmidt! (1922) in which 686 species and their varieties are fully dealt with. and Paulian? (1941) has provided keys and descrip- tions of the 89 species recorded from France, together with figures of the male genitalia. A recent list (1953) received from the United States records 187 species as found in North America and it is interesting to note that a number of these have been introduced from Europe. The key work for the North American species is Horn? (1887). Peringuey? (1901) has described 63 species from Southern Africa, but hardly any work has been done on the genus in that country since, and this number could probably be trebled. The genus has been sub-divided into 74 sub-genera. although recent Ameri- can authors such as Cariwright® and Robinson have tended to ignore the sub-generic divisions in their descrip- tions of new species. According to Kloet and Hincks® (1945) the British list contains 41 species, but there has been no revision work done on the group in this country, and the earlier authors vary in the number of species acceptable as indigenous: Fowler’ (1890). and Hudson Beare® (1930) quote 41, and Joy® (1932) quotes 39. The distribution of Aphodius species in the British Isles has not been in- vestigated in detail, and little is known concerning the immature stages and life histories. They are to be found in dung of all kinds more or less throughout the vears but in- dividual species vary enormously in their times of appearance. For example the well known A. fimetarius Linn. can be found in dung from fen) March until October, whereas A. con- taminatus Herbst does not appear at all until late August. At least one species (A. rufipes Linn.) is a regular visitor to the lepidopterist’s light traps and more records of this native would be of great interest*. So far, my experience in Britain leads me to doubt whether any species are exclusive to one type of dung; altitude above sea level, and type of sub-soil seem to be important factors. lt is said that two species found scarcely in this country (in the sub- genus Nialus) are not dung feeders at all. but the evidence is not very con- elusive, and rabbit dung is usually present in the few known localities where they have been found. A species of Aphodius has been re- ported from Australia as causing serious damage to golf course greens (in the larval stage), and some recently described species from Texas and Florida have been found only in the burrows of gophers (Geomys). L. S. Wuicuer (1345). REFERENCES i. Schmidt. A. (1922) Das Tierreich Vol. 4. Aphodiinae. 2. Paulian. R. (1941) Fawne de France Vol. 38, Coléoptéres Scarabéides. 3. Horn, G. (1887! Trans. Amer. Ent. Soc. Vol. 14. 4. Peringuey, L. (1901) Trans. S. Phil. Soe. Vol. 12. >. Cartwright, O. L. (4944) Ent. News. Yol. TFS aS 6. Kloet, G. S., and Hincks, W. D. 11945) A Check-List of British Insects. 7. Fowler, W. W. (1890) The Coleoptera of the British Isles, Vol. 4. . Hudson Beare, T. (1930) A Catalogue oj the Coleoptera oj the British Isles. 9. Joy. N. H. (1932) A Practical Handbook oj British Beetles, Vols. 1 and 2. e HOW WAS IT DONE? I have just witnessed an example of a caterpillar finding its way back to a desired spot by the most direct route possible, without there being any apparent means of back-track- ing, and it is possible that other members may like to hear _ the story :— I am attempting to rear larvae of Citheronia brisotti (Ceratocampidae) in a :plastic container. One mis- guided individual decided to position itself on the side of the container for its second moult. Naturally I made *(A reference to Aphodius rufipes at light will be found in Bull. 12, % (Dec. 1953) —Ep_] African AES BULLETIN VOL. 18 no attempt to move it and for two days it remained comatose. On the third day it moulted, and when A went to clean and feed the brood, had crawled about half an inch oe its old skin. There seemed to be no harm in moying it on to fresh food while the container was cleaned, so I placed it on a fresh spray of privet and laid it on the table. Later it was placed in the container with the other larvae. I do not know what interval there was between the time it shed its skin and the time I moved it, but it was sufficient for the long spines (it is one of the ‘Horned Devils’) to become rigid. It was not until I closed the cage that I noticed that the old skin still remained on the side. Had I removed it these notes would never have been written. The relative positions of the larva and the old skin were as shown in the figure. For about half an hour the cater- pillar did not move, not that I was watching it all that time; but it was about half an hour later that I looked at the cage and saw it begin to move. The grotesque figure interested me so I continued to watch. Much to my annoyance it turned completely round, and made its way down the stem ignoring the leaves. On reach- ing the bottom corner it continued up the side of the container without the slightest hesitation, crawling at a fairly rapid rate, straight to its old skin. There it stopped, and after a pause of barely a couple of seconds commenced to consume its old skin oe - 7) adie J Bs Sake ir i —spines and all. Having finished its meal, it- retraced its steps ‘and resumed approximately the same position on the spray on which I had placed it. The whole operation seemed to me to be too deliberate to be accidental. How was it done? The possibility of back-tracking its own scent down the stem must be ruled out, for it had no previous con- tact with the stem in_ question. Likewise must we rule out the silken thread theory, as the caterpillar had been placed on fresh food on the table, and outside the cage. The cage itself had then been wiped out and carried outside to empty away the frass—a distance of about eight yards, sixteen yards in all, from where the larva lay. Assuming that a silken’ thread could have been drawn from the body, it must have been valueless as a guide by the time the spray was placed in the container and the lid closed. Again it is known that the visual range of caterpillars is very small indeed, and would certainly not cover the three and a half inches which separated the larva from its skin (straight line distance). Further- more at no time did I see it peering about as if trying to locate the skin. Though unable to travel in a straight line through space, it took the shortest route, accomplishing the journey as though it knew before it started exactly where it wanted to go. Unless therefore we try and introduce a theory of transmission and reception of some mysterious ray. eye) MARCH 1954 it appears that the only remaining explanation is the possession of a very highly developed sense of smell. Perhaps it might be more accurate to say that it confirms our belief that they have remarkable powers of scent. The return journey could, of course, be explained by either method. W. R. Smira (1641). © INSECTS IN A COAL-MINE Further to my previous article on insects found in a Derbyshire coal-mine in 1952 (Bulletin 12: 35), the following is a list of moths taken during 1953. with dates of capture and numbers caught : — Smerinthus ocellatus Eved Hawk 29.6. 1 Deilepnila elpenor Elephant Hawk 29.6. 1 Lophopteryx capucina Coxcomb Prominent Taco APChia, Caja Garden’ Digern 15 i/—=15:809 Cycnia mendica Muslin Ermine 6.6. 14 Spilosoma lubricipeda White Ermine 24.6 —6.7. 10 kuproctis chrysorrhoea Yellow Tail 17.7— Ice Cilia glaucata Chinese Character 19.8. 1 Ayrotis erclamationis Heart & Dart 11.7. 1 Anenoscelis litura Brownspot Pinion 15.9. 1 Amphipyra tragopogonis Mouse 17.9. 1 Agrochola lychnidis Beaded Chestnut 7-14.10. 3 Leucania lithargyria Clay Wainscot 10- fale 2 Leucania pallens Common Wainscot 11- ODD. Procus strigilis Marbled Minor 20.6. 1 Diataraxia oleracea Bright Line Brown Eye 14)-7-115.9 52 Amathes c-nigrum Setaceous Character 16.9-17.10. 3 Plusia iota Plain Golden Y 23.6-17.7. 2 Kuplexia lucipara Small Angleshades 3.9 —17.10. 3 Plusia gamma Silver Y Orthosia gothica Hebrew 1 Triphaena pronuba Large Yellow wing 19.8. 1 Xylophasia monoglypha Dark Arches 17.7- 19.8. 8 Crocallis elinguaria 10-13.8. 2 Dysstroma Hebrew 17.9—15.10 11 Character 23.4. Under- Scalloped Oak Thorn truncata Common Marbled Carpet 18-23.9. 2 ELupithecia vulgata Common Pug 29.6. 1 Rupithecia centaureata Timespeck Pug GrSiag2 Deuteronomus fuscantaria Dusky Thorn 31.8—21.9. 3 Krannis progemmaria Dotted RBorder 26.2. 1 Colotois pennaria Feathered Thorn 11.10. 1 Ourapteryx sdinbucaria Swallowtailed 16- OTs Oporinia dilutata November Carpet 15- Das, Phigalia pedaria Pale Brindled Beauty 25.2—2.3. 2 Selenia bilunaria Early Thorn 23.4. 1 Alucita pentadactyla White Plume 6.6. 2 All the above insects were caught within 30 yards of the shaft bottom, and the time of capture between 10.30 p.m. and midnight. I was amazed at the number of D. fuscantaria (Dusky Thorn) that had been killed and trodden on by workmen travelling the pit bottom roadways. Tinaea pallescentella can still be found in good numbers. The air- tubes that I mentioned in my previous article have now been taken out, causing the moths to go to another old roadway junction where there is more room to study them. On 17.6.53 I went to this junction at 6.0 a.m. and picked up 60 dead moths; every one was perfect, but all had been dead for a day or two. At the same time there were 40-50 on the wing, flying about a yard and then settling on the dust. I wondered at the time if all the dead moths were from one batch of eggs which had gone through their life-cycle together, and had just simply died within a few hours of each other. I sent some of these micros to several members of the AES for breeding, or rearing some moths from eggs, but I have not heard if they have been lucky enough to rear any. My own experience with the moths and breeding was unlucky; I put a piece of old crumpled tissue paper in a glass jar, together with a dozen of the freshly-caught micros, and they got into the folds and cracks of the paper. T also put a pinch of fishmeal and dirt into the jar, hoping that should any larvae appear they might feed on this diet. Three days after, I noticed about six dirty white eggs in the bottom of the jar which were covered with a fine web with a light sprinkling of dust on it. After a week the eggs could not be seen. for more dust and dirt covered them completely, and by this time the moths were dying off. Another week passed without sign of any larvae. T watched the jar for a month, still no signs, so I decided the eggs were not fertile. A fortnight later I emptied the jar, depositing the fishmeal on _ to the lawn, then ‘turned my attention to the crumpled-up paper. When I straightened out the paper I found it riddled with holes about pinhead AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 ES ee size. At once I searched for pupae, or larvae, but found nothing. I then thought of the fishmeal, but too late, | had emptied it away. It could have contained pupae I was search- ing for. The paper furnished proof that larvae had been feeding on it. W. Bivsre (1679). ® PRACTICAL HINTS A SETTING DESK This aid to setting holds the board firmly at a convenient angle. It was designed: for. use with 7” boards, but is equally effective with 14” if work is started from the middle of the board. (See figure.) Fr And Wa ¥ ae ey view Operation—The panel EBCF is moved to the right by gripping the beading KX, the board is inserted in the gap so made, at EF, and the hidden spring connecting X and Y exerts sufficient pressure to hold it in place. The projecting shelf AGHB can be covered with cork or baize, and on it’ placed pins, setting needles, ete. Construction——Materials depend on the ability of the constructor and what he has available; 1” 3-ply and x round (quadrant) beading are suitable. Kirst - cut 2° ‘similar triangular end-pieces 8” x 2” (the hypotenuse should be 8” and _ the other side will then bea little less). Rectangle ABCD is 8”. x 14” and has a hole cut in it 4” x 8” (indicated by dotted line L). Fix. end-pieces to this at AD -and BC, then cut another piece of 3-ply 8” x 3” and secure it with glue at AEFD. Now cut EBCF. See! jeand (glue) to it ay piece of beading at K, to act as a grip. On the under-side of this panel fix a small “piece of ‘plyzwood 24” x 4” as indi- cated by M; this should be a good fit but shde freely in L. A strip of wood or tin nailed on top of M, 1” x 5°, will prevent EBCF from com- ing adrift, but see that it slides nicely from left to right and butts squarely on to the fixed piece AKFFD. Screws or hooks underneath at X and Y hold the ends of a spring or strong elastic cord which must be capable of stretching 44” without too much Sita I. The distance NY must be such that the spring exerts sufficient pull to hold the smallest setting board to be used, and the spring must extend enough to accommodate the largest. The shelf AGHB may be about 24” x 14” and should be fitted so that it is horizontal, and its edge flush with the fixed panel ABCD: a setting board can then project over it if so desired. The angles between the end-pieces and the fixed panel should be strengthened by glueing in pieces, of 47 sround beading. © A stiffener along underneath AB is also necessary. For’ work with micros a lens is most useful. It should be mounted somewhere about A and be capable of being swung over the board when required. Joun EK. Kyicur (94), ® LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir Would you be good enough to invite the interest of the members of the Amateur Entomologists’ Society in records which are being compiled at Juniper Hall of plant and animal Species occurring in central Surrey, especially the areas of Box Hill. Leith Hill, and the heathlands of West Surrey. It is possible that some of your members might be able to augment our records by making available their own lists of species of insects, eéte., together with notes about occurrence, distribution or other points of ecological interest. It is hoped that our records will in turn be of use to specialists in various fields. I need hardly add that we are very careful about disclosing informa- tion as to the occurrence and precise locality of rare species known to us, and would treat with confidence any information of this kind which other workers may care to give. Yours sincerely, J. H. (PY SAnKEy, Assistant Warden, Council for the © Promotion of Field Studies. Juniper Hall, Dorking, Surrey. 24 BUTTERFLIES IN 1953 Mr. H. F. Tesss (1897) reports:— Jn the Peterporough district I doubt whether butterilies as a whole were reaily scarce, but ‘the sunless days have meant a number of poor days recorded in my dlary. Com- mon Blues (Polyommatus icarus) were uncommon until autumn, when Small Tortoiseshells (Aglais urticae) were also very common, and Commas (Polygonia c-ulbum) were seen more than for several years. I did not see a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardut). Hairstreak larvae were to be found in most of the places in which one would expect them, and the Purple Hairstreak (Thecla quercus) could be beaten from almost any oak tree in the neighbourhood. lit-Colk A] h B: writes : — During the whole year I saw only two Vanessa curdui, one in a clover fie'd near the Teign Estuary and the other in the garden at _ Bishops- teignton. Both were very perfect specimens and seen during October. Only four or five Volias croceus were noted instead of the usual two or three dozen. Celastrina urgiolus and Arica agestis were in fewer numbers than usual, Polyommatus icarus and Poly- Woov (1675) gonia ¢-ulbum both fairly common, and Pararge aegeria and Aglais urticue abundant. I have never seen so many Vymph- culas: rtols san, var nel deol observed eight sitting: “on! va, large. flat sstone, but Aphantopus hyperantus was relatively searce. In July 1952 I visited Stover Park near Newton Abbot, where I found Agapetes galathea in abundance. This year there were none! The Jersey Tiger moth, Huplagia quadr- punctariau, now almost limited to this locality I beheve, was fairly common. Birom: Wiis Wo: oH. (2025) :-— In Wolverhampton this season I found that, on the whole, butterflies in many cases have been scarce. Pieris brassicae ee White) was flying on April 23rd but was not plentiful during the spring. Huchloé cardamines (Orange-tip) which was flying in good numbers this year was first seen April 25th. Of these TI obtained ova on May 18th which duly Morxis MARCH 1954 pupated June 10th. Pyrgus malvue (Grizzled Skipper) which was not in such great numbers this season was first observed April 24th. It has been an excellent season for Aglais urticae (Small Tortoiseshell). My first nest of larvae was found May 3rd and my last imago emerged October 10th. Pieris napi (Green veined White) was far from plentiful, Vanessu atulunta (Red Admiral) very scarce, and I did not see a single Vanessa cardui (Painted ’ Lady). [Aglauis urticae was abundant in Surrey this past summer, and a nest of larvae was seen feeding at Clay- gate as late as Oct. 13th, 1953.—Ep. | @ : BOOK REVIEW Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Vol. X, Part 1. Diptera, Syrphidae. By R. L. Coe. Royal Entomological Society of London. August 1953. Pp. 98. Price 17/6. This very welcome book provides Dipterists with the first complete key to the Syrphidae of the British Isles for over 50 years. The introductory chapter gives the characteristics of the family, general life histories and habits of the species, and includes short notes on collecting and mounting. The 234 known species of Syrphidae, and 13 named varieties, are covered by the keys and illustrated by line drawings, which, in some cases, could have been smaller in size and more in number, thereby adding to the usefulness of the necessarily short descriptions. The well established names of Verrall are used, with synonyms in brackets. A Check list would have added to the usefulness of the handbook without adding greatly to its size. The book concludes with a bibliography. Those of the keys which have been tried seem to be entirely satisfactory, but for the identification of some species, the descriptions in Lundbeck or Verrall need to be consulted. Fol- lowing the interest aroused in Dip- tera by Colyer and Hammond’s ‘British Flies,’? this book should further stimulate interest in this conspicuous family, which still has a great number of gaps in the life histories and distribution to be filled. 1 afl & Be 5 Printed by TT. Bunele & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists’ Society, 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. 1954. 35 oo OSS TS aS epee S ESE SS SSE SESH HISSSSSSSESSSSASSSSESSEEESSEASSEESSSEESSSESSSELSS EEE SS EES SESS ee : he 3 oe of . oe oe oe 33 ; LIVESTOCK 33 +e = | 3: 33 Eggs and Pupae of Butterflies and Moths. 33 ¢ . . oe 33 Lepidoptera and all Orders of Insects in papers. 33 ft 2am oe i $s Payable in Great Britain. 33 oe ee oe ee | 33 All Material despatched by Air Mail. Apply to:— 33 | oe ee oe oe 3 | F. H. WALZ | 3 Oe z oe oe ms) 5 Reconquista 453, Buenos Aires, Argentina 33 oe ; ee oe oe of oe SESSSSteSeSeSeSsSsSt Sess SS St SSSSSESSSSSS RSS Se Se SESE LESS SSS SSS SS SSS SSS SSeS SSP T SESS SS tS TS SFT by 33 oe oe oe : ; oe 33 | - 3 | DATA LABELS 33 0 : oe ar oe iy ¥ <5 Bae oy ; 500 1000 $3 | i - 2 O oe 33 eae iy 4-line ...... Price 7/-— 12/6 3: 33 Printed in 43 point (Diamond) type Bo Price 5/- 10/ 33 oe . . was 5 a eecece = = ee $$ in multiples of 125 for one wordin , : $3 ‘aes P = \ 200 Sex Signs, Price 1/- 33 ia , : oe oe fy le é ‘ e oe 3 Other labels as required 3¢ oe : +s $3 ee $o eee A.E.S. 35 oe -d 7+ oe 2 = oe $3 ree Me 1 West Ham Lane, Peoden E.15 33 oe 5 1 4 $3 33 0e OOOO OOO OOOO OOOO OOOO SOOSOSEOOEOOOOES OSE SOOO COHOOOTSOOOHO OOO OOOE SOSH SSOS OSHS OHSTHHSOHHSOHOSHOHHOHOOEDOOO. OF OD PE SHSEHE SESS SO SOHO S SOOO OHSHHHO SH OOOS OO DODOSO COLE OSES SOOCOSOSOOS POSSHSHSSSSHOHHSSOSOSHHSHOSOHSHOOH SCHOO OOSD PO CCCCEEFE ODEO OSOOO SOO OOOOEOSE OOOO OE OOOO OEEES OOOO OSOOO SOO OOO OOO HEEOES SOO OO FO 0904009090900 0000 0000008 9 a3 ee ee es Reiisicg with photographs ancehne. Aes 3 ee .. Volume 9 “Practical Methods and Hints # a , c 99 oe for Lepidopterists eo Contains articles’ Oe a. < ~ Collecting Caterpillars - a s Breeding Cages for Piece sober ( describing 33 38 ways of making a cage ) : | Making a Beating ee [ceases SIX different 33 _ kinds of tray)». | : 33 | Price 5s. | fe Member ( quoting membership anber) 3s. 6d. 33 ie Postage. 2d. extra per volume, from | oe re . BIGNELL PRATT, 1 West Ham Lane 2 PS London, E.15 3 eoegusosenecerecersseeenstarccossogecgghecoessscsesesenss SPOOSSSE SOSH SOSH OSH OHHH SED ESS SHHHHSEHHHHHHHHHSHHHHHHHHOOOOD \ ’ ¥ * PI ALAA LLAAAAALA LALA AAAADAAAAA AAA AAA Ahhh hhh hhh hd bhbhhbhhhhbbbbath habbo hiphop bbb bh bobooooooononooe pT Bada ND A teh AD oh Arles pees Pic tod etn dh darren Reh Sid fended rN rede d tod! POPES SOSESO HOSS SESSSOOOEEOOOOOOOOOOLS = ENTOMOLOGIST’S’ : GAZETTE 3 # 3 33 $3 33 $2 33 33 . | = 3 ae $ A Quarterly Journal Devoted to =: oe : E oe 33 ae - 33 i British Entomology ce ee 33 33 33 3 33 33 #% = Well illustrated by coloured and plain plates and text # oe oe 33 33 i | ~ figures. 3 33 = 33 e oe # — 3 33 oe 3 | 3 3 =©Deals with all Orders of British Insects and with all % oe - 7 oe . = = = oe 3 subjects of importance to the Entomologist. _ 3 *¢ 3 33 3 $3 33 = = 33 $3 3 Subscription 20/- per year. Wee 33 , ee 3 3 oe ° . ~ 33 33 = Edited by E. W. Classey, F.R.E.S.. with the assistance #3 oe : oe 33 of a panel of well-known entomologists. 33 oe oe $3 33 oe 33 $3 A FREE SAMPLE COPY will be sent on application to:—_ + ENTOMOLOGIST’S GAZETTE, 33 91 BEDFONT LANE, FELTHAM, MIDDLESEX. 33 | oe o PS SESSOSSSHSSE SHEE SE SHES EE SEES ELELEEE SESE EE SEEEEEEEESESEE EEE SEEDED CHEEEOEEEESESESSEEESESESESESESEOEOED OS OO SCeeeeeeSSOSOSeSSeOSSSeeeseSeseseSSesesesesresecsssssssssseses sesssssesstesesessssssssssssssesaess ce VOL. 13 THE BULLETIN APRIL No. 160 OF 1954 THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ PURC1ASED 'SOCIETY H7TEER 195/ N US: gp NS . - KY, \ ee ary Or “ 10 OF Membership List and Geographical Key Compiled and Edited by B. L. J. BYERLEY, F.R.E.S. i WRITE TO-DAY FOR THE FREE LIST OF _ THE WAYSIDE AND WOODLAND SERIES rt AND OTHER NATURE BOOKS A v t This 64-page booklet, which is fully illustrated in line and half-tone, and has \' an attractive coloured cover, describes all Warne’s books on natural history and r allied subjects. All naturalists, especially those who teach, will find the list vy invaluable. It may be obtained post free on application to the address below. ‘ “The latest list of this well-known series may be warmly recommended... . Ci it contains, for each book, a short summary of its contents and typical illustra- tions.... SO many sections of natural history are represented .-. . that teachers would do well to procure the list from the publishers.”—School Nature Study. ' WARNE, 1 Bedford Court, LONDON, W.C.2 : 9 coecececeecococecoesseeeccoosoeceeoswoseeesoesosecoeooeeessooseees SLOP SSOS OHS HOSS O SOOO SOS SHOOSOOOOD OX 1) SOSHOSSHSSSSOSHHHSS SOS HS HH SOO SOHO OH GHOSE SHOHOSOSOOEOE ODODE OSOOOOOOD POPOCO OSH LO OTODOCOOOOSOOOOOOOOOD ARGENTINA | ee LIVESTOCK : Eggs and Pupae of Butterflies and Moths. — Lepidoptera and all Orders of Insects in papers. Payable in Great Britain. “an All Material despatched by Air Mail. Apply to:— | . F. H. WALZ Reconquista 453, Buenos Aires, Argentina i Council for the Promotion of Field . Studies sue : i | DALE FORT FIELD CENTRE Es Ww. Classey F. R. E. sf HAVERFORDWEST, Pembs. eee Entomological Bookseller ") 4 . . and fie | i > INSECT | _ Publisher 3 ua NATURAL HISTORY| 91 BEDFONT LANE, & A Field Course for Amateurs ~ Feltham, 4-11 August 1954 Middlesex at HOO Wert ENGLAND ‘y Classification and the characters of i? orders. Feeding, respiration, repro- \\ duction, colouration, social life and % galls. Field work complemented by CATALOGUES — | laboratory, lectures and demonstra- ; tions. i “RES . = o> = a> “ . 5 Se a Se p ) Fee, 54 Guineas, inclusive of board ON REQUEST | , » and lodging, tuition, laboratory and oa : Si library. ie Enquiries to Warden. 7 id SSA SS SOAS SS SS SSS SS aS S SESE TEESE SE SETH ah As RAP a SR rer. 24 MEMBERSHIP LIST Members are requested to notify B. L. J. Byerley, 48 Elmgrove Road, Harrow, Middx., of changes of ad- dress and biological interests. Please add your membership number to all AKS correspondence. Abbreviations *=Junior Member += Affiliate Member {= Honorary Member agric.=agricultural aq.=aquatic B.=biology Bot.=botany C.=Coleoptera (beetles) Con.=conchology D.=Diptera (flies) Der.=Dermaptera (earwigs) E.=ecology econ. =economic ent. =entomology esp. =especially exot. =exotic fw.=fresh water gen.=general Geo. = geology .=Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, sawflies, parasites) Hem.=Hemiptera (bugs) Het.= Heteroptera (het-bugs) Hom.= Homoptera (hom-bugs) L.=Macrolepidoptera (moths and butterflies) M.=migration mic. =microscopy MI. = Microlepidoptera N.=Neuroptera (mealy wings, lace- wings) NH.=natural history O.=Odonata (dragonflies) ornith. =ornithology Orth.=Orthoptera (roaches, grass- hoppers, crickets) P.= Photography R.=Rhopalocera (butterflies) T.=Trichoptera (caddis flies) Z.= zoology The highest number in this mem- - membership list is No. 2321. Adams, Mrs. J. M. (508), 43 Merch- land Rd., London, S.E.9. (B.) Addison, Rev. W. R. F. (230), Coltishall Rectory, nr. Norwich, _ Norfolk. (L.) Ainsworth, Miss J. M. (1617"), Pop- lar House, 14 Monmouth §&t., Topsham, Devon. (L.) E — BULLETIN No. [60 APRIL 1954 Aldridge, R. V. (262), Rio, Berkeley Ave., Chesham, Bucks. (L.) Allan, D. G. (1804), Dale View, Myrtle Terrace, Dalton in Fur- ness, Lancs. (C.) Allen, Miss D. M. (2081), Furzedown College, Welham Rd., S.W.17. Allen, Rev. P. V. M. (11380), All Souls’ School, Charters Towers, N. Queensland, Australia. (I.) Allen, S. H., F.Z.S. (2001), 20 Friar’s Garth, Abbey Town, Cumber- land. (C.) American Museum of Nat. History, The (1300+), Central Park West, at 79th Street, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. Com. to Miss H. Gay. (gen. ent.) Anderson, G. D. (1933*), 75 Cop- grove Rd., Leeds, 8. (C.). Appleton, A. H. (1612), ‘* Spinney Hollow,’ Disley, nr. Stockport, Cheshire. (H., L.) Archer, M. E. (1906), 4 School Ter- race, Tone, Wellington, Somer- set. (O., H.) Ashby, G. J. (2252), Insect House, Zoological Gdns., Regent’s Park, London, N.W.8. Asheroft, J. (2258), Trentham, St. Witham, Essex. Nicholas Rd., (gen. ent.) i (1532), Gribblemead, Ashe, G. H. Colyton, Devon. (C.) Ashmore, J. S. D. (826), Ward’s End Farm, Adlington, Macclesfield, Ches. (L., C.) Ashwell, D. A. (223), 34 North St., Bishops Stortford, Herts. (L., OF GP.) Atherton, We de> 4196), 464) Pine Gardens, Surbiton, Surrey. (D., C Durston, J. H. J. (1997), 46 South- wer Portland, Dorset. (C., L., ») Dyce, J. W. (1602), Hilltop, 46 Sed- ue roe Loughton, Essex. (L.) Bye (2319), 38 St. Stephen’s , onbridee Kent. (L Deen wR: C., .H. 112 Woes Park Ave., Brighton 6, Sussex. (L., food- plants Bade, G. gb (190), 3 Rutland Rd., Hove 3 Sussex Kagles, T. ®. (194), 32 Abbey Rd., Teheld, Middx. (L.) Earl, B. C. A. (1388), 2 South Park, Loose Rd., Maidstone, Kent. (L.) Edelsten, is. M., F.R.E.S. (208), Bramble Hill, "Balcombe, Sussex. (L.) Edwards, Miss K. (2063), Jasmine Cottage, Somerwood, Rodington, Shrewsbury. Salop. Gi O., NH.) Edwards, (2057*) © 52 Little Pad- docks, ee Sussex. (L., C., gen. ent. Edwards, R. C. (949), Arlesey, Pil- grim’s Way, Westerham, Kent. (gen. ent.) Eggleston, A. (2233), 3 Holmlands Park, Chester-le-Street, Co. Dur- ham (Ge. Si.) Eley, R. (1201), c/o Mr. Ruddock, Hall Cottages, Nowton, nr. Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. (L. Hete- rocera) Emmet, A. M., M.B.E., M.A. (1379), St. Edward’s School, Oxford. (L.) Evans, G. C. (1788), 159 North Wals- ham Rd., Old Catton, Norwich, Norfolk. Evans, J. O. (1840), 35 Maesygarreg, Cefn Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. (L., C., fw. gen.) Evans, M. EK. G. (2166), 55 Abbotsbury Gdns., Eastcote, Pinner, Middx. (C.) C.) _ F.R.E.S. (91), APRIL 1954 Ewart, A. (1861*), 220 Southwark Pk. Rd., London, S.H.16. (L.) Ewing, A. W. (1731), 14 Hamilton Terrace, Portobello, Midlothian. (ML.) Ewing, K. W. (1121), Castleway, Calne, Wilts. (LL. esp. breeding) Exmouth Training College (1643+), Rolle Rd., Exmouth. Com. to Mrs. Leadley-Brown. (L.) Farley, K. (1813), Lashenden Villa, Biddenden, Kent. (C., experi- mental ent.) Farwell, I. G. (1445), Mayfield Villa, Portmore, Lymington, Hants. (L.) Fenn, J. L. (1665), ‘‘Fernleigh’’, Ox- borough Rd., Stoke Ferry, nr. King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (Ti. Ferguson, EK. A. (1311), 1213 Bell- flower Ave. S.W., Canton 4, Ohio, U.S.A. (1.) Fidler, Dr. J. H. (1256), Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Uni- versity College of South Wales and Mon., Cathay’s Park, Cardiff. (T.. Hem. esp. Aphi- didae) Field Club, The (1882+), Grammar School, Houghton - le - Spring. Com. to G. F. W. Hart. (gen. ent.) Fielder, Lh. He @lsa*)s 23: -Labley. Grove, Knutsford, Cheshire. (1..) Filbee, A. G. (2279*), 356 Dine Rd., Harrow, Middx= (iz. @:) Finlay, J. BF. (806), Windgate Farm, Combe Raleigh, nr. Honiton, Devon. (L.) Finlay, Capt. R. A. L., M.B.E. (229), 174 Braid Rd., Edinburgh 10. (gen. ent.) Fisher, J. M. (1305), Old Rectory, Ashton, Northampton. (L.) Floyd, J. F. M. (2018), High Bridge Mill, Cuckfield, nr. ‘Haywards Heath, Sussex. (H., B., spiders) Fluck, G. C. (569), Redroof, Reading Rd., Fleet, Hants. (L.) Fonseca, E. C. M. (2079), 18 Grange Park, Henleaze, Bristol. (D., Het.) Ford, Rev. A. (877), Balsham Rec- tory, Sit. Cambs. (L.) Ford, T. H. (1642), 275 Derbyshire Lane, pee 8.5 XE.) Fordham, (2076*), 82 Grange Rd., Gillinghans Kent. (gen. ent.. mic., an ) Foxy iKe SA (1459*), 20 Scotsdale Rd., London S.E.12. (L.) Fox, T. H. (195), 226 St. Albans Rd., Watford, Herts. (L., breeding) AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 Fraser, Lt.-Col. F.-C., I.M.S. Retd. (890), 55 Glenferness Ave. .» Win- ton, Bournemouth, Hants. (O., N., Orth.) French, RB. A. (2129), ‘Rothamsted Experimental Stn., Harpenden, Herts. (M., E., gen. ent.) Freedman, M. (2310*), 33 Highlands, Edgware, Middx. (gen. ent., C.) Freeman, John A., Ph.D. (986), 5 Woodmere Way, Beckenham, Kent. (Stored Products ent.) Priday HW. J. (2292), 2577368 L.A.C. Friday, EK. J., Officers’ Mess, ee a Pershore, Worcs. (L., O.) Gardiner, B. O. C. (225), 34a Storeys Way, paetdue (L., gen. ent., fapence. ib. -Col--C. 7 J. (2167), 7 Beaufort Rd., Clifton, Bristol 8. L.) SENAY Coa nle26”). 45 Albert , Coleford, Glos. (l., ML.) Garrett-Jones, C. (989), Iken Hall, ~ Woodbridge, Suffolk. (L., D.) Gates, M. D. (1992), 5 Garden Close, Banstead, Surrey. (R.) Gathergood, Miss A. L. (2005), c/o Mrs. Heath, No. 1 Fernbank Cot- tages, Midhurst Rd., Fernhurst, nr. Haslemere Surrey. (gen. ent., breeding) Gaze, W. E. (1812), The Cedars, Cas- tle Hedingham, Halstead, Hssex. (L.) Gent, P. J. (192), Irthlingborough Rd., Wellingborough, Northants. (L..) Gent, S. (2030), ernoun, Moffat, Dumfriesshire. (H., D.) George, Miss B. W. (2238), Flat 3, 87 Church Rd., Richmond, Surrey. George, R. S. (1402), 1 Podsmead Place, Gloucester, General Re- corder of Glos. Insects. (C., orth., Siphonaptera, bryology) Gerard, Hon. R. (359), Blakesware, Ware, Herts. (L.) Gibbons, Miss M. B. (2296), 74 Waver- tree Court, Streatham Hill, S.W.2. Gibbs, G. W. (1212*), Tree Tops, Muritai Rd., Eastbourne, Well- ington, New Zealand. (gen. ent.) Gibbs, H. 1, B.H.M. (2036), Sun-dial Cottage, Balscote, nr. Banbury, Oxon. (L.) Gilbert, A. E. H. (1631), 5 The Avenue, Hatch End, Middx. (L.) Gilder, B. E. (2112), 138 Braemar Rd., N.W.10. (H. Giles, W. (2241*), 22 Priory Crescent, Wembley, Middx. (L.) Gingell: L. -V.. H., F.IAS., ¥F.Z.S. (2285), South Farnborough School, Reading Rd. Farnborough, Hants. (exot. insects, esp. L.) 31 CGladdichky Jey Hye (22345) sni2aor Cap- worth St., London, E.10. (C., jelse) 1D)6) Goatly, M. J. (2133*), 22 Lonsdale Gdns., Thornton Heath, Surrey. (gen. ent.) Gobbett, D. J. (1839), 6 Ramsden Drive, Collier Row, Romford, Essex L. (L.) Goddard, ik (1801), Kent Farm Insti- tute, Sittingbourne, Kent. (agric. pests, H.) Goddard, P. A. (2206*), 69 Weighton Rd., Harrow Weald, Middx. (C., aq. ent.) Goddard, P.. F. Ride = (ve) Goide, P. (1881), 8 Calverley Stoneleigh, Ewell, Surrey. (2216*), 12 Nesta, Rd, Woodford Green, Essex. (L.) Golby, W. A. (1412), 1386 Milner Rd., Birmingham 29. (gen. ent.) Goodbody, G. (1470), 14 Downs Valley d., Woodingdean, nr. Brighton, Sussex. (L.) Goodman, A. de B. (920), 20 Brook- lands Ave., Cambridge. (gen. ent.) Gough, Miss F. M. (1786), 42 Rocky Lane, Broad Green, Liverpool 16. (gen. ent.) Gowing-Secopes, E. (909), Oakhurst, Oakwood Rd., Crofton, Orping- ton, Kent. (L Grace, J. (2097), Ravensthorpe, ne. 72 The Crescent, Dewsbury, Yorks. (L.) Graham, Mrs. KH. M. (2207), c/o Major Graham, Ist Field Regt., Arab Legion, Jordan, M.E.L.F. (L.) Graham, KE. W. (1142), Windy Ridge, Little Widbury, Ware, Herts. Graham, Miss T. (2208*), Thurstan, Sherborne School for Girls, Sher- borne, Dorset. Grant, F. T. (276), 45 Shepway Ave., Maidstone, Kent. (€3 1) ray, W. J., M.R.C.V.S., F.R.E.S. (1843), c/o Dept. of ‘Veterinary Service, Blantyre, aN yee ene Central Africa. (L., Greaves, C. (2215), Caen ‘St., Youl- ereave, Derbyshire. (Breeding Brit. hs) Green “C.D. O043"),, c/o J. WH. Roberts, 76 Hough Green, Ches- nee (L.) Green, J. (1044), Zoology Dept., Bed- ford ‘College, Regents Park, Lon- ae ‘ W.1. (C., gen. ent.) Green, G. (1795), The Lodge, Fair- ee Side, Nursery Rd., Lough- ton, Hssex. (C.) Greenhill, J. S. (1883), 7 Barnett ay Lane, Ashtead, Surrey. 32 -~ Greenslade, P. J. M. Bank, Maryfield Ave., Exeter, Devon. (C., NH.) Greenwood, R. 8S. (757), 22 Maidstone Rd., Rochester, Kent. : Gregory, N. G. (2290*), 61 Marl- borough Rd., Falmouth, Corn- wall. (gen. ent.) Grimwood, K. W. (1625), 20 Lancing Rd., ue Park, Ilford, Es- sex. (L Gripper, A. G. (1886), Springates Cot- tage, Henham, nr. Bishop’s Stort- ford, Herts. (hs esp. Sphingidae) Groves, E. W. (1792), 143 Carshalton Park Rd., Carshalton, Surrey. (gen. ent.) Guile; ©. 9: (4752);, 51. Coity Rae (parasitic Bridgend, Glamorgan. eek Hague, N. (943), 39 Heath Drive, Potters oe Middx. (.; O. Haliier, W. W., L. (1829), ‘‘Arn- prior’, Thorp Ave., Morpeth, Northumberland. (gen. ent.) Hall, Rev. J. H. V. (1520), Hutton Roof Vicarage, Kirkby Lonsdale, via Carnforth, Lancs. (L.) Halstead, D. G. H. (2321*), 12 Mar- ish Court, Langley, Bucks. (C., Het.) Ham, B. J. (1827), ‘‘Mona’’, Kings Saltern Rd., Lymington, Hants. (L.) Hamlyn, E. T. (1923), 8 Kingsley Rd., (2211*), Machon Plymouth, Devon. (gen. ent.) Hammond, D. (1846), Brentwood, Hookergate, Cowlands Guill, nr. Newcastle, Co. Durham. (C., gen. ent.) Hammond, H. E., F.R.E.S. (423), 16 ee Greve, Birmingham 27. (L., C., gen. ent.) Hands, Re “eissh* 100 Station Rd., Handsworth, Birmingham 21. (L.) Hands, R. W. (2153*), 100 Station ., Handsworth, Birmingham Ake Hanson, ie (2198), 78 New St., Pad- ock, Huddersfield, Yorks. (gen. ent. esp. L.) Hanson, M. K. (1658), 145 Staveley Rd., Leicester. (U., Insect Clas- sification) Hanson, P. D. (1889), The Peak Bun- galow, Compton Bishop, nr. Ax- bridge, Somerset. (L.) Hanson, S. M. (320), 167 Gunners- uy Park, Pope’s Lane, W.5. -) Harding, C. J., B.Sc. Nee BM/ NEWT, London W.C.1 (B.) Harding, J.\G: R. (1669), 37 Chest- pie Ave., Withernsea, E. Yorks. APRIL 1954 Harding, Ss) Av (2282*), 83 Christ- church St. D , Jpswich, Suffolk. (C., de i Hardman, G (2050*), 16 Lindley- wood Rd., Ao Mlowhield. Manches- i, ter, 14. (L. Hardman, J. A. (1234), 10 Hands Lane, Bury Rd., Rochdale, Lancs. (gen. ent., L., ML., NH., Bot., ornith.) Hards, C. H. (176), 40 Riverdale Rd., London S.E. 18. (L., mic.) Harle, D. F. (889), ‘‘The Studio’’, Strand St., Sandwich, Kent. (E.) Harper, Comdr. G. We R.N. (1 169), Neadaich, Newtonmore, Inver- ness-shire. (L., gen. ent.) Harper, M. : (1553*), Neadaich, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire. (L., gen. ent.) Harper, P. S:,(@284)5 se Boutport St., Barnstaple, N. Devon. Harris- Evans, Rev. F. D. (1999), Blas- ton Rectory, Market Harborough, Leics. (L.) Harrison, D. G. (1689), 125 Mawson (gen. ent. esp. id, ‘Cambridge. Harrison, E. (1676), 53 Borrowdale d., Lancaster. (L.) Harrison, Prof. J. W. Heslop, D.Sc., F.R.S., F.R.E.S. (716), Gavar- nie, The Avenue, Birtley, Co. Durham. (gen. ent., L., Biogeo- graphy) Harrison-Gray, M. (1806), 36 Eton Avenue Garage, Lancaster Grove, London N.W.3. (Saturniidae) Hart, B. H. (1816), 94 Ramsey Rd. North, Dever con Essex. (H.) Hartley, J (1939), The Poplars, Goa Cambs. (L. Hatcher, F. L. (1441), 18 St. Ed- ak Drive, Stanmore, Middx. Hawdon, A. S., B.Se. (1469), 18 Saville Rd., Twickenham, Middx. (L.) Haxby, C. R. (1508), 4 Windermere Terrace. Bradford 7, Yorks (L.. gen. NH.) Haynes, R. F. (834), 29 Fairfield Drive, Dorking, Surrey. (L., gen. ent., Bot.) Haynes, R. G. (1545), 5 Lucas Terrace, Lucas Lane, Plympton, Ply- mouth, Devon. (L.) Haywood, N. (1924), 22 Station Rd., Ruskington, Sleaford, Lines. (L.) Heard, M. J. (595), 65 Park Side, Didcot, Berks. (L. esp. Genetics) Heley, R. G. (731), 3a High St., Bur- cott, Wing. Leighton Buzzard, Beds. (L., Bot.) Hellings, G. E. A. (297), 49 Wheat- sheaf Close, Woking, Surrey. (L.) AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 Henderson, C. W. (21), 150 Knight- thorpe Rd., Loughborough, Lei- cestershire. (C., Brit. and ‘exot.) Henniker-Heaton, G. (2199), W.D.1., Petauke, N. Rhodesia. (gen. ent.) Henstock, Dr. (Ee) Ph Dy MM :Ses, F.L.C. (209), “es Caerwys, Mold, Flint. ; D. H. (1690), 3 Jacomb Gosport, Hants. avenue Herbert, D. A. H. (2201*), Grove Be Elmgrove Rd., Hardwicke, Gloucester. (L., C.) HOES. I. D. (2257*), 18 Leaming- ton Close, Eales, Kent. (L.) Heselden, A. “alt M., B.Sc. (2084), 85 Park Hill Ra. , Bexley, Kent. (Cag esp. sub-spp. °& local variation, Bot.) G. (1761), (28) Diepholz/ Heppell, Place ; Hesselbarth, Hann, Rohlingstrasse 8, Germany. (L.) Hewson, F. (601), 23 Thornhill Drive, Shipley, Bradford, Yorks. (L.) Hick, A. (567), Sherrards, Cricket Field ie. ee Stortford, Herts. (O., Higginbottom, =. M966), 2 Greystone Cottage, Main Rd., Hathersage, Derbyshire. (L. esp. breeding) Higgins, W. J. (2072*), Standard Nurseries, Old Worthing Rd., East Preston, Angmering, Sus- sex. (lL. esp. Nymphalidae & walnscots) Hill, B. E. (2195*), 59 Mill Hill Lane, Winshill, Burton-on- Trent, Staffs. (L., 0.) Hill, M. A. (2204*), 19 Falfield Rd., Lower Tuffley, Gloucester. (R.) Hill, R. R. H. (2253*), Moor Lodge, Moor Lane, Staines, Middx. (D., Hilhard, R. (99), 54 Gyles Park, NH.) Stanmore, iddx. Gis Hinchliffe, B. A. (2309*), Arundel, King’s Hill, Beech, nr. Alton, clans.) (1G. H,;) Hitchens, P. FE. N. (669), Sicklebank, Horam, Sussex. (Ll. esp. temper- ges ele on pupae) Hobbs, (1850*), 135 Doncaster d., Bee teal Bristol. Efeddor. M. R. (1971*), 13 South Rd., Wyke Regis, Weymouth, Dorset. (C., L.) Hodges, G. B. (814), 12 London Rad., Braintree, Essex. ) Hodgkinson, R. (2042), Lindon, Lynch , Farnham, Surrey. (Acridio- dea esp. Mole ‘Crickets, H.) Hodgson, E. (2086), 9 Station Rd., Hetton-le-Hole, Co. Durham. (D. esp. Culicidae) 33 Hodson, E. V. (1392), 19 Stamford Rd., West Bridgford, Notting- ham. (L.) Holmes, A. M. (1198), The Universal Electrical Service, Bath St., Wal- sall, Staffs. (L.) Eiolnondh E. M. (1189), 9 Lawrence Rd., Hazel Grove, Stockport, Cheshire. (L., breeding and gen- etics) Homewood, C. T. H. (1873), 38 Ditton Park Estate, New Road, Ditton, nr. Maidstone, Kent. (L.) Honeybourne, T. J. (1558), 97 Birch- wood Rd., Wilmington, Dartford, Kent. (L ) Hope Professor, The (666), Hope De- partment of Entomology, Univer- sity Museum, Oxford. (Biono- mics) Hopkins, Miss B. A. (827), The Agri- cultural Institute, Kirton, Bos- ton, Lincs. (l., breeding) Horner, L. B. (917), 68 Bolckow St., Guisborough, Yorks. (gen. ent.) Horton, H. V., M.Ph.S., M.B.S., M.S.P.A., A.R.I.Chem. (1955), 315 The Greenway, Hpsom, Sur- rey. (gen. ent.) Horton- Ormerod, S. (1870), 17 Ken- wood Rd., Moss Bank Park, Bol- ton, Lanes, (Arachnology) Hosking, C (2022), 115 Wilton Rd., Southampton, Hants. (P.) Howarth, T. G., B.E.M., F.R.E.S., F.Z.S. (1627), Arrochar, Barnet Gate, Arkley, Herts. (L.) Howe, M.C. R. (2203*), 33 Tarrington Ra., Gloucester. (R.) Howgill, C. H. C. (2128*), 56 Wood- field Lane, Ashtead, Surrey. (L.) Howton, D. H. (2123), 7 St. Vin- cents Rd., Dartford, Kent. (L.) Hudson, G. E. C: (2143), S.G.B., Wadshair, Hassa Heissa, Sudan. 1By Humphrey, J. C. (2144), Woodside, a iddingly, nr. Lewes, Sussex. Humphrey, S. W. (386), Pear Tree House, Roade, Northants. (R.) Hunt, H. F. (1730) , 41 Granada Rd., Southsea, Gres, Hunt, J. C. (1988), Orchard Side, Walther, Kent. (gen. ent.) Hunt, W. (2014), 2 Park Villas, Barn- staple. Devon (©.) Hurrell, F. J. (923), 46 Goldlay Ave., Chelmsf ord, Hssex. (L.) Hurst, A. (1618), The Garage, Guild- ford Rd., Cranleigh, Surrey. (L.) Hutchison, Flt / Tit. D. (919), 246 Muirhall Rd., Larbert, Stirling- shire. (World R. esp. "Brit. and European) 34 Huxtable, A. (2156*), 78 Toynbee Rd., London, S.W.20. (C.,- L.,- Silk- moths) Hyatt, K. H. (1411), 8 Kidbrooke Gdns., Blackheath, S.E.3. (L.) Hyde, G. K., F.R.E.S. (818), 20 Wood- house Rd., Doncaster, Yorks. (L., (Jered & Uy) Eliyvdes wR, ows ((2164)— >> Pherae: Peace aaah agile Berks: (Cx. De, -) Hyde-Wyatt, B. (1548), 108 Lindsay d., Worcester Park, Surrey. (gen. ent., O., L., Hynes, Mrs. VDP) (686), 152 Mea- chem Ave., Battle Creek, Michi- gan, U. S.A. (Silkmoths) Idle, C. M. (2118*), 67 Murray Ave., Bromley, Kent. (C.) Ika, Miss N. OF. C423) Home ingen Ee Etta, Medical Dept., Mamfe, British Cameroons. Innes, Miss S. (1663*), Learney, Tor- phins, Aberdeenshire. (L.) Irwin, Roderick R. (1220), 411 North Bloomington St., Streator, Thi- nois, U.S.A. (B.) Tsbill, M., F.R.H.S. (2026), Technical Dept., Orkin Exterminating Co., Imex, 102 City Park Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. (C., Orth., Isoptera) Ison, C. H. (1848), 47 Orford Rd., London E.17. (ee KG, IE. Jackson, Miss Dorothy J., E.L.S., F.R.E.S. (1124), North Chff, St. ae Hite: (gen. ent. :C:; Jackson, S. (1269), 15 Westbourne Rd., Selby, Yorks. a) James, W. H. (120), 338 West Hull, Epsom, Surrey. (Ll. esp. Bo, Sphingidae) Janes, C. T. (1635), 151 Warwick Rd., Edmonton, London N.18. (gen ent.) Janes, J. A. (614), 1 Ailsa Terrace, Tiverton, Devon. (L.) Jarvis, ©. J. (2190), 9 Kingsway Parade, High St., Barkingside, Kssex. (L.) Jarvis, C. MacKechnie, F.L.S. (650), 21 Spenser Rad., Harpenden, Herts. (C., econ. ent.) ' Jarvis. BR. A. (2255*), Greenhedges. Vicarage Lane, Silsoe, Beds. (L.) Jeavons, J. S. (1982), 130 Wellfield St., Warrington, Lancs. . Werercon: T. W. (242), 37 Riversdale Terrace, Sunderland, Co. Dur- ham. (R.) Jeffreys, Dr. D. M., M.B., B.Ch. (615), 116 Hurst Grove, Bedford. (L., ornith., gen. ent.) Jeffries, R. (2312*), Bordesley Park Farm, Redditch, Worcs. APRIL 1954 Jeffs, G. A. T. Nuns Corner, (gen. ent.) Jeremy, Dr. W. H. R. (1778), 6 Elm Grove Rd., Exeter. (C.) Jesper, D. M. (1152), 23 Woodlands (910), Nuns Holm, Grimsby, Lincs. Grove, Harrogate, Yorks. (L., Cx . , Beekeeping) Johnson, J. H. (1040), 53 Knighton St. ‘see Lane, nr. Ches- terfield, Derbyshire. (C., : Johnson, R. H. (2154*), Rose Lawn, St. Nicholas Place, Sheringham, Norfolk. (.) Jones, A. V. (1638), ‘“Hafod’’, Lower ee Rd., Pwllheli, N. Wales. Jones, A. W. (1165), 15 Suffolk Rd , South Norwood, S.H.25. -(D.) Juniper Hall Field Centre (20897), Juniper Hall, nr. Dorking, Sur- rey. (Warden : G. E. Hutchings) Kearn, G. C. (2100*), 119 Pinfold Lane, Penn, Wolverhampton, Staffs. (gen. ent., esp. L., C. 20) Keefe, J. A. P. (2222), PeBT Fulham Rd., London S.W.6. (lia sage ent.) Keen, W. KE. (1743), The Bungalow, Cap Glas, Bettws, mr. Aber- oe Mons. (Arachnida) Keetch, J. B. (2046), Rylstone, Comp- ton Ra. South Petherton, Som. Wage G5) ie nee (571), Biggs Memorial Beal Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A. arvae, esp. Saturniidae, No- Se Huge) Kennington, F. (1549), Lodge Farm, Roath herons Lane, Skir- laugh, nr. Hull, Yorks. (D.., Cz; gen. ent.) Kennard, A. H. (1698), 11 Marton Rd., ‘Long Itchington, nr. Rugby, Warwickshire, (L., HH.) Kennard, A. (1871*), Torns, Ash- Hreaa S. Devon. (L.) Kennedy, ‘A. (20), 180 Vesper Rd., Leeds 5, Yorks. (L.) Kerrich, G. ae M.A., F.R.E.S. (551), Heath Crest, _ estcott, Dorking, Surrey. (H., Par asitica) Keji Kettlewell, Dr. He Be Daan A ¢ IM CB:, B.Chir., M.R.CS., L.R.C.P., F.R.E.S. (706), Br paeens Hotel, St. James, Cape Town, S. Africa. Keylock, J. G. (471), 34 East St., Crewkerne, Som. (D., aq. ent.) Kindred, A. D. (1707), 27 Richmond Ave., East Bedfont, Middx. (L.) King’s Norton Grammar School for Boys (2099+), Birmingham, 30. Comm. to G .B. Hindle. Kirkham, G. G. (2185), 210 Wakefield Rd.. Normanton, Yorks. (NH.) AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 35 With, G: A: (2301), Rd., London S.E.3. L -) Knight, G. (2250), 4 Council Houses, Alhampton, Ditcheat. nr. Shep- ton Mallet, Som. (gen. ent.) Knight, J. E. (94), Doughton Cot- 219 Holborne (Aphididae, tage, Ross-on-Wye, Hereford- shire. (L. rearing) Knight, Major Maxwell, OB. E., F.R Hee.) (956)s)*-The aS):,5 Homestead, Park Rd., Camber- ley. (aq. ent., moths, mic.) Knight, R. (2209*). Chettles, South Rd., Ditchling, Sussex. (C., H., 1.) Krauss, N: l. H. (1471), 2437 Parker Place, Honolulu 5, Hawaii. (Try- petidac) ame W217), 1 Fast Barnet, Herts. Brookside, G@ie@s) Lamb, D. F. (1915), 3 Queensthorpe d., Sydenham, London §S.E.26. (L.) Lane. A. W. (1744), 178 Ravenscourt Rd., Beckenham, Kent. (L., C.) Langford, P. G. (1630), Moordown, 7 London Rd., Widley, Ports- aoa (L.) Larkin, M. (2187), 31 Axminster Rd., Tee ING (Te) Last, H. R. (117), 12 Winkworth Rd., Banstead, Surrey. (C., esp. Brit. and foreign Staphylinidae) ia fouche, Dr. A. A. D: (884); 21 Alwoodley Gardens, Moortown, Leeds, Yorks. (Arachnida) Le Clereq, Dr. J. (1055), Laboratoires de Biochimie de l'Université de Liége, 17 Place Delcour, Liége. Belgium. (physiological ent., H.) Leeds, H. A. (282), Wood Walton, Hunts. (L. esp. R. vars.) Lees, F. H. (875), The Gables, Maidencombe, Torquay, S. Devon. (L.) Lees, J. A. G. (1779), 37 Gawber Rd., Barnsley, Yorks. (L.) Lees. P. (1859*), 35 Manchester St.. Oldham, Lancs. (P. of L. larvae) Le Masurier, P. C. (978), 85 Warren Drive, Tolworth, Surrey. (L.) Leonard, BE: (1708), 28 Brownhill Rd., Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hants. (L.) Leonard, B. G. (96), 29 Storeton Rd., Oxton, Birkenhead, Cheshire. (L. Sphingidae) Levett, R. J. R. (1867), Nether- oak, Broce Rd., Balcombe, Sussex. (L., Lewis, A. D. Boa 30 Crwys Rd., Cathays, Cardiff, Glam. (L., Anisopter a, Tchneumonoidea) Lewis, H., F.R.E.S. oe 8 Parry Rd., London 8.£.25. (C.) Lewis, Rar. E. S. (873), Berwyn, Rhuddlan, Flintshire. (L.) Lewis, H. W. (2272), 40 Norcott Rd., Kondon@NelG. »iG@nic:) lightfoot, E. G. (2131), 19 Victoria St., Aberdeen. (D.) Ling, R. B. (1885), The Severells, Rectory Lane, Sidcup, Kent. (L.) Taisney,,- Dr... A. A., M/A.,. M:-D.; F.R.E.S. (815), Dune Gate, Clar- ence Rd., Dorchester, Dorset. (L., ML.) Little, J. C. (563), 70 Langley Way, West Wickham, Kent. (L. in- cluding exot.) Lloyd, R. W. (445), The Grange, Bampton, Oxford. (C.) Lobb, J. (1608), Fernbank, Yar- borough Rd., Wroxall, I. of Wight. (gen. ent.) Lockington, N. A. (1421), 28 Stonards Hill, Loughton. Essex. (C., H.) Lofting, R. G. (1950), Lodge Cottage, Preston, Uppingham, Rutland. (L.) Lomas, B. (1984*), 184 Trafalgar St., Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancs. (L., O.) None, Ay 1G.) MoSe. (2278)") The Green, ar nee Duns, Ber- wickshire. (L., T.) Long, W. H. (1565), Ashleigh, Limes Rd., Tettenhall, Wolver rhampton, Staffs. (L.) Longfield, Miss C., F.R.E.S. (10389), cn Iverna Gdns., London W.8. .) Loose, H. W. C. Connaught Ave., Sea, Essex. (L.) (2115*), Selworthy, Frinton-on- lord Wandsworth College (10197), Long Sutton, Basingstoke, Hants. Comms= jto2 hes: Goodliffe. Lorimer, Dr. J. A. (576), 23 King’s Ave., Buckhurst Hill, Essex. (L.) Lorimer, R. I. (600), Braeside, Pine Grove, London N.20. (L.) Lothian, D. M. (964), Backhill Cot- tage, East Hallside, Cambuslang, Glasgow. (L., C.) Lower Schoo! of John Lyon Nat. Hist. Soc. (22951), Middle Rd., Harrow, Middx. Comms. to: B. Goode. (gen. ent.) Lydgate-Bell, H. (1176), 32 Hast- Ings Way, eeacies Green, Herts. (L.) Lyon, F. H. (1026), Green Headland, Sampford Peverell, Tiverton, Devon. (L.) 36 APRIL 1954 Mabbott, T. W. (1986), 20 Forth St., Grangemouth, Stirlingshire. (ag- ric. ent.) Mackworth-Praed, Lt. Col. C. W. (392), Castletop, Burley, Hants. (ent., Z., ornith.) Maclaurin, ALO, (1289). Oldhall- house, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire. (gen. ent.) McCulloch, J. C. (2311*), Lambton Park: Cheer on Co. Dur- ham. (L., ig) MacGerard, B. (2160), 68 Fern Lane, Heston, Middx. (gen. ent.) MeNally, P. (1429), 11 Tennant Rd., Paisley. Renfrewshire. Maggs, P. (244), Colyton ee ae Hants. (L.) Sway, Major, (1117), 21 Tufton Rd., ee nr. Gillingham, Kent. (NH., gen. ent.) Malham Tarn Field Centre (1595tT), nr. Settle, Yorkshire. Com. to P. Holmes, M.A., Warden. (gen. ent.) Manly, G. B. (427), 72 Tenbury Rd., King’s Heath, Birmingham. (L.) Manning, S. JD DE S)oy lilies ieee ke (1774), The Grammar School, Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex. (H., Insect Galls). Mansfield, M. J. (134), 5 Chigwell Rd., Bournemouth, Hants. (gen. ent.) Meinsone As. 4727)5 a3) Park Ave, Portobello, Midlothian. (1..) Marsden, C. (1904), 11 Worrall Drive, Worrall, Sheffield, Yorks. (L -) Martin, E. L. (801), 9 Devonshire Rd., Harrow, Middx. (L., esp. ML., Ay) Martin, "Pp. M. (1741*), 310 Cowley Rd., Oxford. : Mason, are (2028), Drakes Court, Fishers Pond, nr. Eastleigh, Hants. (Silkmoths) Mason, J. M. (2033), 77 Trejon Rd., Old Hill, Staffs. (L.) May, J. T. (1775), Homeland, Beech, Alton, Hants. (hL.) Mead, W. J. (1578), 58 Cedar Lawn Ave., Barnet, Herts. (L.) Menneer. R. R. (1947), Bonallack, Gweek, Helston, Cornwall. (L. esp. Maniola jurtina, Meadow Brown) Menzies, I. S. (585), Eden Roc, Florida Rd., Ferring-by-Sea, Sussex. (L., ML., C., H.) Michaelis, H. N. (1216), 10 Didsbury Park, Manchester 20. (i. im- cluding Indian R.) Midlen, C. (1769*), Glentorr, ford, N. Devon. Bide- Mid-Somerset Naturalist Soc., The (2217+). Comms. to: Miss E. Palmer, Highfield, Sandford Hill, Bridgwater, Som Miles, B. R. (1613*), 303 Selsdon Rd., South Croydon, Surrey. (L.) Miller, S. W. (1287), 5 Bedford Ter- race, Portobello, Midlothian. (L., C.) Millon, R. (1496), 73 Rue Jenner, Fives-Lille, Nord, France. (gen. ent.) Mills, G. (1876), 120 eae St., Oldham, Lanes. (C., L., O.) Mills, Ho Cl 22a en Greenway, Hutton Mount, nr. Brentwood, Essex. (H., L.) Milner, C. (2219), 117 Car Bank St., Atherton, Manchester. (L., gen. ent.) Mitchell, S. C. (1945), 22 Ashley Rd., Bingley, Yorks. (gen. ent.) Mold, B. (2148*), Chessington Second- ary School, Chessington, Surrey. (gen. ent.) Molyneaux, S. R. (1180), 40 Coxford Rd., Maybush, Southampton, Hants. (gen. ent. esp. C.) Moore, D. M. (1248), Thom Hill House, Prospect Place, Barnard Castle, Co. Durham. (lh., gen. ent.) Moore, J. (146), Kemerton Lodge, nr. Tewkesbury, Glos. (L.) Moppett, : A. As, BEAsyua644):. 39 Fairdale Gdns., Hayes, Middx. (gen. ent.) Morgan, H. G., M.A. (90), Staplake Mount, Starcross, Exeter, Devon. (Hem. Su Aphididae, aq. Het., E., gen., econ., and agric. ent.) Morgan. Tock: (2302*), 28 Skelton’s Lane, London E.10. (C.) Morgan, J. R. (1515), 17 Park Ave., Barnoldswick, via Colne, Lancs. (L.) Morgan, R. P. W. (2259*), Stour- wood Cotteee: Ramsey, Harwich, Essex. (L.) Morris. J. Ei" GG -@283).. Plat 2, 6 Bristol Gdns.. (zen. ent.) Morris, M. (1678), 9 King’s Ave., Lowton-St-Mary’s. nr. Warring- ton, Lancs. Morris, W.-H. H., M.P.S. (2025), 66 Wells Rd., Penn, Wolverhampton, Staffs. (., esp. rearing) Morrison, T. D. (1985*), 14 Cleveland Ave., Radipole, Weymouth, Dor- set. (C., Hem.) Morrison, N. H. (2107*), 9 Barclay Terrace, Edinburgh 10. (C.) London S.W.15. AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 Morton, 9J. °K. The Avenue, ham. (.) Mosse. TM. (1335),,-37 courte Close, Halstead, Essex. (H., L.) Muneaster, D. M. (2138*), 32 ios. (522), Birtley, Co. The Manse, Dur- grove Road, Beckenham, Kent. @ia=) Murehie, W. R. (634), Box 203, Sharon, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. (L., gen. ent., Z.) Murray, Dr. H. (177), Ashbourne, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Eire. (1..) Myatt, G. (1767), 22608957 Pte. G. Myatt, Intelligence Corps, J.A.P. 1.C. Det., R.A.F. Station, Butter- worth, C.G.P.0., Penang, Malaya. L (L.) Narbeth, B. (1894*), Culner House, 36 Linden Rd., Bedford. (L.) Nathan, L. (428), 16 Milton Crescent, Cheadle, Cheshire. (ent., L.) Nature Conservancy, The (1901T), 91 Victoria St., S.W.1. Com. to Lt. Col. W. B. I. Manley. Neal, E. G., B.Sc. (467), Foxcombe, Greenway Rd., Taunton, Som. (L., C., Hem., P.) Nelson, J. M. (1751), The Shieling, Castletown, Isle of Man. (gen. ent.) Ness, A. R. (549), 15 Homefield Ave., Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex. (L.) Neville, A. C. (2145*), 97 Tetbury Rd., Horninglow, Burton-on- Trent, Staffs. (gen. ent.) Newman, L. H. (503), The Butterfly Farm, Bexley, Kent. (L.) Newson, P. (842), 19 Rowlands Keld, Hutton Gate, Guisborough, Yorks. (L.) Newton, Dr. A. H., M.B., Ch.B., F.R.E.S. (1140). The C.J.M. Hospital, Ngutu, via Dundee, Zululand, S. Africa. (O., C.) Newton. J. (439), 11 Oxleaze Close, Tetbury, Glos. (L.) Nisbet, K. J. (1820), Invergarry, Madeira Walk. Church Stretton, Shropshire. (L., P. of insects) Norman, Dr. T. (68), Seleng T.E., Seleng Hat P.O., Upper Assam. oe (H., I.., D., parasites of -) Northern Naturalists’ Club (1828+). 80 Fonthill Rd., Aberdeen. Com. to Hon. Sec. J. B. Coutts. Nott, J. C. (1913), 1 Buckleigh Ave., oe Park, London S.W.20. Odell, B. J. (2054*), Crescent, Potters Bar. 30 Allandale Middx. 37 Ogden, J. B. (1580), Willow House, Cote Hill, Burnley Rd., Halifax, Yorks. (L., Genetics) Ogden, J. S. (1070), Plas-yr-ywen, Cefn Coed, nr. Methyr Tydfil, Glam. (L., C.) Oliver, S. F. (2236), 31 Dean’s Rd., London W.7. (l.; gen. ent.) Ollevant, D. (1514), 3 Salcombe Drive, Morden, Surrey. (I..) Otter, G. W. (475), Southwood, Blandford Rd., Broadstone, Dor- set. th., Os, BE) Ottewell, B. (1856*), 100 Scalford ., Melton Mowbray, Leics. (L.) Owen, D R. (2230*), 337. Crystal Palace Rd., London §S.E.22. Owers, D. E. (1819), 114 Demesne Rd., Wallington, Surrey. Vise Page, E. S (598), The Gables, Cook- ham Dean, Berks. (L.) Page, R. O. M. (2068), County of Stafford Training College, nr. Stafford. (B.) Painter, S. A. A. (2274*), 54 Nor- broke St., London W.12. (NH., P., gen. ent. esp. exot. R.) Pallister, S. (2294), Royal Grammar School, Neweastle-upon-Tyne 2. (zen. ent.) Palmer, B. J. (2172), 71 Coburg Rd., Dorchester, Dorset. (H., L., D. esp. Tachinidae) Balmer, 32 ly) 00); | So Trethias,”’ Tidden, Penzance, Cornwall. (Organisation of entomological and phenological returns) Parker, H. (738), 21 Park Way, Southwick, Sussex. (gen. ent., ) Parker, R. A. B. (1535), 63 Rainham Rd., Gillngham, Kent. (aq. ent y Parmenter, L., F.R.E.S., (895), 94 Thornton Heath, Fairlands Ave., Surrey. (D.) Parrett, F. JI. (1993), 3 Garden Close, Banstead, Surrey. (R.) Parrett, M. (1991*), 3 Garden Close, Banstead, Surrey. (R.) Parrott, N. R. (2182*), 34 By Mark St., Gloucester. (C., Parry, D. E. (1916), 15 rateiel tee Southampton, Hants. (L., Parsons, R. FE. R., F.R.E.S. (1512), Woodlands lodge, Woodlands Close, Ottershaw, Surrey. (L.) Payne, Miss D. A. (1902), The Broadway House, Llandrindod Wells, Radnorshire. (gen, ent.) 38 Peacey, A. F. (2170), Hillside, Brims- combe, Stroud, Glos. (T., N., ML.) Pearce, Rev. E. J., M.A. (796), St. Teilo’s Priory, Church Terrace, Roath, Cardiff. (C. esp. Halipli- dae, Pselaphidae, distribution) Pearson, EK. J. W. (2193), 116 Ernest Rd., Portsmouth, Hants. (l.) Pearson, P. D. (2051*), Brierlea, Stream Rd., Kingswinford, Staffs. (O.) Peel Ds Ens 28) Dagenham, Essex. (R. British and exot.) Pegg, C. A. S. (1994*), Brooklands, Langport, Som. (L., O. Pelham, J. (2171*), 5 King’s Ave., Chichester, Sussex. (H. esp. Aculeata) Pennington, T. H. (2315*), 4 Sea View, Seotforth Rd., Lancaster. Gig, aes mic ag) Penrose, R. J. (1467), 86 Mildred Ave., Watford, Herts. (l.) Percy, A. A. (1763), Bourock, Dun- lop, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. (agric. 7 Bushway, ent.) Pereira, E. A. (2064*), Ladyham, Burford, Oxon. (I., bees) Perrins, C. M. (1133*), Thursday Cottave, Ember Lane, Esher, Surrey. (1L.) Petty, George R. (1113), 106 King’s Rd., Rayners Lane, Harrow, Middx. (gen. ent.) Phillips, J. W. (2108*), 49 Moreton my Lane, Harpenden, Herts. Philp, E. G. (2165), 80 Boxley Rd., Maidstone, esp. IL.) Pickard-Cambridge, D. F. (2052), Box 53 Beaufort West, Cape Pro- vince, S. Africa. (C., O., Phas- midae) Pickering, FE. C. (1248), 31 Alexandra Drive, Surbiton, Surrey. (H.) Pickett, A. H., £.D:.S., D.M:D. (387), 32a Chatsworth Rd., Brighton, Sussex. (I..) Kent:. (gen. ent., Pieris, S. (2289), c/o Agricultural Dept., Nicosia, Oyprus. (gen. ent.) Pilcher, Ta E. (1914), “ Bramacre,”’ Stevenage Rd., Knebworth, Herts. (Silkmoths) Platts, J. H. (515), Lawn Cottage, Sway Rd., Brockenhurst, Hants. (L.) Podmore, Miss J. S. (1607*), 23 King’s Close, Wilmslow, Cheshire. (ven. ent.) APRIL 1954 Pontin, A. J. (1670), 15 Southdale Rd., Summertown, Oxford. (L., O., C., genetics) Pook, J. (1596*), The Gate, Stroud Farm Rd., Holyport, nr. Maiden- head, Berks. (L.) Poole, K. H. (133), 55 The Boulevard, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. (L.) Poole, T. B. (1681), 19 Lynton Ave., Toller Lane, Bradford, Yorks. (gen. ent., H. Aculeata) Porter, DoT 3(foo)ee os hase Rd., North Wembley, Middx. (L., ornith.) Pow, A. (39), 5 Dakers Place, Hawick, Roxburghshire. (L.) Poyser, Miss E. (2147*), Westfield House, Middle Handley, nr. Sheffield, Yorks. (h.) Pratt, C. B. (784), 1 West Ham Lane, London E.15. (.) Pratt, P. W. (1908), 49 Beale St.. Dunstable, Beds. (L.) Preston, “D> C0eam) ae. Pleasant, New Penshaw, ton-le-Spring, Co. ent., B. Preston, J. (2224*), St., North St., Mount Hough- Durham (gen. 21) ~Whitlelock Leeds 5 Ch =) Price, L. (1478), ‘‘ Springdale,”’ Rodborough Ave., Stroud, Glos. (he) Pringle, J. Po. S. Q094h 42 Alden= ham Ave., Radlett, Herts. (L., H., D.) . Prior, J._G. (2031), 7 Coates Place, Edinburgh. (L. esp. H.) Prosser, P. J. (2141), Amber Valley School, Wooley Moor, Derby- shire. .(imsect’- Bi) of carrion, esp. C., and PD.) Purvis, L. E. (941), “ One Oak,” Hale Rd., Hale Barns, Cheshire. L. Putnam, Cs (ises)waiaa. Mards Causeway, Cambridge. (gen. ent.) Pym. P. .E. BE. (2196), Fernlands, Naphill Common, High Wycombe, Bucks. oe C., O., gen. B.) Quainton, J. (2074*), 58 Chester ay, ene Sata. CR) Sis. Quin, (2304*), 42 The High- lands, Edgware, Middx. (hL.) Rae, C:,; Thysanoptera, Aphidae) Skidmore, P. (1705), 240 Grains Rd., Shaw, Lancs. (hL.. C.) Skillen, S., M.Sc. (2104), 29 Ormonde Park, Finaghy, Belfast, N. Ire land. (gen. insect B. , esp. as aid to teaching NH., B., ” ornith.) Sladen, P. A. (2058*), 79 Dell Rd., King’s Norton, Birmingham 30. L. ee A. J. (181), Public Health Dept., Port Moresby, Papua. Smart. P. E. (2293*), 69a Cleveland Rd., London, E.18. (NH, gen. ent. _L7) Smith,” A.-° He. (2053*), _12 Hawes Mount, Little Horton, Bradford, Yorks. 5) Smith, D. J. (1324), 16 Roylesden Crescent, Chester Rd. North, Sutton Coldfield, ne) Birming- ham. | (Gi, C8 AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 Smith, D. S. (1755), 87 Willingdon se Eastbourne, Sussex. (L., -) Smith, E. K. (178), 13 Salisbury Rd., Andover, Hants. (bL., veterinary ent. Smith, E. W. (1207), 93 Craithie Rd., Town Moor, Doncaster, Yorks. (L.) Smith, KF. G. (2254), Shemstone Lodge, Cokes Lane, Chalfont St. Giese bucks, (liz, C., D.,. gen. ent.) Smith, J. S. (1863*), The Mount Cot- tage, The Mount, Shrewsbury, Salop. Smith, Heal) G. :¥V.: Ml :Biol:; F.R.E.S. (897), Horwood Hall. University College of North Staffs., Keele, Staffs. (De een: and econ. ent., N.H., B:) Smith, K. J. (1289*), 21 The Mount, Cheylesmore, Coventry, Warks. ) Smith, M. G. (2177*), 2 Corringham Rd., Wembley Park, Middx. Wiron ts C.) Smith, P. Siviter (250), 21 Melville Hall, Holly Rd., Birmingham 16. Cee ae?) Semin be V. FY -(2313*), Lucerne, Swaffham, Nor- Market Place, Folk.” <(1.-) Smith, S. F. (1849), 69 Standard Ave., Coventry. (L.) Smith, S. Gordon, F.L.S., F.R.E.S. ? Kstyn, Boughton, Chester. Dy Smith, T. H. W. (1462), 13 Oxford t., Rngbv. Warks (L.* smith, W. R. (1641), 105 King Edward Ave., Southampton. (l.) suc 95. B. (419), . Woodsome, Plymyard Ave., Bromborough, Cheshire. (L., ML.) Southville Boys’ Insect (1567+). Southville Secondary School, Ashton Gate, Bristol 3. Com. to G. E. Lovell. (lL. esp. Silkmoths) Southwood, T. R. E., F.R.E.S. (1041), Parrock Manor, Old Road East. Gravesend, Kent. (Het., C., E.) Club, The Spearman, R. I. C.. B.Sc., M.I.Biol. (921), Oaks Bungalow, Oaks Ave., London, S.E.19. (iB. . NH, social insects) Sperry, J. L. (1484), 3260 Redwood Drive, Riverside, California, Mesa. .(1.) ppimk G. Frederick -(1356), 237 pena Court Rd., London SWo16. . ¢C.) Spittles, C. E. (1483), 95 Tring Rd., Aylesbury, Bucks, (L.) 4] Stafford Training College, The County of (1646T), Nelson Hall, nr. Stafford. Stallwood, B. R. (1547), 19 Southfield Gdns., Strawberry Hill, Twicken- ham, Middx. (L., O.) Steel, J. B. (2162*), 6 The Gardens, Rayner: Lane, Pinner, Middx. (L.) Stewart, J. B. M. (2150*), 26 Brendon Way, Bush Hill Park, Enfield, Middx. (gen. ent.) Stidston, Eng. Capt. Stanley T., R.N., Jee | HIR.S.,.. MeS.BE. (40), “Ashe,” Ashburton, Newton Abbot, Devon. (L.) Stoddart, R. W. (2308), 26 Owston Rd., Careroft, Doncaster, Yorks. Stokes, Capt. G. E. (319), 10 Milton Ave., Clitheroe, Lancs. (L.) Storer, Miss N. C. (2231), Milton Lodge School, Wells, Som. (gene- ties, esp. of or Storey, W. 4H. (277), Fairstead, Long d., Cambridge. (L.) Stow, A. F. (2320*), 28 Murray Rd., Rugby, Warks. 5 Stradling, D. J. (2146*), 25 Kings Drive, Bishopston, Bristol 7. (L.) Strainge, A. F. (2180), 3 Rivington Court, Harlesden Rd., London, N.W.10. (1, gen. ent.) Streeter, D. T. (9200*), 193 London Rae wast Grinstead, Sussex. (ent. in Limnology, L.) Stroud, R. W. (1911*), 12 Sheridan Terrace, Whitton Ave. West, reek Park, Greenford, Middx. (Ti 0%) Sturdy, 'D. A., B.Sc. (988), Oak Cot- tage, Bannister Green, hee Dunmow, Essex. (D., O., agric. ent.) Sudlow, M. (2260*), 106 Worcester ay Marton, Blackpool, Lancs. L.) Suffield, N. L. (1157), Eureka, Sea- ham Rd., Dalton-le-Dale, ton, Co. Durham. (gen. ent.) Suttons« He Re (538). 42) Warfield Drive. London S.W.18. (1.) Sutton, G. R. (237), 6 Kenilworth Gdns., Loughton, Essex. Swain, A. M_ (1409), 253 Crescent Drive, Petts Wood. Kent. (1...) Swain, H. D.. M.A., F.R.E.S. (1800). 47 Dryburgh Rd., London, Sewels: (Sa... C2) Hem.) Swan. C. T. (2299*), 26 Tuffley Ave.. Gloucester. (l., C.) Swan, J. M. A. (2178*), Dubergy Cot- tage, Ravensdale, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Eire. (gen. ent., L.) Swanepoel, D. A. (2244). c/o Clovelly Country Club, P.O. ee eae Cape Town, S. “Africa. (1.) Mur- 49 Swann, KE. L. (882), 282 Wootton Rd., King’s Lynn, Norfolk. (Bot., C.) Swansborough, M. O. (2137), 70 Bul's- moor Lane, Enfield, Middx. (L., C.) Ssyamise, “Hae. HRS S, Woodlands Ave., London (P., gen. ent., breeding) jacot Des Ae 12240) ees Eieh ssi Hampton Hill, Middx. Taher, S. (2316), P.O.B. 226, Amman, Jordan. TRailby: (SS) Ree BsSes 7A Re. C2 (636); 33 Alexandra Drive, Surbiton, Surrey. (1.) Tailby, T. W. (1975), 56 Edgehill Rd., Leicester. (gen. ent.) Talbot de \|Malahide, Lord (406f), 22 BUT. (384), le Castle, Dublin. Treland Tams We He Re Dept: ot stinto- mology, British Museum (Nat. Hist,), -London SS: Wi.-72 2 (Gi... P. Arachnida) Manner. TC. GA7oLy, Mivy. House, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury. (gen. ent.) Nanton, M. T (1890*), “Normandy,” Lichfield Rd., Dunstall, Burton- on-Trent, Staffs. (L.) Tayler, A. G. (433), Whiteshoots Hill, Bourton - on - the - Water, Cheltenham, Glos. (gen. ent.) Taylor, A. te (1510), 364 Burley Rd., Leeds, . (C., L.) Taylor, ae Ee Cipile)s ilabeae, Gl Queen’s Drive, London, N.4. (1.., C. J. (2055*), 47 Rawlinson , Southport, Lanes. (breeding L., esp. Hawkmoths & exot.) TayloreaGe be (2016). 74 Candover Close, Harmondsworth, West Drayton, Middx. (L.) (asi. Taylor, HiT (1943), 9 Queens St., Stamford, Lincs. (R. Hetero- cera) Taylor, L. R. (441), 5 The Manor, Rothamsted, Harpenden, Herts. ) M. F. (1725). 186 Holburne London. S.E.3. Taylor, Rd., Blackhe ath, Gis ’ breeding) Taylor, M. J. (1209), 51 Grange Rd., Kenton, Harrow, Middx. (L.) Taylor: Ps Gs. F.R.E.S. (719), 51 Woodlands Drive, Watford, Herts. (L., agric. pests, Bea) Hes M., cave fauna) Taylor, R. C. (1528), Vinnicks Cot- tage, Pill Hill, Highclere, nr. Newbury, Berks. Tayloraowie Do23805)s) 1 Manorerode, Tallington, Leamington Spa, Warks. (gen. ent., Ju.) APRIL 1954 Tebbs, H. F. (1897), 38 Cavendish St., Peterborough, Northants. Neschy 7173 sR. (2) ikeneds School Rochester, Kent. (L.) Thom, C. F. (2080), 92 Stratford Rd., Stroud, Glos. Thomas, B. R. (1709*), 2 Springfield Rd., Carmarthen, S. Wales. (L.) Thompson, R. T. (1825), 1 Waterloo Rd., Salisbury, Wilts. (1) Thornton, J. N. (1418), 123 Otley Old Rd., Leeds 6. (L., H.) Thorpe, H. AL. (482), Perivale, Glen- more Lane, Quedgeley, Glos. (Ly, Cy ornith.) Todd, A. (1197), Wesley Villa, Thorn- ley, Durham. (gen. ent.) Tonks, F. (2240), 111 Abercrombie Ave., High Wycombe, Bucks. (C.) Townsend, A. L. (1691), P.O. Box 276, Nakuru, Kenya Colony, E. Africa. (12) - Copdale Rd., C.) Tozersa D6), Leicester. diz Tremewan, W. G. (940), Wheal Rose, Scorrier, Redruth, Cornwall. (L.) Tribbeck, R. A. (1322), ‘* Weston,”’ Titchfield Rd., Stubbington, nr. Fareham, Hants. (gen. ent., esp. C., E. Trought, T., M.A., F.R.E.S. (1373), c/o Dept. of Agriculture, Am- man, Jordan. (L.) Trought, T.. HE. T.. (1480), Kawanda Research Station, P.O.B. 265, Kampala, Uganda. (L., C., D.) Turner, H. B. (841), Malverleys, Newbury. Berks. (L.) Turner, H. J. (696), 240 Tford Lane. Southbourne, Bournemouth. (f.) Turner, J. W. (1401), 18 Fox Covert Rd., Werrington, Peterborough, Northants. (L.) Tyler, P. S. (2318), 77 Stoke Poges Lane, Slough, Bucks. (Hem., C., gen. ent.) Uffen, R. WJ. (660); 4° Vaughan Ave., Stamford Brook, London W.6. (L.) Ure, Malcolm (1354), 47 Markham Rd., Winton, Bournemouth, Hants. (I.) Valletta; A., »F.RsE.S. 91879). 257 Msida Street, B’Kara, Malta. (1. 5 OF Orth) Vallins, -F. T., “RR. ES (2149). 4 Tattenham Grove, Tattenham Corner, Epsom, Surrey. (lycae- nidae) Van Den Driessche, M. (2029*), 6 Oakwood Crescent, Winchmore Efi. Ne Sti es Vardy, C. R. (1414), San Martino, Rushington T.ane, Totton, Hants. (gen. ent.) AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 Vieujant, R. (898), 44 Avenue Georges Petre, Brussels, Bel- erume “(C.)° H.5 L.) Vigay, J. F. (1554*), 28 Tooting Bec Gdns., London $.W.16. (L.) Vince, A. ‘A. P. (588), 14 Church Hill, WondonyN 21° (CL., aq!.@, olass- house pests) Vincent, P. S. (2192), Pelham House, Bardwell” Bury St. Edmunds, Samos (li. esp. Silkmoths, Epis. ny.) Wacher, P. B. (2006), The Deanery, Chartham, Canterbury, Kent. Waddington, L. G. F. (169), 8 Lawn Ave., Doncaster, Yorks. (h.) Wade, D. (1104), 17 Waldegrave Ave., Holderness Rd., Hull, Yorks. (l.., breeding, ornith.) Wager, J. R. (181), 62 Whateley Cres- cent, Castle Bromwich, Warks. (L., esp. R.) Wakely, S. H. (1860), 26 Finsen Rd. Ruskin Park, S.E.6. Cie, 1D)n5 Labo) Walding, H. J. (1673), 48 Freehold St., Northampton. (gen. ent.) Walker, D. (2056*), 37 Wallace Rd., Loughborough, Leics. (L.) Walker, G. T. (1737), Manor House, A ila nr. Worksop, Notts. (L.) Walker, Miss J. M. (2267), Flatford Mill, East Bergholt, nr.:+ Col- chester, Essex. (Symphyta, Hem.) Walker, P. A. (1968*), Flat 3, Stan- ford Rark,.) nr, Loughborough, Leics. (C., H., aq. ent.) Wall, G. (554), Hafod, Merstham, Surrey. (L., C., ornith.) Wallis, B. M. (1832), 72 The Downs, Altrincham, Cheshire. (l..) Walsh, G. B. B.Sc. (24), 22 Stepney Drive, Scarbor ough, Yorks. (C., B., Hem. ) Walshe, Lit. Comdr. P. la B. (1884), First Floor Flat, 69 Hitchen Hatch Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent. (1..) Walter, P. W. R. (1498*), 190 Carr- house Rd., yas Park, Doncaster, Yorks. (L.) Walton, A. M. (426), Rd., London S.E.21. : Walz, F. H. (2139), Reconquista 453, Buenos Aires, Argentine. Wanstall, P. J. (465), 54 Matlock Rd., Brighton 5, Sussex. (R.., Mosquitoes) ward KH A. J. (709), 6 High St. 8 Neal Swanage, Dorset. (1.) Mardy) PC. (1440), Ave. Southall, Middx. (l.) Ward, K. E. (1680*), 129 Strouden Bids; Winton, Bournemouth, Hants. (L.) 275 Croxted L.) 43 Wianterson, HW.) 2303), 67 Front St,, Pity Me, Co. Durham. (L.) Warwick County Museum (17731), The Market Place, Warwick. Com. to the Curator. Warwick, Dr:R., B’Sc., Ch.B. (1823), Medical School, Ur iversity of Manchester, Manchester 13. (L.) Washington, BR. (1766), Lynwood, Highfield Second Ave., Stockton Brook, Staffs. (L.) Watkins, Srict AC ACC. Gal... BSc. M.1.K.E. (1728), 60 Station Rd., Birchington, Kent. Wiaitsont dpe. 5. (Zale hi Close, London N.11. Watson, R. OW. (752), 15 Halstead Rd., Bittern, Southampton. (L.) Watson, De he eB. (1735), 53 Oxford Gdns., Lordon W.10. (Dae Silkmoths). Watson, W. A. (1757), Leach Farm, Division Lane, St Annes- on-Sea, Lancs. (gen. ent. esp. Moths) Watts, W. J. (240), Glashie, First Ave., Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. Waugh, R. M. (845), c/o Simpson, 26 Mayfield Ave., Dalton, Hudders- field, oe (zen. ent. esp. L.) Weaving, W. (1930), 27 Agnes Ave., Leigh-on- ‘Sea, Essex. (Anoplura, H. Parasitica, D.) Webb, Harry B.. KREBS. 4(736))) 20 Audley Rd., London N.W.4. (L.) Weddell, B. W. (701), 13 The Halve, Trowbridge, Wilts. (L., ML.) Wellington College Natural History Society (15371), Crowthorne, Berks. Com. to C. H. Bulteal. (gen. ent.) Welti, A., F.R.E.S. (402), 34 Great St. Helens, London E.C.3. (L.) West, D. C. (2105*), Taiping House, Whitemill Lane, Frome, Som. L.) Weston, S. I. (2291), Chestnut Grove, Radelifte-on-Trent. Notts. (1...) Whalley, P. ©. S., B.Se. (1310), 1 Cadvan Villas, Menai Bridge, Anglesey. (Orth., E., ornith., Z.) Whicher, L. S. F.R.E.S., A.R.Ae.S. (1345), 6 Chisholm Rd., Rich- mond, Surrey. (C.) White, Miss A. (2152*), 79 Prince of Wales Mansions, London, S.W.1L1. (C.; Hem.) White, E. J.,.M.P.S., F.B.O.A., F.S.M.C. (1748), High St., Westerham, Kent. (L.) White, G. B. (1749*), 65 Virginia ay Thornton Heath, Surrey. (LL. White, K. M. (715), Blackpool Corner, Crewkerne Rd., Axmin- ster, Devon. (H., gen. ent., bio- nomics) 44 White, O. M. (140), 78 Eastdale Rd., Resenaw ) Whitfield, (1805), 105c Station Sti, Biiaenae: ye yulas) Whitlock, R. N. (1900*), The Grove, Great Yeldham, Essex. (L.) Wickes, W. D. (1658), 19 Sunridge Ave., Luton, Beds. (L.) Wigg: ns, EK. D. (975), Wayside, Part- ridge Green, Horsham, Sussex. (C. esp. iridescent Phytophaga) Wiikin, F. J. (2134), 183 Clock House Rd., Beckenham, Kent. (L. esp. Silkmoths) Wilkinson, W. (2037), Whinmoor, Highfield Ave., Goldthorpe, nr. Rotherham, Yorks. (C., econ. ent.) Willams, (Dr. C. Ba MeA.. Se.D:, F.R.E.S.f, Entomology Dept., Rothamsted Experimental ‘Sta- tion, Harpenden, Herts. (gen. antes SIS 1635) Willis, BE. (2087), Whitmore Cottage, Carharrack, Redruth, Cornwall. Wilson, E. A., M.A. (1777), 14 Will- son Crescent, Ellesmere, Salop. (aq. ent.) Walson, i, “O. 9479), House, Overton, Hants. (C.) Beechworth Basingstoke, Wiltshire, C. H. E. (2098), 1 Wey- mouth Ave., London, W.5. (C., horticultural, pests) Windsor, F. (785), Woodend, lef orley, Surrey. (gen. ent.) Wood, A. C. (1543), Longcroft, Station Rd., New aes nr. Grimsby, Lincs. (Eien) Wiood, \lit:-Colk Ac” Hh: Bo (1675), Huntly, Bishopsteignton, Devon. Wood, E. (684), 18 Nursery Road, Deccan Lancs. Wood, E. R. (9277), 56 Denbigh St., (zen. ent.) London, S.W.1. Woodcock, A. J. A. (1008), 65 Rock Ave., Gillingham, Kent. (C. esp. Adephaga) Woodman, A. R. (2175*), 50 Prince of Wales Ave., Southampton, Hants. (L.) Woodward, R. J. (2247*), 65 Valley- field Rd.. London, S.W.16. (L.) Woot, W: R. (721); 9 Marshall St.. Barnard Castle, Co. Durham. (Bee SN, LA) Worden, A. E. (2248), 65 Ranelagh Ave., Ravenscliffe, Idle, Brad- ford, Yorks. (gen. ent.) Woudstra, Miss E. M. (1948*), 35 Cecil Ave., Queens Park, Bourne- mouth, Hants. (R.) Wright, ALE. (1666*), Rd., Kensington, (L.) 53 Victoria London W.8. APRIL 1954 Wright, A. H. (855), 74 Markham Ave., Carcroft, Doncaster, Yorks. (L.) Wright, C. Re .P. (2169*), 6 Turners Wood, Wildwood Rd., London, N.W.11. Wright, J. (609), Lakota, Cranmore, nr. Yarmouth, 1.0.W. (ornith., L., C.) Wright, Capt. W. S., B.Sc., F.R.E.S., RRA Ss: 9 MEBION.) > G96u Mossvale, Aghalee, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, N. Ireland. (Irish L.) Wrigley, G. F. (2061*), 39 Man- chester Rd., Shaw, nr. Oldham, Lancs. (L.) Wyers, N. (1241), ‘‘ East View,’’ Rayner St., Horbury, nr. Wake- field, Yorks. (L., ML.) Yates, J. N. (2262*), 58 Sedbergh Ave., South Shore, Blackpool, Lancs. (L.) Young, N. H..@2A)) 51 Burnham Gdns., Cranford, Middx. (Silk- moths) Zealey, A. (2088*), The Moorings, Druidsuone Rd., St. Mellons, on. GEOGRAPHICAL KEY The purpose of this list is to enable vou to get into touch with local inem- bers, if you are moving to a new distr ict, or for excursions or holidays. Even members not interested in the same groups must have much of general entomological interest to ex- change. BRITISH ISLES ABERDEENSHIRE. Aberdeen: Lightfoot, Northern Naturalists’ Club, Sangster, Shaw. Torphins: Miss Innes. | ANGLESEY. ey. ANTRIM. Menai Bridge: Whal- Belfast: Skillen. ARMAGH. Lurgan: Wright. AYRSHIRE. Kilmarnock: Percy. BEDFORDSHIRE. Bedford: Jeff- reys, Narbeth. Dunstable: Barling, Pratt. Leighton Buzzard: Heley, Reid. Luton: Wickes. Silsoe: Jar- VIS. BERWICKSHIRE. Duns: Long. BERKSHIRE. Abingdon: Bingham, Scott-Tagegart. Didcot: Heard. Finchampstead: Hyde. Maidenhead: Page, Pook. Newbury: Saundby, Taylor, Turner. Reading: Dolton. AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 45 Windsor: Barnard. Wokingham: Wellington College Natural History Society. BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. Aylesbury: North, Spittles. Chaifent St. Giles: Smith. Chesham: Aldridge. Haversham: Richardson. High Wycombe: Pym, Tonks. Langley: Halstead. Newport Pagnell: Cripps. Slough: Billington, Relf, Tyler. CAMBRIDGESHIRE. Cambridge: Ford, Gardiner, Goodman, Harrison, Putnam, Rivers, Storey. Chatteris: Clarke. Fulburn: Hartley. CARMARTHENSHIRE. Carmar- then: Thomas. CARNARVONSHIRE. Pwliheli: Jones. CHESHIRE. Altrincham: Pervis, Wallis. Birkenhead: Leonard, Snell. Cheadie: Nathan. Chester: Smith, pe ee Crewe: Greene, J.. Knuts- ford: Fielder. Macciesfeld: Ash- more. Nantwich: Boyes. Stockport: Appleton, Holroyd. Wilmstow: Miss Podmore. Wirral: Clarke, C. A., Clarke, M. D. A., Savidge. CORNWALL. Falmouth: Gregory. Holston: Menneer. Padstow: Dexter. Penzance: Palmer. Portleven: Sar- gent. Redruth: Tremewan, Willis. CUMBERLAND. Abbey Tewn: Allen. Penrith: Davidson. Scotby: Bailey. DERBYSHIRE. Bakewell: Dale. Chesterfield: Bilbie, Johnson, Prosser. Haihersage: Higginbottom. Y oul- greave: Greaves. DEVONSHIRE. Ashburton: Ken- nard, Stidston. Axminster: Bliss, White. Barnstaple: Harper. Hunt. Bideford: Midlen. Bishopsteignton: Wood. Budleigh Saiterton: Bradley. Colyton: Ashe. Crediton: Blackwell. Exeter: Greenslade, Jeremy, Mor- gan, Rowden. Exmouth: Exmouth Training College. Honiton: Finlay. Newton Abbot: Coleridge, Lees. Oke- hampton: Read. Plymouth: Ham- lyn, Haynes. South Brent: Collier. Tiverton: Janes, Lyon. Topsham: Miss Ainsworth. Torquay: Dobson. Totnes: Bennett. DORSETSHIRE. UDorchester: Dal- ton, kLisney, Palmer. Portland: Durston. Sherborne: Miss Graham. Swanage: Ward. Weymouth: Hodder, Morrison. DUBLIN. Gienageary: Baynes. Malahide: Lord Malahide. DUMFRIES. Dumfries: Balfour- Browne, Cunningham. Moffat: Gent. DURHAM. Barnard Castle: Moore, Robson, Wooff. Chester-le-Street: Dunn, Eggleston, McCulloch, Morton. Durnam: Todd. Gateshead: Harrison. Hetton-le-Hole: Hodgson. Houghton- le-Spring: The Field Club, Preston. Newcastle: Hammond. Pity Me: Waterson. - Sunderland: Jefferson, Suffield. West Hartiepool: Rowell. ESSEX. Barking: Jarvis. Braintree: Hodges. Brentwocd: Mills. Ghelms- ford: Hurrell. Clacton: Austin. Colchester: Brown, P. C., Miss Walker. Dagenham: Peel. Dover- court: Hart. Dunmow: Sturdy. Frinton: Loose. Great Yeldham: Whitlock. Halstead: Gaze, Moss, Harwich: Morgan. Ilford: Grimwood, Ness. Ingatestone: Bartrop. Leigh- on-Sea: Searle, Weaving. Loughton: Dyce, Green, lLockington, Sutton. Maidon: Cable, Rutty. Romford: Gobbett. Shoeburyness: Scott. South- end: Sills. Stanford-le-Hope: Watts. Witham: Ashcroft. Woedford: Chap- man, Lorimer, Randall. FIFE. St Andrews: Miss Jackson. FLINT. Caerwys: Henstock. Rhuddian: Lewis. GLAMORGANSHIRE. Bridgend: Guile. Gaerphilly: Bennett. Cardiff: Fidler, Lewis, Pearce. Merthyr Tidfil: Evans, Ogden. Rhondda: Davies. GLOUCESTERSHIRE. Bristol: Backwell, C. J., Backwell, L., Bird, Caines, Carlton Park Secondary Modern Boys’ School, Damsell, Miss Davis, Fonseca, Gardiner, Hobbs, Rogers, Southfield Boys’ Insect Club. Stradlng. Bourton-on-the-Water: Renfrew, Tayler. Coleford: Garra- way. Gloucester: Benfield, Danger- field, Dixon, George, Howe, Parrott, Read, Swan, Thorpe, Herbert Hill. Stroud: Peacey, Price, Richardson, Thom. Tetbury: Newton. Tewkes- bury: Moore. HAMPSHIRE. Alton: Huinchiliffe, May, Robinson. Andover: Smith, EH. K. Basingstoke: Lord Wandsworth College, Wilson. Bournemouth: Broome, Dicker, Fraser, Mansfield, Scott, Turner, Ure, Ward, Miss Woudstra. Brockenhurst: Platts. Eastleigh: Leonard, Mason. Fare- ham: Tribbeck. Farnborough: Fluck, Gingell. Fordingbridge: Burton, Liss: Allen. Lymington: Farwell, Ham, Maggs. Petersfield: Miss Rumsby. Portsmouth: Bacon, Hep- pell, Langford, Peason. Ringwood: Mackworth - Praed. Southampton: Compton-Green, Hosking, Molyneaux, Parry, Redgrave, Smith, W. R., Vardy, Watson, Woodman. South- sea: Hunt. HEREFORDSHIRE. Ross: Knight. HERTFORDSHIRE. Barnet: Brad- ley, Howarth, Laing, Mead. Berk- 46 APRIL 1954 namsted: Rollo. Bishops Stortford: Ashwell, Hick. Bushey: Ransom. Harpenden: French, Jarvis, Phillips, Taylor, Williams. Hatfield: Betchley. Radlett: Pringle. Rickmanswerth: Lydgate-Bell. St. Albans: Banthorpe. Stevenage: Pilcher. Tring: Cockayne. Ware: Gerard, Graham. Watford: Bland, Clark, Fox, Penrose, Taylor. Welwyn: Bonar. HUNTINGDONSHIRE. don: Leeds, Rosamond. INVERNESS. Newtonmore: Har- per, G. W., Harper, M. W. ISLE OF MAN. Castletown: Nel- Hunting- son. ISLE OF WIGHT. Yarmouth: Wright. Wroxhail: Lobb. KENT. Ashford: Duffield, Rayner, Rudland. Beckenham: Freeman, Lane, Wilkin, Muncaster. Bexley: Heselden, Newman. Biddenden: Far- ley. Birchington: Watkins. Brom- ley: Gowing-Scopes, Herbert, Idle, inttlesy J. (C.) Siges,) Swain,. -A.,, M. Canterbury: Wacher. Chatham: Greenwood, Major, Parker, Rozier, Tesch, Woodcock. Cranbrook: Box- all, Bull. Dartford: Honeybourne, Howton, Side. Faversham: Feather- stone. Gillingham: Fordham. Graves- end: Read, Southwood. Hawkhurst: Chatfield. Longfield: Miss. Read. Maidstone: Beaufoy, Earl, Grant, Sandwich: Harie. Homewood, Philp. Sidcup: Ling. Sevenoaks: Walshe. Sittingbourne: Goddard. Tenbridge: Bing, Dyer. Waitham: Hunt. Wes- terham: Bennett, Edwards, White. LANARKSHIRE. Glasgow: Bruce, Miss Craig, Lothian. Forth: Ritchie. LANCASHIRE. Ashten: Lomas. Biackburn: Bryce. Blackpool: Sud- low, Yates. Bolton: Horton-Omerod. Bury: Bailey. Clitheree: Stokes. Balien-in-Furness: Allan. Grange- over-Sands: Berry. Lancaster: Harri- son, Pennington. Liverpool: Miss Gough. Manchester: Atherton, Hard- man, Michaelis, Milner, Warwick. Oldham: Barbrook, Lees, Mills. Skid- Wood. more, Wrigley. Prestwich: Rochdale: Hardman. Si Annes-on- Sea: Watson. Southport: Taylor. Warrington: Jeavons, Morris, Ritson. LEICESTERSHIRE. Leicester: Crammer, Hanson, Tailby, Tozer. Loughborough: Henderson, Walker, ioe Weaker 9) Pa Market Har- borough: Buckler, Harris-Evans. Melton Mowbray: Ottewell. LINCOLNSHIRE. Boston: Cooper, Miss Hopkins. Coningsby: Rickard. Grimsby: -Jefis, Wood, Sleaford: Haywood. Spaiding: Cullum. Stam- ford: Taylor. LONDON. £.4: Shaw. E.7:)Bax- ter, L. N., Baxter, R. E.10: Carter, Gladdish, Morgan. Et: (Bazine E.15: Pratt. E.47:. Ison: Syms. E.C.3: Colman, Welti. E.18: Smart. N.4: Taylor. N.7: Larkin. N.11: Watson. N.12: Cross, Clarke.. N.16: Lewis. N.18: Janes. N.20: Carr, Lorimer. WN.21: Yan Den Driessche, Vince. N.W.3: Cameron, Harrison- Gray. N.W.4: Webb, N.W.8: Ashby, Bushby. N.W.16: Mrs. Cooper, Gilder, Strainge. N.W.47: Wright. S.E.2: Showler. S.E.3: Hyatt, Kluth, Taylor. S.E.5: Bradley, Miss Dudding, Wakeley. S.E.9: Mrs. Adams, Miss Cove. S.E.11: Quainton. S.E.12: Bobe, Bruce, Fox. S.E.16: Ewart. S.E.18: Hards. S.E.19: Spearman. S.E.21: Walton. S.E.22: Owen. S.E.23: Shaw. S.£.25: Cornelius, Jones, Lewis. S.E.26: Lamb. S.W.1: Miss Davis, The Nature Conservancy, Wood. S.W.2: Miss Gibbons. S.W.6: Keefe. §.W.7: Britton, Collins, Tams. S.W.9: Carter. S.W.11: Miss White. S.W.15: Morris, Swain. S.W.16: Mrs. Blake, Blake, T. G., Spink, Vigay, Woodward. S.W.17: Miss. Allen. S.W.18: Sutton. S.W.19: Miss Collis. S.W.20: Dawes, Donovan, H. J., Donovan, Huxtable, Nott. Wei: Gripper, Shapland. W.2: Drummond. W.4: Craig. W.5: Baker, Hanson, Wiltshire. W.6: Uffen. W.7: Oliver. W.8: Brangham, Miss_ Longfield, Wright. W.10: Watson. W.12: Painter. W.14: Rogers. W.C.1: Campbell, Harding. LOUTH. Dundalk: Swan. MIDDLESEX. Bedfont: Kindered. Brentford: Ranger. Cranford: Young. Ealing: Stroud, Ward. Edgware: Freedman. Enfield: Eagles, Stewart, Swansbough. Feltham: Classey. Hampton: Tage. Harrow: Byerley, Coles, Filbee, Goddard, Lower Schoo! of John Lyon, Martin, Petty, Taylor. Hayes: Moppett. Heston: Gerard. Pinner: Evans, Gilbert, Steel. Potters Bar: Hague, Odell. Ruislip: Black- burn, Robertson. Stanmore: Hatcher, Hilliard, Quin. Staines: Hill. Twicken- ham: Crotch, Hawdon, Stallwood. Wembley: Giles. Porter, Read, Smith, Taylor. West Drayton: Taylor. MIDLOTHIAN. Edinburgh: Beattie, Ewing, Finlay, Manson, Miller, Morrison, Prior. MONMOUTHSHIRE. Newport: Keen. St. Mellons: Zealey. NORFOLK. Dereham: Durrant. King’s Lynn: Day, Fenn, Swann. Norwich: Addison. Evans, Riley, Ruthven. Sheringham: Johnson. Swaffam: Smith. AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. Ketter- ing: Robinson. Kingstherpe: Raw- linson. Nerthampton: Fisher, Wald- ing. Peterborough: Russell, Tebbs, Turner. Towcester: Humphrey. Wel- lingborough: Gent. NORTHUMBERLAND. Morpeth: Halkier. Newcastle-on-Tyne: Benson, Burtt, Pallister, Rutherford Gram- mar School (Boys). Ponteland: Bar- ker. Wallsend: Backley. NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. Notting- ham: Hodson, Weston, White. Ret- ford: Ranby House School. White- well: Walker. Worksop: Brown, R. M. OXFORDSHIRE. Bampten: Lloyd. Banbury: Gibbs. Burford: Pereira. Oxford: Barrett, Blackwell, Bureau of Animal Pop., Emmet, The Hope Pro- fessor, Martin, Pontin, St. Edward’s School, Sheppard. PEMBROKESHIRE. Haverford- west: Dale Fort Field Centre. RADNORSHIRE. Llandrindod Wells: Miss Payne. RENFREWSHIRE... Greencck: Maclaurin. Paisley: McNally, Ram- say. ROXBURGH. Hawick: Pow. RUTLAND. Uppingham: Lofting. SHROPSHIRE. Church Stretten: Nisbet. Ellesmere: Wilson. Shrews- bury: Smith, J. S., Tanner. SOMERSETSHIRE. Axbridge: Han- son. Bath: Row. Bridgwater: Clat- worthy, Cowley, Mid-Som. Nat. Soc. Crewkerne: Keylock. Frome: Crutt- well, West. Langport: Pegg. Shep- ton Maliet: Knight. Scuth Petherton: Keetch. Taunton: Neal. Wellington: Archer. Wells: Storer. Weston-super- Mare: Ball, Blathwayt, Brookman, Clark, Poole. STAFFORDSHIRE. Burton-on- Trent: Cornes, Crowther, Hill, Neville, Tanton. Keele: Smith. Kingswin- ford: Pearson. Old Hiil: Mason. Stafford: The County Training Col- lege, Page, Rooker, Sandy. Steckten- brook: Washington. Walsati: Chilton, Holmes. Wolverhampton: Kearn. Long, Morris. STIRLING. Grangemouth: Mab- bott. Falkirk: Hutchison. SUFFOLK. Bury St. Edmunds: Eley, Rogerson, Shield, Vincent. Ipswich: Beaufoy, Harding. Stow- market: Chipperfield. Woodbridge: Garrett-Jones. SURREY. Ashtead: Greenhill, Howgill. Banstead: Parrett, F. [., Parrett, M. Camberley: Knight. Carshalton: Booker, Groves. Rossner. Chessington: Mold. Chertsey: Par- sons. Cranleigh: Collier, Hurst, Rus- AT sell, Weller. Creydon: Burrows, Collins, Goatly, Parmenter, White. Dorking: Haynes, Juniper Hall, Ker- rich. Epsom: Horton, James, Vallins. Esher: Perrins. Ewell: Goddard. Farnham: Hodgkinson. Guildford: Barton. Haslemere: Miss Gather- good. Horley: Windsor. Kingston: Conway. Leatherhead: Brown. Merst- ham: Wall. Mitcham: Bedding, Riley. Morden: Ollevant. New Mal- den: Roberts. Old Coulsdon: Britten. Richmond: George, Whicher. Sels- don: Barnett. Surbiton: Austin, Bur- ton. Durrant. Le Masurier, Pickering, Raybould. Tailby. Sutton: Currie, Darling, Davies, Gates, Hyde-Wyatt, Rumsey. Wallington: Christie, Coll- ver, Owers, Rothchild. Weybridge: Best. Woking: de Worms, Hellings. Worcester Park: Churchill. SUSSEX. Bexhill: de Whalley. Brighton: Banner, Barker, Cribb, Durham, Dyson, Eade, Goodbody, Parker, Pickett, Wanstall. Chichester: Pelham. Crawley: Blake. Ditchling: Knight. Eastbourne: Smith, D. S. East Grinstead: Streeter. Ferring: Edwards. Hassocks: Cribb. Hast- ings: Chitty, Dannreuther, Roberts. Haywards Heath: Edelsten. Floyd, Levett. Heathfield: Crisp, Hitchens. Horsham: Wiggins. Lewes: Hum- phrey. Newhaven: Bickerstaff. Pole- gate: Chandless. Shoreham: Man- ning. Worthing: Menzies. TIPPERARY. Clonmel: Murray. WARWICKSHIRE. Birmingham: Bridgen, Capers, Dixon, Golby, Ham- monde aands.” A’. Hands.’ Ra aw. King’s Norton School, Manly. Seott, Sladen, Smith, P. S., Wager, Whit- held. Coventry: Raven, Smith, K. J.. Smith, S. F. Leamington: Taylor. Rugby: Cave. Claridge. Daltry, Davis, Kennard] Smith= “oe oW Stew. Warwick: Warwick County Museum. WESTMORLAND. Kirby Lons- dale: Hall. WILTSHIRE. Calne: Ewing, Rogers. Corsham: Desmares. Melk- sham: Baker. Salisbury: Thompson. Trowbridge: Weddell. WORCESTERSHIRE. Friday. Redditch: Jeffries. YORKSHIRE. Barnsley: son, Lees. Barnoldswick: Boroushbridge: Rae. Bradford: Briggs, Haxby, Hewson, Mitchell, Poole, Smith, A. E., Worden. Dews- bury: Grace. Doncaster: Hyde, Smith, E. W., Stoddart, Waddington, Walter, Wright. Guisborough: Cal- vert, Horner, Newson. Halifax: Col- linson, Ogden. Harome: Cook. Har- rogate: Jesper. Huddersfield: Buck- Pershore: Atkin- Morgan. 48 ley, Hanson, Waugh. Hull: Bilton, Kenington, Rogerson, Wade. Iikley: Miss Bartle. Kirk Ella: Dibb. Leeds: Anderson, Barham, Kennedy, La Touche, Preston, Scott, Simmonds, Taylor, Thornton. Mexborough: Seago. Nermanten: Kirkham. Rother- ham: Wilkinson. Searberough: Walsh. Sedbergh: Rayner. Selby: Jackson. Settle: Malham Tarn Field Centre. Shefiefd: Burton, Ford. Marsden, Miss’ Poyser. Wakefield: Wyers. Withernsea: Harding. York: Boot- ham School Nat. His. Club, Ramsden. CVERSEAS ARGENTINE. Buenos Aires: Walz. AUSTRALIA. N.S.W., Sydney: Australian Branch A.E.S. N. Queens- land, Charters Towers: Allen. W.A., Freemantle: Baker. Victoria, Mel- bourne: Crosby. BELGIUM. Brussels: Vieujant. Liege: Le Clercq. BRITISH CAMEROONS. Mamfe: Miss Ika. CANADA. Quebec: katchewan: Shaw. Aubé. Sas- CENTRAL AFRICA. Nyasaland: Gray. CYPRUS. Nicosia: Pieris. FRANCE. Jouy-en-Josas: Brough- ton. Nord, Lille: Millon. Paris: Roudier. GERMANY. Hannover: Hessel- bath. HAWATI. Honolulu: Krauss. INDIA. Upper Assam: Norman. JORDAN. Mrs Graham, Salim, Taher, Trought. KENYA COLONY. Nairebi: Bell. Nakuru: Townsend. MALAYA. Penang: Myatt. MALTA. B’Kara: Valletta. NEW ZEALAND. Wellington: Gibbs. N. RHODESIA. niker-Heaton. PAPUA. Port Moresby: Slatter. S. AFRICA. Cape Town: Keitle- well, Swanepoel. Cape Province: Pickard-Cambridge. Johannesburg: Capener. Natal: Boyce. Pretoria: Rorke. Zululand: Miss Deacon. New- ton. S. RHODESIA. Mazoe: Cornes. SUDAN. Hassa Heissa: Hudson. Bean De. Kampala: Trought, T. de Petauke: Hen i es A. Hlinois: California: Combs, Irwin. Louisiana: Sperry. Isbill. APRIL 1954 Michigan: American Mrs Hynes. New York: Museum of Nat. Hist., Keji. WN. Carolina: Butler. Ghie: Ferguson. Pennsyivania: Murchie. Washington D.C.: Boettcher. AES ADVISORY PANEL Return Postage—The only require- ment of members for the tse of the Advisory Panel is that they must en- close stamps to cover cost of return of specimens, or stamped envelope for reply. Otherwise, reply cannot be guaranteed. It will also be of as- sistance if the membership number of each enquirer is quoted in all en- quiries. Unless otherwise _ stated, advice is only given on the fauna of the British Isles. Enquirers must remember that Advisers are busy people: dead material should be sent during the winter months when even- ings are less likely to be occupied with collecting or n-ounting their own cap- tures. | Where large numbers of specimens are to be named, the en- quirer should preferably have this done at a Museum, where paid officials are employed to deal with such enquiries. A personal rvisit, moreover, will usually solicit more information than would be obtained by correspondence. Labelfing—Details of locality, food- plant, date, time and mode of cap- ture and many other details are often essential to identification. All speci- mens should be _ labelled with such data, preferably placed on a small card on the same pin as the insect. In all cases details of locality will be treated as confidential. New Advisers—There are still many subjects not yet covered by the Panel. and volunteers to assist in these de- partments are much desired. Offers should be sent to D. Ollevant, 3 Salcombe Drive, Morden, Surrey. Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) Identification of Macro larvae—Ham- MOND, H. E.- (423). Varieties of Rhopalocera—RvussEt1, S. G. Castie (119). Rearing Silkmoths—Croren, W. J. B. (1181). Hybrid Lepidoptera — Hestop-HarRrI- son, J. W. (716). Distribution and local lists, Macros and Micros—Lisney, Dr, A. A. (315). AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 49 Coleoptera (Beetles) Books and _ collecting Wianse, (Go B! (24): Identification, other than the groups named below-——Tozer, D. (36). Elateridae, identification and ad- vice—CoorerR, B.A. (%). Haliplidae and Pselaphidae, identi- fication and advice—Prarce, Rev. Bods (796). Waterbeetles, identification and ad- methods— vice—Batrour-Browne, Prof. F. (340f). Hymenoptera Parasitica, identification and _ ad- vice—KerricH, G. J. (551). Diptera (Flies) General identification and PARMENTER, L. (895). Immature stages, approximate iden- tification and advice—SmiTH, K. G. V. (897). Mosquitoes, identification — CLASSEY, EK. W. (41). Conopidae, identification—Smitu, K. Gav +(897). Larvaevoridae and Muscidae, identifi- cation—lonsEca, EK. C. M. (2079). Odonata (Dragonflies) Identification and advice—CowLey, ae) Plecoptera (Stoneflies) Identification and advice—Syms, E. E. (4067). Neuroptera and Trichoptera Identification and advice—Pracry, A. BP o(2L 70): Hemiptera-Heteroptera (Het-bugs) General advice and approximate identification—SHaw, H. K. Arry (545). Identification — Simmonps, P. S. (2009). Orthoptera of the World Identification and advice—D. K. MckH. Kevan, University of Nott- ingham, School of Agriculture, Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, Leics. Insect Galls Identification and advice—Mannine, S. A. (1774). advice— Arachnida (Spiders) Identification and advice—La ToucHE, Dis Ac AaeD:. 4(884): Books General advice—Syuis, E. E. (406%). Microscopy General. advice — Herre tu, (1690). De 7 Photograshy General advice, not colour or cine- matography—NeraL, EK. G. (467). Botany Identification of foodplants—Suaw, H. K. Atry (545). Selection, propagation and_ culti- vation of foodplants and _ floral attractions—Dyson, R. C. (91). Pests Farm and garden pests—Coorper. BeAc (CL): Stored products pests—FREEMAN, Dr. J. A. (986). Fruit pests—Simmonps, P. S. (2009). Beekeeping General advice—Brrry, J. EK. (1072); JESPER, D. M. (1152). Chemical Mafters General advice—Henstock, Dr. H. (209). insect Migration General advice—DANNREUTHER, Capt. 1 (60) Flora and insect Fauna of Hebrides '—Hrstop-Harrison, J. W. (716). STUDY GROUPS AND CONVENERS Cockroaches—Jounson, J. H. (1840). Diapause—Hoprpxins, Miss B. A. (827). Distribution of certain Lycaenidae (Blues)— Dyson, R. ©. (91). Distribution of Elephant Hawk— Jounson, J. H. (1840). Insect Galls—MANNING, STANLEY A (1774). ov Larval PETER G (719). Colours—TayYLor, Microscopy—Ison, C. H. (1343). Orthoptera (habits and distribution) —MicnHagsL, P. (748). Silkmoths—smita, W. KR. (1641). from fime of emergence BrapbLey, P. (1360). THE LIFE-CYCLE OF CHLOROCLYSTA MIATA LINN. The Rev. J. H. Vine Hall’s ‘‘In- triguing problem No. 2’’ (Bulletin 13, 9) is, 1 suggest, susceptible to a very simple explanation, namely, that only the female sex hibernates, the males dying after mating in the autumn. C. miata is very common here in Inverness-shire, and C. siterata Hufn. not much less so, and I have been able to observe both in considerable num- bers. Females are rarely seen in the autumn, entering hibernation very soon after pairing. JI have found them in January under overhanging rocks covered in snow, perfectly fresh and totally inactive. The ovaries and ova develop in the spring, so that superficially with their thin bodies in the autumn the sexes are not unlike each other in the case of C. miata. Dasypolia templi Thiin. is another common species here with the same habit. Commander G. W. Harper, R.N., IV. R.E.S. (1169) pupae— NAPHTHALENE HEADED PINS A small tip that may be of use to collectors is the Naphthalene headed pin. If an ordinary dressmaker’s pin is heated in the gas or spirit lamp fiame, and pressed into a naphthalene ball, the naphtha melts and the head of the pin sinks well into the ball. They ean then be stuck into the cork of the cabinet or store box, in a corner or in between rows of specimens, without danger of coming loose and doing damage. I have used them for years, and it was only when a com- ment by a friend was made, that I realised that other collectors may appreciate the idea. Davin H. Heprecr (1690). APRIL 1954 MUGWORT—A BGUAL-PURPOSE FOOCDPLANT Kntomologists and _ horticulturists in the same household do not always agree. So often a nice dock or simi- lar useful pabulum is removed just when it is needed, unless its reten- tion is specially requested. In the following instance, however, the two interests surprisingly did not clash. A year or so ago I was rearing Cucwlia absinthiw Linn. (Wormwood Shark) and had a little difficulty in finding the foodplant, Mugwort. With an eye to the future I scat- tered the seeds about the garden, knowing, or perhaps only hoping, that the plant would not become a nuisance. Since then it has come up promiscuously in odd places and been treated as other weeds. This year a fine plant appeared in a flower bed and, at my request, was not eradi- cated. But later I found that the long flower heads had been gathered and used for indoor decoration! In con- Junction with flowers and ferns the result was most effective, and the Mugwort had the advantage that it lasted well in water and did not make a mess as the other plants did. JoHun E. Knicut (94). 6 KILLING BOTTLE NOTE On page 5 of Bulletin, Vol. 10, Mr. D. H. Heppell advises the use of a specially constructed killing bottle charged with a mixture consisting of 5 cc Water, 5 cc Ethyl Acetate and 3-4 cc Ether. This, he claims, whilst being swift in despatching out vic- tims, does not tend to cause stiffness of the wings. Now the point of my note is this (please correct me if I] am wrong, as well I may be, since my days of Chemistry Labs. is long since past!): surely a mixture containing water with Ethyl Acetate is unstable. Ac- cording to my theory, the water will react with the E.A. to form Ether. and Acetic Acid. The latter being of no value as a killing agent and the former most certainly does _ stiffen wings and legs. Why. then, was Ether used in the mixture? Why not use just plain Ethyl Acetate absorbed into celluloid chips from which the vapour is slowly released. In passing, I may add that a good glass-stoppered bottle, thus charged, will, if the stopper is properly ground in, last many months without re- charging. R. V. ALpRiInGE (262). AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 ol ANOTHER IDEA FOR A PUPA CAGE Many are the notes that have from time to time been written on this sub- ject of keeping pupae, yet many of us still fail to get certain species to emerge without a high percentage of cripples. Mr. P. B. M. Allan, who probably knows more about breeding than most of us ever will, advocates the keeping of pupae in a well ventilated cage in a Stable loft having free ingress of air via an ever open door. On this, I would not dare to question his sound judgment, nay, I, too, would keep my cages thus IF only the requisite loft were available. Unfortunately, the average detached country resi- dence does not boast to such useful outhouses as stables. To overcome the difficulty of keep- ing pupae at a reasonable humidity I have used for some time a very simple cage. This is simply a wooden box 14” x8” x9”, but any other size to suit will answer just as well. To this is fitted a glass front, sliding in grooves, fitted in a frame, of any other means you choose, provided it is pest proof. Here then, we have our cage; the floor is covered with corru- gated cardboard into the grooves of which our bare pupae are placed, whilst cocoons can be placed intact wherever one _ chooses. A small shallow earthenware dish — you haven’t an earthenware dish ?—never mind use a saucer—is filled with peat which has been thoroughly soaked in water; this stands in one corner of the cage and should be rewatered from time to tinie. This arrangmeent, as you have by now gathered, ensures that the in- mates are kept in an atmosphere of high humidity whilst no moisture in the form of water as such, comes in contact with them. The pupal case does not become so hard that the moth is unable to free itself, neither does the pupa lose water by evapora- tion; in fact, they emerge in perfect condition. For winter storage I do not advise this contraption; it may work, but I have never tried. Here I use the method which most collectors (without stable lofts) probably adopt, to wit, the keeping of pupae in tins with tightly fitting lids. Always see that the tins are deep enough to allow a moth to expand its wings, because odd specimens will emerge out of season whether you keep them in- doors or out. In these tins then, my pupa spend the winter months during which time I inspect them twice a week, or more in mild spells; then each species is transferred to the emerging cage some few weeks before the estimated time of emergence. Here, Mr Allan will disagree with me and ask how I estimate the time of emergence. Well, Sir, I do my best, which, after all, is ‘‘Hobson’s choice’’ for one not in possession of a stable loft! R. V. ALDRIDGE (262). e OBSERVATIONS Mr. W. Weavine (1930) writes :— I was interested in Mr. W. G. C. Booker’s report (Bull. 12: 91) on Acanthomyops niger attacked by Pseudacteon formicarum. I have found that these Phoridae appeared in greater numbers during July/ September, i.e., when the flight period of most species of ants is occurring. When the ants are busy around their nest prior to flight the fly is very active. The ants appear to be aware of the fly, and are somewhat perturbed, and will rear up and endeavour to face their foe and open and close their mandibles. Eventually a fly will swoop in and alight on the back of the thorax, front legs on the prothorax and the ovipositor inserted under last segment in the meta- thorax. The position of the ant ren- ders it difficult for the abdomen to be attacked, although it may do so, but I have not seen it done. The ovipositor is inserted immediately the fly alights, and it would appear that the nerve centre is partially affected. The fly has departed but the ant is badly shocked and it is quite a second before it seems to come to and hurries off. The fly is about 2 mm. overall, and the ovipositor, tough and broad at the base, coming by means of a deep curved scimitar to a point, takes up a third of the length. Regarding the attraction of the smell of formic acid I am of an open mind on the point. The flies would appear to be flying around hap- hazardly until ants appear, and then they fly backwards and forwards in front of the ants’ nest awaiting their opportunity; just two or three ants alone seem to be able to avoid attack. I have not yet seen Formica rufa being attacked (maybe owing to position of nests, the fly does not show up against the background), but the nest is one having the strongest smell of formic acid have come across, and thus should have crowds of Pseudacteon formicarum hovering around. 52 APRIL 1954_ I have witnessed this attacking operation in 1946-7, and 1950-2; on each occasion it was Acanthomyops niger being attacked. Maybe different methods of attack, and _ different species of ant will have been ob- served by other members. r) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir,—lLittle seems to have been written recently on that vexed subject of the introduction of butter- flies. The fate of Linn., Araschnia levana , described with such delicacy by Dr. E. B. Ford,. still serves to warn off would-be introducers of Lepidoptera—especially those who do not own large private estates. Surely that incident should be to us a challenge as well as a warning. It is not my purpose to conduct a lengthy defence of the theory that ‘what man has destroyed—let him restore.’’ It is essential to know the opinions of other members—those who agree and those who do not. It is probable that if, eventually work of introduction is to be carried out on a widely organised scale— amateur entomologists might well play the most important part.—Yours faithfully, P. S. Vincent (2192). Dear Sir,—With reference to the letter by the Rev. E. S. Lewis (373) (Bulletin 13: 15), may I say that I am extremely surprised at the last paragraph. Your correspondent quibbles at the use of the plural by Mr. F. H. Lyon (1026) (Bulletin 12: 95) in his state- ment that Coenonympha tullia ab. philoxenus is found on the Shrop- shire Mosses. Mr. Lyon is quite correct in using the plural, since the insect has been taken on both Whixall Moss and Wem Moss. Wem Moss is situated south of Whixall Moss at a distance of a little over one mile. Two other Shrop- shire Mosses spring to mind, Pikes- end Moss about three miles south of Wem Moss, and Top Moss between Wem and Hodnet. All are clearly marked on page 145 of the Road Atlas published by W. & A. K. Johnston, Ltd... of London and Edinburgh. For a person who has’ known Whixall Moss for over 50 years, the Rev. E. S. Lewis seems singularly un- aquainted with the countryside.—Yours truly ARTHUR gh Datoey (2170). surrounding BOOK REVIEW Lesser Werlds. By Nesta Pain. 244 pp., 5 black and white drawings. Longmans, Green & Co., Litd., 15a. LONG: This book, which is made up of a series of essays on insect social life and behaviour, is based on a series of successful broadcasts, which in turn owe their origin to the works of the great French naturalist. J. H. Fabre. The author makes no secret of the fact that she has drawn fully on Fabre’s remarkable observations and experiments, and though this results in some lack of originality, it is counteracted by the amount of in- formation condensed in the one volume,. and the fact that such eminent scientists as Dr. Bristowe and Dr. O. W. Richards have collaborated with the author. Although the book has not been written for the entomologist, it con- tains much of interest concerning insect behaviour and instinct, and many of the experiments carried out by Fabre are briefly described, as well as some carried out by present- day workers. The work is divided into five parts, dealing respectively with spiders, beetles, solitary wasps, solitary bees and ants, and is illustrated by five full-page black and white drawings by J. Yunge Bateman. It is pleasing to find the various insects and spiders referred to correctly by their generic names rather than the colloquialisms one so often has to put up with in this type of book. It would have been of iuterest to the layman to indicate which of the inseets discussed can be found and observed in Britain. Wasps of the genera Aimmophila and Pom- pilus and bees of the genera Osmia and Halictus can, of course. be found in this country but the pill rolling antics of Sisyphus and other Scara- baeid beetles are unfortunately con- fined to warmer climates. There is no list of references, but in the author’s acknowledgment men- tion is made of some of the major works on the biology of the Hymen- optera. S L. SW Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Society . 1 West Ham Lane, Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists’ London, E.t5. 1954. Es ae 3 3 a 16. Making a Sweepnet Be = 3d a = 17. Making a Garden Pond for fa e Study = = of Aquatic Insects ... é 6d # 33 18. Collecting Clearwings ... o ee ad 34 33 20. Preserving Caterpillars ons As Is 0d = 3 21. Collecting Psocoptera ... xa a 6d Bo 33 22. Collecting Lacewings ... ¢ Br Is 0d = i 23. Collecting Centipedes and Millipedes $e 6d He = 24. Entomology of Bird Pellets ... Mic ls 6d 334 3 25. Collecting Bumble Bees ... ie an 2s Od a $3 26. Collecting Collembola ... Fb a Is Od 2 33 When 12 different leaflets are ordered a deduction of 10% from E 3 the total cost is allowed. 33 3 _ All these publications are obtainable from the Honorary Pane 3 33 lications Secretary, C. BIGNELL PRATT, 1 WEST HAM = i LANE, LONDON, E.15. A remittance must accompany the | ss: order and sufficient to cover postage must be included. Postage # $3 $$ on one leaflet is 14, on one volume 2d. 3 : 4 e ? SESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SS SOSSSSS SS SSOSS SH SO SESH SESE SS ESSESOOEEESSESOESESEOSOESD P oe PSS SSSSSSSiiteitttteeessessssasiseattttserssststssstinstecseeesssssssseastisessa 7? sa Se GA OF f ENTOMOLOGISTS’ | = SOCIETY 4 EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD SOCeCooe >So OSE OOS oS OL EPO OSD OO PPT EGOS ESOP ODED EDS IIIS G LE PIES IE PLIGHT wR | 3999909099000 0 000000009 00009000 OPCS OCC SS SHSSSSSSSOS SSS OSES SP EE SESE OSES ES OEE ESE SELES ESEDESESEOESSOOOD ov $3 By BRIAN P. BEIRNE $$ M.A., M.Sc., Ph.D., M.R.1.A., 3 F.R.ES., F.L.S., F.Z.S. = BRITISH PYRALID : AND PLUME MOTHS <; Containing 495 figures of which $3 216 are reproductions of direct $$ colour photography. 21s. net 33 The chief aims of this book are, s3primarily, to indicate aspects of the 32 biology of the British species of moths $3of the super-family Pyralidae which 33 require investigation: to enable speci- $gmens to be identified, as far as possible $3 without dissection or damage: and to $$ provide summaries of the available in- $3 formation on their habits, life histories 3: and distribution. 33 “Nothing but the highest praise can $3be bestowed on Dr. Beirne’s work, in 33 Which he covers all that is known con- $3cerning the life history, ecology and $$ distribution of each species.’’— 33 The Naturalist. 33 From any Bookseller = WARNE, LONDON, W.C.2 ms3335< POSSHSSCESSESSCOOOSOOSS SOSSSOH OSES OSES OSES EE ESS EEE SESE SESE SESE SESE SE EEEE ESSE SEES EES ESOS OOSSOSOOOOSD 5 SHSSSSSSSSHSSHSSS SSS SS OSH OSHS S ESSE SESS SOLE SELES EE ED OOOO SELES EEE ESE O LESS EO LESSEE EL EE LEVEL EEE EEEESEOOSD . ov . 3 WE STOCK THE 3 GIANT SILK-MOTHS +3 On offer this season : — 3313 SPECIES FROM THE NEW 33 WORLD 339 SPECIES 33 WORLD 33 Also: Continental Butterflies and 3: Moths in the chrysalis stage, includ- ssing G. cleopatra, P. daplidice, L. $3boeticus, Papilio podalirius, FROM THE OLD ssand many others, from South 3: America, South Africa, Spain, etc., $3 and, of course, a full list of BRITISH 33LEPIDOPTERA and all the 3s APPARATUS YOU NEED. 33 Write to:— = L. HUGH NEWMAN, F.R.E.S. 3iThe Butterfly Farm, Bexley, Kent ¢ RR G EPISODIO POD G-Pen e dr EO Gd G ONE SHSSSSSSSSSSES ESSE SSSSESSES SESE SESOSS: SHSSHHSHSS HH HS SHES HL ESOS HEEL EDO E SOLE EEO LOL HEEL EL OEE DEES EEE EEE ES ESE SESE SLES SES ESESOSCOESSSSOOS: POSS STE TAA AAA AdaoaDSaDaDAAAADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA LA Oe SESS SS SS SSH SSPE OS ISH SOP HSE HESS OSH EO OSE LOSE OL EGEH ODODE EOE EEE SEL HEEEGEDEEEOEEPOFOPEOEED EL OEEEOEOEEOEe A. 3 atropos (Death’s Head Hawk Moth) ~e ' - % a, > a aa E. W. Classey F.R.E.S2 Entomological Bookseller 33 and | 33 Publisher 3B 91 BEDFONT LANE, # Feltham, | 33 Middlesex _ 7 ENGLAND Be CATALOGUES 33 FREE — a ON REQUEST 3 of Council for the Promotion of Field 3: Studies eea ° oe ssssessee DALE FORT FIELD CENTRE 3: HAVERFORDWEST, Pembs. #3 INSECT 2 NATURAL HISTORY# A Field Course for Amateurs 4-11 August 1954 ied ssssessstes: Classification and the characters of orders. Feeding, respiration, repro- 33 duction, colouration, social life and s¢ galls. Field work complemented by $$ laboratory, lectures and demonstra- 33° tions. 3 Fee, 5} Guineas, inclusive of board: $3 and lodging, tuition, laboratory and 33 library. cn Enquiries to Warden. — a E — BULLETIN l6| MAY 1954 INVESTIGATORS INVESTIGATED We dare, to the outside world, an eccentric body of people and it is in- evitable that our collecting methods, weird as they frequently appear to - should. oceasionally bring us others, ‘authority.’’ The into contact’ with ‘ contact may be harsh (Bull. 7: 190), pleasant or even amusing. As an example of the last we give our re- port below.. Surely members. can cap our experience; in fact, we know of one more tale that can be told. In 1952 the rare Ichneumon wasp, Eremotylus marginatus Jurine, was found flying over the banks of the Coombe Hill canal, nr. Tewkesbury, Glos. In 1953 we decided that it would be of interest to discover if it re- sponded to the M.V. lamp as a. few _ other Ophion spp. had been taken thus ~ in. the previous | weeks. The duration of the imagines’ appearance is as, yet unknown, . recorded’ dates . being 98.v.1916, .28.v.19380, .17.v.1952 and 93.v.1953, but we had to decide on June 3rd, no other day being avail- able. On the actual day the high wind and low air temperature kept us at home until almost dusk when a sharp reversal in weather conditions caused us to change our minds. At Coombe Hill the disused canal runs for half a mile westwards between two high hawthorn hedges; outside of each is a grassy strip about 15 yards wide and then another similar hedge. J. HE. K. ran his car past the cottages near the canal end, down the southerly ‘strip, and parked some 400 yards away from the cottages. Then a hundred yards of cable were let out, the lamp lit, and we waited. --A few Ophion came in, with a cloud of flies, several minute froghoppers, a single Longitarsus. melanocephalus (Degeer) (Col., Chrysomelidae) AR. “S. G. notes that this species has come into the sheet each time that he has used a M.V. lamp) and also the Lepidoptera listed at the end of this article. Abhoutely pam wR SoG. noticed several torches flashing around the car, 100 yards off, and where the _ generator was running, and a few -moments later he saw two policemen -advancing down the centre of the grassy strip and a dark shape in the shadows of the bank-side hedge. Then all three gave us a somewhat puzzled challenge. J. E. K. explained our behaviour, gave a short talk on M.V. lamps and the tension gradually eased off. The policemen explained that they were a mobile road patrol; head- quarters had radioed instructions to them to call on a Coombe Hill man (the dark shape in the shadows) who had reported a car engine running for hours. He had seen the car go down the bank and thought that the continual throb of the engine, actually the generator, indicated a suicide, pos- sibly even a death pact between a couple. The policemen were highly relieved to find the innocent explana- tion of the report and commented that they were most pleased that they had no “stiffs” to carry aw ay. We then answered several questions on insects and collecting methods, which pleased the constables, one remarking that all this would be a help with the general knowledge paper in his next promotion examination and we parted friends. Unfortunately, Hremotylus was not taken: the date may have been wrong, the weather was not good or, perhaps, it does not give a positive response to the M.V. lamp. The Lepidoptera were :—Pterostoma palpina Cl. (1); Spilosoma lubrici- peda lL. (1); Agrotis exclamationis L. (common); Amathes c-nigrum L. (com- mon); Diarsia rubi Vieweg. (com- mon); Ochropleura plecta “alte (4); Hadena w-latinum Hufn. (1); H. thal- assina Hufn. (1); H. suasa Schiff. (common); -Phlogophora meticulosa L. Gl); Meristis trigrammica Hufn. (1); Plusia chrysitis L. (1): P. gamma UL. (1); Calothysanis amata L. (1); Tri- phosa dubitata L. ()s Electrophaés corylata Thunb. (6): Dysstroma trun- cata Hufn. (1); Xanthorhoé ferrugata Cl., common, X. montanata Schiff. (6): Epirrhoé alternata Miill. (1); Eupithecia castigata Hb. (3); Phio- godis dolabraria L. (1); Opisthograp- tis luteolata L. (1); Hepialus humuli L. (1); A. lupulinus L. (1). J. E. Kwnieut (94) and R. S. GrEorGE (1402). A REMINDER Before the end of this month Euphydryas aurinia Rott. (the Marsh Fritillary) will appear on the wing. Some of us are particularly interested in this species—situation of colonies, density of colonies, range of varla- tion, incidence of parasitism and disease, fluctuation in numbers, and any other features of interest. The discovery that a phenomenal collapse occurred simultaneously in 1951 in several very widely-separated colonies gave a spur to these investigations, and we had hoped that the suggestion put forward by Mr. S. M. Hanson in Bulletin 12, 42, that a study-group should be formed would meet with keen response. Unfortunately this was not the case, and only a very few reports were sent in, so no clearer picture has yet emerged than that given in my own article in the same number. One or two _ interesting letters were received, however, and the most fascinating report concerned a colony on an exposed and windy Cornish cliff-slope, where the food- plant grows among gorse and heather. One not infrequently finds this plant- association on dry cliff-slopes, parti- cularly in the West, but I had never heard of a colony of EH. aurinia in such a situation before, though its occurrence on dry chalkhills is well known. If only members would pass on their information and pool their knowledge, many interesting facts might well emerge. To appeal to members to do this is the purpose of this short reminder. As far as the Cumberland colonies are concerned, I am glad to be able to say that there seemed to be a slight general improvement in 1953, though one colonv (the one I have described as O in Bull. 12, 12) again appeared to produce no specimens. Elsewhere the species is holding its ground and the beginnings of a revival appear to have begun. J. H. Vine Hatt (1520). G LOOKING BACK I read with very much interest Mr. Maggs’ contribution in Bull. 13: 5. For considerably over 50 years I have collected in the areas that he mentions, viz. the woods and down- lands of the Hants, Wilts, and Dor- set areas and, in addition, those of Surrey. Sussex and Berkshire. In fact I have resided for several years MAY 1954 in succession at towns within easy reach such as Andover, Basingstoke, Fleet, Lyndhurst Road, and Win- chester. It appears to me to be re- markable that I do not remember having ever met Mr. Maggs, but this may be due to defective memory. I frequently collected in the Sway and Holmesley Enclosures and especially Wooton Copse and Broadley En- closure near Wooton, where an oid- time collector much older than my- self (a Mr. Dallas) could often be seen on an_ electrically operated cycle, from which he was unable to remove himself. Following Mr Maggs’ example I venture to give an account of my own collecting experiences which may pos- sibly be interesting to our members. I was born in Aldershot in August 1866, the youngest by some five years, of a family of eight boys, and of which I am the sole.survivor. At the age of eight, I used to accompany several of my brothers to the woods some three miles away across the Long Valley and known as Bickley Copse. In those days these woods were not accessible to the public and were in charge of a Government Warder, one of a number serving under the Royal Engineer Depart- ment. Here some 38 species of butterflies occurred all very abundantly. My brothers were looking for a possible Apatura iris Linn. but none were ever seen. Nor did we ever succeed in catching one in Alice Holt Forest near Farnham, where an _ heraldic crony of my father said that they occurred, but the failure was no doubt owing to want of experience and guidance, as my brothers had no entomological friends to advise them. We never saw Tamenitis camilla Linn. either in Bickley Copse, although they were extremely abundant in Alice Holt. In more recent years they migrated to the Aldershot district and became common. Curiously enough Pararge aegeria Linn. which used to be very abundant in the Copse entirely disappeared. From 1874 to 1878 my father was stationed in ie Home District and was employed at the War Office and Woolwich Arsenal. We resided at the Southern end of the Queen’s Road, Peckham, opposite to a turn- ing which led to St. Mary’s Church, from which two bridle paths led, on the right to Nunhead Cemetery, "and on the left to Catford through wood and farm lands. This was a favourite - terflies were AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 SYD) collecting ground and the only house | remember was a public house named the ‘“‘Brockley Jack’’ which was a tavoured Sunday morning meeting place for the menfolk near by Brock- ley, to indulge in a gossip and an aperitif. In those days there were few licensing restrictions and one could obtain a drink at any time outside a three mile limit. On the fences and tree trunks on the way to Cattord numerous moths could be found but it was too closed in for butterflies. Just before reaching Catford, was the river Ravensbourne, then a pure stream in which I used to catch coarse fish and an occasional trout. At the far end of Peckham Rye near Honor Oak the woodlands produced Argynnis paphia Tainn., A. cydippe Linn. and A. aglaja Linn., but I had to be content with watching them as they were too alert to be caught in my small net. A short way past our house (which was the main road with horse-trains operating) was a turning called Lin- den Road (so tar as I remember) and here resided the well-known entomo- logist Edward Newman, the editor and founder of the ‘‘Entomologist’’. His son, who was rather younger than myself, attended the same day school, and being both butterfly catchers, we became friendly. I gathered how- ever that he was brought up under very strict conditions and not allowed to follow too far his own inclinations. I well remember suggesting to him that he might take me home to sce his father’s collection, but he said that his father would not welcome boys, and if he took me home it would re- sult in his getting a good hiding. Needless to say, being a very shy boy very carefully crossed the road whenever I saw anyone looking like Mr. Newman. I have no doubt now that if my father had written to Mr. Newman on my behalf I should have received an invitation, but I never thought to ask him to do so. In those days boys were told to be ‘‘seen and not heard’’ and sent to bed soon after 7 o’clock. Near Camberwell Green, a mile or so away from our house, was a naturalist’s shop, in the window of which were displayed a number of British butterflies ranging from Purple Emperors and Camberwell - Beauties from a shilling each down to Cabbage Whites at one penny. Prac- tically every species of British but- included and named, many of course having been procured trom the Continent. I used to run all the way to the shop and back to feast my eyes on the cases, but in those days there was no such thing as regular pocket money, and all I ever had were tips from friendly visitors, and occasionally a bribe for taking unpleasant medicine, and as I was a very obstinate and unpleasant boy it sometimes required as much as half a crown to be deposited under my pillow. Such as I got was always spent on the ‘“‘Boys’ Own Magazine”’ which used to contain exciting stories of Greek and Roman characters. In 1878 my father was ordered to Colom- bo for a five year period, and much to my delight, he decided to take me, leaving the rest of my brothers to rent a house and live together with a housekeeper, to which J returned after four very happy years in Cey- lon, mostly occupied in butterflying, hunting and fishing. As I have implied before, small boys in the days I am writing about, were mostly the concern of their parents whom they were brought up to view with great respect. My own parents were kind and indulgent, and made many sacrifices for the benefit of their children. The only punishments I received were from the hands of other people. Both lived to become octogenarians, and for many years up to the days of their demise, we brothers made a point of gather- ing together once a week at their home, where we were received with great pleasure and much hospitality. On my return from Ceylon it was not long before I commenced collect- ing, and when my father rented a house in Dornton Road, Balham, it happened that my next door neigh- bour was the late F. W. Frohawk, the famous butterfly and bird artist. All of us must know his book, the “Complete Natural History of But- terflies’’, and its wonderful plates and details of life histories, and T do not think it will ever be rivalled. We verv soon became acquainted and made numerous collecting expeditions together. He was, I think, some five vears my senior, and from him I learnt how to set, catch. and breed butterflies and hawk-moths which he then specialised in. I still possess a considerable number of his original paintings which he executed for me, and which IT much treasure. S. G. Castite Russet (119), 56 = ———<———$—$$— PRACTICAL HINTS — MAY This series of monthly notes is in- tended to assist the beginner in his pursuit of Lepidoptera. Readers are invited to submit notes suitable for inclusion in these articles. These should be sent direct to me, at ‘‘Rio’’, Berkeley Avenue, Chesham, Bucks., two months ahead of the month for which they are applicable. A busy time awaits the collector this month. Searching and beating for larvae, collecting by means of light, sugar and all other usual means. Trunk and fence searching, particularly when carried out fairly early in the day, is probably more productive during May and early June than in any other month. Larvae of Hupithecia sobrinata Hb. (Juniper Pug) should be sought for in areas where the foodplant— Juniper—occurs. When present they can usually be obtained in fair num- bers by beating. Aspen and Poplars should be searched- rather than beaten, because many of the species which feed thereon are not easily dislodged. Zenobia subtusa Schiff. (the Olive) is usually in a single leaf folded over on its side, and fastened with silk. Orthosia popult Strom. (Lead-coloured Drab) spins two leaves together. Clostera pigra Hufn. also folds a leaf, wherein it lives and feeds until nearly full grown: at this time it ventures forth to feed openly after dark, but retreats to its folded leaf by day. This species prefers Creep- ing Willow but is frequently found on small Aspen saplings. Beat Broom for larva of Pseudo- terpna pruinata Hufn. (Grass Emer- ald), and Ohesias legatella Schiff. (the Streak). Larvae of this latter species are normally green, but will be found to be bright yellow when they have been feeding on the flowers. Those who desire to add Geometra papilionaria Linn. — (Large Emerald) to their cabinets, should begin their search for larvae early this month. During the day it rests at the tip of 4 birch twig, usually on the south. side of the tree, and some five feet high, but when fully grown is to be found higher up. Whilst searching Birch for G. papilionaria, keep a sharp look out for the many other Geometrid larvae which inhabit this foodplant; most of them will release their hold on the twig and swing at the end of a silken thread, when the bush is disturbed. Any larva which is found sitting on leaf or twig MAY 1954 should NOT be forced off, ae injury may result. Snip off the twig com- plete with larva. : Birch: leaves rolled over- from tip to stem: lengthwise, should be exam- -ined for larvae of Achlya flavicornis Linn. (Yellow Horned). When young they are blackish in colour, and may use quite a small leaf, or only part of a larger one. Many collectors have - trouble with larvae such as Hrannis defoliaria Cl. (Mottled Umber), and _ Erannis aurantiaria Esp. (Scarce Um- ber). when about. to pupate. The trouble is generally due to the type of material supplied. to them for pupation. A moist, firm soil is essen- tial; and a good sifted garden loam pressed down firmly, but not like con- crete, will enable these larvae to pupate naturally. If supplied with light dry materia! like peat, the larva nearly always dries up before turn- ing to a pupa. Beat boughs of Maple in flower for larvae of HKupithecia inturbata Hb. (Maple Pug). Bupalus pinarius Linn. (Bordered White) rests in. the branches of Pine and_~ other Firs rather than on the trunk. — Throwing stones into the branches will frequent- ly dislodge the moths, which, when in flight, are difficult to net. : Should the night you choose for a collecting trip fail to bring results with sugar or light, do not ‘give un the ghost’ and return home with empty boxes. Take your lamp and walk round the hedges,- woodland glades, or-sheltered meadows; many moths will be found sitting on_herb- age, twigs or flower heads. This is often the case when night tem»vera- tures are low, and a cool wind_ blow- ing. Another reason for sugar not being a success is the presence of natural attractions, towers, honey dew on leaves, ete. Searching with the aid of your lamp may reveal these sources. ; R. V. ALDRIDGE (262). ~ oo [EHrratum. In Mr. J._E. Knight’s (94). article “‘A Setting Desk’’ (Bulletin 13:- 23) a reference is made to ‘‘2” round Ree es : beading . This should-of course read ‘“quarter-round beading’’.—Ep. | e SILK MOTH REARING [ am hoping that still more mem- bers may this year be tempted to take up silk moth rearing. In the years following the war there were only a very few species which could be -ob- _.,. the » same & Emperor has emerged. As this is two AES BULLETIN VOL. 13. tained commercially. AES members overseas rallied round and provided ova of a lot of moths which, so far as can be ascertained, had not been reared in Great Britain before. But . the rearing of these was_ chancy and tricky and scarcely suited to be- ginners, except such inspired persons as Mr. Harrison-Gray (1806) (Bul- letin 11, 93-4) and Mr. W. R. Smith (1641) (Bulletin 12: 9-11, 68-70). A glance through our advertisement pages these last few months will have shown that there is now a _ wider choice of species to be had, among which the South Americans are especially new. and __ satisfactorily hardy. Mr. Hugh Newman (503) con- -.tinues to carry stocks of the tried and trustv species and has put us in his debt by printing a well-illustrated four-page leaflet, descriptive of seve- ral species most attractive to the be- - ginner and embodying a good deal ol rearing know-how, derived not only from his father’s and his own long experience, but also from the know- ledge gained by trial and error by AES members in the Silk Moth Study Group. This leaflet costs one shilling to AHS members who care to write for To. Perhaps I may close this note with a word of congratulation to Mr. C. F. Rivers (1448), who has been ap- pointed to the Virus Research Unit and has, of course, ceased dealing with insects commercially. W. J. B. Crotcn (1181). sa ; e EARLY EMERGENCE OF SATURNIA PAVONIA LINN. I have,. or had, in my possession 10 % Emperor (Saturnia pavonia) cocoons. These are being kept on _ shallow trays with various other types of “. pupae, in an unheated room. On the ‘<10th of February, when giving them “my customary check at 8.30 a.m., -*there was no sign of activity. On returning .from work at 5.35 p.m. I *-again took a look at them, and again - the result was negative. At about “7.30, however, I heard a faint scrap- “i ang, and when I looked a female Emperor was emerging from its cocoon. [| then took the cocoon and placed it in a breeding cage, where one hour later’ I found it with its wings expanded. On the last three nights, at about time, another female “months before its usual appearance, ~~ di and stranger still after the severe weather we have had, [I would be very pleased if any member can tell me the reason for this, as I had in- tended breeding from them, but this is now impossible. Brian Lomas (1984*). ® OBSERVATIONS OF BUTTERFLIES IN ESSEX ~The following are a few records of butterflies observed in the Maldon, Kssex, area :— In 1951 I did not observe one Clouded Yellow (Colias croceus Fourcr.), but in 1952 they were as common as Whites, flitting above over the lucerne fields with Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui Linn.), which were even commoner; but 1953 has passed without my observing one specimen. During the Summer of 1953 I noticed a White Admiral (Limenttis camilla Linn.) var. nigrina, which was feeding, and every time it took flight the Meadow Browns (Maniola jurtina Linn.) and Ringlets (Aphan- topus hyperantus Linn.) would chase after it; a thing they never did to the ordinary White Admirals. The nigrina was apparently annoyed with this treatment, and was continually chased away, but my net put an end to it! White Admirals were scarce in 1951, common in 1952, and extremely abundant in 1953, feeding with Argynnmis paphia Linn., which was also very common, Throughout 1953 most of the Nymphalidae have been more abun- dant than the past few years, and I have observed nine specimens of the Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis poly- chloros Winn.), eight in the Spring after hibernation, and one for my collection in August. The Summer brood of the Comma (Polygonia c-album Linn.) was greater than that in the Autumn. T- would lke to know if the Clouded Yellow was common in Southern England this past Summer, as | am rather interested in the dis- tribution of this butterfly. T. J. Rurry (2114*). Mr. Rutty proposes to make a cycling tour of the South of England this coming Summer, to ~ collect Lepidoptera, and wishes to get in touch with others who might lke to join him in his venture.—Ep. ] 58 MAY 1954 A COLOUR VARIETY OF THE RED ADMIRAL (VANESSA ATALANTA LINN.) In August 1949, I was walking along a lane at the back of some houses near my home at Bishopston, Bristol. I was watching the blossom clusters of Buddleia trees when I spotted what looked like a white Ad- miral (Limenitis camilla Linn.). It was in an awkward position, but | managed to capture it. On closer in- spection it proved to be an extraor- dinary variety of the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta lLinn.). All the parts which would have been red on a normal specimen were a dirty white. Unluck'ly, as I captured it, I dam- aged it shghtlv. J looked up a great number of books, and could only find mention of a _ similar specimen in Frohawk’s ‘‘Natural History of Brit- ish Rutterflies’’. If anyone could give me information about this or other similar varieties, I should be verv grateful. D. J. Srrapprine (3146). e SOME OBSERVATIONS OF SPHINGID LARVAE Acherontia atropos Linn. (Death’s- Head). P. Rosamonp (2246) writes :— For anyone who is interested in the distribution of this moth, I found four in the pupal stage in a potato field near Huntingdon in October 1953. Laothoé populi Linn. (Poplar Hawk). From W. Brisie (1679) :— I collected forty Poplar Hawk- moth eggs from the Poplar trees in my garden on 8/6/53; all eggs hatched out between 11/6/53 and 20/6/58. Out of forty, IT lost one larva: this, I helieve, was too idle to eat, as it always seemed to be asleep even while the others were feeding. Amongst this lot of larvae were individuals of several shades of green, light green, and dark green. some with one row of red_ spots. others with two rows. and some had spots all over their bodies. What amused me, however, were four larvae that were white, with two rows of red spots down their sides, and they kept this colour until they pupated. There was no difference in the pupae. Is this an unusual thing. or has anyone else had a similar ex- perience with white larvae? De.lephila Hawk). J. P. S. Prince (2094*) reports : — On September 2nd, 19538, while hunting Elephant Hawk (D. elpenor) caterpillars for Mr. Johnson’s (1040) investigations I found one on a clump of willowherb from which I had pre- viously, on the 26th August, taken five. This one was of the dark form and quite small, though in its final elpenor Linn. (Elephant instar; [ think it had _ recently moulted. Jt was resting on a stem, head upwards, so I cut the stem close behind its anal claspers; 1 should add that while this was being done it displayed vigorously, that is, assumed the ‘‘ terrifying attitude ” and threshed its fore parts from side to side. I cut off the top of the plant, thus leaving the caterpillar (displaying all the while) on a short length of stem, and then for con- venience’s sake held the caterpillar lightly by the middle between fore- finger and thumb preparatory to put- ting it in a box. At this rude treat- ment its anger bubbled over; it whipped its head round to touch my thumb and from its mouthparts exuded a drop of greenish liquid on to my skin. I was much sur- prised by this, and tried to get a repeat performance without success, so put it in a box and took it home. where it duly pupated. The greenish liquid, by the way, was not harm- ful to the skin, though, of course, I soon wiped it off. Altogether I collected eight Elephant Hawk caterpillars in 1953, and this was the only occasion on which I ob- served this singular behaviour. In- deed, though T have reared quite a number of different species of cater- pillars, T have never observed it before, nor have I seen any reference to it; admittedly, I am not in the habit of grabbing newly-moulted caterpillars by the middle. It could he said. I suppose, that I was squeezing it, but I was holding it very gently so IT do not think that this is the explanation. Possibly it is a defence against predatory in- sects; if so. I should imagine it is rather effective. One further point, Mr. Johnson in his article (Bull. 12, 52-54) writes :— “Mr. Levett also noticed that older larvae failed to assume the ‘terrifying position’,’’ and goes on to speculate whether the larvae had _ learnt they were in no danger while in cap- AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 tivity. My own observations bear this out; all eight caterpillars displayed on capture, and would quite readily display for a day or so afterwards, but after that it was very difficult to get them to display at all. e A WASP NEST IN JANUARY A note in Bee Craft 36, 39 (1954) describes the finding of ‘‘a wasp nest the size of a football, complete with queen, workers and brood in all stages of development from eggs to young wasps ready to emerge from their cells’? on 17th January 1954. The nest was found in the vicinity of the apiary of the Enfield (Middx.) Beekeepers’ Association. The ex- ceptionally mild winter coupled with easy access to food from the beehives evidently encouraged the queen to continue laying. B. R. Stattwoop (1547). Ee) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir, Having noticed the high cost of envelopes for posting the Bulletins to each member, may I make a sugges- tion to help cut down this expense? That each member saves his envelopes until December and then returns them for future use. Yours sincerely, He: Dorron. (1122). [The Couneil thanks Mr. Dolton for his very useful suggestion, and hopes that members will put it into practice during the year. By so doing, they will, as he points out, be saving pe 5a a considerable sum of money. —Ep. Mr. C. H. Ison (13438) writes :— MYMARIDAE (‘Fairy Flies’’) Will any AES member interested in or having had acquaintance with these microscopic Hymenopterous Egg Parasites, please communicate with the Microscopy Group Secretary. 6 BOOK REVIEW Insectes Sociaux, Bulletin de I’Unien Internationale pour Il’Etude des Insectes Sociaux, Vol. I, No. 1, Janvier 1954, 99pp. Masson et Cie, Paris. Our entomological literature has been enriched recently by the publica- tion of studies in social insect be- haviour by Butler, Ribbands, Rich- ards, Tinbergen, and von Frisch. In 59 particular, Karl von Frisch’s_ re- searches on the honey bee, begun be- fore the 1914-18 war, have become already classical studies of great systematic beauty and _ literary elegance. The language of the bees, which von Frisch has deciphered, is yet another of the almost incredible miracles of nature which students present, from time to time, to an un- believing world. The research of von Frisch 1s pure science, but already, as Tinbergen has pointed out, important practical conclusions have been drawn, with the result that the yie!d of seed clover has been increased by 40%. Less dramatic, but potentially im- portant new lines of research are being conducted in the realm of pure entomological science, as for instance, myrmecological studies by the Brians in this country, Goesswald, and Schneirla. Much of the meaning of social organisation amongst ants, bees, wasps, and termites, is still wrapped in speculative mystery, and in some ways, our knowledge has not progressed very much beyond that acquired by scientists such as Lub- bock, Forel, Wheeler, or Bugnion. The potential fruitfulness of re- research lies behind the decision of the International Congress of En- tomology in 1951 to set up the Inter- national Union for the Study of Social Insects. and we discuss here the first issue of this body’s Journal. The more immediate reasons for the creation of a periodical, as the editors point out, are that there is an increasing body of biologists engaged upon re- search on the social insects, with the result that a distinct specialisation emerges; and also there is felt to be a need to create a bond between these specialists. The concentration of a new, specialised form of approach in entomology means that the big en- tomological congre:ses can no longer deal adequately with the many diverse disciplines which the word ‘‘entom- ology’’ now embraces. Consequently, the Journal appears with articles in three languages (French, German, and English) with an international editorial board: Christensen (Denmark), Goesswald (Germany), Grassé (France), Jucci (Italy), Raignier (Belgium), Schneirla (U.S.A4.), and Uchida (Japan). There are eight original articles in this first issue, which is due to appear quar- terly: on the influence of the queen on worker fertility in ant colonies, by K. Bier (German), remarks on the internal phylogeny and_ sub-family classification of the family Formici- 60 dae, by W. L. Brown jun. (English), note on the exchange of ingluvial food in the genus Myrmecia, by C. P. Has- kins and R. M. Whelden (English), the measurement of heat within nests of Apis mellifica during hibernation, by P. Lavie (French), a casual analysis of the aggressive behaviour of worker bees of Apis mellifica, by J. Lecomte (French), the ‘‘fertility substance’’ in the development of the ovaries in worker bees, by J. Pain (French), intraspecific problems in the taxonomy of insect caste, by A. L. Pickens (Knglish), a new interpretation of the frequency curves associated with ant polymorphism, by KE. O. Wilson (English). In addition, there is the editorial in three languages, news of the Union and a list of members, in French, and, for light relief, a letter by one member accusing another of unethical behaviour in the matter of acknowledging his sources. It will be seen that the material of this Bulletin is high!y technical, and it is, of course, a medium of ex- pression for skilled experts who are versed in the esoteric language of their trade and who also read three languages fairly fluently. Assuming the latter competence, however, much of the information is of interest in that it indicates the lines of research which various workers are following and, indeed, the first article men- tioned above (by K. Bier) is written simply and is illustrated with line drawings, as well as tables. The journal is well produced with clear printing on good quality paper, although it must be said that the proof-reading is not altogether what it should be. It is to be hoped that one influence of this new publication will be to provide entomologists in this country with stimulating materia] on termites which do not receive as much attention as ants and _ bees, except perhaps to consider the manner of their extermination. This may be due largely to the fact that termites are not found in this country; it is interesting to note that there is a ter- mite research centre at the Bayer factory at Leverkusen, Germany. where termites also are not found. The secretary of the British section is Dr. M. V. Brian, Furzebrook Re- search Station, Wareham, Dorset. and the annual subscription for the Bulletin is 460 Belgian franes (ap- proximately £3 6s Od), or for mem- bers of the Union 286 franes (£2), and the general secretary of the Union is M. G. Richard, 105 Boulevard Ras- pail, Paris VIe, France. A, N. B. Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Society, 1 West Ham Lane. MAY 1954 IN LIGHTER VEIN. A New BritisH SpeEctisEs ? (Fritteria argentivora?) Members can hardly be unaware of the sudden prominence this winter of a strange insect on hoardings and buses, in Post Offices and the sheets of newspapers. The following notes on Fritteria argentivora may be of interest : — Locality and habits—Widespread. Specimens were easy to find every- where—in fact, it was difficult to avoid them, especially in streets. In daytime they were to be seen hover- ing about banks where the piled slime* flows, but they were more active in the evening at places of entertainment and _—s refreshment. Never found in museums or public libraries. ; Food—I’, argentivora had a habit of chipping coins “with its pick-like proboscis! (This organ was no doubt hollow for sucking up liquid assets.) Larvae certainly fed on valuable paper. The biochemistry of digestion in this species is obscure. How, for example, does the design on the larval food become reproduced in the wings of the imago? Identification points—Remarkable bi-lateral asymmetry of wing reticu- lations — abdomen bears a mark somewhat like £ (compare wing marks of Polygonia c-album). Classification — Strangely difficult on the meagre evidence available. Obviously, having four wings, it can- not belong to the true flies (Diptera), to which order Lewis Carroll’s rock- ing-horse-fly, snap-dragon-fly, and bread-and-butter-fly may belong. Pro- bably some relative of the humbug. Remarks—The cold weather in the first week of February seems to have killed off most of the insects, for few could be observed afterwards. Al- though there is no reason to suppose that the species is extinct, our know- ledge of it is unlikely to increase much. Keeping and breeding F. argentivora are clearly against the national interest. Anyone finding a live specimen should send it at once to the Ministry of Agriculture or National Savings Committee. It will then soon be drowned in depart- mental channels. . E. R. Woop (2277). *Filthy lucre. - sf Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists’ London, E.15. 1954. 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BoBE, 49 Hengist Road, - ; London, S.E.42. 33 ENGLAND 22 Manuscripts, drawings and books for oe ees review to: B. R. STALLWOOD, 19) 33 Southfield Gardens, Strawberry pues 3 33 CATALOGUES : Twickenham, Middx. ssessesestsesesseessesssesesseseeses¢: oe a > FREE Subscriptions (42/- per annum, 6/- for a Juniors) to: R« W. WATSON, 45 Hal- 3o 3: ON REQUEST stead Road, Bitterne, Southampton. 33 oe ; Oke bed 33 Youth matters to: S. M. HANSON, 467 38 se Gunnersbury Park, London, W5. —_ —" — .o~ >-- SEES SEES SEE SESE SE SESE SESE SESE SESE SESE ES ESE LESSEE ESSE SESE SHS LESSEE ESSE ESSE EE SEEOOEOD aboe : SHSSSSESSE SESS SSS SS SS SSS SSE SS ESOS ESE SHE SESS SSE SHOES O SESE SHEL OSES EEE HEEL ESE ELE EL EOE OLETETe Bll tanih-! tS P — FURTHER OBSERVATIONS OF THE LARVAE OF ARCTIA CAJA LINN. (Garden Tiger) Mr. R. H. Benson has raised some interesting points in his notes on the Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caja) (Bull. 12: 61 and 91). I have been breeding this species for a number of years, and have larvae hibernating (I hope) in my cages now. Until recently, I had never met with larvae before hibernation, apart from one or two in my garden, which were almost certainly refugees—or at least, escapees—from my breeding cages. But last October, while’ beating blackthorn and hawthorn for larvae of the Lappet Moth (Gastropacha quercifolia Linn.) a larva of A. caja fell into my tray. I could hardly be- lieve my eyes. I had overlooked Mr. Benson’s note, and was unaware that ova of this species had been found on trees. I looked again at the black- thorn bush that I had just beaten, and then noticed one or two nettles erowing against it. I at once con- cluded that the larvae had come from one of these, and, forsaking tem- porarily the blackthorn, I started to belabour the very few nettles which grew by the hedge. From these I beat two more caja and then, after a careful search, I found a fourth resting on a withered blade under the hedge. Knowing that ova of this species are laid in batches, I expected to find many more, but although I diligently searched the surrounding herbage and beat the hedge, I found no others. “est ~ I left the nettles and returned to _ the blackthorn, and to my quest for G. quercifolia. I had moved some considerable distance away, and after beating a hawthorn bush, found two more caja in my tray. There was no doubt, this time, where they had come from. - A week later, I beat two more from hawthorn about a quarter of a mile away, and the same day, found three resting on leaves high up on the gooseberry bushes in my Mr. Benson is curious as:to the transfer of the larvae from the trees to the ground, and goes on to ask: “Do they then drop to the ground, WL NAYS APART AL SORE! ES FERNS 2 SSR A EMRE OEIC No. 162 JUNE 1954 RANE MANS EANE WANS WRT SAS SAE SERIO ada Se where they remain during and after hibernation?’’ But do they hibernate on the ground? Has anyone ever come across hibernating larvae of this species P It has always seemed unlikely to me that a hairy larva like A. caja would hibernate on the ground. In captivity, the majority of the young larvae congregate at the top of the cage, but of course, this does not prove anything. The question I asked myself when I beat larvae from the hedgerow last October was: Why did they go up? The only solu- tion which occurred to me was that they had climbed the hedge in order to spend the winter there—a much more suitable place, J should imagine, than the ground. I remembered that I had not infrequently found larvae after hibernation feeding on my gooseberry bushes, and I remembered having read somewhere that in the early spring, larvae of an_ allied species (Arctia villica Linn.) were often to be found sunning themselves and feeding on the tender shoots of gorse. Is it not probable that they spend the, winter on those same gorse bushes? Mr. Benson. states that the four larvae he collected took up winter quarters on a rolled and blackened leaf,,. and suggested that when the leaves fall, this affords the larvae a method of reaching their ultimate foodplants on the ground. It is, of course, possible that the larvae pass the winter in rolled leaves which: have fallen to the ground, but I do not think they would choose this method of reaching their foodplants on the ground. I imagine they would either descend the bush or tree under their own steam or, more probably, just fall off. Clothed as they are with long hairs, they could fall from great. heights without injury. I. do not think the larvae of A. caja are gregarious in the true sense of the word, except, possibly, in the first instar. Once they have moulted, they separate and go their several ways—at least, they do in my cages. If a batch of eggs is laid on an isolated patch of White Dead Nettle of adequate extent, it is pos- 62 JUNE 1954 sible that a large number of the larvae will be content to stay where they are, and not wander off in search of pastures new. In April, 1951, I found ‘30 half-grown larvae on a patch of White Dead Nettle covering about 3 yards square. They were well spread out, and it took me about an hour to collect them. I do not think this proves that they are gregarious, even though it is pos- sible that there were as Many, per- haps even twice as many, remaining which I did not find. I am grateful to Mr. Benson for his notes, and if I have ventured to disagree with him on one or two points, it is in the hope that some- one will take the trouble to correct me where I have gone astray, and perhaps even supply the answers to some of the problems. G. S. E. Cross (1453). With reference to Mr. R. H. Ben- son’s notes on Arctia caja:—For the past two years I have noticed the gregarious larvae on a _ willow, and found the survivors in num- bers on the mass of nettles and *‘ keck ’? which grew underneath, the next spring. H. F. Tesss (1897). « WINTERING PUPAE IT have read with much interest Mr. R. V. Aldridge’s article ‘‘Another Idea for a Pupa Cage’’ in Bulletin 13: 51, and I may be able to add something to his suggestions for stor- ing pupae. But first of all let me dis claim his courteous and far too generous remark that I know ‘‘more about breeding than most of us’’: if T have ever insinuated that I know anything at all about Lepidoptera may God forgive me. So far as I can recollect I have written only about my own individual methods and have re- frained from criticising other people’s ideas. And probably I have had no more successes than other breeders. If I have, it is due solely to the fact that I used to treat my larvae as though they were racehorses in train- ing—more, as though each one was a Derby favourite. If you do this you ought—as the great Dr. T. A. Chapman remarked fifty years ago— to rear well nigh every larva that hatches from a batch of eggs. Strictly hygienic surroundings, sterilised cages and water-bottles, the choicest of fresh food daily (twice daily in hot weather), careful spraying with tepid rainwater to take the place of dew— laboratory conditions in fact, coupled with constant attendance, should en- sure percentages in the nineties every time. And do they? Not on your life. I have had one hundred per cent. suc- cesses with species commonly reputed ‘difficult?’ and I have had ‘‘easy’’ species die off lke house-flies in wintertime. I have brought every single individual of a large brood of Common Tigermoths safely through the winter—and next year every single individual of an equally large brood died on me. We can only do our best, using such intelligence as is our portion, and go on trying. The uniformly successful rearer of larvae, the man who has never known failure and attains 100 p.c. results every time, has not yet been born, and I do not think he ever will be. Mr. Aldridge refers to some re- marks on wintering pupae that I made in a book written before the last war though not printed until 1943. The war demolished a good many pet theories and my method of storing pupae was among them. Hitherto I had always kept my pupae throughout the winter in an out- house. It was an ancient structure built entirely of wood and exposed to the weather on all sides. I re- moved my pupae from the pupating troughs in November, laid them face downwards on corrugated cardboard on the floor of an observation cage, and put the cage in the aforesaid out- house. My pupae did well there: the damp atmosphere prevented them from drying up. and as the building was not draughty and its walls were thick, rapid changes of temperature out of doors were not reproduced im- mediately inside the shed. The moths emerged as one expected them to, and it was rare for me to breed a cripple. Then the war drove me afield and I had perforce to winter my pupae in a cellar. The same practice was adopted, for the cellar was not dry and the air was still. Again I had no reason to complain of non- emergences. But a year or two later, and after my book was printed, the only place available for my impro- vised pupa-cage was a draughty un- occupied flat over a range of stabling, and here T had indeed cause to com- plain. An appreciable percentage of my pupae failed to result in moths, and upon breaking open the dead ones it was plain that they had simply AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 63 dried up. I had failed to prevent, throughout winter, loss of water by evaporation. It was at this time that I began to correspond with the late Frank Littlewood of Kendal, who was, with- out question, the finest and most knowledgable rearer of macrolepi- doptera in the kingdom. It was a correspondence which was a constant joy to me and it continued almost weekly until his death. In 1941 he had published in the Entomol ogist a series of articles on rearing Lepi- doptera and in the issue for Novem- ber (vol. 74, pp. 257-259) he described his method of dealing with pupae. It was the failure of my method which induced me to write to him, and be- tween us we evolved a pupa-cage (the Littlewood Pupa-Cage) that is pro- bably the best cage for its purpose which has yet been invented. The basic principle, which was Little- wood’s own, was as described by him in the Entomologist and incidentally it is the same as that recommended by Mr. Aldridge; but between us we modified and improved its eflicacy very considerably. Until this cage was evolved Little- wood used to adopt the procedure with his wintering pupae which Mr. Aldridge tells us ‘‘most collectors... probably adopt’’, namely that of keeping them in closed tins in a cool place, such as a cellar. But the very first time I tried this plan my pupae met with disaster. This disaster ‘shook’ Littlewood, and it was then that he suggested we should concen- trate on evolving ‘‘the perfect pupa- cage’. The disaster was briefly this. Having dipped the tins in boiling water to sterilise them, and each being duly labelled with the name of the species it was to contain, I covered the bottoms of the tins with pupae and placed the tins inside a large square biscuit tin, which was then deposited in a cellar. Having done this I thought no more about my pupae until the end of February. When [I opened the tins on the 27th of that month to see how my pupae were getting on I found that most of them were swarming with mites (acarz), which had been feasting upon broods of Marbled Brown, Lunar Marbled Brown, and Blossom Under- wing. But worse was in store. Upon opening a tin containing some twenty Yellow-horned I found that six moths had already emerged, though not expected to do so until the second week of March at the earliest. They were all very much alive and their appearance, to use an over- worked cliché, ‘‘beggared descrip- tion’’. Their bodies, their un- developed wings, the unemerged pupae and the tin were smothered in a welter of meconium and shed scales. I washed each of the un- emerged pupae with a _ camel-hair brush; but in spite of this only one perfect moth emerged out of the twenty pupae which had been put into that tin. As for the tins with mites, pupa after pupa was found to contain only a reddish-brown dust. Even that was not the sum total of my disaster. On opening a tin con- taining cocoons of the Northern Eggar I found that during the short time which had elapsed between pupation and removal of the cocoons to the tin one of the accursed clothes- moths which exist solely for the purpose of tormenting lepidopterists, had laid its eggs on one of the cocoons; for some five or six grubs had occupied themselves during the winter by eating as many cocoons, and when they had had enough of the cocoons they had started in upon the pupae. This lamentable result of my first experiment in wintering pupae in ting not unnaturally set me dead against this method. In theory it is sound, and perhaps one might follow it for years without a mishap. But there must always be the risk of un- seasonable eclosion. J do not think it would be an exaggeration to say that almost every species of our macrolepidoptera has been known to emerge out of season. I have had an Iron Prominent emerge in an outdoor cage on 4th November and Pale Tus- socks quite often in January. When- ever such a thing happens inside a closed tin my experience with a Yellow-horned will be repeated. Even if one uses a tin two or three inches deep, with rough sides (e.g. cardboard) so that moths which emerge unseasonably can climb up and expand their wings, there is the danger of other pupae in the tin be- ing plastered with meconium. And what will be the state of the emerged moth if by chance it is left for even a single night before being dis- covered ? The improved Littlewood Pupa- Cage does away with all difficulties connected with the winter storage of pupae. A glass lid enables one to in- 64 spect all its contents at all times and the cage can be kept throughout the winter, if desired, in a sittingroom which has a fire in it day and night. It is impossible for the pupae in it to dry up because the relative humidity (1.e. the percentage of water-vapour in the air as compared with the maximum (saturation) at a particular temperature) of the air in the cage 1s always sufficiently high to prevent loss of water by the insects in it. With your permission, Mr. Hditor, I will describe it in a subsequent issue of the Bulletin. P. B, M. Awan. eo. PRACTICAL HINTS — JUNE Seed capsules of the Campions should be collected and stored in a large tin. | Add fresh capsules occa- sionally. From these you will prob- ably get larvae of the Campion Hadena cucubalt Schiff.), Lychnis Tadena bicruris Hufn.), Marbled Coronet (Hadena conspersa Schiff.), Tawny Shears (Hadena lepida Esp.), etc. Some breeders prefer to cover the bottom of the tin with a two inch layer of damp compost, into which the larvae will burrow and pupate; others remove full fed larvae to a separate tin of compost. The Drab Looper (Minoa murinata. Scop.) though very local, where Wood Spurge grows, is plentiful in _ its chosen area. The moth flies by day, and most specimens taken on the wing are not in the best condition. Take therefore two females; these will sup- ply all the ova required. The larvae should be transferred to a spray of foodplant (Wood Spurge), kept in water, immediately they hatch. For pupation, supply dry peat fibre, among which they will spin a fragile cocoon. This species is very easy to rear. The Grass Waved (Perconia strigil- laria Hueb.) is another day-flier, and may be found on dry heathland where Broom is plentiful. The males take to the wing when disturbed and fre- quently soar out of reach, whilst the females only fly a short distance and are more difficult to flush. By keep- ing a sharp look out, they can usually be found sitting on grass or leaves close to. the ground. this species hibernate when = fairly small and are not easy, unless you can Broom or Gorse. The Four Spotted (Acontia luctwosa Schiff.) is to be found flying low and very swiftly over clover fields during Tho fhe Also comes to light after ark, sleeve them out on a growing plant of The larvae of. JUNE 1954 Beat Elms for larvae of Lesser Spotted Pinion (Cosmia affinis Linn.) and White Spotted Pinion (Cosmia diffints Linn.). Mr. A. Kennedy (20), of Leeds, men- tions a method of keeping larvae in quantity on growing foodplant. For species which feed on low. growing plants in the garden, he makes up a box framework and places this over the plants. . The top is covered with glass or muslin. When the larvae are full fed they are removed to a closed cage for pupation. After a heavy thunderstorm many larvae which have been blown or washed off their treetop abode, may be found crawling about on _ the ground beneath the tree. 33 oe HARLINGTON ROAD EAST, FELTHAM 3 MIDDLESEX : ‘ 33 ~TESESETES ESET TTT TTTTTETTTTT ETE 5 Oooo POOSSSOO OOO HOS OHO OHO OOOOH HDHHHHHEH0HFOHHHFFHFFOFOFH4FFOFHOF5H4H5HHHHHHHOHHHHHOHHH se b$$45055504 bOOO4 SHSSSSSSSSSESE SSS HESS SES SHES SEES EES OSES SESE ES SEEEESESE SE EES EOL EE FE EES E SESE OSES ESEEEEEEESEESESESEOSD SESS SSSSSSS SSS ESS S ESSE S SESS SSE ESSE ESE SEES EES EOS EE EEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE EE ESSE OEE SESE OEE SEES EOEESEOOD Amateur Entomologists' Society # “THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGIST” Volume 5 Valucia 8 i Volume 9 Volume 10 Volume 11 PUBLICATIONS of the Volumes in print are Cuntains articles on “Some British Moths Reviewed” by 3 W. H. T. Tams; “ Habits of some British Moths” by Dr. #8 E. A. 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Meee seeseeeessese esses ssecssossssesesscensseosoneesneneeeeeteeteeeeseenensneeseneemeneennan ssese es A E — BULLETIN No. 167 NOVEMBER 1954 EDITORIAL Although the response to the Junior Members’ Number was not 100%, as in 1953, we nevertheless congratulate those who contributed such interest- ing material to make up the greater part of this issue. @ HOVER FLIES For a whole minute the dark brown bee-like insect was poised motionless in mid-air, a foot away from my nose, gazing steadily at me with its large brown eyes. ‘Then, without warning, 1b was gone—so quickly that I never saw it fly away. The day was warm and sunny, one of those days we sometimes get in June. Wandering rather aimlessly down country lanes, I stopped here and there to look more closely at any- thing that caught my interest. It was on one of these occasions that this insect suddenly appeared in front of me. I later found that it was a drone-fly, one of the hover-fiies, and, by its action of remaining poised in the air, it aroused my curiosity. I began to take a deeper interest in hover-flies and found that there are many kinds each with its own par- ticular characteristics. Some are large and hairy, some are small and brilliantly-coloured, while others are medium-sized and extremely swift fliers. Their sizes range from that of a medium-sized bumble-bee to that of the common house-fly. Some mimic bees and wasps to escape attacks by birds and frogs. They are called “‘hover-flies’’, because their frequent mode of flight is one of hovering. Although hover-flies are very in- teresting, they form only a very small proportion of the British fly popula- tion. True flies can be distinguished from other insects by their possession of only one pair of wings as distinct from the latter’s two pairs. In place of the second pair of wings possessed by other insects, flies have a pair of drum-stick-shaped ‘‘balancers’’ or “halteres’”? behind the first pair of wings. Hover-flies comprise the main part of the family Syrphidae. Before describing the individual flies, let me give a brief outline of their lfe histories. The life-cycle begins with the eggs laid by the female adult, then come the larvae, the pupae and, finally, the perfect adults. The eggs are generally micro- scopic and are laid in a large variety of media, ranging from rotten wood to stagnant water. The larvae, or grubs, often assume rather peculiar forms. The Rat-tailed maggot found in stagnant water, for example, is about half-an-inch long and _ possesses a long tapering tail which gives it its name. After a variable period of feeding, the larvae pupate and enter the quiescent pupal or transition stage. One of the minor mysteries of nature occurs here, since an extremely drab-looking maggot can go _ into pupation but a most gaudily coloured adult insect may emerge. The pupae are usually the same size as the cor- responding larvae and are _ often devoid of any characteristics other than being roughly cylindrical and dark-coloured. The adult insect emerges after a certain period of pupation (variable with different species) and goes off in search of food. This nearly always consists of nectar from flowers, since all hover-flies are phytophagous. The insect has no per- manent home but wanders about from flower to flower in the sunshine, taking refuge in low herbage when the weather is unfavourable. Since there are over two hundred species of hover-flies, it is obviously impossible to describe them all in this short article which, therefore, will be confined to those most common and conspicuous in the North of England. Of these, a Drone-fly (Eristalis pertinax Scop.) is probably the most striking, as it greatly resembles the drone of the ordinary honey-bee. It is about three-quarters of an inch long, dark brown in colour and frequents yellow or white flowers from March to November. Its flight consists of periods of hovering, interspersed with rapid, apparently aimless darting. On account of its resemblance to drones, it has often been mistaken for the ordinary honey-bee and it is probable that the ‘“‘oxen-born bee’’ of the ancients was really this fly. (See Judges 14.) An- other species of Hristalis—intricarius Linn.—shows two interesting varia- tions. The typical form is some- thing similar to EF. pertinax Scop., 102 but the variations have long black abdominal hairs with either red or white hairs at the tip. In this way the red and white-tailed bumble-bees are resembled. A great number of fairly small hover-flies found on large clusters of flowers have one thing in common. They néarly all have a black abdomen with yellow bands or lunules. These belong to the sub-family Syrphinae, and are often called ‘‘flower-flies’’. Some of the larger species of these can be mistaken, at a distance, for wasps. However, aS wasps do not hover, it is fairly easy to decide whether it is a wasp or a fly. One of these, Catabomba pyrastri Linn., is a striking example and often hovers in one place for minutes on_ end. Although its abdomen is black and pale yellow, it appears grey in flight owing to the rapid vibration of the body. Xanthogramma ornatum Meigen is a very brilliant and attractive fly, but it is not easily found. The lunules or markings on its abdomen are a bright shining yellow and contrast vividly with the gleaming black back- ground. Another hover-fly of un- usual appearance is Rhingia cam- pestris Meigen, which has a peculiar ‘snout’? projecting in front of its head. This ‘‘snout’’ is really a pro- longation of part of the head and should not be confused with the tongue which is a much thinner, in- conspicuous and retractible organ be- neath the ‘‘snout’’. The fly is about half-an-inch long and mainly orange in colour. It can be found on low herbage plants, such as Red Campion and Hogweed, from April or May to October. Volucella bombylans Linn. is an- other good example of mimicry. There are several forms of this fly and, in fact, it is not often that two specimens of V. bombylans are identical. Several species of bumble-bees are imitated and the larvae of the fly live as scavengers in the bees’ nests. _ Per- haps I might also mention Volucella pellucens Linn., a large shining black hover-fly with a broad white band across the base of its abdomen. This is a very difficult insect to catch on account of its great agility and timidity. An unusually good example of mimicry of wasps is found in the genus Chrysotorum inn., particu- larly the species C. festivum Linn. Its abdominal markings are very like those of a wasp, it is the same size as a wasp and, moreover, has long NOVEMBER 1954 antennae like the wasp. The last of these is a feature peculiar to the genus Chrysotorum Linn. ‘There are, of course, several other species of this genus which exhibit similar mimicry though not quite so effectively. FESTIVUM. CHRYSOTOXUM All these flies which are here de- scribed are common in_ Britain, although in some cases they may not be easy to find. Indeed, some may only be discovered when extensively searched after, but patience and energy are nearly always rewarded by the eventual discovery of the re- quired specimens. One word of advice—always choose a warm sunny day, otherwise disappointments will predominate. Although many hover- flies mimic bees and wasps, they can- not sting or bite and can be handled with the greatest impunity—but please don’t mistake a wasp for a hover-fly ! R. UnpERwoop (2338%*). [For further information on Syr- phidae, and keys to all our species, members are referred to R. L. Coe’s recent work, Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, Vol. 10, Part 1, published by the Royal Entomological Society. Price, 17/6.— T.R.E.S. ] SCHOOL NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY REPORTS Two interesting Reports have recently been received. Taunton School N.H.S. has pro- duced a duplicated pamphlet for 1953, which, in addition to Ornithol- ogical and Botanical items, has an article of interest to entomologists entitled ‘‘The Influence of Weather conditions on the flight of Moths’’, taken from Mercury Vapour trap records, and illustrated by graphs. The third issue of The New Biologian, the magazine of Lancaster AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 Royal Grammar School N.H.S., is a printed book of 26 pages with photo- graphic illustrations. It is edited by one of our members, R. UNDERWOOD (2338*), and contains an article by him entitled ‘‘Hoverflies’’ which he has kindly allowed us to reprint in this number. In addition to short articles on a wide range of natural history subjects, there is a further note on the collecting of bees, wasps and allied insects. Both publications are a credit to the societies which produced them. e LEPIDOPTERA IN THE NEW FOREST With a few of my friends, I planned a week’s expedition to the New Forest to catch Lepidoptera at the end of July last, with our headquarters at Lyndhurst. Although the weather was bad at the beginning of the week, it cleared towards the end, and we were pleased with our captures. We saw many Silver-washed Fritil- laries (Argynmis paphia Linn.) during our stay, of which three were var. valezina Esp. On the first day, we explored the heathland opposite our hotel, and found a great abundance of Silver-studded Blues (Plebeius argus Linn.) not to mention specimens of many of the usual heathland butterflies that time of vear. We also found a few Purple-Bordered Gold moths (Sterrha muricata Hufn.) flying by day, but they had not been disturbed. This was interesting, as Richard South states that these attractive little moths fly only at dawn. On the second dav. it poured all day and although we did make some attempts at looking at tree-trunks for moths we were unsuccessful. On the third day, it still rained, but, nothing daunted, we set out across the heath. Suddenly one of us noticed a batch of eggs on the undergrowth, and, on closer examina- tion. more eggs were found. These, which have been identified as those of the Fox Moth (Macrothylacia rubi Linn.) have ‘been bred with almost 100% success to the third moult. On the way hack, we passed a plantation of Scots Pine, and we thought that we should inspect the trunks. Just as we were giving up all hope. one of our number found a female Pine Hawk (Hyloicus pinastri Uinn.). freshly emerged. Two days later, I found two Pine Hawks, one male and one female. in the same place. The female was possibly the one liberated two days previously. However, she and moths obtainable at, 103 laid us eggs, which have been reared with moderate success to the third moult. We found most of the woodland and heathland butterflies, and various species of moths, such as Small Purple Barred (Phytometra viri- daria Clerck), Drab Loopers (Minoa murinata Scop.) and Barred Hook- tips (Drepana cultraria Fab.). An odd Four-Dotted Footman (Cybosia mesomella Linn.) and Purple Bar (Lyncometra_ ocellata linn.) were also captured. While out at night, nothing of in- terest was captured, the most interest- ing being a Bordered Beauty (Hpione repandaria Hugn.), although sugar was used. But at light several more interesting specimens were taken. At the blue lamp of the local police station, a Lappet (Gastropacha quer- cifolia Linn.) was taken. We used a rather primitive method for lght, having all the bedroom windows open, with the bedroom and bedside lights full on. However, this method proved very effective, and I advocate it to anyone who lacks a light trap on holiday. By this method we ob- tained many specimens, of which the more interesting are mentioned here: Four-spotted Footman (Inthosia guadra lUinn.), Scarce Footman (Hilema complana Linn.), Bird’s Wing (Dypterygia scabriuscula Linn.) Broad-Barred White (Hadena serena Schiff.), Spectacle (Abrostola tripar- tita Hufn.), Yellow Tail (Huproctis chrysorrhoea Linn.), Peppered (Biston betularia Linn.)\—but ‘the most heautiful—a Peach Blossom (Thyatira batis Linn.)—was ‘‘the one that got away’. As for varieties and, aberrations, we took several Five-Spot Burnets (Zyugaena trifoli Esp.) which had only three spots, the two pairs being ioined. This variety was only taken in one place. Then again a Ringlet (Avhantopus hynerantus Tiinn.) was taken, along with normal Ringlets, which was verging upon var. arete. Recently we have taken several Common FWmeralds (Hemithea stri- gata Muell.) which have been a dull vellow colour instead of green, but they most certainly are not faded. The other variety is one of the Wall Brown Butterfly (Pararge meqgera Linn.), which has the ‘‘eye spot’’ on one side considerably smaller than that on the other. TIT should be interested could give me further about these varieties. J. J. S. Watson (2314*), if anyone information 104 EXPERIMENTS WITH THE MUSLIN MOTH, CYCNIA MENDICA CLERCK In the Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. 12, 77, I described some experiments with the Muslin Moth (Cycnia mendica). A few further notes might be of in- terest now that the moths have hatched. For details of the experi- ments the reader is referred to the previous article. Group A. Sugar experiments. Ten caterpillars produced four pupae; two in cocoons, two bare. The cocooned pupae hatched on March 30th and April 4th 1954, both giving females (wingspan 37°5 and 35:5 mm. respectively), a deformed female hatched on March 29th from one of the bare pupae, and the other was found, on inspection (April 19th), to contain a dead female. The perfect females are of the usual form and of average size, so it appears the sugar had no effect. Group B. Control group. Ten cater- pillars produced eight pupae; three in cocoons, five bare. One male (about March 28th) and one female (March 30th), and one deformed female (April 6th) from bare pupae. On inspection of the remainder (April 19th), one dead male found in the cocooned pupa, and all the bare pupae had dried up. Wingspans: male 33 mm., cocooned female 38°5 mm., bare female 34:5 mm. Group C. Foodplant not im water. Ten caterpillars produced seven pupae, four in cocoons, three bare. A female (36:5 mm.) hatched from a cocooned pupa on March 29th. On inspection (April 19th) the cocooned pupae gave one dead male, one dead female, and one dried up; one dead female and two dried up from the bare pupae. Group D. Perpetual darkness. No caterpillar reached the pupal stage. Group H. Foodplant experiments. A female hatched from each of the four sub-divisions, Hl, H2, EK3, E4, on respectively 29th March, 31st March, 3rd April, 2nd April, with wingspans 31°5, 35-5, 32, 36 mm., that from K3 hatching from a bare pupa, the others from cocooned pupae. In all, fourteen cocooned pupae gave one male, seven females, two dead males and one dead female; while thirteen bare pupae gave two females, two deformed females, and three dead females. From this it would appear that a cocoon while not NOVEMBER 1954 absolutely necessary is certainly de- sirable. The high mortality would be due in part at least to the dry conditions under which the pupae were kept. None of the moths had any peculiar markings. One surprising feature of the results is the large proportion of females. Of those which hatched the ratio is one male to eleven females; of all the pupae it is three to fifteen. Recently I have been learning the rudiments of statistics, and like all recruits to that branch of mathematics I have gone ‘‘figure mad’’, so I have tested the results to see if they are con- sistent with the hypothesis that the proportions of males and females are equal. Using the binomial distribu- tion of probability, the chance of getting one male and eleven female moths in a sample of twelve, from a theoretical population in which there are assumed to be equal numbers of each, is 3 in 1024. Three males and fifteen females give a chance of about 1 in 320. Both these chances are very small, and it is fairly safe to say, therefore, that im the theoretical population of which these figures are samples, there was a greater proportion of females. This may be because the original female laid more female eggs, or that the female moths are tougher and more reach maturity, or maybe just chance. Summarizing the results of the experiment then, two conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, perpetual dark- ness is detrimental to mendica cater- pillars, though not necessarily so to other species, and _ secondly that mendica has a wide range of food- plants, a list of which has already been given. Further conclusions cannot be drawn with anything like the same certainty, though it would appear that there is some evidence for supposing that a cocooned pupa (of mendica) is more likely to pro- duce a perfect imago than a bare one. J. P. S. Prinere (2094*). © ADVICE ON MICRO-LEPIDOPTERA Mr. S. Wakety (1860), 26 Finsen Road, Ruskin Park, S.E.5, has kindly offered to give advice on, and how to identify, the micro-lepidoptera. He is unable, however, to under- take genitalia examination, and as some species can only be identified by this means, or by breeding, he can- not guarantee to identify all species. AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 105 THE BETROTHED, THE BRIDE AND THE SPOUSE I had been collecting and studying butterflies and moths for eight years before I had my first encounter with the Bride. To the layman this moth is the Red Underwing, but to the entomologist its Latin name, Catocala nupta Linn., is much more descriptive. The first name is the generic name, showing the genus to which it _ belongs, but the specific name, nupta, means ‘“‘a bride’, and if ever you see a newly-emerged female of this species at rest upon a tree trunk, you will agree it is an apt description for the pristine beauty of the delicate oyster- grey upperwings, the quivering antennae and the silky down of the first pair of legs with which the moth balances herself on the irregularities of the bark. The day was September 8, 1935. We were fortunate in having some very beautiful pine woods less than two miles from home, and mv father and I, as was our wont every Sun- day, were on our way there, haver- sack on back and net in hand. [ had gone a little further on in front, tapping the hedge with the handle of my net for the usual assortment of “pugs”? and ‘‘waves’”’ that usually fiit out diffidently into the daylight when so disturbed. My father was what he used to call ‘ust looking’’, but his powers of observation were such that he could spot even the most camou- flaged of mimics at several yards’ range. I had become quite engrossed in my task of ‘‘beating’? when I was suddenly distracted by a series of frenzied shouts and, turning round, I beheld my father running towards me at top speed with his hands clasped together before him. He really did look most comical. ‘‘Quick! a box!” He was really excited. I _ knew it could not be just any common- or-garden species he had espied. I had ridiculous thoughts of Ayloicus _ pinastri Linn. in my mind as T hastily po extracted the largest glass-bottomed pill-box from my haversack. My father was adept at catching butterflies and moths without a net, a fact which has stood me in good stead on many occasions when IT have had the net and he was elsewhere at the time. Moths at rest he seemed to be able to hypnotize into his hands, and thus it was that, opening his hands, he now disclosed to my won- dering gaze a sleepy female Red Underwing, obviously freshly- emerged, with not a scale on her wings out of place. Quickly I trans- ferred her to the pill-box, nearly dropping the lid in my excitement, and she settled down quietly on the glass bottom, raising her wings slightly once to give me my first fleeting glimpse of the cherry-red underwings with their velvety black bands. The bride was captured. Now, a bride must first be be- trothed, and afterwards settles down (we trust) to a happy married life as a spouse; and that is exactly what we have in the genus Catocala C. promissa Schiff., which means promised in marriage, or betrothed; C. nupta, a bride. and C. sponsa Linn., a spouse. The first of these three species is known as the Light Crimson Underwing, and is by far the least common of the three—not that any of them are common, in any sense of the word. But C. promissa is the one you are least likely to come across, unless. perhaps, you are able to take a walk regularly in the New Forest of Hampshire during July and August, when, if you are lucky, you may spot the newly-emerged imago at rest on an oak tree trunk at any time between dawn and the hour before dusk: or, if you care to walk there with a torch after dark during the early part of the summer, on occa- sions you may, perhaps, find its larva feeding on oak, boring into the buds during the early part of its life, but later devouring the foliage. The larva, greenish-tinged browny- grey, spotted with darker grey, and marked on the fourth. eighth and ninth rings with yellowish-brown. is often difficult to detect amongst the leaves. If you want to discover the Be- trothed in its pupal stage, you will have to dig just below the surface of the ground under oaks in Jate June and early July. and you may quite possibly turn uv a_rough-looking earthen cocoon of loose construction containing a vurplish-brown chrysalis about an inch long, dusted with a bluish bloom. Should you find such a pupa you mav be certain that it is C. promissa, as the larvae of both (. sponsa and C. nupta spin uv their cocoons between the leaves of their food-plant. Such a spun-up cocoon on oak can only be that of C. sponsa, as C. nupta is not an oak feeder but is found only on willow and poplar. The Spouse—C. sponsa, or the Dark Crimson Underwing, to give it its popular name, is more likely to come your way than the Betrothed. but 106 even so, it 1s not really profitable to seek it anywhere else but in the New Forest, as this seems to be its favoured haunt. Like (C. promissa, ('. sponsa has also been found in other counties adjoining Hampshire but only sporadically. The Spouse shares with the Bo- trothed the propensity which charac- terises certain of the more _ local British moths—that of periodicity, or, in other words, it may be quite frequently seen in its own favoured locality in certain years, but exceed- ingly scarce or even totally absent in others. Neither C. sponsa nor C. promissa has been seen with any degree of regularity; both have been known to occur in the New Forest area in abundance in one season, and then not to have been seen at all for a considerable time except perhaps for one or two isolated appearances in some particular part of the Forest, and then its appearance was uncer- tain in the extreme. The larva of C. sponsa may be dis- tinguished from that of C. promissa by a row of raised red spots svrout- ing black bristles. It is also dusted with black generally and has a prominent hump on the eighth ring, and when fully grown is larger than the larva of C. promissa. The Bride, C. nupta, is much more widely distributed, occurring in all the English counties from the Mid- lands southw ards. Like its two next-of-kin, it is more abundant in some years than in others, but, although not common, cannot really be regarded as a scarce species. The Imago is. exceedingly well camouflaged and thus difficult to detect when at rest on a tree trunk, and many are doubtless for this reason overlooked; but the Bride has a propensity which has, alas! caused it to fall victim to many a pill-box—its habit of choosing way- side telegraph-poles for a_ resting- place. “Up the pole’? would best describe oe! most of the specimens to be seen in my fellow-entomologists’ cabinets were caught, not to mention the 1935 specimen in my own collec- tion which my father inveigled from a similar situation. Tf you would rather breed your Red Underwings than catch them _tres- passing on G.P.O. property. look for the larva on willow and poplar from Avril to July. a dull dirty grey in colour, marbled with brown. It likes to rest in crevices of the bark, too. and eventually punates between the leaves in a silken cocoon. Tt is quite - season, NOVEMBER 1954 easy to rear in captivity, and if you rear a number of them you can in August and September and even in October have your reward by watching the beautiful Brides emerge from their silken cocoons. They do not remain in the pupal stage long; they are eager to leave their earthbound form and flash their velvety pinions though for a _ short much as a bride walks for a brief time in the shimmering glory of her wedding gown, and then it is put away. Joy O. I. SpoczynsKa (751). @ A VARIETY OF LEUCOZONA LUCORUM LINN. (DIPTERA, SYRPHIDAE) Members may be interested to hear about a peculiar variation of a hover- — fly, Leucozona lucorum Linn. that I have found. The typical form has a yellow or orange marking at the base of its abdomen, and a brown marking down the middle of each wing. In the variations that I found, the basal abdominal. marking was pure white, and this was occasionally shaped differently from the typical form. The wing markings were fainter than usual and, in one specimen, non- existent. They were smallish speci- mens, and difficult to recognise as J. lucorum. IT have only found this variation at two places near Lancas- ter, and have not heard of, or seen. any other similar specimens. Have any other AES members come across this variation, or is it possibly just a local one, confined to the Lancaster district ? R. UnpERWoop (2338%*). ® THE CAMBERWELL BEAUTY (NYMPHALIS ANTIOPA LINN.), IN CO. DURHAM Members may be interested to know that T saw a specimen of a Camber- well Beauty butterfly (Nymophalis antiopa) at Murton, Co. Durham, on 14th September 1954. Tt was about noon, and in bright sunshine. T had a close-up view for some five minutes on end, while it fed on the juice from some apple peelings recently thrown on a compost heap, the butterfly slowly opening and closing its wings much of the time. T have not seen one in this district before. N, T., Surrteip (1157). AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 A LEPIDOPTERIST’S NOTES 1953-1954 The past, two seasons have afforded me very few exciting captures, but 1 append the following notes in the hope that they may be of interest. In 1953 the best collecting I had was in a remote Somerset village during the first week of August. In one particular spot—I shall always re- member it—a flowery bank sloping down to a marshy, woodland-fringed stream, Argynnis paphia Linn., A. cydippe Linn., and A. aglaia Linn. flaunted their many-hued wings in comparative abundance. Although the last two were somewhat worn, I took several fine paphia. Here, too, I took a single very battered Limenitis camilla Linn. (this must be its extreme western limit) and several quite good Agapetes galathea Linn. Among others that occurred in_ this spot the most striking were Thecla quercus Linn., Humenis semele Linn., Polygonia c-album Linn. and Preris nap: Linn. The Somerset form is very striking and | saw many hand- some varieties. Mhe moths of the district were numberless, and I took for the first time that very handsome moth Lymantria monacha Linn. The far- mer with whom I was staying brought me a very battered Arctia caja Linn., very proud at having caught ‘‘one o’ them big butterflies’. The most striking moth that came to my light was the Drinker (Philudoria pota- toria Linn. Later in the month at Lewes on the South Downs JI took a Polygonia c- album Linn., var. hutchinsoni, with the ‘comma’ joined, forming a tri- angular mark. Here also the small blue (Cupido minimus Fuess!.) was in abundance and two local collectors I met, told me that it often had a second brood there. On the 30th of August I took a _ perfect Vanessa atalanta Linn. ab. bisecta (Fig. 1). Most specimens of atalanta have a dusky stripe across the red band but few have it completely separated, so I was quite pleased with this. From then onwards I caught nothing in- teresting until October 11th. This was a very battered male Pararge aegeria WLinn., taken in Epping Forest and only valuable as a speci- men by reason of its being the only Specimen here for 50 years or more! I have omitted above the rarest insect T saw in 753, which was a fine Danaus plerippus Linn. on the 1st of August in Somerset. A full report of this Fig. 1. V. atalanta ab. bisecta Fig. 2. L. coridon var. obsoleta observation is given in Hnt. Ltec., 65, 322. My 1954 season really started on the 7th of April when I caught a fine aberration of Polygonia c-album in Surrey. It is extremely dark for the species and has the central spots on the hindwings enlarged and confluent. It is in almost perfect condition and it is hard to believe it had spent four months in hibernation. Late in July I spent a fortnight near Royston, Herts., in the hope of picking up some fine vars. of Lysandra coridon Poda, but the weather was unfavourable and I caught very few and nothing striking. The moths of the district, however, more than made up for the lack of these, and on one night over 50 species flew into my bedroom at- tracted by the light, quite apart from ‘pugs’ and ‘micros’. Mrs. Spo- ezynska (751) (see Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 13, 85) would have enjoyed this immensely, since the six commonest ‘Wainscots’, viz., Leucania pallens Linn., Arenostola phragmitidis Hb.., LL. pudorina Schiff., L. straminea Treit., DZ. wunpura Ab., and Rhizedra lutosa Hb. all occurred abundantly. My only really striking coridon variety this year was a var. obsoleta taken at Lewes on 30th August. (See Fig. 2.) P. E. Smarr (2293*), | | 108 NOVEMBER 1954 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR BUTTERFLIES IN 1954 In he last week of June, I found that Plebejus argus Linn. was out in considerable numbers, both males and females, in spite of the adverse Ww eather conditions. Amongst con- siderable variation in the _ under- sides of the females, I was fortunate in finding an ab. obsoleta. In the same locality, on the 14th August, I saw six Argynnis euphro- syne Linn., five in perfect condition, the other with a tear in the wing. It is not unusual to see one example of a second brood, but I should think that six is the record for the wet and stormy summer that we have just ex- perienced. W. GreRALD TREMEWAN (940). A RECORD SWALLOWTAIL? From most of the literature I have seen, it appears that the maximum size ever attained by Papilio machaon Linn., ssp. britannicus is 33”, but I have a Norfolk Broads specimen exactly 4” in expanse. Is this a record? P. E. Smart (2293%*). CONSERVATION OF RARITIES Whilst on holiday in Hastings I heard, from two sources, of a rare larva being found on toadflax at Dungeness. I thought it might be the Toadflax Brocade, Calophasia lunula Hufn., and this was confirmed on visiting the area. From the top of the lighthouse I could see a collec- tor rooting up toadflax and in a subsequent trip over the shingle, to enjoy the unique flora there, found many handfuls of discarded toadflax plants, and was also fortunate in see- ing a larva which my daughter found. As the moth is so rare in the country as not to be included either in South, or in the AES label list, I found this lack of security rather perturbing. Imagine my surprise, therefore, to find, on my return home, a full ac- count of its being found, and even en- couragement to go and collect it, in the columns of AES Bulletin. (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 13, 81). I have no doubt that Mr. Aldridge (262) was acting in good faith when he gave such accurate information, but I feel that we all ought to bear in mind the important need of conservation of our rarities before making available such information to _ all—serious workers and unscrupulous collectors alike—in a widely distributed publica- tion. C. D. Bryenam (1506). [ always enjoy the practical hints in the Bulletin, but one point in September’s edition I think needs a little comment. This is the sugges- tion that members might dash off to Dungeness and collect larvae of Calo- phasia lunula Hufn. Surely it is not within the keeping of the general aims of the society in suggesting that large numbers of people should col- lect lunula in one small area like Dungeness, which would most pro- bably result in this newly-acquired breeding species being wiped out from that part of the country. Would not it have been better to suggest search- — ing Toadflax in one’s usual collecting areas for Hupithecia linariata Fabr. and at the same time keep a look out — for lunula, with the idea to see if it has extended its range still further? To go back to Dungeness, a large area of the shingle beach where the Toadflax is very much in evidence, is rented by the Dungeness Bird Obser- vatory Committee and it is very dis- concerting to ornithologists there, when after driving birds over a large area, they find a couple of entomo- logists in the mouth of their bird trap. Accommodation and cooking facili- ties can be had at the Observatory, and I therefore suggest that anybody contemplating a trip to Dungeness should write to the Secretary of the D.B.0.:(Mry He Ae ReeCawkell). 6 Canute Road, Hastings) beforehand, as anybody interested in any branch of natural history is most welcome at the observatory. The only duty asked is to write one’s observations in the log book before leaving, and so add to the accumulating knowledge of this most interesting corner of England. E. G. Puire (2165). [We are sure Mr. Aldridge would be the first to condemn the un- scrupulous collector; in fact, he par- ticularly urges restraint in the col- lecting of the Adonis Blue (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 13, 79).—Ep.). Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists’ London, E.15. 1954. Printed by T. Buncle & Co. 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HARROW, Middlesex — 33 Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit, : : oe étc., to: IK. H. BOBE, {9 Hengist Road,} Coinplete volumes. with covers eit index 3 33 London, S.E.12. a as | [Volume 7, 1946-8 232 pp. ats, 3 ¢¢ Manuscripts, drawings and books for} Volume a5 1949 96 pp. 10s. bes a seu repiew —10.* Be eh SIE WOOD Ss 4 | Vols. ene eel pp. 10s. 6d. 3 $2 Southfield Gardens, Strawberry Hill, ; Oy |, | 33 Twickenham, Middx. 7 : Volume 10, 1951 124 pp. 10s. 6d. 3 an, ot e Volume 11, 1952. +116 pp. 12s. 6d. 3 = 33 Subscriptions (12/- per annum, 6/- for Volume 12,1953 . 96 pp. — 12s. 6d.33 33 Juniors) to: R. W. WATSON, {5 Hal-]. Wat +. an $3 stead Road, Bitterne, Southampton. : From 33 * ss ) a 33 Youth matters to: S. M. HANSON, 467 ay E s, 1 WEEa HAM LANE, fe ‘San 33 Gunnersbury Park, London, W5. | LONDON, E. 15 — ee ee | | — missseseanesseanesganesgeanecgnanesgeaneegeantennneegneneeseneesneneegnessnnas ee mgores 3; A E 5 BULLETIN No. 168 DECEMBER 1954 EDITORIAL Aiter having completed his first year of editing the Bulletin, the Editor would like to express his thanks to those members who have contributed articles and observations. He is also much indebted to the proot-readers, Messrs. W. J. B. Crotch (1181), H. K. Airy Shaw (525), and T. R. E. Southwood (1051), who, in addition to this task, have offered assistance in many ways. Gratitude is also extended to Mr. we ee TS Vams who has’ kindly advised on the nomenclature of exotic species, and to Mr. A. Blackburn (1715), for his patient work on the Bulletin Index. © AN EGG PARASITE By the gift of a friend I received last summer some ova of a Saturniid moth, Hylesia nigricans Berg, which is a pest of willows around Buenos Aires. The eggs are laid in little mounds about 10 mm. in diameter and 5mm. high. They are embedded in what looks like fine grey felt and covered over with brown fibres which might have been shed from a doll’s doormat, but are doubtless ‘‘hairs’’ from the maternal abdomen. The egg is straw-coloured to begin with, but turns steel grey as the larva within grows ready to emerge. It is the shape of a hen’s egg, about half a millimetre across and perhaps three- quarters long. On 9th September the egg mound was covered with minute straw- coloured caterpillars having shiny black heads and, running about over the top and around the circumfer- ence, were a dozen or so equally small black Hymenoptera. They were disinclined to fly and it was not too difficult to pick them up with a moistened No. 0 watercolour brush and bed them down into a trace of Canada balsam where they were killed by a drop of Xylol to make temporary iicroslides. (One was shown at the AES Exhibition.) Their minuteness can be judged by the ini‘llimetre scale in the accompany- ing figure, which shows both sexes and was drawn by projection. Mr. G. E. J. Nixon of the British Museum (Natural History) kindly identified them. for me as being within the genus Telenomus_ of the family Sceleonidae (superfamily PROCTOTRUPOIDEA). The female para- site lays her own egg in the moth’s egg, from which it sallies forth as a winged insect, having completed its life cycle in the same period as the moth’s larva takes to hatch. No one knows how the parasite makes its living. It does not seem possible that the parasite should be specific to its Saturniid host, which, I understand, is only single brooded. It is possible that it attacks the eggs of other moths with different laying months. Unfortunately, I had no alternative newly-laid ova to offer. The H. nigricans larvae took to privet but did not survive their first moult. W. J. B. Crores (1181). Telenomus egg-parasites 110 DECEMBER. 1954 MOTH MIGRATIONS TO THE BRITISH ISLES HERSE CONVOLVUTLTI Linn. MACROGLOSSUM STELLATARUM ULinn. PLUSIA GAMMA Linn. Of the 2,360 Lepidoptera now listed as British in Il. R. P. Heslop’s Check-list published in 1952, only 16 butterflies and 22 moths are sufficiently well known as immigrants to the British Isles, which the Insect Immigration Committee of the South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies now schedule for daily record. Amongst these, there are ten species regarded as seasonal immigrants, which cannot normally maintain themselves in our winter climate. By day we observe the Painted Lady, Red Admiral and Clouded Yellow butterflies, and by night, with the aid of mercury-vapour moth traps, the three most important moths for observation, the Convolvulus Hawk, the Humming-bird Hawk and the common Silver Y moth, are due for special study. The migrations of the Silver Y Moth and its activities have been studied in detail. (K. Fisher, 1938, and Elinor Bro Larsen, 1949). We now require studies of the Convolvulus Hawk-moth upon a similar scale, and, to explain what is already known of the different habits of the three species, special attention will be devoted to present records of the most puzzling details reported of the Humming-bird Hawk-moth, Macroglossum stellatarum Linn., which ranges from the Canaries to Japan in temperate climates, but is not found in America. From the records kept by an average of some 300 observers in the British Isles between 1930 and 1953, the average annual abundances recorded amount to 103 Convolvulus Hawk-moths, 605 Humming-bird Hawk-moths, to nearly 20,000 Silver Y moths; but the figures are very variable and show no consistent correlation, save that the Convolvulus is always the latest to appear and generally years of scarce immigration seem to coincide with minimum Sun-spot periods. Jn wing expanse the Convolvulus is the largest, at 94 to 120 mm. to the Humming-bird’s 50 to 58 mm., and the Silver Y only 40 to 46 mm., and often dwarfed in the autumn swarms. The Convolvulus only feeds on the wing at flowers for a short period at dawn and dusk; by day it rests blind and help- less; whereas the Humming-bird and Silver Y feed on the wing at flowers by day, and all three species migrate by night. The large swarms of Silver Y moths which invaded Denmark in 1946 were studied by Elinor Larsen, who found that they were most active in temperatures between 77° and 86° F., but much reduced below 64° F., and that the moths were much more sensitive to temperature changes than to light and darkness. This would mean that in England it likes to feed in warm sun by day, but at dusk as the earth cools it will rise to warmer air above and a wind movement may be the initial cause of the direction of migration, perhaps in swarms of myriads, as seen at the lanterns of our lighthouses in summer occasionally, since 1934. We have only one similar occurrence recorded for the Humming- bird Hawk-moth: on July 27th, 1951, a close swarm of M. stellatarum appeared around the lantern of the Eddystone Light (oil) at night 133 ft. above sea level, and some dozens got burnt (T.. Dannreuther, 1952). The Convolvulus Hawk- moth is usually seen singly, but on August 26th, 1944, at St. Leonards-on-Sea, at least a hundred were seen circling a search-light beam all night and some picked up exhausted at dawn. The Silver Y moth is attracted to search-lights or mercury-vapour lighted traps, sometimes in swarms of thousands; the Con- volvulus Hawk-moths also appear singly in M.V. traps but not the Humming- bird Hawk-moth—the reason for the latter shunning mercury-vapour but not oil lamps is a mystery needing investigation. _ The operation of mercury-vapour traps in winter here, shows that all three species are lethargic and inactive at temperatures below 40/45° F., though occasionally a few specimens in one stage or another may survive an English winter, and reports of this are commonest for the Humming-bird Hawk-moth— in the mild winter of 1950 a dozen were recorded hibernating between Cornwall and Sussex, sometimes indoors. On the Riviera coast, where M. stellatarum is absent from April to mid-August, i.e., when plentiful in England, hibernators become active in sun or warmed rooms in winter: e.g., at Cavalaire (Var) on Christmas Day, 1947, one appeared at a bowl of cut geraniums on the dinner- table (Lt.-Col. N. Eliot, 1953); but in England during the last 18 years, only odd specimens have been seen flying as a rule before the June immigration. Tn the south of Europe ‘‘there would seem to be at least two distinct broods, one appearing in June and the other in October . . . the period from egg to pte er AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 lil moth is known to be less than two months’’ (R. South, 1948); but there are no records of October migration. To the north it ranged to the Shetlands on June 7th, 1947, and in the south in 1894, Mrs. Holt White reported ‘“‘its appear- ing from March to September but in greatest numbers in June in Teneriffe’’; but it was not until June 7th, 1923, that it was recorded migrating from Africa —eleven captured in a steamer 58 miles off Oran, at 10 p.m., 65° F. In 1934 A. Magnan calculated M. stellatarum’s speed of flight at 11-1 miles per hour at 85 wing-beats per second, compared with 12 for P. brassicae: though according to Snodgrass, some Hawk-moths attain 28 miles an hour, or 15 metres per second, and Marey gives the White butterfly 9 strokes per second to 72 for the Humming-bird Hawk-moth and a house fly up to 330! (M. Burr, 1954). At any rate, the speed of advance is so great that with binoculars it is impossible to see their approach to our shores on arrival. When feeding at fiowers. the wing beats are too fast to be seen as it hovers with outstretched tongue. It displays great agility apparently assisted by expansible anal and lateral tufts used whilst hovering, but has no halteres like the flies, and the hind wings are small. The Macroqlossum species are most numerous in the Indian region, but we have only the type of the genus, stellatarum, and the ways in which it differs from other species are due for detailed study. It is. therefore. worthwhile to set out certain extracts from the records printed annually in The Entomologist to show its peculiarities. Immigration of Macroglossum stellatarum to British Isles In 1932, when systematic observation was organised in England, only 6 M. stellatarum and 5 H. convolvulit were recorded in the British Isles. The next lowest figures were in 1940. with 55 stellatarum to only one convolvuli. Yet in 1933 there were 572 stellatarum to 180 convolvuli, and in both that year and 1940 P. aamma stood at the low total of 500, compared with 30,000 in 1935 and 1936. and rose to 300,000 in 1946. In 1934 M. stellatarum was first reported indoors at Plymouth on February 14th, and the season extended to November 12th at Eastbourne, after it had ranged to Unst in North Shetland. An odd observation came from the Round Island Lighthouse in the Scillies, which has a vowerful red. light. Here dozens were seen in flight to the north on June 7th. It is surmised that the red flashes were attractive. The total for 1934 was 594, but only 181 in 1935. At St. Mary’s in the Scillies F. W. Frohawk found specimens very numerous at flowers after gales in mid-September, 1935. Though scarce in autumn, half-a-dozen were recorded that winter. A feature of the 156 recorded in 1936 was a report | by J. R. Le B. Tomlin of hundreds over Red Valerian flowers in his garden at dusk on June 24th, then considered a rare event implying a close swarm feeding together. After this the records show general scarcity up to 1943 when the annual total recorded was 870. and this was the year of unprecedented Striped Hawk- moth immigration of 543 plus 93 bred. There is no nositive correlation between stellatarum and livornica and the extraordinary abundance of the latter has been attributed to drought, leaving only the watered vines in the Madrid provinces available as a food plant. perhaps causing an extension of range. In June, 1944. the invasion of Normandy provided our soldiers crossing from England in landing craft, with an opportunity for recording a northern flight of indenendent stellatarum visiting the hoats at sea on several afternoons between the Isle of Wight and Caen: but no extra abundance was noted in England as a consequence. It should be noted that they flew only a few feet above sea level in crossing. : Tn 1945. another year of Continental drought, the abundance rose to 2218. In August dozens appeared at Paignton, and early in September L. H. Williams reported ‘‘several hundreds. very fresh, and captured some dozens at Newquay. Cornwall’. There must have been some overlapping as a few overwintered and there was an emergence at Barton-on-Humber on March 25 next spring. In 1946 abundance dropped hack to 950 but in July the species ranged up to Vell in Shetland and in Sussex ‘‘a hundred were seen in a mile ride in Vert Wood near East Hoathly’’. The years of exceptional drouchts in North Africa and on the Continent. 1945-1947. coincided with unprecedented invasions in the British Isles of 5179 M. stellatarum in 1947. of 300,000 P. gamma in 1946, and of high abundance records for all the regular immigrant species, without excevtion. in the year 1947—a record year generally. It was the same in Holland where records by 120 observers have been kept since 1940, and recorded 2037 in 1947 as the 112 DECEMBER 1954 best year for M. stellatarwm. There is little doubt that the drying up of the principal food-plant, the Bedstraw (Galium verum) in the south extended the northern range. In June 1947 at Cliff End, 4 miles east of Hastings, A. Denby Wilkinson observed the arrival of Humming-bird Hawk-moths all day averaging 30 per hour. They could only be seen landing upon the cliff face, there about 100 ft. high, at the level of 75 ft., but they did not loop over the top, turning instead to east or west in even numbers. This is unlike the migrating habit of White butterflies, which would maintain their flight direction by looping over the top, and this difference in habit is a probable cause of dispersion by day, as they always arrived independently and the focal point of arrival was only found by moving along the cliff face until even numbers went east and west. Arrivals from somewhere near Cap Grisnez or Boulogne, the latter being 35 sea miles to the E.S.E., and Dieppe 60 miles South, began an hour after dawn, and lasted until an hour before sunset. The migration continued for some days upon a smaller scale as long as the warm sun continued (A. Denby Wilkinson, 1948). Although one was recorded at St. Ives as early as April 16th, the species did not appear near Hastings until June Ist, and it got to Scalloway in Shetland by June 9th, and as late as October 12th, in the early morning, a dozen arrived at the Owers Light Vessel off Selsey. In the west about 200 were seen at St. Mawes in Corn- wall, and in October it was estimated that at Ilfracombe, the Curator saw ‘scores at a time, a thousand in the aggregate’ and at many places up to Hunstanton and Lundy Island, dozens were recorded. It certainly remained active up to Christmas that season. Thus 1947 appears as the climax sfel/atarwm year, at 5179 recorded, and only comparable with 2218 in 1945, and 1078 in 1899, since 1827 when the Rothamsted records first recorded the migrant species. With half the number of observers in Holland, 1947 also recorded its maximum at 2037, to 365 in 1945. with an eleven year average of 350. Remembering that the average abundance recorded annually in the British Isles recently (1930-1953) is 605 stellatarwm., the last five years show nothing exceptional: the recorded abundances were 429 in 1948, 845 in 1949, 719 in 1950, 132 in 1951, 461 in 1952 and only 90 in 1953. On July 8th, 1950, at Cliffend, Hastings, 116 were counted coming in across the Channel, followed by 42 next day. In that season Holland recorded a normal 355. - The most notable event in 1951 was the appearance of a close swarm already referred to at the Eddystone Lighthouse on July 27th, otherwise a year of scarcity. 1952 was an average year but one Continental observation is worth -recording. At the end of May at Weinfelden, in North Switzerland, A. Welti caught a pair of stellatarwm coupled on the wing. This shows that pairing takes place after hibernation, and in the Spring migration, as in the case with V. cardui in England. It is a characteristic of migrant butterflies that they start their flights when sexually immature, and challenge for mates later. Up to June 30th in 1954 only 30 stellatarwm had been recorded. The first was recorded in the Basses Pyrénées on March 18th, and the first at Plymouth on March 24th. On June 13th one was taken in the Royal Sovereign Light Vessel off Bexhill in early morning; but these isolated specimens merely indicate a vear of scarcity like 1953. These details give all the facts observed in the British Isles, regarded as the end point of the northerly migration of the North African and Mediterranean migrant species of moths worth studying. Some special problems Whether it is mere coincidence or climatic effects, perhaps due in origin to the not very consistent 1l-year Sun-spot periods, it is worth recording that the years of Sun-spot minima 1931-2, 1941-2, and now 1953-4 are paralleled by the years of scarce immigration recorded in the British Isles for the three principal migrant moths Plusia gamma 1930-2, 1940, 1954; Herse convolvuli 1931-2, 1940-1, 1954; and for Macroglossum stellatarum more precisely in 1930-2, 1939-42, 1953-4. Future decades will decide if correlation is real. We have concentrated on recording the arrival and dispersal of immigrant moths, but little attention has been. paid to their departure, either by emigration or mortality in winter cold. We had recorded that the Curator of Ilfracombe Museum in October 1947 reported ‘‘a score at a time, thousands in the aggregate’’, yet we have no knowledge of what became of them later. This is the kind of observation that requires following up by local lepidopterists. If not a complete migratory exodus, what causes the absence of any record of AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 113 Stellataru: in the Riviera from April to mid-August? or in Teneriffe from October to February? Is hibernation inferred in a climate with equable tem- perature all the year round ? Why do 2. gamma swarms enter mercury-vapour light traps so readily and M. stellatarwm avoid them? Both are day feeders in the Sun, and both migrate at night in swarms, but only stel/ataruwm migrates northwards across the Channel by day. Vision would appear to be similar in character for both gamma and stellatarum, but not for H. convolvuli as the latter is blind by day. The wave- lengths of light down into the ultra violet far exceed human sight, so the range of vision must be larger in the day-feeding moths, but to what extent needs investigation. Are moths red-blind like the bees? It has been shown that the height of migratory flights over sea varies from 2 to at least 133 ft., but information as to speed of flight varies from 11 to 28 miles per hour. Further experiments are overdue to determine average speed and endurance for long migrations without feeding. Why does stellatarum not follow the butter- flies’ habit of looping up and over obstacles met on migration? Does this mean a permanent change of flight direction, or random dispersal? More records are required to trace routes taken after arriving on our coasts. What causes swarms to assemble before a night flight and what determines the direction of flight, other than the avoidance of intemperate climate or absence of flowers? All our immigrant moths come to us from the South and here we study their habits as an end point of their northern migrations. In Holland, Switzerland and France other organisations report their transmigrations; but we lack in- formation as to the areas of origin of these species, and the circumstances which induce emigration from them. Is it cl'matic in the heat of summer north of the African deserts? Is it due to drying up of food-plants and, if so, which and when? Is overpopulation a cause, as suspected of dragonflies in ponds? An expedition in 1953 traced migration routs in the Pyrénées passes and similar work is required in Sicily, Corsica and Italy to trace eastern routes to the north from Libya and Algeria or Egypt. For comparison we also want to record hahits of the same species in China and Japan. T. DanNNREUTHER (60). REFERENCES Burr, M., 1954. The Insect Legion. Dannreuther, T., 1952. Migration Records. Entomologist 85. 128. Eliot, N., 1953. Overwintering of Migrant Lepidoptera on the Cote d'Azur. 86, 124. Fisher, K., 1938. Journal of ‘Anim. Ecol., 7, 2, 230-247. Larsen, Elinor Bro. 1949. Kgl. Danske Videnskabernes Selshab, 21, 4. South, R., 1948. Moths of the British Isles, 4, 52. Wilkinson, A. Denby, 1948. Hastings and E. Sussex Naturalist, 7, No. 3, 88-92. Entomologist, [The Secretary of the Insect Immigration Committee is Mr. R. A. French, Dept. of Entomology, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., to whom all records should be sent.—Ed. ] e- ~ REVIEW Atlas Geogrdafico de names are given, so that it should be possible to trace all but the most la__Republica obscure localities. About 5000 of the Jee asta ee names are indexed. Incidentally, the eee” 11”. Price 30s., pay- Falkland Islands appear unfamiliarly as the Islas Malvinas, and these and disputed areas of Antarctica are un- comprom'singly shown as Argentinian able in Great Britain. This excellent atlas is of interest to any student or breeder of South American insects who wishes to know more of the geography of their country of origin. The atlas includes ten general maps, among them those showing the relief, rainfall, natural regions and geology of Argentina, and then follow separate maps of each of the country’s provinces and terri- tories. Contours are shown by dis- tinctive colours, and numerous place territory. The atlas may be obtained on enquiry from our member Sr. KF. H. Walz (2189). EK. L. ® Dr. H. B. D. KETTLEWELL _ Dr. KetrLtewety will not be return- ing to Africa this year as he expects to be permanently in this country, and his address will be:—Genetics Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Parks Road, Oxford. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MR. PHILIP M. MILES’ “SUGAR- ING TRAP” Under the heading ‘‘A trap designed to collect insects attracted by ‘sugar’’’? (Ent. mon. Mag., 90, 86), I read to the limit of my credulity of God’s gift to enthusiastic entomolo- gists, an automatic ‘‘sugaring trap’’. No longer shall I have to ‘‘trudge the weary dawn’’—how I envy Mr. Miles and his nights of blissful sleep. Furthermore, I can now ‘“‘sugar’’ two or more places in different parts of England on the same night—and sleep. Are we having our legs pulled. Mr. Editor, or has panacea arrived at last? JI hurried through the text on nuts and bolts, cellulose acetate sheeting and suspended tree trunks, but lists of captures were there none. Does Mr. Miles suggest that sophisti- cated Lepidoptera, under the in- fluence of the proximity of alcohol and molasses, really lose their heads and like automatons at light, dive into his trap? Well, suppose I am wrong, and, in fact, they do: so what? I implore Mr. Miles, if he is able to extract (and identify) from the inevitable morasses (or molasses) in his killing bottles, where all good insects finish beneath his traps, to give us lists. so that I for one, may have more sleepful nights. Whilst not wishing to steal the thunder of this shattering invention, T must put on record the fact that in 1920 I also designed two types of sugaring traps. The incentive was slightly different—schoolhoys go to bed when moths come out. For two whole .years IT had hung out of mv dormitory window wevine a six foot pole with net attached—and_ so Mother Necessity gave birth to my inventions : — TRAP aiNO tl “Trp KETTLEWELL ‘BASH AND RUN’ SUGARING TRAP’’. The principal is simple:—a rough board, which was sugared, ran in srooves into a closed wooden box. The board was attached to thirty feet of string beneath my window and had a flange at each end. At regular half- hour intervals throughout the night the board was dropped into its con- tainer, the insects present being rudely precipitated into the _ box. The board was then drawn up again. The whole trap was hauled up in through my cubicle window at day- break. DECEMBER 1954 ADVANTAGES.—I caught moths—tine series of JT. pronuba and A. mono- glypha. DISADVANTAGES (To Mr. Miles’ trap). —(1) I sat up all night. (2) Tt made a noise every half hour. Concitusion.—It took the house- master two weeks to discover where the noise came from. ‘Trap _ con- fiseated. Beaten. Trap No. 2.—Similar in many ways to Mr. Miles’ miracle trap (if he turns his upside-down). Instead of the sugared tree trunk it had a central perforated zine core with sugaring mixture container at bottom, heated by a methylated spirit burner. The smell was delicious. The trap hung in a tree. ADVANTAGES.—Any specimens foolish enough to enter were kept separate from the sugaring mixture. DISADVANTAGES.—After three weeks the whole apparatus caught fire. Tree burnt out. Beaten. Thus were two revolutionary proto- types lost to science. IT give below (unlike Mr Miles) a complete list of insects caught in No. 2 trap, though I suspect my results may be similar to his. Lepidoptera 0, Coleoptera 0. Hemip- tera 0, Dermaptera 4—Forficula anuricularia. T hope others, Mr. Editor, will he stimulated to contribute to our know ledge of the little known practice of sugaring traps. H. B. D. Kerriewet. (706). P.S. The 4 auricularia were found to be regular inhabitants of the con- tainer and in no way connected with the attractions of the trap. A NEW COLLECTING METHOD. While on holiday in Austria in 1954, my wife was sitting reading while T explored for Lepidoptera. On my return, she said she had a butter- fly in her handbag. It had settled on her frock, had been transferred to an envelope and thence to the bag. It was a Purple Emperor in excellent condition. This seems a much easier method than using a net on a 20 foot pole as described by South. But, of course, white nylon was not known to the Purple Emperors of South’s day. L. W. Si1ees (248) 6 A BEETLE PARASITE During a stay in Oban, Argyll- shire, from 30th May to 7th June 1954, Mr. W. J. B. Crotch (1181) _ NeEmAtoMorPHA, Hairworms). AES BULLETIN VOL. 13 evllected a number of beetles, some of which he kindly gave to me. Among them was a specimen of Phuos- phuga atrata Linn. (Silphidae) which presented a curious appearance. When killing it (with ‘‘Thawpit’’) Mr. Crotch had been much intrigued to see two long, th.n, contorted objects, resembling excreta, emerge from the anus and remain attached to it. They were, in fact, two worms which had been parasites within the _ beetle. Part of the bodies of each of them remained coiled within the abdo- men, as shown in the accompanying figure. Unfortunately it is not pos- sible to show the worms in relation to the internal organs, as these were unrecognizable by the time the beetle was examined. Phosphuga atrata infested by Parachordodes violaceus The worms were kindly identified by Mr. William G. Inglis of the British Museum (Natural History) as the Gordid, Parachordodes violaceus (Baird, 1853) (Phylum In cor- respondence, Mr. Inglis gave the fol- lowing information on the life-cycle, which he allows me to quote: “The adults live in fresh water, lay the eggs in the water, a larva develops and escapes from the egg and enters an insect. The larva... IS equipped with a proboscis provided with spines and, although the manner of entry into the host has never been observed, it is generally considered probable that the larva enters its insect host by boring through the body wall. It has. how- ever, been claimed by some workers ou other species that the host can be 115 infected by eating the larva or an encysted form of the larva. “The larva occupies the pseudocoel of its host and may develop. to maturity in several weeks, but may take months. The worm then works its way out of the host and goes back into the water and the life-cycle starts over again. “Tt is most probable that the insects become infected when adult and not during their larval stages, although, again, this is a possibility’’. Phosphuga atratu is a common beetle, usually found under the bark of logs, under stones, or among grass roots; it is believed to feed mainly on small molluses. Interested members may like to look up a paper written by Miss D. J. Jackson (1124) on Nematodes infest- ing water beetles (Ent. mon. Mag., 87: 265-8), which contains a number of useful references. (Gordiids re- semble Nematodes, but are now placed in a separate Phylum.) It is evident that knowledge of these insect-infesting worms is far from complete, and any observations of their occurrence and _ habits, with identification of the hosts, would be of value. Ki. Lewis (952). © NEW ZEALAND STICK INSECT IN DEVON I should like to suggest a possible means whereby the New Zealand Stick Insect (Bull. amat. Hnt. Soc., 12, 92-4) could have reached the Scilly Isles. It is quite possible that a single parthenogenetic female could start a whole colony of these insects, so that nwmbers do not really enter into the problem. Also, Stick Insects as a group are noted for their longevity, and are moderately cryptic in form. It would be quite easy, therefore, for an adult female to have been brought to the Scilly Isles with the New Zealand plants, and even for the Paignton colony to have been started in a similar manner by one of her offspring. As the members of both colonies would be nearly, or quite, all females. able to produce parthenogenetic female offspring, their numbers would increase as a geometrical pro- gression, especially in the absence of natural enemies. Available food and adverse weather conditions would therefore be the controlling factors. Prrer G. Taynor (719). 116 MICRO-LEPIDOPTERISTS GROUP | am proposing to form a Micro- lepidopterists’ Group, to enable those members of the AES who are in- terested in the ‘micros’ to keep in touch with one another, to help the beginner, and to encourage others to take up the study of these moths. Tt is intended to organise a “Circular Bulletin’’, though here a member with a little spare time and a typewriter could help a _ great deal. Would all members interested in joining this group please write to me, mentioning their special in- terests, if any; and, if possible, in- clude a contribution for the first Circular Bulletin ? D. Outevant (1514), Gen. Sec. e PRACTICAL HINTS — DECEMBER The year is drawing to a close, and little field work remains to be done as far as macro-lepidoptera are con- cerned. When the weather is dry, pupa- digging may be carried out to some advantage. Do not expect rapid re- sults or large numbers; as the winter months pass the number of pupae to be found diminishes, due to the work of mice, moles, birds, etc.; neverthe- less, if time is available and the weather favourable. pupa-hunting can add considerably to the collec- tion. Searching hedges by torchlight after dark will reveal a few moths such as Erannis aurantiaria Esp. (Searce Umber), Operophtera brumata Linn. (Winter Moth) and Eraunnis defoliaria Clerck (Mottled Umber). The females of these species, being wingless, re- quire keen eyes and some patience to locate them. Light will attract males of the above species, together with Poecilocampa populi Linn. (Decem- ber Moth). In some areas this latter species is very common, males com- ing to the lamp by the dozen. Mer- cury-Vapour lamps seem to attract females in fair numbers. During the winter months, when outdoor work is at a minimum, pre- pare for the coming season by mak- ing cages for larvae, beating trays, sweepnets, ete. (see AES Journal, Vol. 9. Practical Methods and Hints for Lepidopterists). Setting boards should be repapered where necessary. Fine sandpaper removes the old paper better than soaking in water, DECEMBER 1954 _ since this method is hable to warp the wooden base. Use only paste, NOT glue. for repapering. For those who prefer guide lines across their — boards to assist in getting the wings © of their captures at the same height, these may be carefully drawn with the aid of a set square of the type — used by carpenters. 2 A useful accessory which can easily be made is a pin holder. This is simply a sheet of cork about 12” x 6” glued to a piece of fairly heavy wood of the same size. On this arrange plenty of Lill pins, various sizes of © card braces on pins, and a supply of thin entomological pins for _ cross- pinning bodies, etc. With this in front of you when setting, it is a simple matter to select pins to hold the setting strips, a suitably-sized card brace for the body, ete. Then, as specimens are removed from the setting boards, the pins are replaced on to your sheet of cork ready for next time. Much better than having to select them from a tin. All storeboxes and cabinet drawers should be checked for mould and mites. Camphor eells filled with either naphthalene or paradichior- benzine (P.D.B.), will prevent at tack by pests, whilst mould is more difficult to prevent. Unless you can arrange for storage in a very, very dry room it can occur occasionally in the best of cabinets. Painting the affected specimen with glacial car- bolic acid melted by standing the bottle in hot water, or dissolved in surgical spirit. will check the trouble, but specimens thus treated always look poor. A piece of cottor wool twisted round the head of a pin may be dipped in the molten carbolie acid, allowed to cool for a few seconds, then placed in the corner or the storebox. This will prevent fur- ther attacts from mould. Carbolic acid crystals may be purchased from any chemist for a few coppers. Always take with you a small wide-— mouthed bottle when buying this chemical, because it absorbs water rapidly and will become rather messy in your pocket on the way home if carried in the small paper packets” which the chemist supplies! A fur-_ ther word of warning; avoid contact with the skin, by using tweezers to handle pins carrying the — soaked cotton wool. ; A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. R. V. Atprivcr (262). Printed by £: Buncle & Co. Lid: society, 1 West Ham Lane. Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologist’ London, E.15. 1954. ‘g | ARGENTINA | : : a oa FH. WALZ | i oe oe POSSESS SSSHESSE SESS SS SSS HOSS SSH FHSS SSS SS OSHS HOHOODOSEOOOOSOOOS eetereete cece sscccees 3 SSA SSE SPSL SSRI EOSSEPLOD ISS POL ETL | oe oe Sosssssessees SOSESESSSSSSSE HES SES OHSS SS HS HOOD ODO OHS SOPHO OH OOOOH 33 Eggs and Pupae of Butterflies and Moths. 3 33 Lepidoptera and all Orders of Insects in papers. 33 33 Pupae: Morpho catenarius argentinus .... 5s. each. 33 3 Morpho hercules diadema ....... sa 7s. each. ; 33 = Orders taken until December 15th. 33 3 Detailed Atlas of the Argentine Republic, 30s. post free. 33 3 : . Payable in Great Britain. 33 33 -All Material despatched by Air Mail. Apply to:— 3 Bea $3 pO ‘ oe r i Aires, A i 3 3 Reconquista 453, Buenos Aires, Argentina $3 ae = o ee 11545555555 SSHHHHHHHHHFHSSSSS4SSOSSSSSSSHFSSSSSSSSS5O0909SOO) oe emaceeeleteeee SO OSOS OHO ED SESS OSE SESE OHO OD OLOES ODED HOH ODD ODO D ODO EH OHO IES L OD OOD OOOOH OHO OOH O OD HO OHOOG “< i= : z 33 # The AES Prospectus i | ao as Pe oe A : Ea , will be sent to anyone interested 35 ED : . Apply to — } aes # Hon. Advertising Secretary, A.E.S. 33 Bsa yiaee a 10 Repton Road, Orpington, Kent 3 fel +0) 4 oe oe Z : - 1 e POPSET ISTO STATA TOSS SSeS LoS ee See 1 54555555oSooooooooooooooo oo SSSSSSSROHHOHHH}OHSHOSI : HSHSSSOS SSH SOS SHS SS SSH OSHS HSESHSSOO OOOH OSHS SES OOSOSOOLEOESOOHD HOOD SOSSSSSSSSSHSSHSFSSSHOS SSS SHS SOSOHOOSOOSD ’ ~ ~ ae = COLEOPTERIST’S HANDBOOK : # COLEOPTERIST’S HAND FE oe . ; ¢ ; : 4 = _ A symposium by various authors edited by 33 133 G. B. WALSH, B.Sc., M.R.S.T., and J. R. DIBB, F.R.ES. $3 | io 33 # The Handbook describes the tools and apparatus and methods of # -# collecting British beetles; their habitats, commensals and pre- S iE adult stages; how to record, photograph, make a personal collec- 3: |# tion and conduct a local survey. ees | 33 | Sake : oe reer a ss = 33 | a __ Twenty full-page Plates illustrative mainly of pre-adult stages # | 33 (including seven reproductions of rare engravings) and fifty line- % BS ‘drawings and diagrams. 112 pp. and index. = # 2 ~—__ Price Fifteen Shillings (postage 3d.) ged = ME ey brome bes * <4: | 5 re , Sg Te ony = # Amateur Entomologists’ Society + 1 West Ham Lane -_ ~-_ London, E.15 re / el ae } dh ee : - Ss bb5o555SSoSSSoSSSh SEES R555 E455 55E 55555 SEEEEESE ERSTE EOE TELE T TT. £35505O% ; oo ‘ ‘ Lobo baooaSaSRR Rann. | | = NSS 9-99 9$ 09 559-5 Obbb5 FOSS ESI OSS SISSSS PL SSSL ELSES ES DESSL ESP ELS SPORES ESSELTE SES OS f ~ 4 - a F y ‘ i i . 3 x. BRAN SESS SSSES SESE SEH SESH SE SHE SESE SESS ES ESO LE EEE EEE SE SEES EOE EES SEE EEEEEEEEEEEEED Peeeesessoeeseoes: 4 Sa OOHRS SHEE EEE E ELLE HELE LEE E EEE E ESOL EOE EE SEL ELE LOLOL EL OL EEL ELE LE FOL ESE STOOL EOE SESE TOES EEESEOCEEet oe . +44 *¢ yk Glossary for the Young Lepidopterist - 6d # . :? Label List of British Macro-Lepidoptera - Is Od # 3 Check List of British Macro-Lepidoptera Spurn = = AES Leaflets == Sop hg aan = No 1. Collecting Coleoptera © Saas 3d : : 3 aif Rearing Silkworms Vaaay bgoes me “da 4. Collecting Sawflies ms i ee. ee 33 5. Collecting Flies (Diptera) = 22228760 6. Collecting Beetles associated with Stored : oe 33 ereye Food Products aa! ee ae Is 6d 3 33 | 7. Some Improved Devices for Rearing _ : 3 Hymenoptera hes x. a2 - 6d 3 33 =. 8: Collecting: Ants ce. 2. ee é : 33 - 11. Collecting Mosquitoes ... ... BES 2s 12. Collecting Dragonflies ... ... om 33 15. Collecting Heteroptera ... : 33 16. Making a Sweepnet __..... a ne 3 18. Collecting Clearwings ... We: 33 20. Preserving Caterpillars _ at Dr borane FW 33 21. Collecting Psocoptera ... ... we hes 22. Collecting Lacewings ... = ae Is = 23. Collecting Centipedes and Muillipedes ... e | 33 . 24. Entomology of Bird Pellets ... cate an LS s 25. Collecting Bumble Bees... ... ... Qs : 33 26. Collecting Collembola ... © .. =: Is 0d # > as. - a - 33 When 12 different leaflets are ordered a deduction of 10% from. ; 3: the total cost is allowed. oe > a ay i 4 4 All these publications are obtainable from the Honor . ‘Pub- # 33 lications Secretary, C. BIGNELL PRATT, 1 WEST HAM = . x = + 3; order and sufficient to cover postage must be included. Pos rage a 3: on one leaflet is 14, on one volume 2d. 2 — ~ 4 SOESSSESSSSSSS SSS SSS SSE SESE SES SESE SESE ESE SES SEES ESSE SESE EEE SEE EE SEE ES EEEEFESEESEOEDEEEEE SHSSSSSSSSSSSSSESHE SSS SS SHES SESE SS EE SES OS ESSE SESE SEES ESOL EEE EEE EESEEE EEE EEE SCEEOEEEOOE® od dl THE BULLETIN OF THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY VOLUME 14 (1955) Edited by B. R. STALLWOOD The Amateur Entomologists’ Society 1 West Ham Lane, London, E15 li AES BULLETIN, Vol. 14 Compiled by A. BLACKBURN (1715 CONTRIBUTORS Showler, J. A., 8 Sige, Re Cr 5. Aamo eee 0 Aldridge, R. V., 7, 8, 15, 23, 32, 41, 46, 54, 68, Siggs, L. W., 60 79 Smart. Py 708 Allan, P. B. M., 100 Spoczynska. Mrs. J. O. L., 25, 26 Beaufoy, L. S., 83 Benson, R. H., 8 Betchley, R., 83 Bilbie, W., 34 Blackwell, B. W., 33 Booker, W. G. C., 36 Brown, F. C., 64, 85, 99 Browne, F. Balfour, 41 Byerley, (Bean dei 2998 Chinery, J. M., 98 Churchidey PI. 34 Claridge, M. F., 10: 51 Cowling, P.. 88 Crotch, We. Je Bey 2. 70 Cruttwell, G. H. W.., 36 Dannreuther, Capt. T., 56 Drane;,, Re, 92 Eliot, Lt.-Col. N., 54 sitesi oe (OL ahs ates He aS ve: Gardiner, BS OO: GC: 7 80 George, B. W. Y., 81 George, R. S8., 63, 66 Haslam, J., 92 Heppell, D. H., 47 Hilliard, R. D., 2, 97 Hopkins, Barbara A., 27 Hull, M., 92 Huxtable, A., 8&7 Jenner, G. E., 36 Johnson, J. H., 23, 26, ; Kaya eve Ss dbs oie 0 Lewis, A. -D., 92 Lewis, E., 6, 35 Lewis, H: S: 18 Longfield, Cynthia, 76 Lorimer, R. I., 44 Lyon, F. H., 100 Maggs, P., 26 Masurier, P. C. le, 9, 78. 100 McClenaghan, I., 88 Messerry-Whiting, G., 88, 89 Miles, P. M., 57 Wott; J. C2, 2754352 67 Ollevant, D., 40, 45, 53 Pennington, T. H., 40, 66, 95 Ranger; J..A., 8, 24 Rorke, D. W., 84 Russell, W. E.; 72 RALLY s ed oe Scott, R., 23 Shapley, D.. 18 Shaw, H. K. Airy. 38, 39 Sheppard, P. M., 84 Stallwoed, B. R., 59, 75 stradling, D J., 38 Taylor DPN Ge soya noo 20 norpe. 42 Ge 99 Townsend. A. L. H., 80 Uffiens Re Ws Besar Underwood. R., 58, 86 Waddington. L. G. F.. 16 Warnecke, M. G., 9 West, D.. 92 Woodford, Tf." AW se Si SUBJECTS Aberrations, Incidence of, 25 Aberration of Lithomoia solidaginis, An, 27 Adviser on Statistics. 40 Aglais urticde, A Variety of, 8 Annual Exhibition, 1954, Report of the, 1 Annual Exhibition, 1955, Report of the, 95 Annual General Meeting, 453 Ant Gynandromorphs, 88 Appeal for Team Work, An, 47 Assembling of Eupsilia transversa in De- cember. 18 3eetles at Light, 35 Beetles, Rearing Grain—to colmbat Mould, 84 Beetles, Silver Water at Light. 41 Box Hill, 88 Butterflies in East Anglia, 1955, 75, 87 Butterflies in Essex, 1955, 91 Butterfly Migration, 9 Cardiff area, Lepidoptera in the. 92 Carrying Box for Insects, A. 92 Coalmine, Insects in a, 35 Cocoons, Pale Tussock, 34 Coleoptera in Perthshire, 97 Collecting-boxes. Some Practical Sugges- tions for, 99 | Collecting Ephemeroptera. 93 | Collecting Fleas, 61 | Collecting by Light in 1881, 40 Colour Change in Privet Hawk Larvae, 58, 84 | Contributions to the Bulletin, 59 | Cote dAzur, July on the. 16 Council Report for 1954, 45 Dayflies or Mayflies, 93 Defence by Startling, 70 Device for Feeding Captive Butterflies. A. 32 Digging for Pupae of Dilina tiliae, 8&7 Prepana binaria in Yorkshire, 5i penencsertne- AES BULLETIN, Vol 14 ST East Anglia, Butterflies in. 75, 87 Elephant Hawk Larvae. Observations of. 83, 99 : Entomological Notes from Wester Ross. 26 Entomological Photography. 86 Entomological Quiz. An, 26 Experiments: A Caution and a Suggestion. 39 Essex, Butterflies in. 91 Essex, Marbled White in, 23 Field Course in Entomology, A, 98 Fleas, 614 Freshwater Ecology at Malham Tarn, 65 Food Plants: The Study of caused by different. 35 Gordiids, 37-8, 66 Glen Lyon. Perthshire. LO. 07 Addendum, 100 Habits and Behaviour Bird and Convolvulus Comments on. 54 Hairworms, 66 Hawkmoths, 35, 54, 83. 89 Hoverflies and Wasps, 7 Hunting-Wasps in Germany, 82 Hymenoptera, An Innocent among the, 46 Investigator investigated. Another. 78 Variation Lepidoptera found of the Humming Hawk-moths, Junior Members, Calling all, 85, 98 Junior Members’ Number, The, 1955, 63 Larvae of Rothschildia jacobaea. ONserva- tions of the, 80 Larval Food-plants, 100 Laurance, A. J., 27, 67 Leaf-Owl Moths, The, 69 Lepidoptera found in Glen Tyon, Perth- shire, July, 1955, 77 Lepidoptera found in Glen Lyon, shire, Addendum, 100 Lepidoptera in the Cardiff Area, 1955, 92 Letters to the Editor, 8. 18. 36, 44. 47. 59, 67, 74, 84 Light on the Stoep—and on the Subject, 64 Light, Silver Water Beetles at. 41 Light Traps, Gn the Misuse of, 59 Light Traps, M.V., 55, ‘74 Light Trap Captures. notes on recording, 34 Perth- ? Lime Hawk Moth, Alternative Foodplants Mie oo Long-horned Grasshopper. Some observa- tions of a foreign, 85 Marbled White in Essex, 23 Mayflies or Dayflies, 93 Message from the President. A. 9 Migration, 9, 54 Mould, Rearing Grain Beetles—to combat. &% Neovandalism, The, 17; A Reply, 44 Nomenclature Again, 8, 72 Observations, 58, 91 Obituary, Mr. A. J. Laurance, 27 Orange Underwings, Catching. 18 “Other Orders” at Light, 2 Paired Feeding of Lepidopterous Larvae, 10 Pale Clouded Yellow in Wiltshire, 92 Pale Tussock Cocoons. 34 Parasites, Some Beetle (and other), 37 Perthshire, Coleoptera in. 97 Photograph, Insects, How to, 81 Photography, Entomological. 86 Practical Hints :— January, 6 February. 1o March, 22 April, 31 May, 40 June, 45 Ah, ah: August. 63 September, 74 Pupae, Some Problems on, 15 Purple Emperor, The—and the Attraction of White Cloth, 67 Recording Light-trap captures, 34 References—and the Amateur, 59 Report of the Annual Exhibition, 1954, 1 Report of the Annual Exhibition, 1955, 95 Retrospect on 1954, 25 Reviews :— Ford, E. B., Moths, 51 Freidlander, C. P.. Priest, D. A., Insects and Spiders, 44 Gresham’s School, 32nd Report of School Natural History Society, 75 Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects :— Emden, F. J. van, Diptera: Cyclor- rhapha, Calyptrata, Tachinidae and Calliphoridae, 44 Tottenham, Cer Coleoptera : Staphylinidae (Part 1), 24 Lancaster Royal Grammar School, The New Biologian, 75 London Naturalist, The, 67 Morley, D. W., Evolution of an Insect Society 68 Needham, J. G., Westfall, Jnr., M. J., Manual of the Dragonflies of North America, 75 Savory, T. H., The World of Small Animals, 60 Worms, C. G. M. de, The Moths of Lon- don and its Surroundings, 2 Saturnia pavonia, Predator on, 18. 41 Unknown enemy of, 18 Sawfly, Abia candens, rearing the, 71 School Natural History Societies, 75 Servillia ursina in the Lake District, 58 Setting Board for the Larger Hymenoptera, iN. GB: Silver Water Beetles at Light, 41 Small Tortoiseshell in December, The. 36 Somerset, Lepidopterist in, 89 Study of the Insects living on the Way- faring Tree, A, 3, 11, 19, 28, 43, 47 Study of Variation caused hy Different Food-plants, The, 35 Sugar-Trapping, Successful, 57 Telenomus—Another Breeding Record for, 9 Telenomus—A Correction, 51 Toadflax Brocade, The, 8, 36 Unusual Experience, An, 88 Wester Ross, Entomological Notes from. 26 Observations on lv Variety of Nymphalis io, A, 92 Volucella zonaria in Surrey and Middlesex, 24, 59 Wayfaring Tree, The, 3, 11, 19, 28, 43, 47 Wiltshire, Pale Clouded Yellow in, 92 Wormwood Shark Moths, The, 84 Yorkshire, Drepana binaria in, 51° INDEX OF NAMES NEMATOMORPHA Gordiidae, 37 Parachordodes pustulosus, 66 violaceus, 38 NEMATODA Mermis nigrescens, 37, 38, 66 ARACHNIDA Aranea cucurbitina, 12, 50 Eriophyes viburni, 19. 50 Lycosa sp., 50 Misumena calycina, 12, 50 Theridion pallens, 13. 50 Nysticus viaticus, 12. 50 INSECTA ORTHOPTERA Blalla orientalis, 60 Decticus verrucivorus, 38 Hurycantha horrida, 1 Leptophyes punctatissima, 43 Mastophyllum scabricolle, 86 Meconema thalassinum, 43 Orxines macklotti, 1 Schistocera gregaria, 1 DERMAPTERA Forficula auricularia, 30, 38, 43 PLECOPTERA Nemoura sp., 6 Perca sp... 65 EPHEMEROPTERA Caenis robusta, 95 Cloéon dipterum, 93 Ecdyonurus sp., 66 dispar, 94 torrentis, 94 VENOSUS, YA Ephemera, 66, 93 Ephemerella, 66, 93 Heptagenia, 66 Rithrogena haarupi, 94 ODONATA Aeshna cyanea, 90 Agrion virgo, 90 Cordulegaster boltonii, 90 Libelluta quadrimaculata, 73 THYSANOPTERA Taeniothrips inconsequens, 80 AES BULLETIN, Vol. 14 HEMIPTERA Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale. Anthocoris nemorum, 11, 43 Aphis lantanae, 4, 13, 47 Aphrophora spumaria, 14, 47 Apolygus pratensis, 43 Calocoris norvegicus, 43 Cercopis vulnerata, 14, 47 Centrotus cornutus, 14, 47 Ceruraphis eriophori. 3, 4. 11, Chermidae, 47 Cixius nervosus, 14, 47 Corixa striata, 66 Deraeocoris ruber, 12. 43 Jassidae, 47 Alicronecta poweri, 66 Palomena prasina, 43 Philaenus lewcophthalmus. 14 Phylus coryli, 43 Trichochermes walkeri. 14 Troilus luridus, 12, 22 Velia currens. 66 & a) —1 ~~ NEUROPTERA Chrysopa carnea, 11, A7 MECOPTERA Panorpa communis, 30, 47 TRICHOPTERA Agrypnetes crassicornis, 66 Tinodes waeneri, 66 LEPIDOPTERA Abraxas grossulariata, 26, -27 sylvata, 46 Abrostola tripartita, 78. 79 Acasis viretata, 63 Achlya flaviccernis, 23 Actias selene, 97 Aethalura punctulata, 41 Agapetes galathea, 23, 87, 89 Aglais urticae, 27, 36, 75, 87, 89, 91 Agrochola macilenta, 57 Agrotis exrclamationis, 26, 57 ab. lineolatus, 26 ségetum, 33 Amathes baja, 78 c-nigrum, 25, 57 triangulum, 78 Anchoscelis litura, 34 Angerona prunaria, 51 Apamea furva, 78 lithoxylea, 33 Apatele alni, 25 menyanthidis, 7 Tumicis, 27. 44 Apatura iris, 46, 47 Aphantopus hyperantus, 75. 87, 89. 91, 92 Apocheima hispidaria, 15 Arctia caja, 33, 36 Arenostola brevilinea, 78 elymi, 78 Arqynnis aglaja,. 78, 89 cydippe, 89 euphrosyne, 59 ; niobe, 90 AES BULLETIN, Vol. 14 Vv paphia, 75, 87. 89, 91 Ecliptoptera silaceata, 90 selene. 78 Ectropis crepuscularia, 23 Aricia agestes, 45 bistortata, 23 artaxerxes, 77 Electrophaes corylata, A141 Atethmia centrago, 41, 75 Ellopia prosapiaria, 31 Afolmis rubricollis, 53 Entephria caesiata, 78 Automeris aurantiaca, 69 Epiphora atbarina subsp. sudanica, 2 coresus, 69 Epirrhoé alternata, 27, 33 illustris, 69 tristata, 78 10, 69 Krannis leucophaearia, 15, 22 janus, 70 progemmaria, 22 memusae. 69 Erebia epiphron, 77 Axylia putris, 57 Erynnis tages, At Bena prasinana, 23 Euchloé cardamines, 87 Biston betularia, 34, 54 Eulype hastata, 27, 59 strataria, 22 Eumenis semele, 75. 90, 92 Boarmia punctinalis, 46 kumichitis adusta, 27, 78 | Bombycia viminalis, 31 Rupithecia nanata, 27 | Bombyx mori, 2 Euplagia quadripunctata, 51 | Brephos parthenias, 18 Euphydryas aurinia, 41, 46 Calophasia lunula, 8, 36. 74 Luplexia lucipara, 2, 46, 57 Callophrys rubi, 87 Euproctis chrysorrhoea, 19, 33 Campaea margaritata, 63. 74 Eupsilia transversa, 18, 57 Catocala fraxini, 52, 60 Evurrhypara hortulata, 99 Celastrina argiolus, 41, 45, 87. 91 Cerapteryx araminis, 27, 89 Cerastis rubricosa, 31 Cerura fureula, 41 hermelina, 75 vinula, 27 Charaxes jasius, 56 Chiasmia clathrata, 54 Cirrhia fulvago, 32 Cleora lichenaria, 41, 78 repandata, 51 Coenonympha pamphilus, 27, 78. 89 tullia, 27, 46, 77 Coenotephria derivata, 31 Coleophora ahenella, 21, 46 Colias croceus, 54, 63, 90 hyale, 36, 92 Colocasia coryli, 31, 41, '74 Colostygia didymata, 27 salicata, 78, 90 Comacla senex, 53 Conistra ligula, 57 vaccinii, 57 Cucullia absinihii, 84 Tnophos obscurata, 51 Conepterya cleopatra, 16 rhamni, 87, 92 Gonodontis bidentata, 24 Gracillaria springella, 96 Graphiphora augur, 78 Graptolitha ornitopus, 23, 57 Griposia aprilina, TA Gypsitea leucographa, 2 Habrosyne derasa, 46 Hadena thalassina, 91 trifolii, 33 Harpyia hermelina, 53 Heliophobus saponaride, 33 Tlemaris fuciformis, 55 Hepialus humutli, 33, 98 Herse convolvuli, 56 Tlesperia comma, 63, 98 Hypena proboscidalis, 46 rostralis, 53 Horisme tersata, 53 Hylesia nigricans, 10 Hyloicus pinastri, 17, 25, 98 artemisiae, 8h Tphiclides podatirius, 55. 96 umbratica. 78 Lampra fimbriata, 25 Cupide minimus, 45 Laothoe populi, 25, 338, 51, 96 : Cryphia muralis, 92 Lasiocampa quercus var. callunae, 27, 46 perla, 90 Leptidea sinapis, 44 Leucania albipunctata, 74 impura, 33 lithargyria, 33. 57. TA pallens, 33 Limenitis camilla, 98 Lithocolletis lantanella, 20. 48 Lithomoia solidaginis, 27 ab. cinerascens, 27 ab. rangnowi, 27 Lithophane socia, 57 Lophopteryx cucullina, 53, 63 Lucania pallens, 90 Lycaena phlaeas, 89, 9t Lycia hirtaria, 23 Lygris prunata. 89 Danaus plexippus, 56 Dasychira pudibunda, 34, 41 Deilephila elpenor, 25, 33, 83. 98. 99. 100 Diarsia rubi, 57 Diataraxia oleracea, 46, 57 Dilina tiliae, 17, 35, 87 Dira megera, 96 Drepana binaria, 46, 51 falcataria, 46 Dryobota protea, 74 Drymonia dodonaea, 23, 5 ruficornis, 25, 41 Dysstroma atrata, 34 Earophila badiata, 22 vi Lysanadra bellargus, 45 coridon— 25, 45, 92 Macroglossum § stellatarum, 54. 56 Maniola ida, 56 jurtind, 52, 75, 87, 89, 91 tithonus, 75, 89, 91 Melanthia procellata, 53 Meristes trigrammica. 46 var. semifuscans. 46 Mimas tiliae, 46, 96 Minoa murinata, 41 Mormo maura, 57 Nonagria geminipuncta. 79 Notarcha ruralis, 33 Notodonta dromedarius, 54 Nudaria mundana, 3 Nymphatlis io, 87, 89, 91, 92 polychtloros, 96 ranthomelas, 96 Ochlodes venata, 75, 89, 92 Ochropleura plecta, 57 Odezia atrata, 78, 90 Operophtera brumata, 6 Opisthograptis luteolata, 99 Orgyia antiqua, 63 Orthosia gothica, 25, 33 Panazxia dominula, 52 Panolis flammea, 31 Papilio machaon, 87 podalirvius, 55, 96 Pararge aegeria, 47, 75. 92 megera, 91, 92 Parasemia plantaginis, 51 Pelurga comitata, 33 Perizoma albulata, 52 affiniata, 89 blandiata, 78 Peronea schallerianda, 20. 23. 30. 48 Phalera bucephala. 46 Pheosia gnoma, 63 Phigalia. pelosaria, 15, 23 Philudora potatoria, 89 Phytometra viridaria, 90 Pieris brassicae, 56, 75, 77, 87. 89. 92 napt, 27, 441, 77, 89, 92 TAPAe, Ws, 1, 81,89. 92 Plagodis dolabraria, 31 Platyptilia gonodactyla, 33. 34. 79 Plebejus argus, 45, 46, 98 Plusia chrysilis. 33, 78. 90 gamma, 33. 90 iota, 54 pulchrina, 54, 78 V-aUureum, 33 Poecilocampa populi, 57 Poecilopsis lapponaria, 27 Polia nebulosa, 31 tincta, 31 Polychrisia moneta, 27 Polygonia c-album, 89, 91 Polyommatus icarus, 45. 78. 90, 92 Polyploca ridens, Ai Pontia daplidice, 36 Procus strigilis, 57 Pseudoips bicolorana, 63 Pseudopanthera macularia, 44. 59 Psodos coracina, 7&, 100 AES BULLETIN, Vol. Plilophora plumigera, 3 Rothschildia arethusa, 2 jacobede, 2. Saturnia pavonia, 9, 18. 27, 41. 52 Satyrus ciree, 56 Scopula ornata, 41 Selenia bilunaria, 22, 90 Smerinthus ocellatus, 25, 3: Sphing ligastri, 25. 58 Spilosoma lubricipeda, 33 lutea, 10 Sfauropus fagi, dt Sferrha aversata, 33. 51 Stilbia anomala, 63 Strymon pruni, 53 w-album, 87. 92 Thecla querceus, 53, 89 Thera firmata, 31 Theria rupricapraria, 6. 15 Tholera popularis, 33 Thyatira batis, 46 Thymelicus sylvestris, 89, 92 Tiliacea aurago, TA Triphaena janthina, 25 pronwba, 25. 57 Vanessa atalanta, 46, 54, 87, 89, 91 cardui, 90, 91 NXanthornoé ferrugata, 33. 51 munitata. 78 Nylena exoleta, 57 vetusta, 57 A\ylophasta lithoxrylea, 57 monoglypha, 57 w COLEOPTERA Abazx ater, 97 Adalia. bipunetata, 5, 48 decempunctata, 5, 48 Adelocera murina, 48 Agabus bipustulatus. 97 Agriotes acuminatus, 28. 48 Amara apricaria, 35 consularis, 35 Amphimalton solstitialis. Anaspis frontalis, 28, 29 rufrilabris, 28, 29. 48 Anlis ocellata, 98 Anthonomus raubi, 49 Aphodius rufescens, 35 rufipes, 35, 98 Aphthona cuphorbiae, 49 Apion dichrowum, 49 Athous haemorrhoidatlis. 48 hirtus, 97 Balanobius pyrrhoceras, 28. 49 Blaps lethifera, 38 Blatta orientalis, 60 Bradycellus verbasci, 35 Byturus lomentosus, 28, 29. 48 Calathus fuscipes, 38 melanocephalus, 97 Calvia s4-gquttata, 5, 48 Cantharis nigricans, 28. 48 rustica, 48 Carabus catenulatus, 97 violaceus, 38, 97 Ceratophyus typhoeus, 44 ae) it 14 AES BULLETIN, Vol. 14 Cetonia cupred, 98 Ceuthorrhynchus sp.. 40 Chaetocnema concinid, 49 Chrysolina staphylea, 97 Clytus arietis, 48 Coccinella septempunctuta, 9, 48 Corticarina gibbosa, 28, 29, 30, 48 Corymbites cupreus, 97 Cryptocephalus pusillus, 48 bipunctatus, 48 Cryplophaugus acutangulus, 48 Curculio nucum, 49 Cychrus rostratus, 97 Dascillus cervinus, 48, 87 Denticollis linearis, 48 Dytiscus margindlis, 3& Epuraed deleta, 48 melina, 48 Exochomus quadripustiulatus, 5, 48 Feronia madidda, 37 Galerucella viburni, 12. 21, 48 Geotrupes slercorosus, 97 Gonodera luperus, 48 Harpalus zigzag, 35 Hydrochara caraboides, 41 IHydrophilus piceus, 41 Tsomira murina, 48 Leiodes calcarata, 35 Lochmaea crataegi, 49 Longitarsus luridus, 49 Luperus longicornis, 97 Macroplea appendiculata, 66 Matlthodes minimus, 48 Melundrya caraboides, 97 Melanotus rufipes, 35, 97 Meligethes aeneus, 48 atratus, 48 erylhropus, 48 flavimanus, 48 nigrescens, 48 viridescens, 48 Melolontha melolonthd, 28. 33, 48 Metacantharis clypeata, 48 Notiophilus biguttatus, 97 Olibrus corlicalis, 30, 48 Oncomerau femorata, 98 Otiorhynchus sulcalus, 35 Oxytelus telracarinatus, 48 Phosphuga atrata, 38 Phyllobius glaucus, 97 Eyrt, 49 virideaeris, 49 Phyllopertha horticola, 48 Plateumaris sericea, 97 Polydrosus ceivinius, 28, 49 Prionocyphon sp., 35 Prionus coriarius, 96 Pseudophonus pubescens, 97 Psyllobora 22-punctata, 5, 28, 48 Pterostichus madidus, 97 Khagonycha fulva, 35, 48 lignosd, 48, 97 lutea, 48 translucidu, 35 Kihynchaenus fagi, 49 Risophilus atracapillus, 12, 22. 48 Sinodendron cylindricum, 97 Sitona flarvescens, 35 vil Sitophilus (Calandra) granarcus, 84 Thanasimus formicartus, 6 rufipes, 6 Trechus quadristriatus, 97 Trichius fasciatus, 98 Typhdaeus typhoeus, 41 HYMENOPTERA Abia cundens, 7 sericea, 72 Ammophila sp., 82 Andrena flavipes, 30 haemorrvhoad, d0 iLO Apanteles circumscriptus, 20, 49 Bombus pomorum, 29 Clytochrysus cavifrons, 7 Diprion pint, 98 Dolerus sp., 49 Formica fused, 14, 49 rufa, 68 Horogenes sp. Tchneumon suspictosus. 46 Lausius niger, 14, 49 Microgaster sp., 49 Mutilla europaed, 6, 36 Myrmica ruginodis, 14, 49 scabrinodis, 88 Phaenocurpa ruficeps, 49 Praon sp., 49 Telenomus, 9, d1 Tenthredo temula, 49 Tenthredopsis litterata. 49 Triclistus globulipes, 49 Trypoxylon clavicerum, 31. lrocerus gigds, 1. 33 Vespa crabro, 39 Vespula germanica, 29 vulgaris, 29, 49 DIPTERA Asilus crabroniformis, 98 Bibio sp., 50 laniger, 29 Chrysotoxum festivum, 7 Empts ltivida, 50 lessellata, 50 LKristalis tenax, 7 Lucilia sp., 50 Phtyctidobia solmsi, 19, 30 Surcophagad sp., 50 Servillia ursind, 58 Syrphidae, 50 Volucetla zonaria, 24, 38, 39, 59 SIPHONAPTERA Ceratophyllus gallinae, 61 4h ) 9 hirundinis, 61, 62 Styx, 61 MOLLUSCA GASTEROPODA Helicella heripensis, 50 caperata, dv Vill Helix uspersu. 50 Trichia hispida, 50 CRUSTACEA TISOPODA Armadillidium vulgare, 30 Porcellio scaber, 30 PLANTS PHANEROGAMS Arteniisia vulgaris. 84 Cirsium vulgare, 91 Clematis vitalba, 53 Convallaria majalis, 10 Dipsacus fullonum, 91 Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomolog sts Society, 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. 1955. : AES BULLETIN, Vol. 14 Epilobium anugustifolium, 84, 100 hirsulum, 100 montanum, 100 palustre, 100 parvifiorum, 100 Empeltrum nigrum, 100 Impatiens bvbifiord, 83 Myrica gale, 27 Rhamnus catharticus, 14 Succisa pratensis, 71 Viburnum lantana, 3. 12 opulus, 3 FUNGI Cordyceps entomorrhizad, 37 Hirsutella ecleutheratorum, 37 ™~ VOL. 14 - No. 169 1955 _— MARY - - 2 ‘ i & THE BULLETIN ae OF , THE AMATEUR -ENTOMOLOGISTS? SOCIETY ; Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. iation World List abbrev EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD i FY vd, ° SHOSSS OH OOOE LOPES ESSE PPPOPP PS LL IS PEPSI PPO OPI PPE PILOT OL OPO IPO PD rn | $999090990000000 000000 00S OOOO SOC OC SCOOT TT SS SOOT IST SO SSS SSSI ISS OI SSS SSO TS eee tet e tee vy oe 33. Spend Your Christmas Book Tokens on The oe és ote oe S 33 erles aa Are. Saar fe Entomological Bookseller oe $2 For many years this famous series of Brat ae 9 d ie ‘ 33 $3 authentic publications has proved in- A os Be ¢3 Valuable and has been used for field Publisher 3. s¢study and home reference by all ; a Bsa $$ amateur and student naturalists. eT s gg ame lists. | 22 HARLINGTON ROAD EAST 3. ¢¢ In these volumes the text is clear and ; , f 33 concise, and the illustrations, in colour Feltham - 7 * 33 and black-and-white, are _ faithful $3 portraits of the common things of the gg woodland and field path. Each volume sis bound in cloth, gilt, with round $g corners, size 6g by 4% inches, and the $3 prices range from 10s. 6d. net to 390s. ggnet. A fully-illustrated list describing $$ all Warne’s Natural History books and ¢¢ Others on allied subjects, will be sent] $2 post-free on request. Obtainable from FREDERICK WARNE & Co. Ltd. 1 BEDFORD COURT, LONDON, W.C.2. any Bookseller Lod ee -:ho$oSoSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSeSeSeeseseseTeeeSeSetetetseseseeseesehesehheoesheeheseheseeees of a LS SHSHS SS SOS SOSH SESH OSES OOOO DSH OOO DODO DOD ODE EO OE GOO O EDO DOESO DODO DI ODODE OOD U DOVES SUDO VOODUOHGEOOOCDi +> 2° 2 AES NOTICE WHERE TO WRITE Membership applications, offers of help to: D. OLLEVANT, 3? Salcombe Drive, Morden, Surrey. Advertisers” to: A. We Road, Orpington, SIGGS, Kent. {0 Repton Changes of address and non-arrival of . Bulletins to: B. L. J. BYERLEY, 48 Elm- grove Road, Harrow, Middlesex. Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit. etc., to: K. H. BOBE, 1/9 Hengist Road, London, S:E Ha Manuscripts, drawings and books for TEVIEW 2t0;, “Ba Re STALL WOOD? ed 9 Southfield Gardens, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, Middx. Subscriptions (19/- per annum, 6/- for Juniors) to: R. W. WATSON, {5 Hal- stead Road, Bitterne, Southampton. Youth matters to: S. M. 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Classey FRESS - : oo 4.4.464646646606060O606006066606b6065bObbbbbbbbbbobbdbbbdbbbbbbbbbbbbbobbbbb bb bbb bbb bb bb bobbboeo0Ob01 SOSSSSSSSS SS SHH SHS S HDI SHOPPED ODOE SHO DEE HEH OHSS SESE VLE DOO ODED OE OL OSGOOD SOLO DE LOSES HODES EDEDE DESO EEOOEK OSD = ‘Members can help the Society in 33 (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) POSSESSES SESESER ESO EEES EOE SEEEOEESEESOSESEOOEES ESE SEOOR OSES OO EEESESSOESSESESEOEESSEESOSESESEOOOSOD SOSSHSHSHSHSS SSH SSH POOLS HSE SO SHES SOLED OOO ODEO EOL OH OES O LOLS E SOS ESL ELE SES EOE SESS ODO SESS SS OSEES OS EOOOOOSD 5 ‘ * By buying AES publications $3 ‘By taking just that extra bit 3 a r volt a * Oe Middlesex - # ENGLAND CATALOGUES © | FREE ON REQUEST Ss -~ an e. tf several ways:— : By dealing with advertisers $3 and- mentioning the Bulletin. 33 By bringing in new members. 3 (Subscription, 12/- per annum. $3 Juniors, 6/- per annum.) $3 and suggesting Public Libraries 33 should buy them. oe ros oe f : oe $3 . i meet Reduced Prices 33 Oe : : oe oe ‘oe oe oe 22 ; oe 3 Label List of British Macro-Lepidoptera - - now Is 33 oe : os ee ee oe . o¢ 33 Check. 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POSSESSED OSSD EOSE OES SOSEOOOOOESS o Sd 4 Well illustrated by Sty ee aed plain siuaee and | text ea ys figures. % = = Deals with all Orders of British Insects and with all 2 33 subjects of importance to the Entomologist. ; a nq . * , : oe > a. ee Se es 3 Subscription 20/- per year. # Edited by E. W. Classey, F.R.E.S., with the assistance # 33 of a panel of well-known entomologists. Sm | REE SAMPLE COPY will be sent on ipphenon to:— - 3 ENTOMOLOGIST’S GAZETTE 33 22 HARLINGTON ROAD EAST, FELTHAM 33 | 3 MIDDLESEX EESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTSS SES SST STS S TESTS TTT TS oooen SHESHSESSHSS OSES ESOS ESE OOOH ESOL ESOL ODEO OOO SOOO OOD OD LOLOL OLED OSES OOOEOOOL OLE DOLELOUGOOOOOOOEe No. 170 EUARY - - THE BULLETIN LAL A po f, SPALIGDLA MAD LIL ALA dp fig ffl t tts LAA 5h hanya ZZ ME EE a a a a Ie a a La A a a a a Cif mpi mans aig xpl ofl asp aplapemffh. Y/ 4 LILA Lhd df J MT OF AB LE? YE LD TP A ED TES LE Pe OF THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY World List abbreviation : Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. ——— Yyj— , } EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD ge -“— =f = 3 ) POMS SESE HESS MOSSES OSES SSOP ES ESOS OE FEESOSOSES HOSE SO HOE SEE OS OS IO OOSS ESOS OSE SESOSOS ESOS OOO SES OS OOOO OOO” POSSESS OEE ESO OEE SS SEECES OOOO POOSOESS OOS ESSE SOE SOS OSES SSE SO OSOSPESOSH OSES ESOS OSOEHOOEOOOOSOOOOSOOS . " ; # BRITISH PYRALID 3: and PLUME MOTHS | 3 By BRYAN P. BEIRNE, IE. W. Classey F. R. E. $4 33 M.AG;. MI. Sc-. SPR sears es $3 FRES. FLS. FZS. bere Entomological Bookseller re With 405 figures, of which 216 are and ; mast 33 drawings in full colour by Publisher — sé = . 33S. N. A. JACOBS, F.R.E-S. ee 3 22 HARLINGTON ROAD EAST | # 23 2is. net. 3 3 ep te" . ev oa ake Feltham. - 38 e+ The aims of this book are, primarily. ie S *$ to indicate aspects of the biology of ete $$ the British species of the Super-. 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Ltd.| — | ——. oe § Z re =. > ° 33 1 BEDFORD COURT, LONDON, W.C. 2 <— oro 3 “x E. . oe S , fissssczstezssuzstezsseaseenssnassezssensseasseasseazssazssazstaastaaseaasenasenassteaeaaeaaetatt r FOSSHSSS SSE SH SSS SOSH O SSS SOSOSOS SSE E DOSED EDESOESESE OSH ESEODOGESESOESESOESESEOEDSEODEEEEEDUESEOOEEFESSESEOOD : 5 7 = 3 : : 7 “5 - o = _- oe SOSSSS HESS OOOO OSS OE SHOES ESSE ODEO DOSE OOOO SHOES OSES O SESS HO SESE SEDO S OS EOEEE SESE SO OEOSESEOES SESE SHOOSES EOS SOPOFSSSHSSOS SSO SHS SSS HOHE SOHO SOSOOSOSS POSE EESOEOEESOSEODOOVEOODOOOD SHHOSOHSH SPEDE SOOO OSODIE DOOD 040004008 = AES NOTICE ‘BACK ‘NUMBERS - 33 WHERE TO WRITE | eS = oe : ’ » Be 33 Membership applications, offers of help a E Ss. BULLETIN 3 $3 to: D. OLLEVANT, 3 Salcombe Drive, i 3 oe Morden, Su Tea, J $3 : 1s. 3d. a copy 4 $$ Advertisers to: L. W. S!GGs, /0 Repton are available from :— 5% Road, Orpington, Kent. ¢ le 33 OY tease B. L. J. 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From 33 Sie | ES, 1 WEST HA LANE, $* Youth” matters 10> 9S) Miv HANSON, 467 A ; - 33 Gunnersbury Park, London, W.5. ute ce E. 15° mx - Missesseusessesessessessasezsessesessesssssssessessaseasgasnssasesseseasessessasesgsegseseteste “ ooo aS hh oe Sebo oro bet oF oe GOL e ed ee Oe PEPE LEE Fy oye ON SG Sa — | the objects of the Society. A E LS BULLETIN No. [70 FEBRUARY 1955 A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Having just completed (19.11.54) my one unpleasant Presidential task, namely writing to a rather large number of members who have failed to pay their 1954 subscriptions, I am prompted to rush into print once again, I feel that a section of our mem- bership does not correctly appreciate S a | members on joining are presumed to subscribe to this object I will, for the benefit of all who have lost their copy of the Rules, repeat 1t here :— ‘“ The object of the Society shall be the promotion and dissemination of entomological knowledge by every means possible and part- ticularly the encouragement among the younger generation of a keen and a broad interest in the science’’. Each year we are involved in the expense of writing to a number of members who, for one reason or an- other, neither pay, nor indicate their wish to resign. Those members who do not pay each cost the Society over 4s. (Bulletins, postage, etc.) and that means 4s. of the subscriptions of the conscientious members is wasted, and not devoted to the proper object. Surely that is rather mean behaviour to one’s fellow-members. Also I note that many of those who resign, often after costing’ the Society the previously mentioned 4s., give as their reason the fact that they get nothing out of the Society. The object of the Society, and that means its members, is giving and not taking. If you are unwilling to give when you cannot receive, resign by all means but fulfil your financial obligations first, and refrain from taking secretly from the pockets of your fellows. _Another reason often given for re- Signing is that the quality of the articles is poor or that they are too elementary. This is very unreason- able as in most cases the person making this excuse has never con- tributed to the Bulletin. The Editor can only publish what he receives and maybe has to publish less useful matter through lack of better articles. I appeal to all members in_ the year 1955 to realise their responsibili- ties in the Society. The Council spends a great deal of time, in- dividually and collectively, in trying to maintain the objects of the Society, but without the co-operation of the members their task is impossible of fulfilment. Those of you who con- sider yourselves well versed in the science, undoubtedly received help and guidance in the past, possibly from the Society. It is now your turn to give guidance and help to the less informed. Send in those articles which you so proudly contribute to the other journals patronised by the leading lights. Offer a little of your time and undertake one of the many tasks that others are doing for you in their spare time in running the Society. Above all, at least send your subscriptions NOW. Add a small donation; it will be very welcome, if you are unable to help the less fortunate members in any other way. P. C. te Masurier (978). e BUTTERFLY MIGRATION The Centre dW Observation des Migrations de Papillons would wel- come correspondents interested in butterfly migration. Jn return for observations, they would send reports from Germany and Switzerland. Members interested should write to M.G. Warnecke, Hohenzollernring 32, Hamburg-Altona, Germany. ® ANOTHER BREEDING RECORD FOR TELENOMUS I was very interested to see Mr. Crotch’s breeding record for the Sceleonid egg parasite, Telenomus (Hym. ProcrorruporpEA) bred from Saturniid eggs (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. 13, 109), since I have just been given specimens, bred in this country. These were bred from a small batch of eggs of Saturnia pavonia L. (Km- peror moth), which were collected from a heather shoot at Bishops Dyke, near Denny Lodge in the New Forest, in July of this year. From _ these Fig. 2: A—Eggs of Troilus luridus after emergence of nymphs (x8). B—Egg cocoon of the Spider Theridion pallens Blackwall (x8). Both found attached to leaves of Viburnum lantana L. the earlier stages were also frequently seen on the flowers. During May and June all the larval stages were recorded, and adults from May to September, but most of the records of adults were at the end of the season. A. nemorum is a predaceous insect throughout its life, feeding on aphids, mites and other small arthropods. Both aphids and mités were possible prey on the Wayfaring Trees that I examined although I did not actually see feed- ing 1n progress. The eggs illustrated in Fig. 2A were found attached to the upper surface of a leaf on August 25th, 1952. They were almost certainly eggs of Troilus luridus Fabr. When I found them they had already hatched and there were no larvae anywhere near. Exactly a year later I found a fourth instar nymph of Troilus luridus engaged in feeding on the beetle Galerucella viburni Paykull. The pro- boscis of the bug was inserted into the beetle near the base of the wing. The beetle appeared dead but I put both predator and prey into a collecting tube for further examination. Two hours later the meal was still in progress but the bug relaxed its hold when I took it from the tube. This record is particularly interesting, as Butler (1923) mentions that T. luridus has been known to feed on G@. viburni. The only other predaceous Heteropteron found was a single specimen of ge aati ruber Tl. in July, but T have no evidence as to what this insect was eeding on. OTHER PREDATORS Except for the parasites, all the more important checks on the aphids have now been mentioned, but there are some others. _In the curled leaves I frequently found the Carabid beetle Risophilus atricapillus l.. This is probably nocturnal, as I never saw it active during the daytime, and it may feed on aphids. At various times throughout the summer Cantharid beetles of several species were found resting on the leaves and flowers of the Wayfaring Tree. These beetles are carnivorous and no doubt take their toll of the smaller insects which frequent the shrub. 20 ¢m approx. 1S mm Sm / Carares tip of strip 3. Plan and e’ge views of card board uA i ConsTRUCTION : Cut a piece of hard- beard (or 3-ply-wood) 20 x 4:5 cms. This will be the base (see diag. 1). A piece of cork of matching size should be glued to the upper side of this, to receive and hold the mounting pins. Then cut four strips of sheet cork 20 x 1:5. cms. Take two of these strips, and glue on to the base as illustrated, leaving a groove 1:5 cms. across. When the glue has dried, stick the remaining strips in place on top of the first pair. clean and neat finish can be obtained by past- ing paper either completely over the — @oule and in the groove, or just on ¢ | | : AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 the surface layers of the cork, upon which the bee—or wasp—wings will eventually rest. This is of course optional, tor I have found that mere- ly coating the whole ’board with white gloss paint is quite practicable. Now, L wul consider what I think to be the main improvement on this type of ’board, the ‘wing-stage-ex- tensions’. Cut a dozen or more cel- luloid polygons (see diag. 2. for dimensions). A short stout pin is now pushed half its length through the point indicated on each polygon. About a score of cardboard ‘triangu- ler strips are cut out, 15 x 15 x 5 mms., tor securing the wings as men- tioned later (see diag. 3). The mmeasurements | have suggested are suitable for a setting-board for the Bombidae, larger Vespidae and Syim- phyta, etc., and may be modified for different families and so on. Movuntine TECHNIQUE: Mount your specimen in the groove in the usual way with a pin through the thorax, and arrange the legs and antennae as illustrated. Then place the wing- stage-extensions so that they overlap the edge of the wing-stage by about 3 mms. (i.e. to the base of the wings). The wings can now be arranged upon the ’extensions, and secured in the required positions by the cardboard strips. The main idea of the ’exten- sions is for the purpose of having the entire wings resting on a flat surface. I have found that by using the setting-board described in the Hymen- opterist’s Handbook, only the distal halves of the fore-wings and the tips of the hind-wings reach the wing- stages. This arrangement often causes the wings to become torn when at- tempting to secure them. When the entire wings are on my wing-stage- extensions there is more surface- friction, so that little pressure is needed by the cardboard strips to hold them in their positions. In fact one small triangle of stiff cardboard is quite sufficient for each pair~ of wings. This setting-board can fur- nish eight or ten average sized Bom- bidae. I hope to deal with the set- ting of micro-Hymenoptera in a later article. B. W. BuackweEtu (1720). [*Unfortunately now out of print. —Kd. ] @ INSECTS iN A COALMINE Further to my previous article on insects found in a Derbyshire coalmine in 1953 (Bull. amat. Ent. Soe., 18: 22). the following is a list of moths. etc., taken during 1954, with dates of Jd capture and numbers caught. All the moths and the beetle were caught between 10.30 p.m. and 11.45 .p:m., tae woodwasp at 2.45 a.m., 2 miles from the shaft bottom. Date Species No. Apr. 15 Orthosia gothica Linn. (Hebrew Character) eee 1 May 27 ‘Welolontia imelolontha Linn. (COVEIRCINEWIETE 9 GAS aes cen cba enanente 1 June 10 Spilosoma lubricipeda Linn. ROTO. SRIBNNTTINS))S eee ee al ts S. lubricipeda Linn. (White JETP ONE) ete saeee aan eee ny AMER 2 1S Laothoé populi Linn. (Poplar TAWA een rs oitee cela ace ame Reyer 1 », 18 Platyptilia gonodactyla Schiff. (Triangle-marked Plume) Marbosss| 55 Dl WDEIE DI OHIG: elpenor Linn. (IENETOINAIAE TEAM YO) S ggsescnndossennnne 1 25 Simerinthus ocellatus Linn. GO AVEGL IBLAGH)oe Sai pamassstgaueeaceens 1 July 6 Plusia v-auretin Hb. (Beauti DB! KE@UGISIM BWE)) Sesgscdcogsasemseseosons 1 8 Hepidlus huwmuli Linn. (Ghost SVU) mene ee eee cheer Cree A 9 mae 20) lt Heliophobus saponariae Esp. (Bordered Gothic) ~ ei 52....: 1 20 Agrotis segetuin Schiff. (Tur- LV eaVIO UIE the: Bas cl mint acc eae 1 ne wAnGhIGCe CO] Oa sininnes. (Garden: AICTICORCEN O31 Se Slee ine pe VaR eg Bn 1 20) eUucanva impura Hueb. (Simla WV AW TOISCO! =o Pees ebeseccooec 5 », 26 NXanthorhoé ferrugata Clerck KW\iaber Spoon, CAIRO! — Gonosnecdnossas 1 28 Amathes c-nigrum Linn. (Setaceous Hebrew Character) 1 ENO, i IG, JOVOURIA (URXOOR IE Teen WS) Shacos 1 4 Plusia chrysitis. Linn. (Bur- IMUSIC EL IBC) be nashcacdasoosanode 1 eA o Pelurga comitata Linn. (Dark SPOTTY CIN) ease ice neers cates eee ak 1 e 6 Urocerus gigas Linn. (Wood SAE IS) OQ} ee a gute Seton ete sp nm er ote 1 af 6 Apamea — lithoxylea Fabr. (eto Ge PAECIC Sater Rac as ues? aseh 1 np es JEGNCO MING lithargyria Esp. (Chany WWaunSe@e) > seesiscaasdeonaose 1 » 24 Notarcha ruralis Scop. (Mother Ot (Pearl). ).4.....-.1e: 1 , 2 Sterrha aversata Linn. (Rib- LOM NWSI) ©) yo ndatnoancdonoasnaebaneons il , 27 Plusia gamma Linn. (Silver Y) 4 , 2¢ N. ruralis (Mother of Pearl) 1 27 Leucama pallens Linn. (Com- ONO WVATUOISCOW) ssorcotasdecssesocancua- 1 27 Kuproctis chrysorrhoea Linn. (Gold Tail) 28 N. ruralis (Mother of Pearl) ... 14 29 #.. chrysorrhoea (Gold -Tail) 2 30 Tholera popularis Fabr. (Feathered Gothic) ............... 1 Sept. 1 Hadena trifolii Rott. (Small NUEMIE Sis tee ele, Soe Le 1 11 Epirrhoé alternata ~~ Muell. (Common Bedstraw Carpet) ... 2 34 yl JP gonodactyla (Triangle marked Plume) 15 Anchoscelis litura Linn. (Brown Spot Chestnut) ......... 1 145 Dysstroma atrata Linn. (Dark Marbled Carpet) W. Biisre (1679). @ NOTES ON RECORDING LIGHT- TRAP CAPTURES | believe that there is some mis- understanding about my meaning in the note on the use of a light trap in Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 13, 76, or so it would appear from certain letters which I have received. I stated there that for work with a light trap to be of the greatest value a complete re- cord of all the insects captured should be made, not just a list of species which occur. Such a list may have had value at one time, but not so to- day. There are various ways of maintain- ing a record. An ordinary exercise hook may be used, and a list of every moth written down under the date in which it was taken from the trap. This is easy to organize, but the hames are written down dozens of times, and it is extremely tedious to total up the catch at the end of the season. I have found that the most convenient plan is to take a _ large sheet of drawing paper and mark it off in pencil into quarter inch squares, by means of drawing board and T-square, for the sake of neat- ness, in the manner of graph paper. (It is possible to obtain paper printed in this way from some manu- facturers.) For the sake of easy access it is a good idea to pin the sheet on a vertical wall (bedroom, study or shed). Then the names of all the moths expected in the trap should be written neatly down the left hand side of the paper, following some stan- dard system of nomenclature, e.g. Kloet and Hincks, W. H. Tams. I. R. Heslop or even R. South, if that is the only available work. Along the top the squares should be marked off as dates on which the trap is used. It will be perceived that if two hundred moths are expected and the trap is going to be run for two hundred nights a large area of paper will be needed. Several sheets may have to be joined together or superimposed in the manner of school registers. When the chart is prepared the daily catch may be entered up in the appropriate squares corresponding horizontally with the species, and APRIL 1955 vertically with the date. It is con- venient to enter up the catch as the trap is emptied. At first glance this system may seem unwieldy, but for observing first and last appearances, and totals, it is excellent. It also makes it obvious which species are double-brooded with- out much turning of pages. At the same time another book should be maintained in which a de- tailed account of the specific varia- tion or aberration if two or more are found in the district may be entered up. In this case a separate page is required for each species, and pro- bably a loose-leaved notebook would be most convenient where common species are concerned. Here for an example is a typical page (the details” of the trap are given on the cover of the book). GONODONTUS BIDENTATA Cl. (Scalloped Hazel) 1954 May 11 2 typiéal LS MLES al ge |Cinitace oi, Oy ee ged il i ae ee 1 melanic @ MR Ooh Yip. 3 = Pie cme 5 eee Bye ctor e of BI Ty oe 9 30 12 5) . Lcleree 9 i Osa June 3 ] 5 ” 5 i ”) 2 3 7 6 ) oD) 8 2 Be) ites Ry el los Total 54 typical 9 melanic This cies: gives the ratio of melanic bidentata to typical, at a glance, so that comparison may be made with other years or places. The incidence of melanism is very interesting. It may be dominant as in the case of the Peppered Moth (Biston betularia L.) or it may not. Here careful accurate records will help, if they are made available to the persons who are working on the problem. J. H. Jonson (1040). @ PALE TUSSOCK COCOONS Having never seen the following observation in print I should like to record it for the benefit of those interested. A larva of Dasychira pudibunda Linn, (Pale Tussock) has just pupated in my cages, and for the first time ‘a shock-absorber AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 30 SO SO I noticed that its cocoon is not just a simple sac. The pupa itself—to- gether, of course, with the cast larval skin—?s enclosed within just such a simple, sac-like envelope made of silk interwoven with bristles from the larval ‘‘shaving-brushes’’—the dorsal tufts. This sac, which is very closely woven, is suspended, free of the sides, within a second silken sac, in which there are no bristles and which is much more openly woven, though distinct. The inner cocoon is suspended by a very loose network of criss-crossing, single strands of silk passing across the space between the two envelopes in all directions, and the outer one is suspended from the supporting walls of the cage by quite a small number of compound silken ‘‘guy-ropes’’. Presumably the inner, closely-woven cocoon: prevents too much loss of moisture and acts as a final deterrent to predators, in which it is assisted by the enclosed bristles; the loose sus- pension between the two layers acts as guarding against jarring of boughs by wind or the passage of large animals; the thin outer cocoon acts as a basis for this, and as a primary deterrent for predators; and the strong guy-ropes anchor the whole structure in place. A regular “‘feather-bed pupa’’! Or, to change the metaphor, I wonder whether next year’s model will have independent suspension of all seg- ments ! Parser G. Taytor (719). ) ALTERNATIVE FOODPLANTS OF THE LIME HAWKMOTH Upon at least six occasions in Merton Park, London, at the end of May 1954, I noticed a freshly emerged imago of Dilina tiliae Linn. near the front garden gate, and at the end of July, I nearly trod on a full-fed larva wandering to pupate. Nothing unusual, perhaps, but the nearest Lime or Elm trees are about a mile distant, with pavements be- tween all the way. About two yards away are two Wild Cherry trees, and the only other possible (?) food plant adjacent is Lilac. As freshly emerged imagines do not have to crawl far for convenient dry- ing positions, the assumption would be that they came from the Wild Cherry trees, were it not for the fact that the soil underneath is almost conspicuous by its absence. Have other members any similar case to report, or any other possible explan- ation ? Jee Norn (i9n3)- [ESS Be Me Allanse 1949. Larval Foodplants, gives Alder, Birch and Hazel, in addition to Lime and EKlm. —Kd. | @ BEETLES AT LIGHT During 1954, Mr. L. W. Siggs (248), kindly gave me the beetles which came to the m.v. lamp in his garden at Orpington, Kent. The lamp is one of 80 w., and is placed on a sheet on the lawn. All the specimens cap- tured came to the light at dusk, when it was first lit, and none came later. It is, therefore, not surprising that the species listed below are diurnal and crepuscular insects, as far as their habits are known. CaRABIDAE — Harpalus @ostas le) Cer 3058 1954 verbasci Duftschmid: 2, Sy, sibtonl es Z1gZzay Bradycellus 24.7.1954; Amara apricaria Pay- ewe Ome AR el 954 Siler o OLS M954 Amara consularis Duftschmid: 1 ¢. 27.38.1954. ’ SCARABAEIDAE — Aphodius rufipes iinmaeuss ISG 1954 se 247 1oa4: 1, 27.8.1954: A. rufescens Fabricius: 1, 24.7.1954; Amphimallon solstitialis iLamnnemss I ©, Ade leis ANISOTOMIDAE — Leiodes calcarata Hrichson: 1, 26.6.1954. HeLopipAE — Prionocyphon sp. (? serricornis Mellié): 1, 9.9.1954. CANTHARIDAE — Rhagonycha trans- lnoida ikem es lao 1 OF 26,6: 1954. 5h, fulva Seopoli: 1, 24.7.1954. ELATERIDAE — Melanotus Herbst: 1, 19.6.1954. CURCULIONIDAE—Otiorrhynchus sul- catus Fabricius: 1, 24.7.1954: Sitona flavescens Marsham: 1, 26.6.1954. My thanks are due to Mr. A. J. Roudier (1924), who kindly identified Sitona flavescens; it was an immature specimen, which, he says, probably had only recently emerged from the pupa. I must confess to being the anony- mous exhibitor of these specimens mentioned in the report of the Annual Exhibition (antea, p. 1): the label must have got lost during the after- noon. EK. Lewis (952). 6 THE STUDY OF VARIATION CAUSED BY DIFFERENT FOOD- PLANTS For those members who are not solely concerned with acquiring a series of every species of lepidop- tera on the British List, but who re- gard their hobby as rather more than collecting postage stamps, I would rufipes 36 like to make a note of a few para- graphs written by H. M. Vernon in Variation in Animals and Plants (1903). In these he gives a list of examples of variation in various species of lepidoptera, caused by feeding the larvae on foodplants of widely separated genera (p. 289). Many breeders of insects have noticed this phenomenon in a desultory sort of way: I have noticed that if seve- ral generations of larvae of the Garden Tiger Moth (Arctia caia L.) are fed on dock they deteriorate in size, and the imagines are duller, and contain far more dark brown in their wing colours, than those fed on nettle, which seems to suit them best. There is room for much more serious work in this field. Some method of measuring varia- tion in colour and pattern must be devised so that it may be subjected to statistical treatment, if the maxi- mum value is to be obtained for the labour involved. J. H. JoHnson (1040). [See Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 10: 102; 12: 28.—Kd. ] ) LETTERS TO THE EDITOR THE SMALL TORTOISESHELL IN DECEMBER G. E. JENNER (2438) writes :— Members may be _ interested to know that on the 28th December 1954 IT caught a specimen of Aglais urticae Linn. flying round some late chrysan- themum flowers. Maximum temperature readings taken from Brenchly Gardens, Maid- stone, Kent, a short distance from my own garden, where the insect was taken, did not exceed 54° F. on the 28th and 52° F. on the two previous days, there being no sunshine at all over the three-day period. MUTILIA EUROPAEA LINN. From W. G. C. Booxer. (1742) :— I was interested in the article by Mr. E. Lewis (Bull-amat. Ent. Soc., 14, 6), recording Mutilla europaea, etec., on an ants’ nest at Studland, Dorset. IT found a female of this species in Surrey on the trunk of a peach-tree which was covered with aphides and ants, in 1950. In 1953 I came across another female M. europaea also close to a nest of garden ants. I wonder if this, too, was accidental, or do the ants attract them in some way? Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologi Society, 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. 1955. APRIL 1955 THE TOADFLAX BROCADE G. H. W. Crurrwett (118) writes :— I don’t often put pen to paper, which task J am afraid that I gener- ally leave to others, but I feel that I must write to say how thoroughly I agree with Mr. Aldridge’s letters” giving fellow members the great benefit of his knowlede of Calophasia lunula Hufn. Surely one of the objects of our Society is to give as much practical help as we can to our own members? Every word that Mr. Aidridge has written in reply to criti- cism seems to me only to add to his stature. J have often thought how helpful it would be if members noti- fied us in the Bulletin, in good time, of the advent of say an immigration of Pontia daplidice Linn. On the last occasion in 1945 I, personally, had no knowledge of the ‘influx of the Bath White, or I should have made an effort to take it. The same applies to Colvas hyale Linn., as again Ff never heard until too late. Perhaps Mr. Aldridge o another kind member will inform us this season if there is an immigra- tion, as it is a long way to go with- out definite knowledge. There is altogether too much of keeping things to ourselves and I wel- come “Mr. Aldridge’s generous gesture. . [Since the minimum time necessary from manuscript to Bulletin is si weeks, this kind of topical news ser: vice is not peste —Ed.] Aasntee to Quiz 1. The Ruddy Highfiyer (H. rube rata). : 2. The Brick (O. circellaris). 3. Poplar Grey (A. megacephala) (the word megacephala means ‘big head’ in Greek). 4. The Suspected (O. suspecta). 5. Satin Carpet (C. ribeata). 6. The Miller (A. leporina). 7. Beautiful Pug (E. linariata). 8. The Satellite “(E. transversa). 9. Portland (A. praecoz). ; 10. Archer’s Dart (A. vesttgialis). 11. Cousin German (N. sobrina). 12. Large Nutmeg (H. sordida). 13. Nonconformist (X. lambda). 14. Dark Spectacle (H. triplasia). 15. Neglected (V. castanea). 16. Hebrew Character (O. gothica). 17. Blackeollar (N. fammatra). 18. Brimstone (R: luteolata). — 19. Maiden’s Blush (C. punctaria). 20. Seraphim (L. halterata). . | } | r POSSESS SHOES OSES SSS SOS SESH SHSO SOPHO OSH OOOO SSODO SSH OOOOH OODOOD YD Uisistsasastesesestsesesesse Stee eee Stee teteeSe See eSe SESE SRL SA SSR SS SSS SESS ASSES SSS a rSoSoos | i ARGENTINA : 33 Eggs and Pupae of Butterflies and Moths. 33 Lepidoptera and all Orders of Insects in papers. eh: 33 - Detailed Atlas of the Argentine Republic, 30s. post free. $2 i Payable in Great Britain. $3 All Material despatched by Air Mail. Apply to:— 23 | = F. H. 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(e) ig A SOME BEETLE (AND OTHER) PARASITES In the December number of this journal, Mr. E. Lewis (1954, 114) published an interesting note on the parasitization of beetles by Gordiid worms. Having had the good fortune some years ago to meet with an in- stance of this—although it was not until several years later that I realised the fact !—I may. perhaps put the circumstances on record. As I was walking along a country road in Gloucestershire, not far from the famous Roman Villa at Ched- worth, in the Cotswolds, on a glorious spring morning in 1944, I came upon a specimen of the very common black Carabid, Feronia madida_ (Fab.), lying in the road, in a very unhappy condition—in fact, it was obviously moribund. Its legs were only feebly twitching, and upon examination I found that what looked lke coiled lengths of intestine were protruding from between the abdominal seg- ments. These showed no sign of movement, and I concluded that the beetle had been somehow injured, perhaps by a bird or a _ passing vehicle, resulting in the extrusion of the viscera. I dropped the unfortunate insect in the herbage by the roadside, and moved on. What was my surprise, however, to see, only a few yards farther along the road, another F. madida likewise in difficulties. This one was certainly not so ‘‘far gone”’ as the first, for it was still able to some extent to walk, but it was mak- ing very poor progress. Its legs were obviously partly paralysed, and when I looked closely I found that this specimen, too, had protruding ‘‘vis- cera’, which were dragging on the ground and impeding its progress. This second specimen made me “think again’’. What could be the reason for this strange phenomenon? The idea of accidental injury seemed unconvincing, but I was quite at a loss for a better explanation. At last, however, I bethought me of para- sites—but then completely ‘‘barked up the wrong tree’’ as to the kind of parasites involved ! By a curious coincidence, I had. only four months previously, in an- other part of the Cotswolds, found E ZS BULLETIN MAY 1955 another specimen of this much- afflicted beetle ( F. madida), dead under a stone, with some curious horn-like objects projecting from its abdomen. They looked ‘‘fungoid’’, so I sent the beetle to my then colleague, Miss E. M. Wakefield, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. She passed it on to Mr. T. Petch, an expert in entomogenous fungi, and he identified the fungus as Hurswtella eleuthera- torum (Nees) Petch, a _ conidial (asexual) form believed possibly to represent a stage in the life-history of the much better known Cordyceps entomorrhiza Fr. (see Airy Shaw, 1946, 140). With this in the back of my mind, therefore, I sent the second Ched- worth specimen to Miss Wakefield, in the hope that it might be something in her department. But, alas! she could make nothing of it. It did not seem to be ‘‘fungoid’’, so she threw the specimen away, and the matter was dropped, as one of the great un- solved mysteries of natural history. Several years afterwards, I was visiting my mother in Cirencester. A thunderstorm occurred, and _ after- wards we went out into the garden for a stroll. As we passed the potato patch, our attention was arrested by the strange behaviour of what seemed to be a piece of white cotton on one of the plants. The air was now per- fectly still, but the cotton was waving about! It did not take us long to discover that this animated cotton was, in fact, a long, thread- like worm. And then we saw others. We must have seen about a dozen altogether, within an area of less than 100 square yards in the vegetable garden. This was something quite outside my ken—but at least it could not be classed as ‘‘fungoid’’, so this time a specimen was despatched to the De- partment of Zoology of the British Museum (Natural History). Within a few days a reply came from Dr. H. A. Baylis. The worm was a very large Nematode, Mermis nigrescens Dujar- din, which in its early stages parasi- tizes earwigs and grasshoppers, and then emerges and burrows deep in the soil. It is well known to come to the surface after summer thunder- storms in order to lay its eggs on the 38 leaves of plants, where they are eventually eaten by, and so infect, their hosts. Dr. Baylis kindly en- closed reprints of two interesting papers about Merimis (see References, below); and furthermore—and here at last we get back to our original sub- ject—he included a third paper, dealing with Gordiid worms! As J read this, ‘‘bells began to ring’ as to those two unfortunate Feronia madida at Chedworth! Dr. Baylis had very little information as to the hosts of Gordiids, but those known to him or recorded were: the ground beetles, Calathus fuscipes (Goeze), Carabus violaceus L., and Feronia madida (Fab.) (two records!), and 3... -sother 7. Carabids: -s. the water beetle, Dytiscus marginalis L., ‘“‘fand possibly other species of Dytiscus’; the churchyard beetle, Blaps lethifera Marsh.; the bush cricket, Decticus verrucivorus (L.); and—just possibly—the common ear- wig, Forficula auricularia L. Feronia madida recorded twice !— and on both occasions two species of Gordiid emerged from it! How I wished I had kept my specimens. I shall be wiser next time—I hope! But that they were Gordiids I have no doubt whatever. (See Townsend, 1948, 156.) If only they had moved, I might have had a clue! But I sus- pect that they had probably come to an untimely end, owing to their hosts having run out on to a dry, sunny road at the time of their emergence. and expired there, instead of remain- ing in the cool, damp herbage, where the worms could have made good their escape. As it was, they had probably emerged half-way, aud then dried up and died. There is evidently a wide field for observation and records of these in- teresting parasites. Only four species are known in Britain, all probably fairly widely distributed. Mr. Crotch’s record of Parachordodes violaceus from Phosphuga atrata at Oban (Lewis, 1954) apparently repre- sents an unrecorded host, and Dr. Baylis’s map (1948. 194) is devoid of any records of Gordiids from the west coast of Scotland. So: preserve all your parasites care- fully—worms, of course, require spirit, unless submitted to an expert im- mediately, alive, in damp moss. You are almost certain to get something of interest sooner or later. References. BAYLIS, H. A., 1943. Notes on the Distribu- (Nemato- tion of Hairworms MAY 1955 morpha: Gordiidae) in the British Isles. Proc. z0o0l Soe. SCE) Bali seetoo-ie , 1944. Observations on the Nematode Mermis nigrescens and related species. Parasitology. 26: 122 132. , 1947. The larval stages of the Neina- tode Mermis nigrescens. Para- sitology, 38: 10-16. LEWIS, E., 1954. A beetle parasite. Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 13: 114-8. SHAW, H. K. AIRY, 1946. Miscellaneous notes and records (Hirsutella eleu theratorum (Nees) Petch; Proc. Cofteswold Nats, Fld Cl, 1944, 28 (3): 140. TOWNSEND, C. C., 1948. A list of the Cara- bidae of Gloucestershire (Fer onia madida_ (Fab.)). Proc Cotteswold Nats. Fld Cl 1947 29 (3): 156. H. K. Arry SHaw (545). r VOLUCELLA ZONARIA PODA, AN ESTABLISHED INSECT Mr. Ranger’s report on Volucella zonaria Poda in Surrey and Middle- sex (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 14: 24) serves to call attention to what I find to be a common failing in students of entomology in their early studies of an Order new to them. This is" failure to consult existing literature on any species which they come upon, and which may appear new, or even rare to them. A great deal of knowledge has been stored up relating to many species of insects, and this knowledge is wasted unless students make use of it. A great number of references to V. zonaria exists in our Journals which would serve to answer the queries expressed in Mr. Ranger’s note. Thus the Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine for 1945, 81: 217, and 1946, 82: 55 contains a full report of my finding this insect at the mouth of a wasp’s nest in Bournemouth, and the subsequent obtaining and _ breed- ing out larvae found in the same nest at a later date; a figure of the larva is given in the last reference. Re- garding the imago, this was first taken in England, at Edenbridge, Kent, more than 70 years ago by my old friend and colleague, the late Dr. F. Haines, and I have seen the actual specimen in his collection (now housed in the Dorchester Museum). Verrall (1901, British Flies, 8: 669) reported it from the New Forest, and there is another report in the Entomologist as far back as 1870 (Hnt. 5: 22). Since 1945 when I first saw it in fair num- | bers in Bournemouth, I have noticed AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 it yearly, and it has been taken in plenty by Mr. Gurth Waller, who counted a score on ivy at Hythe, Kent, in 1946. Zonaria must now be considered as an integral part of our dipterous fauna, and a not un- common British insect. F. C. Fraser (890). VOLUCELLA ZONARIA PODA AND VESPA CRABRO L. AT KEW I was interested in Mr. James Ranger’s note (antea, p. 24) on V. zonaria coming to light at Kew. | myself have never known it to do this, but the species has been seen ccn- stantly in the Kew district since the war: see Kew Bulletin, 1948, 118-9; 1949, 236; 1952, 287. Ivy blcom from late August into October has a strong attraction for it. The hornet is certainly known in Kew Gardens: see the records in Kew Bull., 1949 and 1952, Il.cc. The for- mer was actually the first record for the Gardens, so it may be a relatively recent arrival. Mr. Ranger is, alas, only too right when he says he ‘‘can- not imagine such a frightening thing as a hornet’s nest being allowed to remain for long in Kew Gardens’’. A nest of these splendid insects was found in 1950 in the big Maidenhair tree (Ginkyo biloba lL.) near the Ferneries, and destroyed. The scene of desolation and destruction pre- sented by the scores of corpses and nest-fragments around the base of the tree was not pleasant. An assurance was given that efforts would be made to see that this was not repeated. In spite of its greater size and “frightening”? appearance, the hor- net 1s a much less aggressive insect than are the wasps, and, in so far as it includes wasps in its prey. must be regarded as a definitely beneficial species. H. K. Arry Swaw (545). r) EXPERIMENTS: A CAUTION AND A SUGGESTION Far be it from me to pour cold water on any attempt by my fellow- members to perform scientific experi- ments, but I think it is a pity that they should be frustrated at the out- set by an incomplete grasp of the problem which they hope to investi- gate. There are so many factors— usually quite a breath-taking num- ber—bearing upon any biological problem, that it is far too easy for even the scientifically trained profes- | sional to overlook some of them. 39 A case in point is the recent sug- gestion (Bull. amat. Hnt. Soc., 13: 9z) by Mr. H. K. Airy Shaw that an in- vestigation might be made into the height at which certain insects fly. This is an admirable idea, but a prac- tical suggestion has yet to be made as to the method. A few of the major snags stand out a mile. The first is that populations of all insects vary literaily (though minutely) yard by yard across any area, causing a large variation in a relatively short distance. This, as Mr. Airy Shaw obviously appreciates, necessitates any comparison being made with respect to results obtained at one spot on the map. Secondly, Dr. C. B. Walliams’ work with the light-traps at Rothamsted has shewn how enormously the many meteoro- logical conditions affect insect activ- ity, and thus the number of insects attracted to a light. It is seen to be quite impossible in the present state of our knowledge (or lack of it!) to compare catches on consecutive nights except with respect to weather condi- tions, and even then, only by compli- cated statistical juggling. On no ac- count are we able to compensate in any way for such weather conditions, say by multiplying by a factor. Further, a sudden change in the rate of emergence of insects from pupae may often influence numbers very greatly and completely upset calculations. This variation from night to night is often quite enor- mous, and the only apparent solu- tion would be the running of a virtual series of lights all at once for a num- ber of nights. However, this would cause them to interfere with each other so much as to make their efficiency doubtful (if bright enough to bring in large enough numbers for a comparison to be made). Lastly, it has been shown that insects are not attracted to light, but merely attempt, while in flight, to balance the stimuli received by each eye. Thus, they tend to fly either directly towards, or directly away from, a light source, but, as their eyes are at their front ends, the former is more likely. In any case, we are much more likely to see and record those insects flying towards our lights and the sanctuary of our killing bottles than those which retreat (? stray) into the realms of outer darkness! This fact allows insects to deviate vertically without unbalance, which would spoil height-of-flight measurements; and also explains why the governing factor for the efficiency © of a light source is its degree of con- 40 trast with the background, with actual brightness and ‘‘colour’’ (i.e., frequency content). mere runners-up. Thus, not only would the size of the light source be of paramount im- portance, but so would its brightness, its colour, and the sort of contrast provided by the contents of the rooms behind Mr. Shaw’s windows. Now, maybe, members can begin to see why experiments, however simple, should be ‘‘vetted’’ by a _ trained biologist before being embarked upon. Although this would not make the experiments infallible (nothing is that), at least there will be a fair chance of their producing some worth-while and valid information, but if it is not done, members will only waste their efforts producing use- less or misleading results, becoming themselves misled into believing fal- lacies, and embittered towards “science”? and ‘‘professionals’’ in general. It is this that makes me so keen on method (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 13: 69). I suggest that all our scientifically trained members who feel able and willing to help other, less fortunate (?), members with matters of method should submit their names and the fields in which they are most likely to be able to help and advise, for in- clusion in the Membership List. Members could then write to the appropriate one as to the Advisory Panel. By way of an example, I should like to offer any help I can give. Peter G. Tayior (719). e COLLECTING BY LIGHT IN 1881 [The following has been extracted from a boys’ magazine. The Union ide. tor, 188). yediseds by, 2 Gs 7c Henty.] “First of all, to get the moth to come and pay us a visit, we want a light in the room, and one near the window. An insect is as fond of a light, poor thing. as an alderman is said to be of turtle soup . Put a candle, then. on “the table, and one on the window-sill: gas is better, but what lad amongst us could afford to use it? The electric light would be best, but that, too, is quite out of the question. . Say it is about eight o ’clock when we commence to get ready, we shall then have a long hour for collecting. Tater on, however, is the best time, from about 10.30 p.m. onwards; but this is very late, much later than some would care to sit up. For a time when you have placed MAY 1955 your candles all is quiet .... Then comes a loud bump! It is a big moth, who has run head-first at the window-pane. ae Then you rise gently, and taking your net, pass it slyly out of the win- dow, and, heigh presto! in a moment the moth is taken. In another moment it is in the killing bottle. In a third it is dead?”: T. H. Pennineton (2315). Mrs. Fraxini—‘‘Yes, races Mr. Cervus—‘‘What? Hydrogen bomb°®” Mrs. Fraxini—‘‘No. Light-traps'!”’ I'm the last of my 8 ADVISER ON STATISTICS Mr. A. Heselden, B.Sc. (2084), has offered to act as adviser to members on statistical matters. He will be able to give advice on stat stical pro-- blems, both in connection with the design of experiments, and_ the treatment of results. He is also pre- pared to undertake various statisti- eal calculations which may be neces- sary where these are mathematically d'ffeult. He has access to calculating mochines and statist*eal literature. | The A.E.S. Council is grateful to — Mr. Heselden for his offer and hopes that members will make use of it. D. OLtEvant (Gen. Sec.). @ PRATICAL HINTS — May The busy season is now upon us, and all the usual means of collecting will bring results of some sort. ‘‘Light” seems the favourite nowadays. and for those who operate a trap I should like to offer the suggestion that un- wanted specimens should be role AFTER DARK. _ If the trap turned out in daylight the bird population soon get to know that the trap indicates an easy meal. The result being that 90% of the moths will be devoured before reaching cover. For normal collecting. I néver operate the trap two nights run- ning, and always keep unwanted — material until dusk. Furthermore, AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 killing agents are never used; pieces of egg separators laid in the bottom provide suitable hiding places for the prisoners. Beat lichen-covered branches and search tree trunks for larvae of Cleora lichenaria Hufn. (Brussels Lace). Searching the trunks of Ash and beating branches and saplings after dark, may reveal larvae of Atethmia centrago Haw. (Centre-Barred Sal- low). The larvae hide by day on the ground, but ascend the tree after dark. Scopula ornata Scop. (Lace Border) should be looked for on chalk hills -towards the end of the month into come across Pseudopanthera : — hae aneneennEEnEREREREEEe June. It is a local species but fairly common in its haunts, where it may easily be disturbed from the grass and other herbage during the day. Whilst searching for this species you may macu- laria Linn. (Speckled Yellow). This pretty little geometer is more widely distributed than tthe previous species, not confined to chalk, and Bes to the wing readily during the ay. Light will attract Drymonia rufi- cornis Hufn. (Lunar Marbled Brown). Females will lay freely, but the lar- vae require careful treatment, airy cages and not to be overcrowded if they are to be reared successfully. Also Colocasia coryli Linn. (Nut- Tree Tussock) common in Beech woods; Cerura furcula Cl. (Sallow Kitten); Avatele rumicis Linn. (Knot erass) and Polyploca ridens Fab. (Frosted Green). This moth looks like rwmicis on first glance, but is not so common; look carefuly at all rumicis which alight on your sheet, the light hindwings and _ whitish marking at the base of the forewings will indicate ridens. Electrophaés corylata Thunb. (Broken-Barred Carpet) may be found in fair numbers on ‘tree trunks in the vicinity of Blackthorn or plum orchards. Aethalura punctulata Schiff. (Grey Birch Beauty) another trunk squatter, is found in, or near, Birch woods. Females lay freely if placed in a 3” collecting box with a small spray of birch leaves. By making a small hole at the shoulder of the box, the stem may be pushed through, bot- tom replaced, and the whole stood in a glass jar containing water. These boxes make useful cages for laying females, starting young larvae, ete. Minoa murinata Scop. (Drab Looper) is very local. though common where it occurs. Search woodlands where the foodplant, Wood Spurge, Al grows freely. Open places where the trees have been felled, are likely spots. Walk slowly among the herb- age keeping a sharp look-out for the small light brown moths to take to the wing. Captured specimens are frequently in poor condition, so try to get a couple of females; these will deposit their eggs on the underside of wood spurge leaves in the boxes men- tioned above. If possible, keep the foodplant alive with the eggs intact, so that the young larvae do not re- quire transferring when they hatch. A fine sprinkling of dry peat on the floor of the cage will serve their needs for pupation. In captivity, it is usual for moths to emerge in August. Butterflies on the wing this month include Pieris napi Linn. (Green Veined White), Leptidea sinapis Linn. (Wood White) somewhat local in woodland rides, borders of woods, ete., Hrynnis tages Linn. (Dingy Skipper), Huphydryas aurinia Rott. (Marsh Fritillary), more frequently found on dry hillsides and open wood- lands than marshes or open country, and Celastrina argiolus Linn. (Holly Blue) which is to be found around holly bushes. R. V. ALDRIDGE (262). e PREDATOR ON SATURNIA PAVONIA LINN. The unknown predator on Saturnia pavonia Linn. (see Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. 14: 18), about which Mr. E. S. Lewis (373) enquires, is the common Nightjar or Goat-sucker, which has the peculhar habit of consuming its food at one spot. This is usually marked by a large stone or flint, on which the bird bashes its prey to break it up, and which probably ac- counts for the food being found in small heaps. In the Bournemouth district, the usual food of the bird consists of the common dung-heetle Typhaeus (Ceratophyus) typhoeus (Tann.), the remains of numbers of which may be seen in small heaps among the heather. F. C. Fraser (890). r:) SILVER WATER BEETLES AT LIGHT Professor Frank Balfour Browne would be glad of information from members using light-traps, as _ to whether HAydrophilus piceus inn. (Large Silver Beetle) or Hydro- chara caraboides Linn. (Lesser S:lver Beetle) are ever taken, either in the trap or on the sheet. If so, the weather conditions at the time would also be of interest. ‘AWNSaYd ONIOS34 --- ~~ -- -'G3ANISBO ONIGRSS JIM L ONISVSAVM 3HL NO SNIVHD GOOd I Toa) er) o> re Z vip IINAapOH S| Fo spy 1UANQIA VAIN 4aypoe*)| *QOLVI\UV) jo evDA4v?} 1S3723390 v3aI4 Sr\yaypOooOuUs ‘SqydisoSuunsar9 Jo BVAI7y coyajuvdy jVYALdIG ‘ouaspulyy 933g] SUD ST OUSS a ‘pyauayo waoydoajoD polos dg . C js? AavAAD | ze IVUAADY [S311 | pSPUFIONPAW) Puv ; ; “UYyOW Jo ar.UaP-~ sidsouy Kyyarus Sedat 4H saa eA eae MC! Wal a Lb Cee 3 ear ---»-{ soIMuvS syyILdoOAIO) r™ | X14 -1y9 sw -wWsy 432) StaQqeg IAVAYBLIAG | }a00NM a32"D3dS F™ -- pe} BYAIWIY HD | . Soyptdooysyo | | snjudosi | Wadsidid|_ ----&| avaissur] Head a Dy = | Gvudo,dKhu SIdSUM SDIYGHL] | s eae DUIUODI 440) 7 y fe | cag SY3dd0H-DONS| eee ate Rep 1437 SI993IG |; =[22H1G00m] SCIHdV —— : = Geer ee) aa eae (SSS INCWSS | (eaarasa] 3 --m | GIBVHLINYD | f | SONIM3I0N7 | S3IN3 YSAOH Sai1s } wsddor| —— —— wate — — - — -f-E -- - — a AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 43 A STUDY OF THE INSECTS LIVING ON THE WAYFARING TREE (5) (Continued from page 1) Foop-CHAINS The food-chains that could be worked out with the Wayfaring Tree as the starting point are very many and very complex. The accompanying chart is an attempt to show some of these, but if every insect living on the Wayfaring Tree were shown and lines drawn in every possible way between predators and their prey the chart would present a maze of lines which would be most difficult to follow. The food-chains indicated with a firm line are those that I have actually observed during the course of this study. The broken lines represent possible and in many cases highly probable feod-cha:ins. ‘These I have put in either because circumstantial evidence was very strong in suggesting them, or because I have been able to find records of similar food-chains in entomological literature. Although the Wayfaring Tree supports quite a large community of insects and other animals, it does not usually suffer any extensive damage from any of them. None of the feeders on the shrub become a pest because there is such a fine balance between the different species. Perhaps this is part of the reason why the Wayfaring Tree is so successful in its habitat. APPENDIX A complete list with brief notes of all the insects found on the Wayfaring Tree between April 1952 and September 1953. ‘The names used are those given in Kloet and Hincks’ Check-last of British Insects. Many have not been identi- fied down to species. These are listed under the lowest category to which they can be assigned. (COLLEMBOLA Several species of Springtails were found but none were identified. In curl-galls, leaf-pockets and on flowers. April-October. OrTHOPTERA (Tettigoniidae) Leptophyes punctatissima Bosc. ~< —S POSSS OHS SHOES HOH SSSHOS SES HO HOO S OOOH SOP OES SEOOOS OOOO OSE FOHPSOEOS OOOO SOOO SOS SOESESSESEOOOESOOOOOOOOOOD MSS SSSSES ESOS SESS SESE SOS SOOSSOSE OSS OSO OOO OSOE SELES OSES OSES ESOS OOOO SOOO SOSOESOOEOSESOOEOSOOOESESSOOOOOOD : PUBLICATIONS $3 of the oe = = Amateur Entomologists’ Society = 999900299 OOO994 “THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGIST” Volumes in print are HOSS HOO OHHOOOOHHOOOOON OOoooe Volume 5 - Cuntains articles on “ Some British Moths Reviewed” by 33 ‘W. H. T. Tams; “ Habits of some British Moths” by Dr. 33 E. A. Cockayne; “ Setting Lepidoptera ” and other papers : ~ Price 4s 6d. : Volume 8 | | ——— 33 Contains illustrated articles on “Collecting Dragonflies,” # 33 “Collecting Micros.”’, Sweepnets, ‘“‘ Collecting Mosquitoes,” 3 33 an eight-page list of standard books on Entomology, etc. 3 =. Price 5s (Members 3s 6d) # :: Volume 9 | | 3 — 3 Practical Methods and Hints for Lepidopterists. Contain x illustrated instructions for making many types of breedin 33 and other cages; articles on breeding and collecting larvae; 33 and illustrated instructions for making beating trays. 4 = Price 5s (Members 3s 6d) 3: Volume 10 | | 3 Contains illustrated articles on “Collecting Lacewings,” % 33 ‘“ Drawing Insects,” “ Collecting Caddises,” “ Photography 3% 33 of Caterpillars,” ete. 12 photographic plates. # as 3 Price 6s (Members 4s 6d -# Volume 11 _ 33 A Coleopterist’s Handbook. Describes the tools and 33 apparatus and methods of collecting British beetles; their % 33 habitats, commensals and pre-adult stages; how to record, ; 33 photograph, make a personal collection and conduct a % $3 local survey. 20 plates. — i Price 15s # 3; AES Bulletin = 33 Volume 7, 1946-8. 232 pp., coverand index. 2]ls & 33 Volume 8, 1949. 96 pp., cover and index. 10s 6d Sade Volume 9, 1950. 108 pp., cover and index. 10s 6c 33 Volume 10, 1951. 124 pp., cover and index. 10s 6d — ss Volume 11, 1952. 116 pp., cover and index. 12s 6d ~ $3 Volume 12, 1953. 96 pp., cover and-index. 12s 6d © 33 Volume 13, 1954. 116 pp., cover and index. 12s 6d ee * . Messosesasseggsssessseseccoessecececcccesccvesesecvossecssescccussssessesseeere. ae SHSSSSSSSSSSSHSSSSSHSSSSESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSS ESHSSS SSH ESOS ES HOEES SSE SESE S ELE SESH SOLES ESESOLOLOOESD i? 4 wii nA 5 27 FEB 1957 VOL. 14 No. 174 THE BULLETIN OF THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY World List abbreviation : Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD 333 § 34.556445554645566400604 64560606604 Oooo 000 000000000000050000000000000000000008: ssseessocesecs s8seesseeseseesee SOS SOHO OOEOOOOD Rabe tote see rset tise se tears i FLIES 33 OF THE BRITISH ISLES 33 By CHARLES N. COLYER, rf.r.r:s. $3 in collaboration with E. W. Classey F. R. E. S. 33 CYRIL O. HAMMOND, r.x.r:s. 30s. net Entomological poole 33 The only work of its” kind, this book oe a profusely illustrated, compre- and $ hensive survey of all the families of Publisher 39 British Diptera. It deals with the struc- 33 ture and metamorphoses of flies, their 39 life-histories and habitats, and their 22 HARLINGTON ROAD EAST j 3 role in Nature: and describes methods $3 of collecting, rearing, examination and Feltham $$ preservation. With 48 plates in colour, $3.57 half tone plates and 50 text figures Middlesex ¢gand diagrams, depicting 286 representa- ; 33 tive species, from original enlarged ENGLAND 33 microscope drawings by C. O. Hammond, 33 oe BES: ¢¢ “Beautifully produced in the _ best gg traditions of The Wayside and Wood- CATALOGUES 33 land Series, Authors and publishers es have quite manifestly done a_ real 33 service to the science of entomology in Ie R E E _ 33 Britain’. — The Annals of Applied = Sg eGe ON REQUEST From all Booksellers # WARNE, 1 Bedford Court, W.C.2 ceeeeeeseneee 096060060000006000600000050000000000090006 4.446064 660666666bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb-4b 44454 on FEPCOOSS OE OHO SESS SESE ESESOO OOOO SS SODEOS HOO OHOOESOOEHEOOSD SOPPOO OOS OOO SEED OOOO ESSELTE HO OLOTESOO OOH OO OOS THE WORLD OF SMALL ANIMALS T. H. Savory, M.A., F.Z.S. This is a fascinating and unusual book, providing an introduction to Natural History and Biology for students and amateur naturalis' through the study of some of the lesser-known orders or families ¢ small animals. Written by one of the country’s foremost authorities ¢ spiders, this book presents a guide to the methods of studying sma animals, e.g., centipedes, spiders and ants, both in the field and in laboratory, together with short introductory surveys of a numbers groups suitable for individual specialist study. Lavishly illustra with drawings, diagrams and photographs. 15 /- ie + Order from your Bookseller ae UNIVERSITY OF LONDON PRESS LTD. ae COUNCIL REPORT FOR 1954 (as read at the Annual General Meeting in March 1955) The membership of the Society has inaintained itself at about the same level during the year, whilst the pro- portion of Junior to Full Members now joining, has shown an increase. The Bulletin appeared regularly and promptly, and ‘included the Mem- bership List and Geographical Key in the April issue. The Coleopterist’s Handbook was published, and was well received by the Reviewers and is selling well. Both the Annual General Meeting in March, and the Annual Exhibi- tion in September, were well at- tended. Full reports of these two meetings have appeared in_ the Bulletin. Seven Council Meetings were held during the year, with an average attendance of thirteen. The position of the Study Groups was as follows:—There was little activity in the following Groups and members interested are asked to write to the conveners:—Diapause ; Cockroach; Time of Emergence from Pupae; and Distribution of Elephant Hawk. In the last named a report of the findings is being prepared for publication in the Bulletin. The Microscopy Group has con- tinued to thrive, and now has twenty-three members. During the year the Group Bulletin has circu- Jated periodically to all members, and has not only been a means of contact, but a help in solving pro- blems of members widely separated from each other. Distribution of Certain Lycaeni- dae:—The Convener’s report shows that whereas [ysandra coridon Poda was seen in normal numbers, Lysan- dra bellargus Rott., Celastrina argio- lus Linn., Plebejus argus Linn., Aricia agestis Schiff., Cupido mini- mus Fuessl. and the summer brood of Polyommatus icarus Rott. were much seareer than usual. The Silkmoth Study Group gave evidence of its activities by again providing an exhibit which filled the platform at the Annual Exhibition. Two or three members have been con- eentrating upon enriching the field —S BULLETIN No. |74 JUNE 1955 of study, and a dozen uncommon species were last year seen here alive for the first time. Some, but not all, were successfully paired and reared. At least two members have been making coloured drawings of various stages of the life cycles, and Mr. Smith (1641) has been consistently adding to his remarkable colour- photo records of hving larvae, cocoons and moths. Another member em- barked upon cine-photography in colour. All these records are being placed at Mr. Crotch’s disposal for the new edition of The Silkmoth Rearer’s Handbook. The three pro- blems which are currently being pur- sued between members of the Group are (1) enrichment of food for winter rearing, (2) possible sexual dimor- phism among Saturniid larvae, (3) possible sexual attraction of mature larvae. London Meetings Group: The Winter meetings were held in the first three, and the last two, months of the year, the attendance averaging nineteen. The Field Meetings were not a success, but some members took advantage of the invitation by Mr. Parmenter (895) to attend Field Meetings of the Entomological Sec- tion of the London Natural History Society. Two visits by the Group to the London Zoo, at the invitation of Mr. L. C. Bushby (1075), proved very popular. A new Group, the Micro-Lepidop- terists’ Group, is in the process of being formed. The Insect Galls Group is now defunct. D. OvtEvAnt (1514) (Honorary Secretary). @ PRACTICAL HINTS—June Collecting with ‘sugar’ and light will keep the average lepidopterist busy again this month. A word of warning to beginners: please don’t take more specimens than you can conveniently manage. How easy it is to capture fifty moths at mercury vapour light; but how useless if you only have a dozen setting boards! Always leave your captures on the boards long enough for the wing muscles to harden thoroughly. My 46 JUNE 1958 minimum time for an average noctuid is a month. Toward the end of Stinging Nettles for larvae of Vanessa atalanta Linn. (Red Ad- miral). They conceal themselves with- in a folded leaf. Leaves folded down the centre (midrib) usually contain— or have contained—atalanta, whilst those rolled from tip to stem contain Hypena proboscidalis Linn. (The Snout). Huphydryas aurinia Rott. (Marsh Fritillary) should be in full flight during the first week of the month. A very local insect and worth searching for, wherever the foodplant —Devil’s-bit scabious — occurs in quantity. Plebeius argus Linn. (Silver-studded Blue) will be on the wing from mid-June to August. Dry sandy heaths are its favoured haunts. The moors around Sidmouth often abound with this species. Beat Hawthorn for larvae of Lasio- campa quercus Linn. (Oak Eggar) and search the underside of Maple leaves for larvae of fPtilophora plumigera Schiff. (Plumed_ Promi- nent). Drepana binaria Hufn. (Oak Hooktip) comes freely to light or may be disturbed from oak trees by day. Females will lay freely, and the larvae are easy to rear. Overcrowding will surely produce small moths with this species, as, too, it does with D. falca- taria Linn. which is common in birch woods during the early part of the month. When resting on a leaf the moth is not easily noticed; in cool weather it will drop to earth rather than fly away Ge tullia Muell. June search (Large Heath) will be flying in its Northern _ haunts; whilst in the South, larvae of Apatura iris Linn. (Purple Em- peror) will be fully fed. This species is very local and uncommon; should you visit a known locality in search of larvae, please search and do not beat the sallows. This latter method is probably in any case the least pro- ductive. Among the commoner moths you should get this month are:—Habro- syne derasa Linn. (Buff Arches), Thyatira batis Linn. (Peach Blossom) —hboth species being fond of ‘sugar’ Phalera bucephala ‘Linn. (Buff Tip). Mimas ftiliae Linn. (Lime Hawk), Diataraxia oleracea Linn. (Bright- line Brown-Eye) and Huplexia luci- para Linn. (Small Angleshades). When taking Meristis trigrammica Hufn. (Treble Lines) at the ‘sugar’ patch, keep a look-out for var. semi- fuscans Haw. in which the outer half of the forewings are suffused with brownish—to use a term of R. South. In other words, there is a dark, broad band down the outer half of the w ing. Boarmia punctinalis Scop. (Pale Oak Beauty) is to be found at rest on the boles of trees or may be attracted to light. R. V. ALDRIDGE (262). @ THE INNOCENT AMONG THE HYMENOPTERA One sunny January morning I was engaged in the pleasant task of search- — ing moss on tree stumps for pupae of lepidopterous insects, which are my great delight at this ‘time of year, when I suddenly surprised four black and orange wasp-like creatures. | have often found this type of insect in this situation, on previous occasions. but this time I] decided to find out what they really were. I carefully placed them in a large tube and car- ried them off for a closer perusal. 1 had just found a few pupae of the Clouded Magpie «(Abraxas _ sylvata Scop.) and I was hot on the scent of more. I kept my four wasps alive on sugar and water for several days before I had a chance to look again, and they seemed to thrive on this diet. I took Step’s Ants, Bees, Wasps and Allied Insects from the shelf and on the dust cover saw a portrait of my prisoners, or so it seemed—the only difference lay in certain white spots on the thorax and last abdominal segments of my specimens. I looked through all the Pompilid Spider Hunting Wasps but apart from the super- ficial resemblance there was no sign that I had found the right family. I took down The Hymenopterist’s Handbook and began at_the begin- ning of the dichotomous ‘“Key to Sub- orders and Superfamilies of the Hymenoptera’’. I soon realised that I needed a dead specimen to follow out instructions, so I put one of my old friends (so they seemed by now) in the killing bottle, carefully avoiding con- tact with her ‘“‘sting,’’ which she had showed me several times and then proceeded to make a drawing of her antennae, legs and wing pattern with the help of a low power micro- scope. I noticed that the forewings had a small cell which I later found was called an areolet and it was this clue which led me to the ‘‘Key to the Ichneumonoidea’’ I was able to discover that my captures were of the family Ichneumonidae, but beyond a suspicion that they are 9° Ichneu- mon suspiciosus Wesmael, I can go no AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 further. I shall have to resort to the expert for verification. It seems to me that some expert could give a few more keys for species in the families of ichneumons which are frequently met by lepidopterists in the course of collecting or breeding their own specimens, or even a few drawings and notes of the commoner species of parasite. We are frequently urged to take more interest in_ these creatures but very little 1s done to whet our appetites. J. H. Jonson (1040). e LETTER TO THE EDITOR AN APPEAL FOR TEAM WORK Davin H. Hepresiy (1699) writes : — With reference to the letter by Mr. G. H. W. Cruttwell (118) (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 14: 36) may IT add a word or two? The idea of our Society is, or should be, to keep fellow entomolo- gists in contact with each other. It is surprising to me that, out of ap- proximately eight hundred mem- bers, a meagre dozen or so see fit, each month, to send in their few notes and results. In 1950 I remember reading (antea, 9: 93) of the suggested forming of study groups; here it was suggested that the ‘‘main function of groups would be to collect from the whole body of the A.E.S., the information which members discover and don’t know what to do with’’; I also read, somewhere, that secretaries of groups would send reports of progress in various investigations to the Bulletin for publication. How few of these reports we see. There must be many problems puzzling our members that the groups could elucidate. Tf we are going to be united as a society let us, for Heaven’s sake, work as a team. More so in particular in the study groups. Let us all hear of each other’s problems, investigations and results. [For Study Group antea, 14: 45.—Ep. | reports see A STUDY OF THE INSECTS LIVING ON THE WAYFARING TREE (6) (Continued from page 43) HEMIPTERA-HOMOPTERA Cercopis vulnerata Germar (Cercopidae). Frequent in May and June both in 1952 and 1953. This is the well-known red and black frog-hopper. They were found on the foliage and stems, sometimes several together. Aphrophora spumaria L. Adults frequent June-October. Philaenus leucophthalmus L. Adults from June to September. Frequent. Centrotus cornutus Ll. (Membracidae). 1953. Some were in cop. Jassidae. were not identified further. Cirius nervosus L. (Cixiidae). 13th 1953. pee enmes walkert Foerster (Chermidae). 195 C hermidae. towards the end of the summer, Aphis lantanae Koch. (Aphididae). Ceruraphis eriophori Walker (Aphididae). leaves. NEUROPTERA Chrysopa carnea Stephens (Chrysopidae). MECOPTERA Panorpa communis L. (Panorpidae). LEPIDOPTERA Several found on foliage on May 20th Several of these occurred at various times during the summer but Found on Sept. 28th 1952 and again on June A single specimen on Aug. 21st A number of other jumping plant-lice were found, especially but have not been identified. The causer of the curl-galls of the Green lacewing. Scorpion-fly. Very many accidental occurrences of larvae of Lepidoptera were noted dur- ing the course of this study. They had usually strayed from neighbour- ing plants or dropped from overhanging trees and shrubs. There were also many different species of adult butterflies and moths found resting on the leaves or branches. Among those noted were the Green Hairstreak, the Common Blue, and the Angle Shades moth. Pararge aegeria L. (Satyridae). The Speckled Wood Butterfly was seen feed- ing at the ripe fruits on Sept. 13th 1952. 48 JUNE 1955 Peronea schalleriana L. (Tortricidae). Coleophora ahenella von Heinemann (Coleophoridae). Lithocolletis lantanella Schrank (Gracillariidae). COLEOPTERA Risophilus atricapillus L. (Carabidae). Frequent in curled leaves. Probably preys on springtails. Oxytelus tetracarinatus Block (Staphylinidae). One only.. April. Cantharis nigricans Mueller (Cantharidae). Several. On flowers and foliage in May. Cantharis rustica Fallén (Cantharidae). On foliage in June. Rhagonycha lutea Mueller (Cantharidae). On foliage in June. Rhagonychya fulva Scopoli (Cantharidae). On foliage in July. Rhagonycha lignosa Mueller (Cantharidae). One only. On foliage in May. Metacantharis clypeata Illiger (Cantharidae). One only. On flowers in May. Malthodes minimus L. (Cantharidae). One only. On foliage in June. Adelocera murina L. (Elateridae). Frequent on foliage in May. Athous haemorrhoidalis Fabricius (Elateridae). A common slick beetle. Fre- quent on foliage in May and June. Agriotes acuminatus Stephens (Elateridae). Another click beetle. On the flowers in May. Denticollis nee. fi (Elateridae). A few on foliage in May. Dascillus carvinus lL. (Dascillidae). Several on foliage in June. Byturus tomentosus Degeer (Byturidae). Very common on the flowers in ay. Meligethes atratus Olivier (Nitidulidae). Two only. On flowers in May. Meliaethes favimanus Stephens (Nitidulidae). Given as M. lumbaris Sturm in the Check-List. A few only on flowers in May. Meligethes aeneus Fabricius (Nitidulidae). Very common on the flowers in May and probably also in the last weeks of April. Meligethes viridescens Fabricius (Nitidulidae). Common on flowers in May. Meligethes nigrescens Stephens (Nitidulidae). Common on the flowers in May. Given as M. picipes Sturm in the Check-List. Meligethes erythropus Gyllenhal (Nitidulidae). Common on flowers in May. Epuraea melina Sturm (Nitidulidae). Frequent on flowers in May. Epuraea deleta Sturm (Nitidulidae). A few on flowers in May. auton es acutangulus Gyllenhal (Cryptophagidae). A few on flowers in May. Olibrus corticalis Panzer (Phalacridae). One only in curled leaf. April. Corticarina gibbosa Herbst (Lathridiidae). Frequent on flowers, in curled leaves and in leaf pockets. Found from April to September. Adalia decempunctata L. (Coccinellidae). The 10-spot ladybird and the com- monest ladybird on the Wayfaring Tree. April to October. sald pomuneitee L. (Coccinellidae). The two-spot ladybird. April to ctober. Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coccinellidae). The seven-spot ladybird. May to November. Calvia 14-guttata L. (Coccinellidae). A less well-known ladybird. September to October. Psyllobora 22-punctata L. (Coccinellidae). The 22-spot ladybird. Also known as Thea 22-punctata L. One only on flowers in May. Exochomus quadripustulatus L. (Coccinellidae). One anid in June. Anaspis rufilabris Gyllenhal (Mordellidae). Common on flowers. May. Anaspis maculata Fourcroy (Mordellidae). Common on flowers in May. Isomira murina L. (Alleculidae). Several on foliage and on withering flowers in May and June. Gonodera luperus Herbst (Alleculidae). A few on foliage in June. Melolontha melolontha L. (Scarabaeidae). One only on flowers in May. The cockchafer. Ehalige rhe horticola L. (Scarabaeidae). On foliage. June. The Garden chafer. Clytus arietus L. (Cerambycidae). On foliage in June. The wasp-beetle. Cryptocephalus pusillus Fabricius (Chrysomelidae). One only. July. Cryptocephalus bipunctatus L. var. sanguinolentus (Chryenm emdanye A few — on foliage in June. Galerucella viburni Paykull (Chrysomelidae). The leaf-beetle of the Way- faring Tree, ae i epee ee wee = 7: 4 AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 49 Lochmaea crataegi Forster (Chrysomelidae). A few on foliage. April and May. A stray from hawthorn. Aphthona euphorbiae Schrank (Chrysomelidae). A flea-beetle. Very frequent on the foliage in April and a few on flowers in May. This beetle used to be considered uncommon but has been reported to be increasing in num- bers in various parts of the country. Formerly thought to be attached to spurges but the recent reports are of its occurrence on several different plants. Longitarsus luridus Scopoli (Chrysomelidae). Another flea-beetle. Several on foliage. April to October. Chaetocnema concinna Marsham (Chrysomelidae). Another flea-beetle. Fre- quent on foliage. in September 1952 and again in April 1953. Apion dichroum Bedel (Curculionidae). One only on flowers. May. Phyllobius virideaeris Laicharting (Curculionidae). Several in May and June. Phyllobius pyri L. (Curculionidae). One only. On flowers in May. Polydrosus cervinus I. (Curculionidae). One on flowers in May and one on foliage in June. Anthonomus rubi Herbst (Curculionidae). One on flowers in May and one on foliage in June. Curculio nucum L. (Curculionidae). The hazel-nut weevil. One only on foliage in August. Accidental. Ceuthorrhynchus sp. (Curculionidae). One only. On foliage in June. Species undetermined. Balanobius pyrrhoceras Marsham (Curculionidae). One only on flowers in May. Rhynchaenus fagi L. (Curculionidae). Several on foliage. Strayed from beech. This weevil hops like a flea-beetle. HYMENOPTERA Tenthredo temula Scopoli (Tenthredinidae). Bradley Brits wus. (Nat. Hust.) eee Micro-Lepidoptera DrevA ME aWaston, Great in multiples of 125 for one wording | 200 Sex Signs. Price 1/ 33 X Signs, 1 - oe Other labels as required 33 ALES. | : oe ’ oe se. - 1 West Ham Lane, London E.15 33 CD Dad d cde dn dedetende de dnd SAASASIAAS ASAT SS TD oe o¢ $9 OOO9 00909990 0OSOO4O 0000006500009 5OOS6OSO ee x | goss. CES aD dde-dododotndodededededededy ain dedotededededodedodededede-dndndedyte-do-tndedodrdetetede dete dptedntntndndntdndntndntedytndtndndndedodndednd SESE LEG doseage! | POPPPOPSLOD ODD OLED OOO OOOO OL EDLO DL OEEOOLODOLODOOO DOO DE OHOOHO OD HOO ODO OHO POODLE DOH ODODOOOOGOHODOEDOHOHOOS | | $0000O$S00640000050555SS5555O5OOS55555HH5r \ dD ddd bdodbdododbbbdbbbbbb bbb bbb obbbobbbobbboboet SESS | €. oe POPP OOO YPOOOO OPO OEO OOD ORO HOOOOD OOO OOOO EOOODODDO SOOO ODEODOSOOSOOOOSOOOSOOOOOSOOOOOOOOOOOOD OOOOH OOS |THE NEW BIOLOGIAN. = The Magazine of the Natural History Society of # lee | The Royal Grammar School, Lancaster / 33 ¢ ° -$ Containing an account of the Society’s Activities, Articles of % -$ general and special interest (including entomology), crossword and half-tone photographs. eee eee On sale from Ist July 1955, price 1/- (postage 14d.) 8 Apply 502 = ui 33 | THE EDITOR a “THE NEW BIOLOGIAN” 33 Royal Grammar School, Lancaster, Lancs. as: ooo POP EO SOSOSEOSOOOEOOE SOOO OOH9OO9OOOO0O9 09090909 00000O0990O00O008 Ddoododoododdoboodbttetnd z SOSHSHOSO SHO OOOSOOOD 00006990 0bebOSdosoeeesooseseoosresosessesossesoedseeessesesssesssesoreecs a ‘ae 9 999545555555455545555HSSSSSSSSSSoSSSR5RE EERE E02 TTT TTT SOeeoee oon Mssesestetectetecesteteseeteseseesestetesestesesesteceststesesssseseetesesteteststssesesessestses: s4 = RES Uee BACK NUMBERS | 2 33 WHERE TO WRITE | | OF THE Ss Ferg DUS int nt (age es ee IN. 33 _to: D. OLLEVANT, 3 Salcombe Drive. 33 Morden, Surrey. 33 1s. 3d. a copy 33 Advertisers to: L. W. SIGGs, 10 Repton ee Tid aiLADT oe 32 Road, Orpington, Kent. OF es COU es 33 B. . . BYE se Changes of address and non-arrival of Sut RLEY, 33 Bulletins £0:.-B) L..J. BYERLEY. 48 48 Elmgrove Road, 9 Elmgrove Road, Harrow, Middlesex. HARROW, Middlesex 33 Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit, a se etc., to: S. M. HANSON, 167 Gunners- | Complete volumes with covers and inders: x bury Park, London, W.35. —— hy Zi : Volume 7, 1946-8 232 pp. 21s. — 33 Manuseripts, drawings and books for| Volume 8,1949 96pp. 10s. 6d 33 review to: B. R. STALLWOOD, 19 Volume 9, 1950 108 10s. 33 Southfield Gardens, Strawberry Hill, Vol om ae 9 4 ae 405238 33 = Twickenham, Middz. eee ae Ppp iis 33 Volume 11,1952 116pp. 12s. 6 33 Subscriptions (12/- per annum, 6/- for Volume 12, 1953 96 pp. 12s. oe Juniors) to: R. W. WATSON, 63 Com- ~ - a $$ mercial Road, Totton, Southampton. Volume 13, 1954 116 pp. 12s. Ga ft Henderson nave ebinweOSSeaD: laraaie Ole 1954, J. econ. Ent., 47 (No. 5): 879-882. ? ~ Broadbent, L., Doncaster, J. P., Hull. R., and Watson, M. A. M., and Stapley. J He 1945, 1950, Ann. appl. Biol. 37: 316. 1932, Malayan Agricultural Journal 22: 123. 1955, Can. Ent. 87: 46-47. 1897, British Butterflies and Moths, 96-97. SERVILLIA URSINA MG. IN THE LAKE DISTRICT From R. Unperwoop (2338%*). ~. While on a walk in the Lake Dis- trict on April 15th, 1955, I noticed that several specimens of Servillia ursina Mg., a Tachinid, were to be seen flying about above a road and basking in the sun on rocks at the roadside. I found them present all along the road running through Rushland Valley (on the E. side of Lake Windermere). I sent a_speci- men to Dr. F. van Emden who has recently published some Tachinid Keys and he has kindly confirmed my identification. This species has ap- parently only been recorded once in the North of England (Cumberland) and even then there seems to have been some doubt about its validity. I do not claim to be an experienced _ dipterist, and I know very little of the Tachinids, but the above observa- tion does show that there is scope for new discoveries in this family, at least for the beginner, from the point of — view of distribution. } 2 1948, Proc. R. ent. Soe. Ann. appl. 2 | & AKS BULLETIN VOL. 14 G ‘ | Sussex ! Collector: ‘“Fladimmea, from Bagged ‘em all in my MVL’”. Entomologist : “‘Those contraptions must do a lot of harm?” Collector: “Not at all, old chap. We release all the common stuff’. ON THE MISUSE OF LIGHT TRAPS As a result of my plea for modera- tion in the use of M.V. lamps, I have received a number of communications and, in defending their use, it is noticeable that all employ the same argument, viz., that the bulk of the specimens coming to the trap are released. I am prepared to believe this but I am equally sure that if any rare or even uncommon species comes to the trap, its fate is sealed, and it takes the shortest journey to the store- box or cabinet. It is just these rarer species which we are concerned to preserve, and it is just these that the M.V. enthusiasts are decimating. Now I see a new danger has arisen in the shape of the collector of records (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. 14: 34). It is obvious that to identify correctly the moths coming to the trap and _ to count them effectively, all must be killed. As a sample of mass destruc- tion, the writer suggests that 200 moths on 200 nights may come to the trap, viz., 40,000; multiply this by 100 collectors making records, and we find their yearly depredations come to 4,000,000. Not bad for a scientific community. . F. C. Fraser (890). ) Erratum: Antea 14: 39b (line 41) for “‘virtual’’ please read ‘‘vertical’’. oY ABUNDANCE OF EULYPE HASTATA LINN. (LEP. HYDRIOMENIDAE) IN SURREY This pretty little day-flying moth, the Argent and Sable, appears to have increased in numbers during the last three years. The writer, who has been making observations in the woods of N. Sur- rey since 1942, recorded only an _ oc- casional single example until May 1953 when some dozens were observed. The same area was visited in 1954 and despite the lateness ot the season, the moth appeared to be even more abundant, and observations this year seem to indicate that the species is maintaining its numbers. The moth is found in oak-woods in association with Pseudopanthera ma- cularia Linn. (Selidosemidae) the Speckled Yellow moth, and the but- terfly Argynnis euphrosyne Linn. (Nymphalidae), the Pearl-bordered Fritillary. Its ‘season’ also appears to coincide roughly with these two insects, usually the last two weeks in May, and like many Geometrid moths is not always easy to approach, seemingly sensitive to sounds of high frequency. Freshly emerged specimens have been seen feeding at damp mud in company with euwphrosyne, but blue- bell and bugle blooms appear to be the usual sources of refreshment. On one occasion however the flowers of hawthorn proved attractive to has- tata, a plant that the writer has usually found to be avoided by most lepidoptera. B. R. Stattwoop (1547). @ CONTRIBUTIONS to the BULLETIN The Editor would like to ask mem- bers sending copy for publication, to write or type on one side of the paper only, and to draw diagrams with black indian ink on white paper. Co-operation on these small points, so easily overlooked, would be greatly appreciated. ' 8 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR REFERENCES—AND THE AMATEUR Peter G. Taytor (719) writes: — I was very distressed to read the note by Lt.-Col. F. C. Fraser (890) about Volucella zonaria Poda (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 14: 39). When I read Mr. James A. Ranger’s note on_ this species ( ibid., 14: 24) I was very impressed by his evident enthusiasm. accuracy, sound approach, and style, 60 to say nothing of his very competent drawing. If only there were more amateurs like him in their willing- ness to put their observ rations into print! I cannot understand Lt.-Col. Fraser’s hasty and intolerant atti- tude towards beginners, and _ the younger of our entomologists. When a young amateur takes a rarity, he wants first—if he is worth his salt— to record it: it does not happen to him often. If he also requests a little information and tenders a few humble suggestions, so much the better: a reply could be most informative—to all readers, not just himself. Surely he should keenness. How can an amateur, and especially a young one, be expected, with the limited resources at his disposal, to search the literature for odd crumbs of information about his find? As Lt.-Col. Fraser’s own references im- ply, this would entail the enormous labour of a search through several hundred volumes of the major periodi- cals, and the perusal of some exorbitantly priced text-books. How can the amateur, with his limited means and time, be expected to do this? The only efficient methods of doing so involve a visit to London for at least one whole day, probably several, and access to a _ large entomological library. The former involves great expense, and the latter the discouragement of complicated procedure for obtaining permission, etc., or, at least, the joining of a major entomological society’ (more money) to gain access to its library. No, sir, let us be realistic about the capacity of amateurs, and tolerant of their limitations. Let us be helpful and encourage them, and try to see their point of view. From L. W. Siees (243) :— I trust that none of your contribu- tors will be discouraged by Lt.-Col. Fraser’s opinion (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. 14: 38) that the failure to con- sult existing literature is ‘‘a common failing’ in students of entomology in their early studies of an Order new to them. Many of them do not have access to back numbers of the Journals and some have not the time to check through them to establish a point. I think that the Bulletin serves a useful purpose in affording to amateurs the help which experts like Lt.-Col. Fraser so kindly give. Incidentally, the cartoon (ibid: 40), presumably from the hand of Lt. not be rebuked for his Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. *55. Society, SULY 1955 Col. Fraser, amused me in a way © which I imagine he did not intend. My search is not complete, but so far I can find no reference to the capture of a 9 Catocala fraxim L. in a light trap. The caption should surely read : — Mrs. Fraxini: Yes, I’m the last of my race Mr. Cervus: What, hydrogen bomb? Mrs. Fraxini: No, sugar! J see that Lt.-Col. Fraser’s interests are O., N., Orth. Could it be that L. is a new Order to him and that he did not check his references? If so, of course, he proves his point. ) REVIEW The World of Small Animals. By T. © H. Savory. Pp. 160. with black and white plates and line draw- ings. Price 15/-. University of London Press. Many naturalists must have been — attracted to the study of some of the less well-known groups of inverte- brates, only to be deterred by the difficulty of finding literature suitable to help them over the initial stages, and by lack of easily obtainable works dealing with identification. . This book is an attempt to satisfy — that need, and it will undoubtedly encourage the study of some of the less popular groups. There are chapters on earthworms, woodlice, — silver-fish, earwigs, cockroaches, ants, dragonflies, mosquitoes, centipedes, — harvestmen, false-scorpions and slugs. Keys for the identification of British species are included in some of them. Amongst so much that is very good, it is unfortunate that there should be some shortcomings that may mislead the beginner who does not already know something about the subject. In the chapter on cockroaches, the inclusion of a metatarsus in the description of the leg is an unfortun-— ate slip, and a little fur ther on when the arolia are mentioned it is mislead-_ ing not to point out that they are not possessed by Blatta orientalis Linn. which is the cockroach most likely to- be encountered first. The keys also are over-simplified in some cases, and this may lead to wrong identifications. This is especially so in the key to woodlice, where too much reliance is placed on colour. However, the book contains so much good advice and use- ful and sound information that the keen all-round naturalist will want a copy on his bookshelf. K Ga Soa oae SOSSSSHSSSS SSS SSHSHHSSH SSH SSOHSHHHSHSHSSSSSHSHOH HHS HSS OOOH OOHSSHSSHSOHH HO HHO HOODOO HHOOOOOOOHOOOD | Etbsbstesesseses ses es SS SESeSSe See Serie Sessa teases Sess SesteSe esas Se See Se SSeS Se Sas SESE Ses Se ees sar ay oe > oe 33 ARGENTINA | 33 ae. Eggs and Pupae of Butterflies and Moths. 3 Lepidoptera and all Orders of Insects in papers. 3 Detailed Atlas of the Argentine Republic, 30s. post free. 33 PUPAE OF PAPILIO BUTTERFLIES (Minimum Order, £2). 54 Euryades duponchelii, ......... 7/- each _ Papilio polydamas, ......... 7/- each 33 Papilio perrhebus, ......... 2/- each POPP OCESOEHOH OOOOH OS SOSSOOS HOPE SHOES OOOO OOH DOOOHOD — . Payable in Great Britain. 33 All Material despatched by Air Mail. Apply to:— $$ F. H. 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This gives the equivalents in the four languages of 1500 beekeeping and entomological terms _ 33 9OO9O9OOSO OO SPHHOHHHO HOOD Bee World—international scientific journal about bees 3 Apicultural Abstracts—summaries of all important publications about $3 bees and allied subjects 3S oN SIPSOPEOEOOSOSOSOSOOSOSSOOSOOSOSS * ce ; ‘Membership, £1 a year pidge - 33 a Write for details to the Director: . 33 C822,202' ° SES 900009000 0000050060 500060060900 OOOOO9OOOEOECOOOE SOOO 99000090 90000O00000006O6000O400000000000008 | bs SOOSSOOSO OOS ENOCEOSESSOeeSOSOSSSOoSeeeeresesesessseesdeseseresesssesssesssoossosecesoseesoeseeeeeeR et, 4 J ete TLLSSLSSSSSSHSSLSSSSSH HSSSSSSSSSHSHSS Sooo HSS Hoo SoSH ooHoHoo Soo | bitte RA ES AA LADLE SDAA AIS AAA Bo tech AAD nl doch dab DRAB ENE KA IAA SII IA LAI ILA ISG Se eseoeoooel } * ENTOMOLOGIST’S GAZETTE ae er +: oe A Quarterly Journal Devoted to British Entomology 8333 E333333334 eeeese ae r¢ # Well illustrated by coloured and plain plates and text 3 figures. < oe0ee Nera: Nee 4 oo + ¢ ? ¢ e -# = Deals with all Orders of British Insects ane with all 3 subjects of importance to the Entomologist. eS @a Be. 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OLLEVANT, 3 Salcombe Drive.| Members can help the Society in 3 me Morden, Surrey. several ways:— . $3 Advertisers to: L. W. SIGGS, 10 Repton ’ : — 3 $3 ‘ if (a) By dealing with advertisers $3 $$ Road, Orpington, Kent. “= at a 33 and mentioning the Bulletin. ¢ ¢: Changes of address and non-arrival of : 3; Bulletins fo: B. L. J. BYERLEY. 481(h) By bringing in new members. $s 4x Elmgrove Road, Harrow, Middlesez. $$ (Subscription, 12/- per annum. $4 3 Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit, Juniors, 6/- per annum.) $3 etc., to: S. M. HANSON, 467 Gunners- 3 AES TA SEERA ORS 7 (c) By buying AES publication il “s oe $; Manuscripts, drawings and books for and suggesting Public Libraries oes $$ ~=6review to: B. R. STALLWOOD, 19 should buy them. $s Southfield Gardens, Strawberry Hill, : Se een ee (d) By friendly co-operation with % oe " $: Subscriptions (12/- per annum, 6/- for other members. 33. Juniors) to: R. W. WATSON, 63 Com- 4 mercial Road, Totton, Southampton.|(e) By taking just that extra bitl z $3 Youth matters to: F. C. BROWN. of trouble required to reco rd 3 s$ 6 Osmond Gardens, Wallington, happenings of note for the : a Surrey. Bulletin. — — Weetedetngede teen Going bngrP gird Gn dG dedee GGfnnPrrPPPIrCIC EAI nia EIEN seseeesnoccecenesecssseensenassspensocsrsesesnasneesensunences nen’. t 2. = ii ie os: * a . al if a available. COLLECTING FLEAS (SIPHONAPTERA) Insects of this Order have received similar treatment to that accorded to most small insects . . . lack of atten- tion, although their medical im- portance, in some cases, has relieved the situation somewhat. In actual fact they are easy to collect, easy to store, and, once the Royal Entomol- ogical Society Handbook on _ their identification appears, the British species will be easy to identify in almost all cases. The British list in respect of this Order includes about 56 species and sub-species, but at the moment of writing two of the sub-species have not yet been described. Most of them should be found in every British county, but there are obvious exceptions, which are limited in their distribution by the distribution of their hosts. Of the others, some are very host specific, but their hosts are spread over most of the country, and others are less host specific and are able to adapt themselves to what ever suitable host happens to be As an example of the for- mer we could consider Ceratophyllus hirundinis Curtis, which is a parasite of the House Martin, or Ceratophyllus Styx Roths. from Sand Martins and as a more adaptable flea we could consider Ceratophyllus gallinae Schrank which infests many different birds and especially the Passerines. It is quite obvious, therefore, that the collection of a fully representa- tive collection of the fleas of any area means that the birds and mammals of the area have to be known and either the animals themselves or their nests obtained and examined.’ During this process: other ectoparasites are fre- quently found and should be preserved for examination by the appropriate specialists. Collecting from nest or hibernacula material depends upon the apparatus available to the collector. A Berlese funnel can be used, but the immature Stages are often killed, and they can- not be reared. For small nests I use a narrow-bladed scalpel or penknife, @ Spare tin, a large sheet of white Paper and the tube into which the No. [76 AUGUST 1955 specimens are placed. The nest, in the tin used for original collection, is placed in the middle of the sheet, opened, and a very small amount of the nest material removed. This is shredded over the paper, fleas that appear are caught on the dampened blade and popped into the tube which contains 70% alcohol. In the meanwhile the tin lid has been re- placed. When there are no more fleas to collect from the material, it is tipped into a spare tin and a further sample of the nest removed for examination. This continues until all the nest has been searched and transferred into the spare tin. A drop or two of water are added to keep the atmosphere damp and the lid replaced and sealed with selo- tape. Larger nests are dealt with in the kitchen sink. This receives about one inch depth of water, a small stand placed in the centre and the nest containing tin placed on the stand. The lid is removed and the shredding process carried out over the open tin. Unless the tin con- tains a vast number of fleas the lid need not be replaced, as everything that hops out lands in the water where it is trapped. As _ before, shredded material is transferred to a spare tin and the fleas, collected from the water surface by the scalpel blade, are put in the alcohol tube. Each sample of nest material should be examined at least twice. Collecting from the animal means catching the animal first. The smaller rodents can be easily caught by nipper traps, slightly larger animals such as grey squirrels can be shot (and their tails collected as well as their fleas) and for a supply of the bigger animals, badger and fox, the the kindness of local farmers must be sought. The apparatus this time consists of a supply of cloth bags of various sizes suitable for the animals it is hoped to obtain, a large tin, some chloroform or ether and tubes of alcohol. In all cases the dead animal should be moved as little as possible before being placed in the bag so the bag, widely opened, is placed on the ground by the body which is gently moved into the bag. This is then closed with string or an elastic band, 62 AUGUST 1955 and, later on, placed in the tin and a few drops of chloroform or ether added. A few minutes later on the bag is removed from the tin and can be emptied on to a sheet of white paper and the fleas tubed. The seams of the bag should be examined, not only to make a maximum collection, but also to prevent contamination of future collections, and the fur or feathers of the animals brushed to and fro to find any fleas which did not leave the body on death. Men- tion of birds reminds me that col- lectors must observe the provisions of the Protection of Birds Act, 1954, and obtain a permit before they start killing a variety of birds. Permits under this Act are issued by the Nature Conservancy. Fleas leave bird bodies very rapidly after death, and they must be bagged without any delay whatsoever. Mammal fieas tend to stay on the bodies consider- ably longer, but the length of stay seems to be shortened by high air temperature. Consequently traps must be examined as soon as possible after dawn. As many small rodents start moving and feeding actively in the evening, another examination should be made about dusk. TI find that it is rare to take small rodents during the mid-day, although it is not unknown. Large animals cannot be bagged conveniently, but they can be wrappe in newspaper and then hung over a bath of water when at home. The fleas will drop from the carcase into the water and can then be collected with ease. The newspaper wrapping must be examined before it is dis- carded. I always use a separate tube for each host, in almost all cases the 14 inch x 5% is plenty big enough and I have one in front of me now which contains 800 specimens of C. hirun- dinis. The preservative used is always 70% alcohol. Formalin is NEVER used as it prevents satisfac- tory microscope slide making of the specimens. In every tube there should be a label giving all the data; local- ity, host, date, collector, ecological data if of interest, identification of the contents. The data labels should never be on the outside of the tube. Information can be written in pen- cil or, preferably, Indian ink. Care should be taken over the paper used as T find that certain papers are made with a size that is easily displaced by the alcohol and appears as a fluffy sludge in the tube. Mounting the specimens as micro- scope preparations involves a num- ber of stages which can be summar- ized as follows :— Gi) Immersion in 20% KOH solu- tion until the fat contents of the body have been dissolved, care must be taken not to over- bleach the specimen. (ii) Distilled water for ove hour. If hard water is used deposits of potassium compounds may ap- pear; they may, but may not vanish in the next process. (iii) 5% aqueous solution of glacial acetic acid for half an hour. (iv) Two immersions in distilled water, one hour. (v) Place the specimen on a clean slide, carefully arrange the legs, using two very fine needles with the aid of a powerful lens. Put on a coverslip and run absolute alcohol under the _ coverslip from a small pipette. 95% alcohol or dehydrated meths may be used. Large fleas must be covered by half a slide as the pressure of a _ coverslip would be insufficient. Leave for half an hour. (vi) Place in absolute an hour at least. (vii) Place in oil of cloves until they sink, at least a day. (viii) Place in xylol (twice); about ten minutes. (ix) Mount in canada balsam dis- solved in xylol. The flea should be centrally placed on the slide, alcohol for on its’ right hand _ side, with its back towards the worker. Only one specimen should go under one coverslip, (x) Dry the slides in an oven at 80°-90° C. for about half an hour. Regulo Mark 3 does well with a gas oven. (xi) Label the slide. The literature of this group is scattered in many journals and much of it is very difficult to obtain. A small general book is The Flea, Rus- sell, H., 1913, €.U.P.; "at 6/-. “The only published key to the British species is by Rothschild, N. C., Ent. mon. Maq.. 1915, but this is almost unobtainable. A new key is being compiled by Mr. F. G@. A. M. Smit and in the meanwhile his Donner. G. E. C. Gads Forlag, 1954 (this is a key to the Danish flea fauna), serves admirably as there are few differences between the flea lists of Denmark and Great Britain. Embryology is dealt with by Kessel, E. L., 1939, Smith- AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 sonian Misc. Coll., 98 (8), and skele- tal anatomy by Snodgrass, literal Oe 1946, Smithsonian Misc. Coll. 104 (18). A most useful bibliography is in Costa Lima, A. da, 1946, ees grafias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fleas, eeu and Cuckoos by othe. child, M., and Clay, T., 1952, Collins. is a most useful book which should be owned by everyone interested in bird parasites. IT shall be delighted to attempt the determination of specimens obtained by members or to receive nest mate- rial from which fleas can be extracted. Though the general British distribu- tion of most of our species is fairly well known there are plenty of gaps and these can only be closed by much more collecting. R. S. Georce (1402). @. PRACTICAL HINTS — August August, the month for holidays, sugaring and beating for larvae. Probably more people beat and search for larvae this month than during the rest of the year; why? Because they (the larvae I mean!) are fully fed and near pupation, thus produc- ing moths with the minimum of labour—apart from that expended in the actual process of obtaining! Also. there are a goodly number of species in the larval state at this time. Young Larvar. The trouble some folk go to with larvae just hatched is amazing. Glass topped tins, glass jars with pieces of glass on top, ete., ete. Some species must be started in this way but tree feeders do not _re- quire anything more elaborate than a glass bottomed collecting box. The method: Size of box is dependent on the species and number. Make a small hole in the flange of the box as near to the ‘shoulder’ (where the box and lid meet) as possible. Insert the stalk of the foodplant through this hole. transfer the infants with a small camel-hair paint brush. Should your moth have laid her eggs on the blottine paper with which vou should have lined the ‘laying box’, you can transfer the whole lot, cutting off surplus paper first, of course. The box is then stood on a small jar con- taining water. In this nursery your babies will thrive, and in some cases need no attention for a week. As they crow larger boxes may be brought into service until such time as thev can be safely housed in a larger breeding cage. 63 Colias croceus Fourcr. (Clouded Yellow). Keep an eye on the clover and lucerne fields this month, in case we get an influx of this migratory species. Hesperia comma Linn. (Silver- Spotted Skipper) will be on the wing this ~ month.’ Chalk-hills are its favoured haunts, and the area around Box Hill, Surrey, is a good locality. Moths on the wing this month in- clude : —Campaea margaritata Linn. (Light Emerald), Pseudoips bicolor- ana Fuessly (Searece Green Silver- Lines), Orgyia antiqua Linn. (Vapourer), Acasis wiretata Hb. (Yellow-Barred Brindle), Pheosia gnoma Fab. (Lesser Swallow Pro- minent), Lophopteryx cucullina Schiff. (Maple Prominent), Stilbia anomala Haw. (Anomalous). Search the flowers of Ragwort early in the evening for this species. Ragwort. particularly when grow- near near the sea, will often be worth a visit after dusk. Tilt the whole flowerhead over the net before switch- in on the torch, otherwise many in- sects will drop off into the grass and be lost. R. V. Atpriper (262). C) THE 1955 JUNIOR MEMBERS NUMBER The November issue of the Bulletin will. it is hoped, be written entirely bv Junior Members. This scheme, which was first tried out in 1953, has proved only partly successful, and we have not yet managed to get 100% of the articles and other contributions by Juniors. There must be many of our younger members who have interesting infor- mation and ideas which they could pass on to others, and a number who have expressed the wish to help the Society could well do so by contribut- ing to this issue. As it is my first year as your Youth Secretary I should be extremely pleased to see a bumper Bulletin full of useful suggestions and tales of en- tomolcgical experiences—funny or otherwise. I shall probably never have the chance to meet you all, but our interests are the same, so do write about them and give the rest of us the benefit of knowing you through your writing. Material for the Bulletin should reach the Editor by the 12th Septem- ber. 1955. Drawings should be in black Indian ink on white paper, and should be twice the size they would 64 appear if used in the Bulletin; that is 44” wide for reduction to single column width. F. C. Brown (2414), Youth Secretary. LIGHT ON THE STOEP—AND ON THE SUBJECT Before embarking on the main- stream of this article I should like to make some sort of apologia for my continual appearances under other people’s headings. I have noticed how frequently ques- tions are posed in articles in the Bulletin, or, if not actually asked, implied. Some of these may be rhetorical, and asked just in order to make readers think about a subject for themselves, but I cannot help feeling that most of them are really asked in hope of an answer. In any case, some sort of an attempt should be made to answer such questions, whether rhetorical or genuine, in or- der to fulfil the obligations implicit in our Objects. These replies should be given due publicity in subsequent Bulletins, so as to avoid leaving ques- tions in mid-air, and readers groping for solutions. This is not a criticism of editorial methods, but of the lazi- ness, or lack of confidence of mem- bers unwilling to move themselves, and “‘stick their necks out’’ in an at- tempt to help their fellow-members. T have noticed also how few ques- tions are actually answered, even partially, in the Bulletin, and, al- though I realise that some may be answered by members writing direct to the questioner, I feel that, for the reasons indicated in my last para- graph, this is not enough. In fact, my own experience lends support to my argument: I have rarely been written to by anyone trying to answer my questions, and, although a few rare exceptions have borne fruit (sometimes a very unexpectedly heavy crop!) most of my published ques- tions have been quite sterile of pub- lished replies. T have therefore been goaded into an attempt, made at the risk of gain- ing a reputation as a self-opinion- ated know-all, to set an example to my fellow-members in doing my best to help them out of the sort of morass in which IT have so often found my- self floundering—and, incidentally, continue to do. Come along, then, my colleagues. of the net and the beating-tray! That little bit of relevant knowledge or ants, mites, ticks, etc.). AUGUST 1955 experience may be an enormous help to somebody else, and will probably elicit more information, some of which will be useful to you. In any event, what you write is sure to be of some use to some one (maybe to yourself, as it will probably be taken up if controversial!), and can do httle harm. If you say nothing, you are only hiding your talents, and will never even know whether it is legal currency or counterfeit; whereas, if you speak up, at worst you will find out that you have been wrong (which is a good thing to do), and at best, you may be able to contribute materi- ally to human knowledge. And now, having got that lot off my chest, I will try to answer a few more questions, this time put by Mr. A. H. Newton (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 138, 96-98). Firstly. evolution never treats any- thing badly. It is a quite automatic process by which, by virtue of the perpetual variation of all strains of living things (and, incidentally, non- living things), certain of their varia- tions are eliminated by succumbing to adverse environmental factors. The remainder may survive and either stagnate, when a slight change in environmental conditions exter- minates them, or continue to produce variations, some of which may he even better suited to a successful fioht against their environment than their ancestors. Thus, while a certain sort of variation, such as the convex back and thick armour of a beetle or a tortoise. may confer upon its owner an excellent protection against one sort of enemy (in this case large-sized predators), that same variation may | bring with it a host of minor but none-the-less uncomfortable snags (gravitational instability and conse- | quent vulnerability to attacks by There are two other factors to be | considered. First, the selection of a | particular variant by the environment mav ‘“‘trigger off’? a genetical process | which gives rise to a trend in the form of the individual (the ‘‘pheno- type’’) which in its early stages is | beneficial. but as it progresses, may |” become lethal. Examples of this pro- | cess, functionally related to the | armour of beetles and tortoises, may | have been the creat armour-plated | Saurians like Triceratops. or the ex- | tinct fishes. the Ostracodermi. Secondly, and related to the last factor, it may be (and | often is) that an evolutionary line. which was selected by some adverse Placodermi and | — AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 environmental factor, such as an enemy, long in the past, has persisted up to the present day, while the enemy itself has long since vanished or turned its attention to other vic- tims. This fact is often overlooked, especially by opponents of the process which has been very badly named “Mimiecry’. They argue that, be- cause a ‘‘mimic’s’’ major enemies are invertebrate (in the case of insects resembling vertebrates in aspect to human eyes, and therefore, possibly, to other vertebrates’ eyes) and these invertebrate enemies cannot possibly perceive the resemblance, it would be functionless anyway. To my mind, the fact that such a ‘‘mimic’s’’ prin- cipal enemies are now invertebrate bears excellent witness to the efficacy of the resemblance to a vertebrate as a protection against vertebrate enemies. It is a very humiliating thought that we, like other living things, and like non-living things, survive solely as a result of the ability to avoid de- struction which is conferred upon us by our structure and its mode of functioning. As for the frogs which were at- tracted to light, it is highly unlikely that the brain-structure of. a frog would allow it to know, 1.e., to be con- sciously aware, that it would find in- sects near a light, as harmless lights of sufficient brightness to attract in- sects are rare in that part of Nature unassociated with Man. For the same reason, it is even less likely that phototropism in frogs would have been preserved by natural selection on account of its dietetic advantages. What is far more likely is that frogs are like so many other animals that rely principally on their sense of sight (including Man). To any animal, a stimulus which has any meaning at all for the animal will have either an attracting or a repelling effect, both of which will be instinc- tive at first. I cannot think of any case ‘except, perhaps, navigation with respect to a light or a_ land- mark) in which an animal gains by keeping ‘“‘side-on’’ to a directional stimulation. With bright lights, then, animals to which illumination is an advantage will tend to bé posi- tively phototropic, whereas those that normally shun bright light (because otherwise they would soon fall prey to enemies) tend to be negatively photo- tropic. I have heard several reports of cats being attracted to M/V and other light-traps, and what driver has not noticed when driving at night that he has to make a conscious effort to pull himself (and the car!) out of the oncoming headlights? As for the effect of moonlight on numbers of insects attracted to light, it may be that there is some other factor involved, but regular analysis of lght-trap records suggests very strongly that the smaller numbers caught are a result of the reduction in contrast between light-source and background, caused by the general ilumination by the moon-light. I have myself noticed that, on full- moon nights, the only insects I have taken at my bedroom light have come in when the moon has been blotted out by heavy cloud. There are, moreover, many exclamatory re- ports of large numbers of moths taken at sugar, ivy or honey-dew on the brightest moon-lit nights. To all those interested in, or merely puzzled by, the effects of lights on night-flying insects, may I enthusias- tically recommend an_ informative paper by Messrs. H. 8S. and P. J. M. Robinson, published in 1950, Hnt. Gazette, Vol. I, No. 1, and entitled “Some Notes on the Observed Be- haviour of Lepidoptera in Flight in the Vicinity of Lght-sources, together with a Description of a Light-trap Designed to Take Entomological Samples’’. Have Mr. Newton, or any other of ‘four exotic Members’’, tried other methods of collecting used in our own more gentle countryside, or are they too hazardous for the Tropics? I refer, of course, particularly to _sugaring’’, pupa-digging, and ‘‘beat- ing’’. Peter G. Taynor (719). ® FRESHWATER ECOLOGY AT MALHAM TARN From the 18th to the 25th of August, 1954, two AKS members, T. H. Pennington (2315*) and R. Un- derwood (2338*) attended a course on Freshwater Ecology at Malham Tarn, Yorkshire. Although not primarily entomological, this course introduced us to many interesting aquatic in- sects. Tt is perhaps best to give short accounts of the most interesting of these; it is hoped that they will give the reader an idea of the extremely varied and interesting insect life of the Tarn and its surroundings. In the Plecoptera (Stoneflies) two genera were found, Perla and Nemoura.. Nymphs of these were found in Gordale Beck, a swift-flow- 66 ing stream in which many interesting captures were made. No adults were found, these only lving for a few days. Four different types of Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) nymphs were found in the beck. These were flat nymphs living in strong currents, burrowing nymphs, swimming nymphs and creep- ing nymphs. Two genera found in the first type were Heptagenia and Ecdy- onurus. The Eedyonurus nymph was extremely broad and flat with very large limbs, being specially adapted for clinging on to stones. In the second type, burrowing nymphs, the genus Hphemera was found. These live in tunnels which they make in sandy mud near the edge of the stream. Swimming nymphs _ found were all members of the genus Baetis ; the other genus of Mayfly nymph found was Hphemerella, a creeping nymph. Among the water bugs we dis- covered Corizxa striata Linn. (Gordale Beck), Velia currens Fabr. (Gordale Beck) and Micropecta powert D. & S. (the North rocky shore and East Sedge Beds of the Tarn). Young specimens of ©. striata were found in the Fast Sedge Beds. Perhaps the most interesting Order which we studied was the Trichopv- tera (Caddis Flies). Both case-build- ing and web-spinning larvae were found. A genus included in the second category was Polycentropus, which builds a silk net something like the shape of a swallow’s nest with the opening facing the current. Another eaddis which does not make a case was Tinodes. adult specimens of T. waeneri Linn. being found in the boat-house on the north shore of the Tarn. Many case-building larvae live in the Tarn and the streams flowing into it, snch genera as Hydroptila, Rhyacophila and TLimnophilus being found. A rare caddis, Agrypnetes crassi- cornis McLachlan. occurs at the Tarn. but we were too late in the year to see the adult stage in flight. Quite a few genera of aquatic beetles occur at Malham, both com- mon and rare species being found. Genera which we recorded included Platambus, Deronectes, Helodes, Hali- plus, Macroplea and Helmis. _ One or two specimens (cocoons and adults) of the rare water beetle Macroplea appendiculata Panz. were found in the Tarn. This insect, in the adult stage. clings to the roots of Potamogeton AUGUST 1955 (pondweed); it was only found by examining the roots of pondweed which we took from the Tarn. Our observations of the aquatic Diptera were entirely concerned with the larvae. Chironomid larvae were universally found, some of the large red Chironomus larvae also being seen. Larvae and pupae of Tipula were seen on the North rocky shore, Diza larvae also being observed in the Tarn (Kast Sedge Beds). The well-known Phantom larva (Chaoborus) was found in the Acid Peat Pools on the Tarn moss. The long cylindrical body of this larva is completely transparent, the only easily visible structures are the black eyes and two pairs of air-filled hvdrostatic organs, one at either end of the animal. Anopheles pupae were taken in Gordale Beck. Another well-known dipterous larva found was that of Simulium, which also occurred in the Beck. This larva can make silk threads, and if it is displaced by the current it will let out a ‘life-line’ and eventually climb back along the thread to its original position. In conclusion, I should like to thank Mr. P. F. Holmes, M.A.,. Warden of the Centre, who conducted the course. for giving us much useful informa- tion and help. T H. Penntneton (2315*). & MORE ON HAIRWORMS T can add just a little to Mr. H. K. Airy Shaw’s note (antea: 37-38) con- cerning these endoparasites. Two hairworms have been brought to me by my pupils, but unfortunate- ly I find that I have failed to keep exact notes of the occurrences. As some small consolation I have sent both specimens to the British Museum (Natural Historv) where they have been examined by experts. The first, sent to the B.M.(N.H.) on 14.v.53, was determined by Mr. S. Prudhoe as Parachordodes pustulosus (Baird) (Nematomornha, Gord'idae), Maisemore. Glos.. B. R. Elkins. found whilst washing a lettuce from the garden. The second Mr. W. G. Inglis determined as a mature female Mermis nigrescens Dujardin, found in a vegetable garden. Glos. 11.v1i.53. My note of the finder’s name is miss- ing. In each case the worm was free from its host and both finders, being unaware of the _host/parasite rela- tionship, made no search for the host. R. S. Georee (1402), AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR MR. ALFRED LAURANCE From J. C. Nort (19183) With reference to the Obituary notice concerning Mr. Alfred Laur- ance, Bull. amat. Ent. Soc., 14, 27, the two statements in the first para- graph, must, I am afraid, be dis- counted, owing to lack of corrobora- tion. THE PURPLE EMPEROR—AND THE ATTRACTION OF WHITE CLOTH Prerer G. Taybor (719) writes :— Wath reference to Mr. L. W. Siggs’ letter (Bull. amat, Ent. Soc.: 13, 114) I should like to quote the Rev. William Kirby, Rector of Bar- ham from 1782 to 1850, who wrote, in the early 19th century, as follows :— ‘‘A table-cloth spread on the grass in the open parts of a wood I have known allure several scarce insects: a lady’ s white dress is eaually attrac- tive”’ This passage is meted bya Ni. R: B. M. Allan in “SA Moth-hunter’s Gossip’’, with especial reference to the capture of the Purple Emperor, and Mr. Allan’s comments and embel- lishments are, as usual, highly enter- taining. Thus it seems that, although white nylon was unknown even 50 years ago, the general method was known nearly 150 years ago, and Mr. Allan had foreseen and suggested its application to the capture of Apatura iris Linn. at least 18 years ago. Surely this does not mean that there is a lepidopterist—and an ex- perienced one like Mr. Siggs—who has not read all of Mr. Allan’s ‘“Moth’’ books at least three times? To be more serious for a moment, 1 should lke to suggest that the at- traction—to some insects, at least, including A. iris—of white cloth is of a. kind with the attraction of aquatic, flying insects for the polished bonnet of a car, or the shining glass roof of a green-house. Quite a num- ber of instances of the latter have been recorded lately, including seve- ral cases where eggs, normally laid in water, have been deposited in such lethal situations. It would appear that the ‘‘releaser’’ (to use Lorenz’s term) for (i) settling and (11) oviposi- tion Is quite simply. the sighting of a bright, smooth surface, with the addition, for (11), of contact with a surface. 67 It is well known that A. wns is wont to come down to dink from puddles, and it probably lccates these by a simple response to a_ sky- reflecting surface. A white cloth would probably appear very similar even to the eye of a Purple Emperor. REVIEWS The London Naturalist. Journal of the London Natural MHstory Society, 1954, No. 34. 186 pp. + Supplement; 8 plates. Price 7/6, Gee with Bird Report 11/-. The value of local lists has been a debatable subject for many years, the question of what to put in, and what to leave out. Of course, the ideal would be a detailed record of exact localities, but many entomologists are naturally chary about giving away the whereabouts of scarce species in case they should be ex- terminated by less conscientious col- lectors. Therefore a compromise usually comes about by giving ap- proximate localities only, particularly for uncommon species, and far too often summarily dismissing the abundant ones as ‘“‘common_ every- where’, giving the impression that they are evenly distributed and com- mon over the entire county, or smaller area, under consideration. This is often far from true as no doubt many collectors have found, particularly with species such as the Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Small Heath and Small Copper. More details then, of our common species can surely be given in local lists, of their /ocal distribution and ecological requirements, without fear of their being wiped out, and thus furnishing a more accurate scientific record for future entomologists to consult. The four excellent local lists of butterflies and moths in the book under review, go a long way to pro- vide this information. They deal with the butterflies of Wimbledon Common and the North West Kent Marshes, the macro-lepidoptera of Bookham Common, and Dr. C. G. M. de Worms’s ‘‘Moths of London and its Surroundings’’. All four are very useful in the reviewer’s opinion, giving, in combination, times of appearance, habits, types of habitat, and, in the case of the Wimbledon list, details of flowers visited for nectar, a much neglected subject. 68 Baron de Worms continues his list in this issue by dealing with the Agrotidae. For dipterists, E. R. Nye deseribes the Culicidae of the London Area, which includes a Key to the species, and the fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals of Woolwich are discussed by R. G. Rigden. It is good to see ecology featuring so largely, and with the Progress Report of the Survey of Bookham Common (13th year) the flora and fauna of the bomb-crater ponds and gun-pits are considered: and other articles include botanical lists, notes on climate, geology and other sub- jects in relation to the London Area: book reviews, ete. A minor criticism is that in the compiling of the book, the grouping of subjects could with advantage be improved, to avoid, for instance, sandwiching a botanical article be- tween two entomological ones. Never- theless the contributors and members of the L.N.H.S. are to be congratu- lated in producing a useful, inexpen- sive and well written volume. LSS Evoiution of an Insect Society. By Derek Wragge Morley. 1955. 211 pp.. 31 plates. George Allen & Unwin, London. Price 18/-. To the entomologist who has not made a special study of ants, the Wood Ant (Formica rufa Linn.) is perhaps the most attractive British species, mainly due to its noticeable size and habits. The large nests of this species are part of the heath and woodland scene, particularly in Surrey and Hampshire. Derek Wragge Morley, through vears of patient observation, literally takes the reader down into these ant cities to watch the small inhabitants perform their daily tasks, and he uses this specialised social species as an example of evolutionary develop- ment. The author first describes a com- mune of Wood Ants (i.e. an aggre- gation of several friendly nests that have sprung from a mother nest) then he traces forward the origins of their behaviour from the days of their primitive ancestors, that were almost. individual in habit, and lived in very small colonies of a dozen or so. For the sake of illustration he uses existing and related tropical species of similar economy. The evolution of the Queens; and printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologis Society, 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. ‘955. AUGUST 1955 of the grubs from the primitive type — that were mobile, and were capable of feeding themselves, to the specialised that are helpless and wholly depen- dent on the worker ants for susten-_ ance, is fully described, also, the manner in which the work of a modern colony is apportioned among its individuals. The story makes fascinating read- ing, written in a modern style and free from any anthropomorphic out- look, which is difficult when describ- ing the habits of any social animal. The author concludes by saying ‘We should not attempt to compare the social behaviour of ants and men, yet it may well prove that we can learn something of the simple basic mechanisms of society, by studying their societies rather than our own. As long as we maintain that a society functions either by predestination or — else think of it in simplified human — terms as we do in the case of the pri-_ mitive societies of the apes, then we shall learn little from our studies of animal societies. We are merely burking the issue. Instead of seek- ing to study social mechanisms we are attempting to find similies of our own sophisticated behaviour. When they cannot be found we imply predestina- tion and say, it is ordered so!”’ . There are numerous and excellent close-up photographic illustrations in monochrome, showing various inci- dents of the Wood Ant “way of hfe” and diagrams of nests and com- munes, but with regard to these dia- grams it seems a ‘pity to go to the expense of producing them as photo-~ eraphic plates when they could be shown equally well as line drawings — in the text. The reviewer is also of the opinion that giving the various species of ants English names tends to confuse, rather than help, the reader. Con- stant references to Jet Black Ants, Large Black Ants, Black Lawn ‘Ants, Janitor Ants, Harvesting Ants. Bulldog Ants—to name a “few—are far more difficult to remember than rubra. rufa, fusca, ete., but no doubt many people will disagree on this point. In summary, the book is a useful contribution to the study of animal behaviour, and at the same time a story of interest, to general entomo- logists as well as specialists in ant lore. RS f SOOPOSSSO SOLOS OSHS O EOS OSSD ESOS OS OSEO ESOL OL ODES OS OSEH ESOS ESOS OD OOO OOD OD OOS HOO SOS HOO OOOO OOH OHOOOOOOOOOD SHPO SSOSSSOSHS SOPH SOHO SHIGEO HDS HOODIE D OOOO YDSOOHOHUOE HHO OHS OOHOHODOOOODODOLOD OHO HHODOHOHHDOSOHOHH OOOOH 33335 364,24 o 2 ee ee $9555535 I j— ee) Vian A 7 wr Agere NER ae ae +, ho bo bee OS) . Setting Microlepidoptera a SS a ai Ne ahaa A Glossary for the Young Lepidopterist 'S Label List of British Macro-Lepidoptera - Is Check List of British Macro-Lepidoptera _ - AES Leaflets Nos t. Collecting Coleoptera 3. 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J. BYERLEY, = 48 Elmgrove Road, - . HARROW, Middlesex Complete volumes with covers and indegz Volume Volume Volume Volume Volume Volume Volume AES, 1 WEST HAM LANE, ‘LONDON, E.15 7, 1946-8 232 pp. 8,1949 96 pp. 9,1950 108 pp. 10,1951 124 pp. 11, 1952 116 pp. 12, 1953 96 pp. 13,1954 x 6 pp. at From eA sa ce s -=¢ q an eee COCOeee eee OeEEOSEOESEEESEESEESSESEEEOSEOSEPESSSOSCESOOOSOESEOEO SE ESSOSOOOEE OOS < Peoee eee FO9SS 9608598 0S 85 ESOSS OSES EEEDE OSS TON SOOO SCO e eee Oe ee be ‘ogee ae 25 BULLETIN 177 SEPTEMBER 1955 THE LEAF-OWL MOTHS In the family of Saturniidae (generally known as silkmoths) there ia) fenus named by Hubner Automeris. Seitz’s The Macro- lepidoptera of the World recognises 170 species and a good deal of sub- speciation: they range throughout both the Americas, but are in the main to be found in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of Central and South America. The only species commonly known to English-speaking entomologists is Automeris io Fabr., the ‘Io moth” of U.S. school text- books, or the ‘‘Bull’s Eye moth’’. The second popular name alludes to the archer’s target rather than to the animalian eyes, which the markings on the hindwings of almost all the species mimic, I have been permitted to give a little semi-skilled assistance in “pri ing- ing together the representatives of this genus from the various collectious and store boxes in the’ British Museum (Natural History), so that I have acquired a certain familiarity with a high proportion of the species. Moreover, through the co-operation of Senor Walz and other AES members, I have in the last two years been able to rear, study and paint not only A. io but also A. aurantiaca Weynm., A. coresus Bsdv., A. illustris Wkcr. and A. memusae Wkr., all of which will be fully described in the forth- coming revised edition of the Silk Moth Rearer’s Handbook. Popular names are seldom satis- factory and are always quite unsuited for international correspondence; but having seen these moths both mye and set, if I wanted a memorable English name, I should call them the ‘‘leaf-owl’’? moths. In all the species the forewings are cryptic and [I suspect that they all rest (as all the living ones [I have reared do) with wings streamlined back from the thorax and at an angle pent-house fashion. In this position they are indistinguishable from a pair of withered leaves. It is charac- teristic of the genus that there is a line running from the apical angle to the base of the forewing. In most species it is darker than the ground colour and appears to be the mid-rib of the leaf: in some species a higher degree of mimicry is obtained by the line being doubled, a bright line run- ning parallel with the dark line. A few feet distant, the appearance of a raised rib throwing its own narrow shadow is perfectly ‘simulated. In the discal area there is either a minute transparency, simulating a_ perfora- tion, or a dusky discoloured area, very like the work of a leaf-miner or a patch of mould or fungus. Many species, in particular A. aurantiaca, have an additional refinement—a bar of white superimposed on the thorax above the wing base. This gives a_ perfect representation of a cleam of light separating the ‘‘leaf’’ from the “stem” When the species I have reared are disturbed they drop to the ground where they remain motioniess, but with the forewings raised clear of the hindwings. These rearwings are brightly coloured either over the whole area or in the outer half; and in the centre of each is a pattern closely mimetic of an eye, usually complete down to the detail of a dash of white like a reflection from the curvature of an eyeball. In falling to the ground, the moth would in ‘ature blend with other fallen leaves in respect of its fore- wings: but the staring eyeballs on either side of the abdomen would give the vivid impression of an _ owl’s face. In A. aurantiaca versimili- tude is increased by the fact that the abdomen is rigidly humped into a curve which reveals the honey- coloured chitin between the _ seg- ments and becomes start!ingly lke the horny curved beak of an owl. Hence the double name, descriptive of the double protection. The cocoons of this genus are also worthy of remark. In general they are of a dark-brown silk, woven with an openwork texture among curls of bark, dead leaves on the ground, or . leaves on the tree. I suspect that in nature the bark-using species actually spin between loosened bark and the tree itself as often as among eround débris. But the emerging moths are apparently not equipped with sawing tools or solvent fluids as other genera are and must rely SEPTEMBER 1955 x4 Automerid cocoon. (a) in section (b) the portcullis. mainly on physical pressure to force a way out of a cocoon, which cannot therefore be hermetically sealed. Other Saturniidae, notably our one British species S. pavonia [inn. (the Emperor moth), have met the problem of preserving an exit while preventing marauding entries by a valve device of stiff, outwardly pointing threads, often erroneously described as a_ lobster-pot. The larger species of Automeris, such as A. janus Cr. and A. coresus, create an obstacle the like of which I have not seen elsewhere except in the invisible world of microscopic water creatures. They produce an obstruc- tion which combines the likeness of a portcullis with that of a draw- bridge. The figure shows at (a) a section of a stylized cocoon with side- view of the portcullis in position. It will be seen that pressure from out- side inwards would only jam _ the valve more firmly in position: but when the moth emerges its forward pressure causes the valve to fall like a draw-bridge. The figure also shows at (b) an upright view of the port- cullis, the bottom of which is flanged with flexible silk glued to the inner base of the cocoon. How the pupating larva stiffens the major part of the portcullis to a horny con- sistency while leaving the many ventilation holes is among the myriad mysteries that the naturalist con- stantly comes across. W. J. B. OCroren (1181). e DEFENCE BY STARTLING The article under this heading by Mr. A. L. H. Townsend (1691) (Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. 12: 85), besides being very gripping and informative, raised some interesting questions. It is a pity that he suggested that in- sects ‘‘believe’? in a method of defence. T doubt very much whether insects ‘‘believe’’ anything, except, maybe, the messages concerning the simple organic needs and situations that their senses pass to them: much less a subtle psychological concept such as that. As for the questions, I should like to attempt to answer some of them. Iirst, how mimics arise: presumably, the success of any protective appear- ance must depend on two prin- ciples :— (i) that the impression produced in the eye of the mimic’s enemy must be confused by that enemy with the ap- pearance of an enemy of its own; and (ii) that the enemy, to be confused at all, must have had some sort of ex- perience of its own enemy, or possess an automatic, inborn fear mechanism called forth by such an appearance, such as the reaction of goslings to a short-necked bird-shape like that of a bird of prey. : Thus, no matter what the animal, its passive shape, and possibly colour also, will confer upon it an advan- tage over its fellows, if it fulfils (4) above. It and its progeny will there- fore tend to survive at the expense of their fellows, and gradually will oust them from dominance. lf the animal in question resembles, quite by chance, a vertebrate enemy o* one of its own enemies, then, without any further connection, there will be a tendency for its offspring to ap- proach that resemblance even more closely. It may ‘‘stagnate’’, or re- main the same (though this is un- likely, as living things are constantly varying from generation to genera- tion) in which case we will be none the wiser. It may, on the other itand, vary away from more. exact re- semblance, but such variants. are more easily spotted by enemies, and are therefore gradually wiped out. Variants may arise which, once again quite coincidentally, resemble their unconscious ‘“‘model’’ even more closely, and those will once again sur- vive at the expense of their less per- fectly-protected fellows. Hence the tendency to approximate to the “‘model’’, If one substitutes ‘‘noxious crea- ture’’ for ‘‘enemy’’ one has the case for protective resemblance to such creatures also. This is the more obvious type of mimicry. Now, for a variety of reasons, all pretty well known. the group of ani- mals to become .‘‘dominant’’ (i.e., most versatile and least vulnerable) or most successful, in recent geolo- = AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 71 gical time has been the vertebrates, and, of these, the mammals. There- fore, the sort of appearance most likely to frighten the largest num- ber of predators nowadays will be that of a vertebrate, and more especially of a mammal. But, owing to the geologically recent origins of land vertebrate (in the Permian) in comparison with the age of insects and insect-like forms, it is hardly surprising to find that, say, insects mimic other insects more precisely than land vertebrates. Similarly, as mammals are aé_ relative novelty among land vertebrates, they are even less exactly mimicked. That the resemblances to vertebrates are, nevertheless, pretty close is easier to understand when we remember that insects usually have at least one gene- ration a year, while’ vertebrates usually have less, and in many cases much less. This gives invertebrate mimics an enormous advantage in the race to ‘‘catch up on’’ their models. It is more remarkable, perhaps, that they should so accurately resemble invertebrate ‘‘models’’, which repro- duce at about the same rate, away from their mimics. (By analogy, imitation can never keep pace with creative genius.) Many of the mammal-mimicking insects are Lepi- doptera, which did not, as far as we can ascertain, arise till after the Carboniferous, when mammals arose. Of course, any ‘‘mannerism’’, by which I mean a small behaviour-pat- tern, arising in a mimic and making its resemblance still more complete, will be quite automatically selected for survival by more complete avoid- ance by predators of its possessor. With regard to size, this is_ rela- tively immaterial. Especially in the case of inborn reactions to the ap- pearance of enemies, shape is the im- portant thing: if the shape’s there, ten to one the enemy will be; if he’s a bit small, that may mean merely that he’s! further away, but’ still lethal. Eyes, being the instruments of the most exact sense, are very important to predators, especially vertebrate ones. They are also, by their very nature, very difficult to conceal. Thus, however cryptic the coloration of a predator, its eyes are its chief ‘‘oive-away’. As a result, eyes tend to mean danger, and are therefore very important to all animals as warnings. Hence the predominance of ‘‘eyes’’ as startling mechanisms, and their efficiency, even to ourselves, and especially to children’ and rimitive people. if PETER G. TAyior (719). © OBSERVATIONS ON REARING THE SAWFLY, ABIA CANDENS KONOW During an evening outing in June 1954, I was agreebly surprised to tind an adult female Abia candens Koncow resting on a leaf of a large patch of Succisa pratensis. Remembering that the larvae of A. candens had not been described, I placed a leaf with the insect in a glass tube, and within a few moments it had taken up a position on the edge of the leaf as if about to commence egg laying. A few more minutes, and it had pre- sented me with two pairs of eggs, neatly placed between the two skins of the leaf. Inspired by this observation, lI potted up a sma!] plant of Devil’s Bit Scabious on returning home, and re-instated the insect on a leaf. By the aid of a strong light behind the leaf, and a lens to enlarge the details, I was able to witness the whole rather complex procedure of egg laying. f Abia candens. Method of oviposition. The female, grasping the edge of the leaf, arched its abdomen, and, drawing down the outer sheaths (H) one on each side of the leaf to act as guides, inserted the saw. The actual cutting operation was _ per- formed by the inner saw (G) recipro- cating between the outer cases (IF). There were two trial insertions (A). made to a depth of about 2 mm, and 72 approximately four times the width of the saw in length. The third in- sertion proved to be the successful one, and was continued by the saw being forced deeply into the leaf— the inner saw making. the _ initial piercing strokes, and being supported by the outer cases. On reaching the maximum depth (C) the saw was moved forward—the saw edge clearly exposed the outer cases—and formed a pocket (D) between the two skins of the leaf. There was a momentary pause in the cutting action, then the whole apparatus was withdrawn slightly, and the egg slid down into position. Moving forward slightly. the female elongated the pocket a small amount, and laid a further egg. The complete operation of depositing two eggs took approxi- mately 10 minutes. Most of the eggs were laid in pairs in a pocket as shown at (E), but there were exceptions of three to a pocket. The ova appeared to be fully expanded when Jaid and measured 2 mm. long by 1:2 mm. broad. After 7 days the immature larvae could be clearly seen complete with legs. but the eyes were not visible until the 10th day (the rest of the egg being erystal clear). The first larvae did not emerge until the 18th day and were uniformly pale slate grey in colour, except for a paler patch round each spiracle, completely hair- less on the body, but with slight pubescence on the head. After the first moult the larvae assumed characteristics very similar to those of A. sericea Tinn. (the other species in the genus). A description of the final stage features would be:—Head. dark grey to black, shiny with coriaceous sur- face sculpture, and with dark pubescence about as long as_ the diameter of the eve on all the head except the frontal area, where it is about two diameters long and much paler. The bodv is olive green above. and creamish white helow; on every segment there is a black spot sur- mounted by a vertical straw yellow fleck positioned above and_ slightly in front of each spiracle. The eight pairs of abdominal legs each have very sparse pubescence, and _ there are scattered hairs on the first and last segments of the body. The dorsal line is devoid of the black spots diag- nostic of A. sericea. The larvae, after 5 moults at inter- vals of about five days, formed a SEPTEMBER 1955 cocoon in the leaf débris similar to that of an Oak Eggar moth. The full life cycle from eggs to adu‘ts was approximately 12 months, but there was a large percentage of deaths through ‘‘drying out’’ in the pupal stage, which does not make for accur- ate measurement of timing. Further notes made would suggest that A. candens prefers a more shaded habitat than A. sericea, as there are two distinct colonies of the two species in my district, A. sericea occurring exclusively in the ‘‘open’’ site, and A. candens in the deeply shaded one. Neither species, as far as I have been able to ascertain, occurs in the other’s territory, although the distance between the colonies is not very great. Lastly, it would seem imperative to have a growing plant for the adults to deposit their eggs in, as a separate leaf shrivels up and destroys the eggs before the larvae appear. W. E. Russet (1525). e) NOMENCLATURE _T have been delving into ancient literature, assisted by my old friend Mr. Priority, a gentleman who changes his coat every five minutes. so that I often confuse him with someone else. It has dawned upon me that something is amiss with the naming of our British butterflies and moths, and that whilst the more classical scholars have been busily, and I may say continuously employ- ing the services of Mr. Priority. the amateur entomologists have gone on using names which are almost all synonyms, and showing an utter dis- regard for nomenclature which is literally appalling. Here then is an opportunity for some ambitious young entomologists, who by his studies, and the creation of order out of disorder, may yet earn a C.M.G.. an O.B.E., or what-have-you, as well as the undying gratitude of his fellow entomologists. JT have looked up James Rennie’s Conspectus of the Butterflies and Moths found in Britain, published as far back as 1832, and here give examples show- ing how wrong we have been in em- ploying names which have absolutely no standing bevond a short period of a hundred years or so. The correct name to use for each example is shown in parenthesis after the name now in use. “The Swallowtail’ (“‘The Queen’’): “The Brimstone” (‘‘The Primrose’’); AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 “Orange-tip”’ (‘‘The Wood Lady’’); “Small White’ (‘‘The Turnip’’)—an ugly and plebeian name perhaps, bu it has priority. ‘‘The Common Blue’’ (the? Kent « Blue”), but. «Thank Heaven!, ‘“‘The Chalk Hill Blue”’ may still retain its primitive name. It is fortunate that the changes re- quired for the moths are not as great as 1s the case with the butterflies, but remember that ‘‘The Convolvulus Hawk ”’ must in future be known as aihew Ww utconm ,, and’ “The Small Elephant” as ‘‘The Pig’. Mind you! I do not vouch for these names, for there may be much earlier ones than those Rennie quotes, which would of course have prority over siichay names. as): i:The...Turnip’’, “The Primrose’, etc. Drop back a few centuries and who knows what finds await the industrious bhook- worm. [| have not yet tackled the other Orders, but I find that the use of the name ‘‘Dragonfly’’ is entirely erroneous, and that it is a mere synonym for “Devil’s Darning Needle’’, which name has some five minutes priority over ‘‘Horse Stinger’’. F. C. Fraser (890). ® INSECT ORDERS (Continued from Vol. 12: 88) OrvER XIT ODONATA (Dragonflies) With the dragonflies, we come to a well-known Order about which much is written, and whose species are large, colourful and fairly easy to identify. Recent books, with coloured plates, and giving the biology, habi- tats and times of appearance, are available. The main disadvantage to the average collector of these insects is that their brilliant colours gener- ally fade after death, and ordinary pinned and set specimens revert to a uniform drab colour, unless certain rather tedious (but well worth-while) procedures, such as dissection and stuffine, dehydrating in spirit, etc., are followed prior to setting. Dragonflies have four almost equal- sized wings, each bearing a _ ptero- stigma. The antennae are almost vestigial, and the compound eyes large; the body is long and slender. The male genital apparatus is unique and is situated on segments 2 and 3 of the abdomen. All stages are carnivorous; there are 42 British Species, two being recently discovered. All Dravonflies, with a few excep- tions which fly by night, are day-fly- 73 ing insects preferring hot sunny days. Generally they will be found close to water, though some species are of a wandering disposition; Inbellula quadrimaculata Linn. and others are known to be migrants. Members of the sub-order Anisoptera are very powerful on the wing, and speeds up to nearly 60 m.p.h. have been recorded for an _ Australian species. A -freshly-emerged adult dragonfly does not attain its final brilliant coloration for a day or two. As in all invertebrates this imperfect state just after a moult is known as ‘teneral.’ The sub-order ZAygoptera are slower fliers compared with the Anisoptera and are easily caught. The adults feed on other insects which they catch and hold between the fore feet while consuming them. Mating may take place either in the air or at rest. Kgg-laying is by one of two methods. Hither the eggs are dropped freely into the water (most of the Anisoptera) or else the female makes a slit in the stem of an aquatic plant, and inserts her egg therein. She may crawl completely under water to do this, sometimes accom- panied by the male. This method is characteristic of the Zygoptera. Dragonfly larvae are _ entirely aquatic in fresh water, and eat all other living things they can catch. To catch their prey the labium has developed into a _ specialised ‘mask’ which is normally tucked away under the head. When a suitable prey ap- proaches, this mask is shot out, seizes it and draws it into the mouth. The larvae are generally of a dull, drab colour, and blend with their background. AIl are rather sluegish, waiting in hiding for prey rather than chasing after it. The larvae of the Anisoptera breathe by means of concealed rectal gills; three cercl are present, and they are in general rather short and stout. The Zygoptera larvae, on the other hand, tend to be long and slender. Breath- ing is by means of caudal (tail) gills which correspond to the cerci of the Anisontera; rectal gills are not pre- sent. The larvae live for 1 to 4 years and pass through as many as 15 in- stars. When fully grown the larva crawls out of the water, fastens its tarsi securely to some support, and the adult then emerges. The classification of the Odonata is mainly based on the venation of the wings. In addition to present- 74 day insects, many fossil impressions are known. The Order is divided into three sub-orders as follows :— I. AntsoprERA. Hindwing broader at base than forewing, and wings held open when at rest. Eyes large and meeting, or very nearly so, on top of head. This sub-order contains the genera Aeshna, Libellula and Anas, which are amongst the largest and - most powerful dragonflies. II. Zycortera. Both wings rather narrow at base and approximately equal in size; held over the body when at rest. Eyes rather smaller than in Zygoptera and separated from each other by at least their own diameter. This sub-order contains the smaller and slower-flying damsel flies. Ill. AwntsozycoprERa. This sub- order combines some of the characters of the previous two, the venation and general wing-shape being similar to the Zygoptera, while the eyes and general body shape are similar to that of the Anisoptera. This sub-order has mainly been created to contain a large number of fossil forms, but it includes one present-day species found in Japan. Fossil specimens of this sub-order are known from Eng- land. (To be continued) Brran O. C. Garprner (225). e LETTER TO THE EDITOR M.V. LIGHT TRAPS J. H. JoHnson (1040) writes :— It is impossible to allow the attacks on users of m.y. light traps to pass by without comment, although the absurdity of some of the statements is so obvious that to point it out is per- haps unnecessary. First of all, it is not essential to kill every moth to discover its specific name. Apart from a few exceptional species which are valuable scientific material anyway. a brief glance is enough to identify 99 out of every 100 moths taken in a light trap, even when they are at rest, at least it is enough for a competent lepidopterist with a copy of South’s valuable two volumes and normal eyesight. Secondly, if any type of trap were eficient enough to wipe out any species of insect, agriculturists would be overjoyed. Anyone who thinks any trap will destroy more than a slight percentage of any living creature, even within its range, is out of touch with reality. SEPTEMBER 1955 Lastly, for an excellent defence of the scientific use of light traps all entomologists should attempt to read Dr. C. B. Williams’ paper under the title ‘‘Some Notes on Killing Insects for Collections and Scientific Re- search’’, Entomologist 85. This answers the problem to the satisiac- tion of most reasonable people. At least when they have read it they will have some facts which will justity their actions. They can then make up their own minds in an adult manner. e PRACTICAL HINTS—September Last September I caused several members to pen some letters of criti- cism to the Editor. However, I again remind members to search Yellow Toadflax in any area where the plant grows in quantity, for larvae of Calophasia lunula Hufn. (Toadflax Brocade). The pretty larva of Colocasia coryli Linn. (Nut-tree Tussock) may be beaten from Beech and Oak during September, and those who require Dryobota protea Schiff. (Brindled Green) and Griposia aprilina Linn. (Merveille du Jour) should lose no time in digging at the roots of oak for pupae. Trees growing in open places, parks, etc.. are far better than those in woods or hedgerows. Both species are frequently quite common and easy to find if the soil is gently broken up. When pupa-dig- ging ALWAYS replace the turf and leave the area around the trees tidy. Do this for two reasons. (1) The owner of the property will give ento- mologists a bad name if they leave parkland looking as if a herd of wild boar had been let loose. (2) By re- placing the turf you provide a suit- able pupating site for future larvae and one which will be easy to search next time. ‘Sugar’ should be used whenever possible this month, particularly in coastal areas in the South. Many a rare noctuid has been taken at_ the sugar patch. Every specimen of Leu- cania lythargyria Esp. (Clay Moth) coming to ‘sugar’ should be carefully examined since it is very much like the rarer Leucania Schiff. (White Point Wainscot). The latter species is generally smaller, and the hindwings paler. Larvae of Campaea marqaritata Linn. (Light Emerald), which hiber- nate during the winter, sleeved on birch. When the leaves fall, they should be left in the sleeve’ ‘to provide a retreat for the larvae albipunctata — | are best AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 should they require it. Do not remove from the sleeve until the leaves are well out, because margaritata, like many other larvae, nibble the bark, and will usually die if deprived of their winter diet. During the first week of September, search ash trunks and the grass stems nearby, for freshly-emerged Atethmia centrago Haw. (Centre- Barred Sallow). Late afternoon is the best time. Work light and sugar for this species after dark. Tiliaceu aurago Schiff. (Barred Sallow) has its headquarters in the Chilterns, where it may be found in the beechwoods, by day, resting low down on the tree trunks, whilst at night it is attracted to ‘sugar’, ivy bloom, and light. This species does, of course, occur in other counties but is probably commoner in Bucks. The larva of Cerura her- melina Goeze: (Poplar Kitten) will be full fed on poplars and is best found by searching rather than beating. R. V. ALDRIDGE (262). 3 SCHOOL NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES The latest publications of two school natural history societies have recently been received, namely The New Biologian (4th issue) from Lancaster Royal Grammar School, and_ the Thirty-second Report of Gresham’s School N.H.S., Holt, Norfolk.. Both are well produced little books, particularly the latter, which runs to 60 pages for 2/6, but un- fortunately does not touch entomology in this particular number. Local meteorological records are reported, and there is a good ornithological section, but almost half the book is taken up with a_ prize-winning essay on Chlorophyll—its Structure. Function and Uses. This is an in- teresting, and well written paper although the reader needs a certain knowledge of chemistry to fully ap- preciate it. The book concludes with an ecological survey of the Dunwich neighbourhood (also a_ prize-winning essay), which is concerned with plants. birds and animals. but not insects. The report is well illustrated with photographs and line-drawings. The New Biologian is a smaller book than the above. In addition to short articles on botany, meteorology, | ornithology, ecology, animal _be- | haviour, etc., our member, R. Under- ' wood (2338*). who also edits the maga- zine, contributes an article on a foreign species of long-horned gracs-— hopper found in a crate of bananas. 75 The insect, not yet identified speeri- cally, belongs to the sub-family Pseudophyllinae of the family Tettigoniidae. This book is also adequately illus- trated with photographs and figures. e BUTTERFLIES IN EAST ANGLIA: 1955 The writer recently visited some of the well-known entomological locali- ties of Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon- shire and Suffolk, and was surprised at the paucity of butterflies on the wing, despite brilliant weather. Wicken Fen, on the morning of July 10th produced only four species, Manivola qurtina§ Linn. (Meadow Brown), Aphantopus hyperantus Linn. (Ringlet), and the two Whites Pieris brassicae Linn. and I. rapae Linn.; and no more than 20 of cach species, during two hours of observation. Warboys Wood was visited in the afternoon of the same day, where the same species were seen, plus two Pararge aegeria Linn. (Speckled Wood) and a few Ochlodes venata Br. & Grey (Large Skipper) in the best part of three hours. Monks Wood, on the 13th. added one specimen of Argynnis paphia Linn. (Silverwashed Fritillary) to the list in four hours watehing. P. brassi- cae was the commonest species here, about 30 in number, with M. jurtina 6 individuals, and A. hyperantus, 4. The Breckland of Suffolk was the most productive in numbers, but even here, the only additional species to those already mentioned were Eumenis semele Linn. (Grayling), Aglais urticae Linn. (Small Tortoise- shell) and Maniola tithonus Linn. (Gatekeeper). With such ideal weather the above results were very disappointing. especially in July at the height of the butterfly season. B. R. Strattuwoop (1547). r REVIEW A Manual of the Dragonflies of North America (Anisoptera), including the Greater Antilles and the Pro- vinces of the Mexican Border. By James G. Needham and Minter J. Westfall, Jr. 8vo., xii, 615 Pps cole ple rs Ot iene (California University Press), Berkeley and los’ Angeles. 1955. Price $12.50. This is a most important book for all Odonatists and the subject matter is, naturally, highly specialised. It 76 is, however, a book that will be of great value to all entomologists who are in any way interested in the pre- sentation and illustration of entomo- logical papers. The entire volume is a model of how to compress an enormous amount of information on identification into a__ restricted amount of space, without losing any of its attractive “‘layout’. A novel, and very welcome feature, is a set of 22 Tables of quick identification, one for each section that the Keys are divided into, families and _ sub- families, genera and species of both larvae (nymphs) and adults. These Tabtes help one quickly to eliminate all but the eritical species, before one needs to turn to the more de- tailed Keys. The feature of this book that will excite the greatest admiration, is the magnificent set of illustrations otf the male genitalia, done by Dr. Westfall, the junior author, from enlarged photographs. He has used his special technique of clearing the material and gets the most perfect results, including the most amazing perspective. His photographs of a larva of each of the known genera have been made with the same methods and are equally successful, The reviewer considers that illustra tions, when made with the above high standard of clar ity, are beyond v alue, provided that typical specimens, to be used for the ilustrations, are chosen with care and knowledge. A standard work of identification and classification on the dragonflies of North America was badly needed to replace the old (1929) handbook by the senior author and Mrs. Butler Heywood. This time, the work is greatly enlarged and will appear in two volumes, the one under review being on the Dragonflies or Anisoptera (the Damselflies or Zygoptera to follow im vol. II). Even in one fat, stoutly bound volume of 615 pages, there is searcely any room for notes on biology or ecology, but references. are given under many species, where informa- tion of the kind ean be sought. There has been a great advance in the descriptions of the larvae for each genus, but those of four genera are basically different, SEPTEMBER 1955- still unknown and the authors state that more knowledge of the aquatic stages is urgently needed. This is a formidable task with 332 New World species of the Anisoptera and about a third again for the Zygoptera, although the North Americans work- ing on the Odonata number just about half those of the rest of the World. Prof. Needham uses the venational nomenclature known as the ‘““Comstock-Needham’’ and _ derived from the ‘‘pre-tracheation’’ theory, with one Radial, four Medial, two Cubital and 1-3 Anal veins. Many of us follow an opposite belief of ‘re-determination”’? of the veins, which fits in with the physiclogists’ discoveries and also accounts for the veins not nourished’ by larval tracheae. This has the effect of making the venational nomenclature with 4-5 Radial, one Medial, one Cubital and the rest Anal veins. So long as these two opposing theories hold, every odonatist will have to learn the two systems of notation, but it seems more than unfortunate that a further complication has been created in this book. Generations of odonatists have called the three thoracic sutures in the dragonfly’s uniquely formed Synthorax, by the descriptive terms of humeral, ist lateral and 2nd lateral sutures. Now, on page 11, by text and iettered figure, the authors have renamed these sutures, Ist, 2nd and 3rd laterals, thereby creating chaos for all time, now on, no-one will ever know which is the correct lateral suture alluded to and these sutures play an im- — portant part in all descriptions of colour pattern. If better morpho- logical terms were deemed advisable, then mesopleural, interpleural and metapleural sutures were the names that should have been used, but to have completely altered the positions of the Ist and 2nd laterals is disastrous and quite uncalled for. The book is a very expensive one. but the review copy has been piaced by the AES in the library of the Entomological Section of the London Natural History Society. CYNTHIA LONGFIELD. Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd.. Society, Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists” 1 West Ham Lane, London. E.15. 1955 as from — Z ‘® e . 2 - oe S ° . 2 ° o 000020000 SOC CEOOS ESSE SO OS OSES OO OSEOSESOS OOO SOOO SOOO OO OOOO SOOO DOOD oe Entomological Bookseller 4 and Publisher 22 HARLINGTON ROAD EAST # Feltham Middlesex ENGLAND CATALOGUES FREE ON REQUEST SOSECETECCOO en AES NOTICE : : WHERE TO WRITE Membership applications. offers of help 3% to: D. OLLEVANT, 3 Salcombe Drive. $3 Morden, Surrey. + ee Advertisers to: L. W. SIGGs, 10 Repton # Road, Orpington, Kent. . oer eee ee | 2 ee Changes of address and san erimee 0} Bulletins to: B. L. J. BYERLEY, # Elmgrove Road, Harrow, Middleser. Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit. 3 etc., to: S. M. HANSON, 4167 Gunners- bury Park, London, W.. — Manuscripts, drawings and books | for 3 review to: B. R. STALLWOOD, 49 § Southfield Gardens, ee ce Til u, 3 Twickenham, Middz. ; — ¢ Subscriptions (12/- per annum, 6/- fo Juniors) to: K. H. BOBE. 1/9 He Road, London, S.E./?. ie a eee eee SSS ES PG: wall ine Youth matters ~ to: 6 Osmond Gardens, Surrey. BULLETIN No. |78 OCTOBER 1955 ae "CS eb giemiies Dennis Yu Bae LEPIDOPTERA FOUND IN GLEN LYON, PERTHSHIRE 4th to 16th July 1955 A fortnight’s Field Meeting was planned, in the dismal days of last winter, to explore a little known glen in Perthshire. So far as is known, very little entomological studies have been carried out in Glen Lyon, the area a few miles to the north, around Loch Rannoch, having a far greater attraction as a well known and ancient locality. It was hoped that a study of Glen Lyon, coupled with colour photographs, would result in an interesting lecture for the Society's Annual General Meeting in March 1956. Six members of the Society were included in the party, three of whom also took their wives. The members are, at the moment, engaged in col- lating the results and there is every reason to anticipate a successful out- come. The following notes are only the prologue, other orders were studied and further notes may be published in due course. Glen Lyon is some 24 miies in length, flanked on either side by mountains, mainly over 3000 feet high. The first half of the Glen is fairly wooded with a considerable assortment of hardwoods, the other half to the head of the Glen at Loch Lyon being more or less devoid of trees. The River Lyon flows through fertile grassland in the woody half of the Glen but towards the head of the Glen the mountain flanks and mossy bogs preclude any cultivation and only occasional sheep farms are found. The mountain slopes are, in the main, grassy, of the bogland type and only occasionally heather clad. At the time we were there the bogs were dry, due to the long spell of fine weather, but presumably were nor- mally much more difficult to negotiate. Very few butterflies were noted in the bottom of the Glen, those -that were recorded were mainly casual strays from higher up the mountains. Kach of the common whites (Pieris brassicae Linn., P. rapae Linn. and - P. napi Linn.) were recorded, but, except for P. napi (Green-veined White), only as odd ones. A small, very worn, colony of Aricia agestis artaxerxes F., the Scottish race of the Brown Argus, was found a few hundred feet up Carn Mairg which is on the north side of the Glen. This race has a white spot in the centre of each fore wing and no black pupils to the underside spots. Erebia eptphron Knoch (Small Mountain Ringlet) occurred nearly everywhere on the mountain slopes. It was recorded in the bottom of the Glen at 600 feet but was normally found from about 1300 feet upwards. The behavicur of this species was different from that observed in the Cumberland localities in that it con- tinued to fly during dull periods and was found to occur at much lower altitudes. The dull period flights may have been brought about by the high temperatures experienced during the period. It was in fairly good condition, better on the northern slopes than on the southern. Coenonympha_ tullia Muell. (Large Heath) was widespread. in the same habitats as EL. epiphron but much less common. Only a few females were seen, and as the males were mostly perfect it is probable that this species 78 OCTOBER 1955 eee emerges rather later than H. eptphron. Argynnis aglaja Linn. (Dark Green Fritillary) was just emerging in the second week and was fairly wide- spread over the lower slopes of the mountains towards the mouth of the Glen. No females were seen. A. selene (Small Pearl-bordered Fritil- lary) was taken in the woodland area but was becoming worn. Mainly females were seen. Coenonympha pamphilus Jinn. (Small Heath) was very uncommon and quite typical except for being rather larger than normal. Polyom- matus icarus Rott. (Common Blue) was also uncommon but typical in form. Among the moths recorded, the prize was Psodos coracina Esp. (Black Mountain Moth). This species was found on one mountain ridge only but fairly abundant. It occurred only on the ridge at about 3000 feet, east of Stuchd an Lochain, among a very prolific growth of Alpine Lady’s Mantle. Although the plant grew much lower down, the moth was con- fined to the ridge, flying very low, about one or two inches from the ground, in the sunshine. South gives very little information on this species, none concerning the larval state* and according to reliable in- formation the species is supposed to be commoner in even years. In other words the year 1955 should not be a prolific year. Epirrhoé tristata Jinn. (Small Argent and _ Sable) was . fairly abundant, Perizoma blandiata Schiff. (Pretty Pinion) was uncommon and Xanthorhoé munitata Hueb. (Red Carpet) was just emerging, and all were recorded from most of the mountain sides visited. Colostygia salicata Hueb. (Striped Twin-spot Carpet) was found on rocks and among heather on the western slopes of Ben lTawers but nowhere else. Entephria caesiata Schiff. (Grey Mountain Carpet) began to emerge during our first week and was wide- spread but nowhere common. It was recorded from rocks by the River Lyon and also on rocks and among heather well up the mountains. A colony of Odezia atrata Jinn. (Chimney Sweeper) was found in a damp field beside the River Lyon. The colony was unusual in that it was extremely abundant in a compara- tively small area although it was found elsewhere in the Glen in much smaller numbers. Jt would appear from other records that the abun- dance of this species in certain places is not unusual in Scotland. No dusking for noctuids was tried in the Glen, but some work was done a few miles away, still in the Lyon vallev. Probably due to the fact that the temperature dropped con- siderably each evening, coupled with clear skies and, at the beginning, a full moon, moths were scarce. Payable in Great Britain. ; 33 s . All Material despatched by Air Mail. Apply to:— = a: F. H. WALZ, Reconquista 453, Buenes Aires, Argentina Bossssssssesssssessssssseesssssssessssesssssessessssessssesss sees sesess sss esses sseTEss 33 33 BRITISH NATURALISTS’ ASSOCIATION (B.E.N.A.) 3 oe 3: 33 Bs: As one of the special fixtures arranged in 1955 to celebrate the 50th 33 ¢3 anniversary of the first appearance of ‘‘Country-side’’, an Exhibition 33 3 0of Natural History subjects including contributions from the #3 t es Branches, will be held in the Lecture Hall, British Museum (Natural 33 33 History), Cromwell Road, London, $.W.7, from 2 p.m. on Saturday, 3 $3 22nd October. Among the films to be shown by Mr. H. J. Hurrell, 3 33 will be one on the life of the Hornet. Visitors will be welcome and 3 : Ee bookings for buffet tea (3s. 6d.) should be sent, with remittance, to 3 3 92 Rydes Hill Road, Guildford, Surrey, by 15th October. 33 “Miscuesesstsesesessesssesssscansssesesesessesesesszsesesesesessesssesessssssesesessssesssessssesese sim i] Oe la ain ai a ie ii pip didi ldo oppo nr Spay dara ay barged dra SSD DODD ODDO DD SDD —_| me II ILI DID ELI IIL LLL LSI LAI III IAAI IISA II II ILI SESE II IIA LIE LISS ISSA LISLE SELES LS ALE SEE SEE SEALY | oe -?s # BEE RESEARCH ASSOCIATION ie: OFFERS THE FOLLOWING AND OTHER FACILITIES TO 33 33 ENTOMOLOGISTS : 33 33 * Use of lending library of books, journals and scientific reprints on bees 33 Use of library of English translations of important foreign publications $3 4 oo Fe * Loan of Exhibitions for shows and meetings, including Exhibition 3 33 of photographs and photomicrographs of bees 33 PUBLICATIONS INCLUDE: ; 32 * Dictionary of beekeeping terms, English-French-German-Dutch (12/6 33 board; 16/- cloth). This gives the equivalents in the four 33 languages of 1500 beekeeping and entomological terms 33 * Bee World—international scientific journal about bees 33 * Apicultural Abstracts—summaries of all important publications about -—sibees and allied subjects eee three 33 3 ; . . Eg Membership, £1 a year a | 3 $ $= Write for details to the Director : 3 De EVA CRANE, 55 NEWLAND PARK, HULL, YORKS 33 bod SPOOOP OS SOOO OOOO OS OOS OOO OOO OOO OSD OOO OO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OS OOOO OOOO 0009000 000O9O0000000900 908 SPOOP PUSHED ODO OLED YH ODO OOS OSOO OPO OO OOOOH OOOO OOO OHO LODO DOOD ODO OOOO ESO LOOEOO OOOH ODEO OOOOOSOOOD J sescasesatecsacacecceeneneecneccesesceceneeeenesscesnsesenenaneneesensnen sceneenn eee +] a Ie ne ge ee ot ea eae ee ENTOMOLOGIST’S GAZETTE A Quarterly Journal Devoted to British Entomology Well illustrated by coloured and plain plates and text figures. Deals with all Orders of British Insects and with all subjects of importance to the Entomologist. — : i Subscription 20/- per year. B-c-. Se SEES . t-< s Pe Edited by E. W. Classey, F.R.E.S., with the assistance a of a panel of well-known entomologists. A FREE SAMPLE COPY will be sent on application ine . ENTOMOLOGIST’S GAZETTE 22 HARLINGTON ROAD EAST, FELTHAM — MIDDLESEX oe b. _. SESS ESSSES SSS SESS S SESS S ES HESSE SEES ESE EEEE SES ES SLESE SHEE S SESS ESE SES ESE SSE SESESESESSOSESSEOSD ; , ee: Peeeeee: SHS SESS S SESS SSS S SESE SES OSES SESE SES SES ESSE SEES SEES EEE SESE SE SSS SE ESSE ESSE SESESESOOD VOL. 14 i BER - - 1955 M “pa . . i at) aa » ba oe % > . j ‘ pe 5 ie ety ohne tunnel, 1) pe “i Pe a : . ‘ THE BULLETIN. = O THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY World List abbrev iation : Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. | JUNIOR MEMBERS’ NUMBER EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD ph SSSSSSESES SESE SESE SSS) | ne bobbb66606466645b5bbbObObObhhh454h4h44044445155545.41 eeecceces soasesee Sr eee ASRS ON SPLOLEDSSRSAAS SRSA OAODTSLOCER ODODE TED R SALA NERS Oe, FSESSFFSSSESSSSSSS SSS SES SS g FLIES . ee a OF THE % a : BRITISH ISLES |E. W. Classey FRE. s. : = By CHARLES N. COLYER, r.z.£:s. Entomological Borkecller, = se in collaboration with ee ss =e be . a ss CYRIL O. HAMMOND, F.2-z:s. Puliishes re ee : o. 33 30s. net. RL can | ss The only work of its kind—giving a 22 HA NGTON ROAD EAST # a 3: proiusely illusirated, comprehensive — | gisurvey of all the families of British Feltham | = 33 Diptera: it deals with the structure and oe = 33 ¢gmetamorphoses of flies. their life Middlesex — : histories and habitats, and their rdéle in ENGLAND = $3 Nature, 48 plates in colour, 51 halftone ¢ plates. and 50 text figures and diagrams ss depicting 286 representative species— s$from original and enlarged micro- CATALOGUES ss scope drawings by C. O. Hammond, $3 F-RES. Sere | FREE os : From all Booksellers ?} FREDERICK WARNE & Co. Ltd. ON REGIE’ $$ 1-4 BEDFORD COURT, LONDON, W.C.2 SHSSSSESSSESHSSSSESSES SSE SSE SEES SEES SESSEF ESOS OSEESEVED SOS SOSE SE SSS SE OHE SE SHS OSES OE SSOESESOSESOSESESEEOSOOESE! PrP PPP eee See Soo DD TT AAA AAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA O00 Ot SA ee nn ne eee - FEOSSOSSSSHSSSSSSSESOSESOSSO SOLO O® PPP IPP SEAGER I IRR an NN 7 PERRET SSAA AAPA AAA AAAAALAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AA Added ddd tdi PODPOSOSHPOOOODO = | AES NOTICE 3 fies WHERE TO WRITE 33 O S T R I C H E GGS Membership applications, offers of help 33 LARGEST EGG IN THE WORLD (0: DO ee 3 Morden, Surrey. 22 Expertly Drilled and Blown 33 th ) re Advertisers to: L. W. siccs, 10 Repton | <4 33 A rare and interesting ornament jor the Road, Orpington, Rent tt 33 Naturalist’s “‘Den” : / 33 ; Changes of address and non-arrival of 33 $e Place Orders now for immediate Bulletins to: B. L. J. BYERLEY, ce +3 33 mailing Elmgrove Road, Harrow, Middlesex. 33 33 20/-. Offers to lead Field Meetings, exhibit. | a. (including postage and packing) éetc., to: S. M. HANSON, 1/67 Gunners- 3 ‘ 3: : bury Park, London, W.5. — 3: Terms for Large Orders ae oe Manuscripts, drawings and books- for 3 33 review to: B. R. STALLWOOD, 1/9 3 i. 33 Southfield Gardens, Strawberry Hill, ee i D. F. PICKARD-CAMBRIDGE | fuscienon wisi a = Watergift Subscriptions (12/- per annum, 6/- fo ae Juniors) to: K. H. BOBE. (SNe os P.O. Box 53, Beaufort West Road, London, S.E.12. — 3s Cape Province. South Africa _ Youth . maltévs tn cae ats ae os 6 Osmond Gardens, Wall $2 Surrey. SOSOOO SS SSES ESSE SSE OS ESOS ESES EO SESE OSES ESS OESESESE SES OSE SESOS ESSE ESSOESOOOD POSS SSSES SSE SSE SES SLOSS ESE SESE EOS EE LES OES ESE SESE SEE SESE SESE ES OSES HESESESSESESS oo era ee : e CALLING ALL JUNIORS First of all I want to thank, on behalf of the Council, those of you who have contributed to this Bulletin. Some of you will be see- ing yourselves in print for the first time, and I hope that now you have ‘“‘broken the ice’ you will not be afraid to write to us again. Do remember that there is no need to wait for the next ‘‘Junior Number’’ before sending us a letter or an article; we welcome contributions from Junior Members in any issue. As you know I only took over this job from Mr. Hanson at the last Annual General Meeting, and there are lots of you I still have to meet. I managed to see a number of you at the Exhibition, but others are still unknown, and I hope that we may get to know each other even if it is only through correspondence. Per- haps it would be a good idea to send me photographs of yourselves the first time you write, so that I may at least know what you look like! However, do remember that the members of the Council are not a set of dull old fogies but a group of blokes who are all really keen to help every other Member of the Society whether he is 7 or 70! Let us know your problems, suggestions, experi- ences and criticisms so that we may feel that you are keenly interested in what goes on, and you in your turn may feel that you are getting more than value for your subscriptions. By the way, you won’t forget to renew those subs. when they are due, will you? After this Bulletin is published, I shall expect sacks full of letters from you—-you may be sure I will answer them all in due course, and will look forward to helping you in any way I can. Get weaving now, and let’s hear all about your ‘‘hunting’’ this year, the things you have made, 1n- teresting people you have met, funny things that have happened to you, and so on, and so on. One last point. Not long ago I re- ceived a letter from a schoolmaster in Cambridge telling me that chaps at his school had been joining the Society and writing to other Junior Mem- — 5S BULLETIN No. 179 NOVEMBER 1955 bers whose names they chose from the list. They hoped to make new friends this way with whom they could exchange ideas and specimens, but they didn’t get any replies! When I heard about it I managed to find a number of you who were will- ing to write back to them, and the idea is now beginning to work but they still want more chaps with whom they can exchange letters. If you would like to help in this way please let me know and I will pass on your names. You will answer all the letters written to you, won’t you? With all good wishes, FREDERICK C. Brown (2414), Youth Secretary. SOME INTERESTING OBSERVA- TIONS ON A FOREIGN LONG- HORNED GRASSHOPPER Early in May this year, I heard from a friend that ‘‘a live locust’’ had been found in a crate of imported bananas and was asked if I would like to have it. Naturally I accepted this offer, since although a pest in the tropical countries, a live locust would be an interesting creature to study at home. When I saw the insect, however, I realised that it was not a locust but a long-horned grass- hopper or bush-cricket. The insect was a medium brown colour on the upper surface and a creamy-yellow beneath with dark brown spots. Although it was at least two and a half inches long (in- cluding the legs), it was only a young one since its wings were very small and undeveloped. Being a female, it had a short brown sword-like oviposi- tor protruding from the rear of its abdomen. The antennae were quite thin and delicate, and were waved about from side to side almost all the time, except when the insect was resting. One morning, about half-past nine, I noticed that it looked browner and shrivelled up. My first impression was that it was dead, but closer in- vestigation revealed that it had not died but was merely moulting. S6 Moulting is a process whereby grass- hoppers and other insects shed their old hard skins, and while the new ones are still soft, expand. This allows the insect to increase in size despite the tough non-elastic nature of the skin. In this case the old skin had split along the dorsal side of the head and thorax, and when I first saw this moulting process, the thorax had just begun to force its way through. Very slowly and laboriously the thorax emerged, fol- lowed by the head, abdomen, legs and antennae. Every two or three minutes the emerging insect would swallow air and expand slightly, thus forcing the old skin further off. Then it would relax and take a rest. This process continued for about an hour tilk the head, thorax and abdomen were free, and then the legs and antennae were withdrawn by a series of short tugs. It was interesting to see that the grasshopper used its maxillary palps and mandibles to help the new antennae out of the old ones. The old skin left behind re- tained almost all the original features of the insect except for the abdomen, where the skin shrivelled up till it was very much reduced. After a while the whole skin contracted slightly and became much paler till it was almost white in parts. The insect that emerged showed certain striking differences from the original one. In the first place, there was a notable increase in the length of the wings, which were now about half an inch long. Secondly, there was an increase in the length of the body, though this was not quite so obvious; and. thirdly, the antennae, which had been of unequal length (owing to one having been damaged) were now as long as each other. The majority of long-horned grass- hoppers or bush-crickets (Family TETTIGONIIDAE) apparently prefer to live in the foliage of trees and shrubs rather than on the ground, and the insect described above may very well have lived on a banana tree. The greenish-brown colour would then blend excellently with the _ tree’s leaves. In fact, to carry the resem- blance further, many species possess wings shaped like leaves and_ this specimen is actually one which would do so when adult. They are usually partly carnivorous and partly vege- tarian, though my specimen refused to eat anything whatsoever. Another interesting fact is that the males of the species, and _ occasionally the females, can produce sounds (stridula- NOVEMBER 1955 tion) by rubbing together specially modified parts of their fore- wings. The crickets (GRYLLIDAE) stridulate in a similar manner, but the short- horned grasshoppers (AcRIpIDAE), if they stridulate, do so in a different manner, most commonly by rubbing their hind legs against their wings, as they do in virtually all the British species. The insect has been identified from the cast skin as Mastophyllum scabricolle (Serville), belonging to the sub-family Pseudophyllinae, so called because many of them resemble leaves. i has hitherto been known only from Martinique, but it is now certain that specimens have come _ from Dominica, whence came mine. I have recently received a dead female adult grasshopper from the same place. and it is probably the same species. It is larger and very much darker, pos- sessing elongated leaf-like fore- -wings and large dark smoky hind-wings. The wing-span is about four inches. I understand that adults of the same species have been taken by Mr. W. Bunting at Thorne (Yorks.), April- May 1955. (Mr. D. K. McK. Kevan, in litt.). In spite of attempts to feed the young grasshopper and keep it alive, it eventually died, and was pinned, set and preserved in the usual man- ner. In conclusion IT must thank Mr. D. K. McK. Kevan of the School of Agriculture, University of Notting- ham, who helped with identification, corrected certain inaccuracies in the original script, and supplied some very interesting supplementary in- formation. R. UnpdERWoop (2338*). i) ENTOMOLOGICAL PHOTOGRAPHY Although single lens reflex cameras are probably the most suitable for insect photography, other types will be found quite satisfactory. I my- self use a Dacora IA camera fitted with an f3.5 lens and taking 12 pic- tures 21” square. For miniature cameras with inter- changeable lenses, extension tubes and near-focussing devices are obtainable, while owners of twin lens reflex and folding roll-film cameras can obtain supplementary lenses which allow focussing down to 10”. Plate cameras with double or more exten- sion require no such devices. Supplementary lenses costing about 5s. can be fitted in filter holders ob- tainable for about 8s. “species : —One AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 The photographer must choose be- tween either fine grain pan film (Kodak Plus X or Tiford FP3) and fast pan film (Kodak Super XX or Ilford HP38). However, the new Ilford HPS film, an extremely fast pan film (37° Sch.) if developed in Microphen will yield enlargements with no obtrusive grain. As the depth of field at such short distances is small, the camera must be focussed with great accuracy. Fail- ing some sort of ground glass focus- sing a small steel tape measure will suffice. In any case the smallest stop or aperture should be used, i.e., £22 and below. Since most insects are lively sub- jects they should be temporarily etherised or subjected to a low tem- perature. The photographer has several choices of artificial light at his dis- posal, each with certain advantages. Even daylight can be used. Fuller and more expert information can be found in Entomological Photo- graphy in Practice by E. F. Linssen. Although rather expensive at 32s., it can probably be obtained from your local public library. A. HuxtTasieE (2156%). 2 BUTTERFLIES !IN EAST ANGLIA, 1955 I was deeply interested in the article written by B. R. Stallwood (1547), entitled ‘‘Butterflies in East Anglia, 1955”? (Bull. amat. Enc. soc. 14: 75). I visited Wicken Fen on the morning of May 31st, 1955, and ob- served the following species on the wing:—Five Papilio machaon Linn. (Swallow-Tail), which have recently been introduced into the Fen; three specimens of EHuchloé cardamines Linn. (Orange-Tip), one COallophrys rubi Linn. (Green Hairstreak), ten Gonepteryx rhamni Linn. (Brimstone) and the following four species which were mentioned by Mr. Stallwood, 1.e., Maniola jurtina Linn., Aphan- topus hyperantus Linn., Pieris bras- sicae Linn. and P. rapae Linn., which all occurred in fairly large numbers. On August 10th I observed one Celastrina argiolus Linn. (Holly Blue), many Vanessa atalanta Linn. (Red Admiral), Aglais urticae Linn. (Small Tortoiseshell) and Nymphalis 10 Yann. (Peacock), also at Wicken Fen. At Monks Wood on the afternoon of July 16th I caught the following Strymon w-album 87 Knoch (White-Letter MHairstreak), three Argynnis paphia Linn. (Silver- Washed Fritillary) and four Agapetes galathea Linn. (Marbled White). The two latter species were to be seen on the wing in large numbers. IT can only attribute Mr. Stallwood’s disappointment in Monks Wood to the weather, as from the 12th to the 14th of July were some of the hottest days we had this year, too hot, even, for butterflies to be on the wing. T. A. J. WooprorpD (2555*), @ DIGGING FOR PUPAE OF DILINA TILIAE LINN. (LIME HAWKMOTR) Some lepidopterists may say that digging for pupae is a sheer waste of time, others may be sceptical, whilst a few may say it is an unprofitable occupation. 1 will admit that the clerk of the weather can deter one, but so far I have only stopped at snow and ice, and here mother has taken a hand. : During the three years I have been digging, I have found that D. tiliae larvae prefer to be near water, and in my own home town I have confined my activities mainly to the river banks, where there are large num- bers of lime and elm trees. To prove this, I visited a neighbouring town some distance away where there was a river, and in both places I had great success, my overall yield being some eighty pupae. Cultivated places within a radius of three to four miles of water I have found to be most profitable, but in wild open spaces this work is often fruitless and frustrating. In most cases one needs a bulldozer to remove the bracken, ivy, and brambles, etc., growing at the foot of the trees. Whilst digging, I observed that I found most pupae either lying under tufts of grass growing round the trunks of trees, or in the soft soil. The pupae are usually found one to three inches under the surface of the ground, and not more than two to three inches away from the trunks. In the majority of cases I found them almost flush against the bark. On an average I have obtained two pupae from each tree. Care must be exer- cised in digging as it is very easy to puncture a pupa. The best time for digging is at the end of September, when most larvae will have pupated. Some will be found as larvae, and these ean be placed in a tin or box without fear of being malformed. The most handy implement for digging is a small 88 trowel, which can be carried in the pocket. As a junior, may I hasten to say that using a large one tends to court trouble. Curious and furious old ladies seeing a large trowel in action have visions of seeing the tree uprooted, and the scenes which fol- low can well be left to the imagina- tion. In conclusion, may I wish every newcomer to pupa-digging as much success as I have had. Patrick Cow1nine (2547*). é ANT GYNANDROMORPHS On the 13th July 1955 at Knock, Belfast, a queer ant of the species Myrmica scabrinodis Nylander hatched out in a formicarium of mine. It re- sembled a worker with tiny stumps of wings, and its gaster was missing. I separated it from the others but it died some hours later, having been accidentally damaged. On the 24th and after, a number of males and females hatched. The fourteen females (queens) were all abnormal, while twenty males were normal, but two had crumpled wings like most of the females. I do not know whether the poor development of the wings has anything to do with the abnormal condition of the ants. I have counted the number of articles on the funiculi of some queens. The number is eleven, and, therefore. normal. The size of the scapes varies, some ants having one larger than the other. The abnormality arises in the head and thorax. Here the brown of the female is mixed with asymmet- rical black male tissue. The colony, which was small at first, suffered when I left it on my holidays. Now there are about twenty workers and one queen. T had the ants confirmed as M. scabrinodis gynandromorphs (prob- ably var. sabuleti) by the British Museum. Derek W. Morley in The Ant World (chap. 8) says that only thirty-seven such ant monstrosities had been known up to 1945, when scores were found on Ireland’s Eye. Also in Ants he says that it is of the utmost importance that anyone find- ing such mosaics should send them either to him, or to the British Museum (N.H.). I was quite amazed when the B.M. was not interested and referred to them as ‘‘revolting’’. Tan McCrenaGHan (2499*), NOVEMBER 1955 BOX HILL In this article I should like to talk about butterflies and moths on Box Hill (Surrey). I think it is one of the best places on the North Downs for butterflies and, I think, for moths, too, but I have never had much luck with these. This year. on the ‘‘escarpment’’ which we eall “Butterfly Hill’, DVve caught some good ones. This is what I’ve seen or caught :— Clouded Yellow ¢ seen flying high (6-9 ft.) and fast along the top of the hill. Large Skipper © seen flying low (1-3 ft.) and fast down hill. Silver-spotted Skipper—both caught. Painted Lady 6 flying low (1-5 ft.) and fast up and down the hill. Earlier on in the year. on Juniper Top :— Silver-washed Fritillary ¢ seen flying fast up and down. Marsh Fritillary 9 caught. Green-hairstreak ¢ caught. Swallow-tail (sex not known) flying sexes low (35 ft.) like a Meadow Brown. I have only mentioned ‘‘rare-to-me”’ ones. Now for the moths :— There were some Goats about. also Scalloped Hazels. In the sunny glades I found Silver Y’s, a variety of Yellow Underwings and Swallow- tailed Moths. Elsewhere there were Privet and Elephant Hawks and many varieties of Sticks, but there are lots of other species in the tree tops or in the scrub that even birds cannot find! GRAHAM MESSERRY-WHITING (Age 81 years.) AN UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE One day in July 1955 I received a letter from L. Hugh Newman, the well-known butterfly farmer, asking for further help in collecting the 50,000 cinnabar moth pupae for a Government experiment. The minute I received the letter my mother. my five-year-old sister and I rushed out to ‘‘White Hill’’ to collect as many of these black and orange striped larvae as we could. After climbing the ‘“‘Box Hill’? we reached our selected place, and were depressed to find that there did not seem to be enough. After half an hour we came to the (2416*). bigger part of the field and wizz— por—nanG! here they were crawling — 3 — ate daatlee bled ee * AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 89 up every stalk of every plant. We picked them up in handfulls and popped them into paper bags. We worked so hard that we did not notice whether it was dull or sunshine. After what seemed like 2 minutes we came jo the end of the field, and started collecting ragwort. At last we began walking down the hill, lugging our load. When we reached the bottom of the hill, I suddenly glanced at the large canvas in which Mummy carried the bags, and noticed a series of black and orange stripes crawling over the edge. “They? re escaping’’, I screeched, and so we stopped to look, and found a small erack in a bag through which they were escaping in dozens! We decided to let them escape, and push them in when they ventured over the edge. When we reached our caravan on the top of Box-Hill, we were astonished to find that we had been five hours collecting and walking! After a quick tea we sorted them into six sleeves made of newspaper. The following day we counted the big ones into boxes with paper over the top and taped at the sides, and the rest into some bags; we were astonished to find that we had 1,200. The next day we found they were escaping, so taped it up as well as we could. This hap- pened for several days. At last we had to go home to London for two days. We brought back from London some mosquito netting to replace the paper on the boxes. When we came back from London we opened the door and [I could not believe it: they were all over the place! Up the cur- tains, down the walls, everywhere. After the tiring day, I had a night’s sleep. One by one they began to pupate. After changing them at longer intervals, they had all pupated and I was free again. Oh. no! I was not! About two-and-a-half weeks later we found, under the sofa, one perfectly good pupa! Granam Messerry-Waltine (2416*). e A LEPIDOPTERIST IN SOMERSET The following is an account of my collecting and observations from the 27th July to 6th August 1955 in and around the little village of Upton, Somerset. But for its inaccessibility, this locality would surely rival the New Forest as a_ lepidopterist’s hunting-ground. The weather on all but the last day of my stay was warm and sunny. T arrived at 6 o’clock on the 27th, and was much gratified by the sight of a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta Linn.) cruising around the yard. The only other butterfly life that greeted me, apart from a few Small White (Pieris rapae Linn.) was a solitary Hedge Brown (Vaniola_ tithonus Linn.) basking in the last rays of sun- shine. In the evening a_ single Drinker Moth (Philudora potatoria Linn.) ¢ came to light, together with Phoenix (Lygris prunata Linn.) <6, Antler (Cerapteryr (= Charaeas) graminis Linn.) 2 66d, Spectacle (Abrostola tripartita Hufn.) 4 oa, and a few specimens of the Rivulet (Perizoma affinitata Stephens). 28th—In the hedges along the lane M. tithonus and P. rapae were abundant together with several Green-Veined White (Pieris napi Linn.) and a few Large’ White (Pieris brassicae Linn.). As I crossed the fields to the woodland I noted large numbers of Meadow Brown (Maniola qgurtina Linn.) and several Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus Linn.) and at the entrance to my hunting~ ground—a_ steep, grassy hillside—I was greeted by _ several specimens of the handsome Marbled White (Agapetes galathea lLinn.). This insect is abundant here; I saw only 29 to-day, in the most perfect condition. On the lower slopes the Small Heath (Coenonympha pam- philus Linn.), the Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris Poda) and a few Large Skipper (Ochlodes venata Br. & Grey) were flying in the morn- ing sunshine. Here. too, the hand- some Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas Linn.) darted like a spark in the tall grasses. Down in the water-meadows by the stream, there were many more of this butterfly, together with P. napi and A. hyperantus. The splen- did Dark-Green Fritillary (Arqynnis aglaia Jinn.) vied with the High Brown Fritillary (Argynnis cydippe Linn.) for jpossession of the thistle tops. The latter species is not con- fined to woodland in the south-west. Only 3 cydippe were seen, while both sexes of the former species were abundant: the ¢@¢ being somewhat worn. In the more wooded portions a few Purple MHairstreak (Thecla quercus Vann.) and Comma _ (Poly- gonia c-album Linn.) were seen. Here, too, there were large numbers of the Silver-Washed Fritillary (Araqynnis paphia Linn.), only ¢¢. and in ver- fect condition. In addition there were a few Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae Linn.) and the first Peacock (Nymphalis io Tinn.) &3 90 were on the wing. The Silver Y Moth (Plusia gamma Linn.) flew up from the grasses everywhere, and two specimens of the splendid Yellow Ringed Dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonati Donovan) were seen. The beautiful and dainty Agrion virgo Linn. were everywhere along the streams, with a single Aeschna cyanea Muell. In the evening, at light. P. potatoria, 1 3, A. tripartita, only 1 3 to-night, and a few P. affinitata, were noted. 29th—P. c-album and T. quercus not seen to-day, but two Common Blue (Polyommatus wcarus Rott.) were noted. OQ. venata also not seen. but A. galathea was even more abundant to-day, and a perfect ¢ taken. A. aglaia and A. cydippe are flying in large numbers although still only 6c of the latter. A © aglaia taken, which is unusually dark and has the fore-wings heavily smudged and powdered with black. A. paphia, flying in abundance and two ©° taken. Some very fine P. napi 2° taken to-day, with large spots and heavily smudged veins. Every day large numbers of A. urticae come in- doors to ‘‘roost’’ on the ceiling. On the 27th I counted no fewer than thirteen. This evening two (. qraminis, 1 @,1 2, afew P. affinitata and two Burnished Brass (Plusia chrysitis Linn.) came to light. 30th—P. icarus was not seen to-day, but two fine V. atalanta were ob- served. On the moors the first Gray- ling (Humenis semele Linn.), 1 3 and 1 O were taken. A. qalathea still common, and another perfect ¢ taken. All Fritillaries still abundant. and the first 9 A. cydippe taken: very large and perfect. P. aamma still common everywhere, and the Chimney Sweeper (Odezia atrata Linn.) and the Small Purple Barred (Phytometra viridaria Ch.) were caught. This is rather a late date for the latter in- sect. In the evening a few P. affinitata, 1 ZL. prunata ¢. two Early Thorn (Selenia bilunaria Esp.) and a Marbled Beauty (Criyphia perla Schiff.) were taken at light. 3lst—V. atalanta not seen to-day, but several P. wcarus GC fiving. Large numbers of freshlv-emerged Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui Linn.) seen in a thistle field: probably the progeny of spring migrants. One Clouded Yellow (Coltas croceus Fourecr.) ¢@ seen to-day, fiying very fast in a westerly direction. EF. semele seen again, 3 ¢dd.1 9. Fritillaries all abundant and another © A. paphia taken. In the evening 1 P. NOVEMBER 1955 gamma ¢:1L. prunata 3d were taken at light together with a single male Striped Twin-Spot Carpet (Colo- stygia (=calostygia) salicata Hb.). This is mainly a northern insect and although it has oceurred in Devon and Dorset, I know of no previous record for this county. August Ist—A fine ¢ C. croceus taken at rest on a ragwort flower. V. cardui common, and atalanta seen again, together with 1 T. quercus. Fritillaries still abundant: 3 @ paphia taken. A. galathea still abundant: all 2°. WN. w# and A. urticae increasing in numbers. E. semele 1 ¢ and 2 2° seen to-day. M. tithonus 2 taken: ab. excessa Tutt, very extreme. JL. phlaeas var. radiata taken: the copper band on the hind-wings reduced to a few cop- per scales: barely visible. For the genetics of this rare variety see Ford. B., Butterflies (New Naturalist series). A. virgo abundant along the stream and many (@. annulatus seen. In the evening the Small Phoenix (Ecliptoptera silaceata Schiff.) and the Common Wainscot (Leucania pallens Linn.) 2 ¢@¢ were taken at light. Ind—V. atalanta again seen, but cardui surprisingly absent. A. gala- thea still common: another good ¢ taken. Many Fritillaries about in- cluding several © paphia (1 taken). The ¢¢ are becoming rather worn. 2 02° cydippe taken: one a very fine var. (see Fig. 1). The submarginal series of silver spots are pale yellow. and scarcely distinguishable from the ground colour: this is a modifica- tion of the form known as var. cleodora. Esp. In addition the row of rust-red spots is replaced by a row of dark brown, almost black spots and the whole ground colour is of a deep olive-green. with the markings much darker and strikingly different from the normal specimens. On the fore- wings the silver marks at the apex, so conspicuous in the typical female. are completely absent. The var. is a very strange one and the insect bears a very strong resemblance to the continental Arqynnis niobe Linn. which hes been reported occasionally in the British Isles. I have a ¢& specimen taken here in 1953 in which the ground colour is a uniform pale yellow and the silver markings on the underside much reduced. Another fine male ab. taken to-day (see fig. 2). Two spots on the right hind-wing are ioined to the marginal row of spots — forming a large black patch. On the underside two silver spots in the snub AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 Fig. 2. A. cydippe ¢ Var. marginal row are joined. Only two E. semele seen to-day. In the even- ing O. graminis, 1 6, 1S. bilunaria and 2 @. perla came to light. 3rd—Several H. semele seen to-day and 2 C. croceus fiying very fast west- wards. Two more cydippe vars. taken. 1 ¢ with the spots very large and numerous, and smudged with black on all four wings. The other a female is intermediate between the 9° var. already described and the typi- eal; having the dark spots and ground colour, but still retaining the normal silver markings. Many P. icarus taken including 1 2 A. gala- thea still abundant; all 99, and getting rather worn. In the evening a few L. pallens, 1 LDL. prunata and several P. gamma taken at light. 4Ath—1 S C. croceus taken flying westward and large numbers of IV. cardui seen again, with a_ few atalanta. A perfect ¢ A. aglaia taken which is surprising, as most of the males are very worn now. Very few A. galathea to-day and hardly any A. hyperantus left in good con- dition. Many A. paphia still about: many of them 2°. A perfect P. c- album seen in the woodland. Very few moths in the evening. A few J. pallens and one 6 Pale Shouldered Brocade (Hadena thalassina WHufn.) came to light. 91 5th—To-day was very dull and‘ lI did no collecting. A few P. nap and A. urticae were about, and in the evening a few ‘‘pugs’’ and 2 IP. gam- ma. One of these is rather pinkish, almost of a rosy shade on the fore- wings. 6th—I left for London this morn- ing and at 9.30 a.m. a few M. tithonus and P. rapue came to see me off. The following notes are from a cor- respondent who is still staying at the same farm in Upton :— Sth srs varus’ oo. 2 A. aglata (cydippe?). and 1 V. atalanta on the moors in the morning. 2ist—1 C. croceus flying west; cap- tured at rest on a_ flower-head (species not stated). 25th—1 C. croceus seen flying north. A. urticae is coming indoors in large numbers; as many as 83 on the walls and ceiling to-day. V. atalanta is very abundant; 19 seen on one patch of Scabious. P. E. Smart (2293%*). @ OBSERVATIONS BUTTERFLIES IN ESSEX, 1955 The area I have studied is a wood with mainly deciduous trees. Through the middle is a _ ceart-track which abounds with butterflies during the summer. The first species to be seen in early spring were Aglais urticae Linn. (Small Tortoiseshell), Nymphalis io Linn. (Peacock) and Polygonia c- album Linn. (Comma). The Peacock and Vanessa atalanta Linn. (Red Admiral) were even more common in late summer than they were in the spring. The main attraction for the butterflies were the flowers of Teazel (Dipsacus fullonum Linn.) and Spear Plume Thistle (Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.). Only one specimen of Vanessa cardui Jinn. (Painted Lady) was seen, but another member of this family found in August was Argynnis paphia Linn. (Silver Washed Fritil- lary). Of the Satyridae, Maniola jurtina Linn. (Meadow Brown) and Maniola tithonus Linn. (Hedge Brown or Gatekeeper) were the first species to appear in the wood, but later A phan- topus hyperanthus Linn. (Ringlet) and Pararge megera linn. (Wall Brown) were abundant, both darting up and down the cart-track. The Lycaenidae were represented by Lycaena phlaeas Jann. (Smalt Copper), visiting Common Ragwort, 92 NOVEMBER 1955 Celastrina argiolus Linn. (Holly Blue) and Polyommatus icarus Rott. (Com- mon Blue) both the latter being regular visitors to the wood. Another’ visitor was Strymon w-albunm Knoch (White Letter Hairstreak) which is known as the ‘‘W Hairstreak’’ in our district. Members of the Pieridae were Pieris brassicae Linn. (Large White), Pieris rapae Linn. (Small White), Pieris napi Linn. (Green-Veined White) and Gonepteryr rhamni Linn. (Brimstone), while from the Hesperiidae were Ochlodes venata Br. & Grey (Large Skipper) and Thymeh- cus sylvestris Poda (Small Skipper). T consider that this year was a much better year for butterflies than 1954. R. DRANE (2363*) LEPIDOPTERA IN THE CARDIFF AREA, 1955 I would like to place on record the capture of a specimen of Cryphia muralis Forst. (Marbled Green) at Cardiff, Glam., during July at electric light. I believe this moth has never before been recorded from Wales. Regarding butterflies, the Satyridae have been particularly common in the Cardiff district this summer, especially Pararge aegeria Linn. (Speckled Wood), Pararge _megera Linn. (Wall Brown), and EHumenis semele Linn. (Grayling). I have also observed Aphantopus hyperanthus Linn. (Ringlet) in this area for the first time. The gossip column of a local news- paper recorded the capture, recently, of three Chalkhill Blues (Lysandra coridon Poda) within Cardiff’s boun- dary. Provided the specimens were correctly identified, they must prove to be a notable capture, for coridon does not naturally occur north of the Severn. AY DD. Lewis! (2243*): THE PALE CLOUDED YELLOW IN WILTSHIRE On the 6th August 1955 I had ‘the good fortune to catch a specimen of Colias hyale Linn. (Pale Clouded Yellow). This specimen was taken on the fringe of a golf course in West Wiltshire. The insect was in such perfect condition that I feel it must have been hatched near to where I found it. I would be very interested to know if any other members have observed a specimen of this species this year. D. WEst (2105*). cede te s GD y REE isseds BS Foe a prerre e p ae Printed by T. Buncle & Co. Ltd., Arbroath, and published by the Amateur Entomologists’ Society, 1 West Ham Lane, London, E.15. 1955. A VARIETY OF NYMPHALIS/IO LINN. I hope that members will be in- terested to hear of a variety of the Peacock, which I bred on the 21st August 1955. The upper wings were normal, ex- cept that the red was brighter than it usually is. The lower wings, how- ever, were greyer than usual; ‘‘c’”’ denotes the extensive piece of grey. There was also a large piece of speckled yellow which is shown by ‘‘q’’?. This area is larger than normal. The most remarkable feature, how- ever, about this butterfly was that. there was a chip in the wing. At first IT thought that I had spoilt the speci- men, but after looking at it with its wings closed, I noticed that there was a chip on each of the lower wings, and that the chip was exactly the same shape, and in the same position on each wing. ‘‘a’’?’ marks the chip and ‘bh’? the usual shape of the wing. I should be very pleased to hear if any member has come across a_ similar variety. M. Hora (2542*). A CARRYING BOX FOR INSECTS From J. Hastam (2519*). Other readers may be interested to hear of my idea for a carrying box to hold specimens which have been killed in the field. It is very simply put together, and consists of a flat box (any size, according to needs) filled with two layers of cotton wool. The insects are placed between the layers of wool and are prevented from bumping around. I thought of this idea when I had cycled for a long distance with some butterflies loose in a box in my saddle bag. When I reached home most of them were damaged beyond recogni- tion, and the rest of them are now in my store boxes. as rare, headless varieties with transparent wings (until T ean get some more)! COCO OC OOOO OEOO EEE OEEOSESEESSOSOSOSESO OOS OOOD LD pddbdbdddodbdbdbddodooboobdoodbdoodbovbbdbdobobodoobdbbboddbbbboot e B:: SOSSSSE SSS SS SSO SOSSSSSOHSSHSSSHO HOSS SOSODH OOS SSHOSHHOOSH OSSD OODOOODO OOOH OOOO OHHH OOOOOOSOD obs t eos | oe . oe oe . s ee 3 ARGENTINA LIVESTOCK 33 Moths and Butterflies by Airmail EGGS PUPIE $$ 33 fae doz. each 833 33 F 33 mE TOD TTS CMUMe NAM AICODACAC Eo oren oo. ech depose staan s Sede Cabs cane cle taste ss eeadeseceeeeaceseee 3/- 3/- $3 ss Rothschildia speculifer © ..............c.. ee ie. SABRE =, on « > ta % = 4 THE BULLETIN OF 4 THE AMATEUR 4 ENTOMOLOGISTS’ e ‘SOCIETY World List abbreviation : Bull. amat. Ent. Soc. ~ fe, - / ZZ <<. YY EDITED by B. R. STALLWOOD ~ Sa a SoeeeessesessesteresesessieseTestrstesessstetteersrissepeessessssssressesspesesssssisesreteseesetes SOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSESHOSS OSHS HSH OPES SOOO OSHS EEO E SESE OLED OOOO OOOH OOOO OOH OOOO SOL OOEOOO OD eeeevereoe 3 THE alah # FRESHWATER LIFE : 3 OF THE E. W. Classey F. R. E. 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LONDON, E. 15 se 33 : i ; | istissssstsstistisstissississstitissiisttssisssisstisstistsrtsstististtt sits s sss sso —— rs a er ere . ™ % an as —~ COLLECTING EPHEMEROPTERA (Mayflies or Dayflies) A reference to the index of Vol. 13 (1954) of the AES Bulletin shows that in that year not a word was written about this fascinating order of insects, and the 1954 membership list shows a similar deplorable state of affairs—hardly any of our members state any interest in this group except perhaps as ‘‘fresh water’’ or some other term covering a multitude of other subjects besides. I feel, therefore, that some effort, however small, should be made to arouse interest in these insects which are so neglected among amateur entomologists. The Ephemoptera are represented in the British Isles by 48 species in 18 genera (taking into account the doubt- ful species). This small number, how- ever, should not dismay the collector, as the nymphs have been found in many different types of freshwater habitat, ranging from static water tanks in London (Cloéon dipterum (L.)) to mountain streams (various species). Four of these species have also been added to the British lst since 1939, so it is reasonable to expect that there are species waiting to be discovered by the entomologist, amateur or professional. Characteristic features of the Ephemeroptera adults include the four wings (although in certain species the hindwings are minute or absent) with their important venation, the paired anal cerci and the median caudal filament, which is either well developed or almost absent; the genitalia, which are very primitive; the atrophied mouthparts and the subimaginal stage, a feature which is possessed only by the Ephemeroptera among all the insects. This is de- scribed below as part of the life history. The early stages are passed entirely in fresh water, the eggs being laid in three different ways, the female either washing off a few eggs at a time (e.g., Ephemera, Leptophlebia, Hcdyonurus, etc.), depositing them all in_ one cluster (Ephemerella, Centroptilum), or crawling under water and attach- BULLETIN No. [80 DECEMBER 1955 ing the eggs to suitable beneath the surface (Baétis). There are several types of nymph, many of them showing good adapta- tion to their surroundings. Needham has divided them into two groups, each with three sub-divisions. This classification, with modifications as given by (1952), is reproduced below. 1. Still or slow-flowing water forms. (a) Climbers among _ vegetation, agile streamlined forms. Siph- lonurus, Cloéon, Centroptilum, (b) Crawlers upon the bottom, silt- dwellers. Caenis. (c) Burrowers in the Ephemera. 2. Rapid water forms. (d) Agile, free-ranging streamlined forms. Baétis, Paralepto- phlebia, Centroptilum. (e) Close-clinging limpet-like forms found under stones. Hcdyon- urus, Rhithrogena, Heptagena. (f) Stiff-legged, trash-, moss- and Se ne forms. Hphemer- ella. objects certain Harris bottom. Harris also states: ‘‘These ecologi- cal divisions are not exact, as consider- able overlapping occurs among the different species’’. _Ephemeroptera nymphs may be dis- tinguished from other orders having freshwater nymphs by their three ‘“‘fails’’?, and other characters. They feed mainly on filamentous algae, diatoms and fragments of higher plants; some species may be carnivor- ous. _ After numerous moults, the sub- imago emerges. This stage, al- though being fully winged and capable of flight, differs from the fully mature adult in having dull and opaque wings, with a fringe of minute hairs (the imagines of Caenis, however, also have a fringe of hair on their wings), shorter legs, shorter anal filaments and median caudal fila- ment (if present), and the male geni- talia which are not fully developed. Transformation from the nymph occurs either underneath the water, on the surface or on some object at the water’s edge. The subimago then flies away and shelters in vegetation 94 till, after a rest period, it moults to disclose the imago. In many species, at certain times of day, the males and females gather to participate in their rising and falling mating flight, mating taking place in the air, the pair slowly losing height; copulation lasts only a short time and is usually completed before the ground is reached. The egg-laying flight of the female may then commence immediately or she may again shelter on the shore; in both cases the male returns to the swarm. The actual egg-laying is de- scribed above. Since Ephemeroptera adults have been widely imitated by fishermen in making fly dressings, it is not sur- prising that English names have been given to the Ephemeroptera, although in some cases groups of species have been given a single name because they are not readily distinguishable from one another by anglers, e.g., Rhithro- gena haarupt Esb.-Pet., Hcdyonurus venosus (Fabr.), HE. torrentis Kimmins and H. dispar (Curt.) imagines are all called the Great Red Spinner. In general the subimagines are known as duns and the imagines as spinners. Fishermen leave the order as a whole without a popular name, restricting the term ‘‘mayfly’’ to the genus Ephemera. Therefore, to avoid con- fusion, Kimmins (1954) has suggested, “That the term ‘mayfly’ be restricted to the genus Ephemera, and that as a comprehensive vernacular name for the order the term ‘day-flies’ be em- ployed, thus falling into line with the German entomologists. who use the name ‘Wintagsfliegen’ ’’. In collecting Ephemeroptera the usual type of butterfly net will serve well, although a fairly long handle is useful when dealing with high-flying swarms. Waterside vegetation, in- cluding trees and shrubs, should also be examined. Certain species, e.g., Caenis and Potamanthus, are mostly nocturnal and may be attracted to light, so light traps should not be neglected. If subimagines are taken, they may be bred out to the imaginal stage by confining them in a box with rough sides to which the insects may cling. The atmosphere in the box should be kept humid by means of some pieces of dampened blotting paper placed in the box. If some “subimagines can definitely be associated with the adults it is advisable to keep a few specimens for the collection as in many species the wing pattern is distinctive. DECEMBER 1955 Ephemeroptera may be killed by any of the usual methods, e.g., cyanide, ammonia and crushed laurel leaves, although Kimmins (1954) | states: ‘‘Specimens should not be allowed to remain in the killing bottle for more than a few hours, particularly when cyanide is used, or they may acquire a pinkish tinge which spoils them for the collection’’. It is advisable not to put many specimens in the killing bottle at once, and some _loosely- crumpled tissue paper to prevent damage due to shaking about should be put in the bottle. Alternatively specimens may be kept in fluid. They should be placed immediately in 70% alcohol for about an hour and then transferred to a solution consisting of one part of 40% formaldehyde (commercial formalin) in 19 parts of water. The alcohol treatment wets the specimens and allows the formaldehyde solution to penetrate the tissues of the insect; the specimens also sink into the formalde- hyde solution, which they would not do without the alcohol treatment. Nymphs can be put straight into the formaldehyde solution. All tubes containing fluid should be completely filled, as an air bubble moving in a tube can do much damage to the Ephemeroptera, which are very fragile insects. Specimens in the eed stages may be set like Lepidoptera, or pinned through the side of the thorax, with the wings folded over the back or may be gummed to celluloid. The fore-legs and tails should be kept in place under the setting cloth: Kim- mins (1954) states: “Strips of cello- phane, as recommended by Mosely for Trichoptera, are excellent for this purpose.’’ When setting subimagines to prevent crumpling and shrinking in drying, it is necessary to cover the entire wings and also the tails with the setting-strips. The most up-to-date key to the adults available is the Freshwater Biological Association’s Scientific Publication, No. 15, A revised key to the aduits of the British Species of Ephemeroptera, by D. E. Kimmins, price 3/-. Besides giving an illus- trated key to the adults this excellent publication also gives a most useful general introduction to the life history and structure of the order as well as giving notes on collecting and _presery- ing, ecology of the species, and nomen- clature together with a check list. and list of fishermen’s names for them. with a note on them. However, a key to the nymphs is not given, as another AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 Scientific Publication giving a com- plete key to the species of the nymphs is in the course of preparation by Dr. Pee Maeam. A key to the families and genera of the nymphs is given in the Royal Entomological Society's Handbook on the Ephemeroptera (Vol. 1, Part 9), also by D. E. Kimmins, but the keys to the adults in this work do not in- clude a species (Caenis robusta Eaton) which was first found in the British Isles in 1951. However, this is in- cluded in the Freshwater Biological Association’s key. As all the species of KEphemerop- teran nymph occurring in Britain have not yet been described. No key to all the British species exists but various papers, mainly by Macan, listed below, cover a good proportion of the species. Several other references are also given which will be of use in the study of the order. These include the sec- tion in Mellanby’s work on _ the Ephemeroptera nymphs which gives an account and illustrations; and Harris’s “‘An Angler’s Entomology”’ which gives a full account of the order together with a key to common species in the adult states based on easily observable characters, coloured photo- graphs of many species and much in- formation valuable to the angler. Other freshwater insect orders are also included. Finally, it should be stated that much still remains to be learnt about the Ephemeroptera, the British list perhaps still being incomplete, as mentioned above, and it is hoped that this article will have aroused some interest in this fascinating but, as it seems, neglected order. T. H. PENNINGTON (2315*). References. Eaton, A. E. (1883-1888). A Revisional Mono- graph of recent Ephemeridae. Trans. Linn. Soc. London (Ser. 2) Zool. 3. (1888). A concise generical Synopsis, with an annotated list, of the species of British Ephemeridae. Ent. Mon. Mag., 25: 9-12, 29-33. Harris, J. R. (1952). -An Angler’s Ento- mology. London. Kimmins, D. E. (1950). Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects, 1: Pt. 9. Ephemeroptera. Royal Ento- mological Society of London. . (1954). A Revised Key to the Adults of the British Species of Ephemerop- tera. Freshwater Biol. Assn. Sci. Pub. No. 45. ——., and Frost, W. E. (1943). Observa- tions on the Nymph and Adult of Ephemerella notata Eaton . (Ephem- 95 eroptera). Proc. R. ent. Soc. Lond. {(A) 18: 43-49. Macan, T. T. (1949a). The taxonomy of the hymphs of the British species of the genus Ecdyonurus (Ephem.), Ent. Mon. Mag., 85: 64-70. . {1949b). Descriptions of the Nymphs of the British species of Cloéon, Procloéon and Centroptilum (Ephem., Baétidae). Ent. Mon. Mag., 85: 222-228. ———. (1950). Descriptions of some nymphs of the British species of the genus Baétis, Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent. 10: 143-166. . (1951). The taxonomy of the British species of Siphlonuridae (Ephem.) Hydrobiol. 3: 84-92. . (1952). Taxonomy of the nymphs of the British species of Leptophlebiidae (Ephem.) 4, 363-376. ——. (1955a). A Key to the Nymphs of the British Ephemeroptera. January 59-70. ———. (1955b). A Key to the Nymphs. of the British Species of the Family Caenidae (Ephem.) Ent. Gaz. 6: 127-142. Mellanby, H. (1953). Animal Life in Fresh Water (5th edition). London. Mosely, M. E. (1921). The Dry-fly Fisher- man’s Entomology. London. Needham, J. G., Traver, J. R. and Hsu, Y.-€. (1935). The Biology of May- flies, with a systematic account of North American species. Ithaca, New York. e THE ANNUAL EXHIBITION, 1955 A large throng of members, to- gether with their wives, youngsters and friends, foregathered at Buck- ingham Gate Central School fer our Annual Exhibition. I have been privileged to be present at these gatherings for many years now, and am convinced that the attraction of so enthusiastic an audience is due not only to the excellence of the exhibits, but also to the unequalled opportunity of meeting old friends, making new ones and of talking entomology to fellow enthusiasts. Further, as one of the foremost aims of our Society is to encourage the younger generation, here is a golden opportunity of chatting to, and answering the many queries of the large number of boys and girls whom we are so pleased to welcome every year. A small disappointment was the decrease in the number of exhibits of Orders other than Lepidoptera, especially after the fine effort made last year. It is realised that a good proportion of our members specialize in Lepidoptera, but it is felt that 96 DECEMBER 1955 many of those interested in other Orders are reluctant to bring an ex- hibit, on the ground that it may be a common species, or not showy enough. Nothing could be further from the truth, as these Orders provide a great deal of interest and add greatly to the appeal and pres- tige of our Annual Exhibition. Unfortunately it was only possible to record a proportion of the exhibits, but a note of these may be of interest. Among those of Orders other than Lepidoptera, we were very pleased to welcome once again the fine display brought by the Curator of Insects from the London Zoo. He showed exotic species of grasshoppers, desert locusts, praying mantids, millipedes, spiders, scorpions, and hermit crabs. These were housed in clear plastic containers, which are such a boon for this purpose. The very go-ahead Microscopy Group gave, with the aid of high-powered microscopes, drawings and_ speci- mens, a detailed survey of the development of the four stages of the Argentine form of the Praying Mantis. Mr jek TC. ASide m@Qi4g): whose study of the insects living on the Wayfaring Tree has been appear- ing in the Bulletin this year and which has now been published as a separate Pamphlet, filled a_ large table with striking and most infor- mative illustrations of his work. Mr. B. L. J. Byerley (788) had gathered together a representative collection of Tabanidae (Horse Flies). A strik- ing feature of these insects. when living, is the pronounced green and purple eyes, and it is hoped shortly to obtain photographs of these in colour. Mr. N. B. Baker (2264) pre- sented drawings and specimens of Coleoptera; Messrs Smith and Nicholson further illustrations of the variation in Mantid egg-masses ; and Mr. P. Taylor (719) a collection of interesting insects including the beetle Prionus coriarius Linn. The display of Lepidoptera was extensive, and covered many fea- tures; it paid a tribute to the zeal of the members, and to the excellence of the 1955 summer. Notably. the Microlepidoptera Group showed a welcome increase in interest. Mr. D. Ollevant (1514) exhibited Pyra- liidae taken this year, and_ sug- gested that these families offer a fruitful field for the collector, especi- ally as an adequate text-book for identification is now available. Mr. R. W, J. Uffen (1660) included a fully- illustrated life history of the leaf- miner, Gracillaria syringella Fab., among the species of Microlepi- doptera shown; and Mr. M. E. Castle (2490) gave detailed instruc- tions for the construction of setting boards for the ‘micros’. Quite a number of members specialized in variation. Mr R. V. Aldridge (262), Mr. R. J. Gent (192) and Mr. P.. KE. Smart~-(@293) pro- vided many examples in butterflies and moths; Mr L. W. Siggs (243) species liable to melanism: Mrs. J. 0. I. Spoczynska (751) colour variation in the genus Triphaena (Yellow Underwing Moths); Mr P. D. Piper and Mr. W. H. James (120) variation in the Wall Butterfly (Dira megera Linn.) and Poplar Hawkmoth (Laothoé populi Linn.) respectively, whilst Mr. W. J. Akester (2423) had contrived to photograph an unusual pairing between the Poplar and Lime (Mimas tiliae T.inn.) hawk- moths. Collections of British Lepidoptera were provided by Mr. S. M. Hanson (320) with interesting series of butterflies; Mrs. J. O. I. Spoczynska (751) with many local species; Mr. C. A. McDermott (2488) including a British specimen of the Eastern Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas Esp.), a species closely resembling the Large Tortoiseshell (N. polychloros Linn.); Mr. P. E. Smart (2293) rare migrant. butterflies, some of great antiquity and including a _ Papilio podalirius Linn. (Scarce Swallowtail) with a data label marked 1826; Mr P. W. Crabb (2270), specimens taken in Sussex during 1955; and Mr. F. C. Brown (2414), moths bred from the London bomb sites. The latter com- prised an _ astonishing range of species some of which were probabity already resident in nearby parks and gardens, but a good proportion were thought to be new arrivals. Other interesting aspects of British Lepidoptera were covered by Mr. R. V. Aldridge (262) with a County list for Buckingham; and Mr. I. D. Loe (2525) hand paintings of Vanessids. As ..in, j past, yeats.~.Viru Py. C... Te Masurier (978) illustrated his exhibit with enlarged photographs and speci- mens. This year the subject was the Field Meeting undertaken hy six AES members and wives to Glen T.yon, in Perthshire, from 4th to 16th July. A fuller report of this Meeting appears in Bull. amat. Ent. Soce., 14: 77, and it is proposed to show the AES BULLETIN VOL. 14 whole expedition with colour slides at the 1956 Annual General Meeting of the Society. cS ai . S ia S) oa fn 4 . if i i i aaahet ~ - oy aL 12 ea Yad a eel Bod la: d UAL a Lal at ee