See ue el In ep pe: te Rb ln EF ie Bodom bite —~ Dah ROC tm lt Pn ont Bite Stan patie omy ea See ai = 5 es By 2 8 2 By z = z = ae : Serie ie | ' rd w A a pNOILNLILSNI_NVINOSHLIWS Saluvagi7_L! 2 ee ei eee Zz aa = fe Goer on ASS pr ” LR dy a ex om ~ oc =e Ui? : 2 XC = ai “io 33 : oo. at 3 Zz = Zz a = VINOSHLINS S3INVUSIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION _ NC oe ie 2 SS : Ye 5 : E E 5 | Yo RE = om ea NO = S : ae ~sS Se m S Ah Poa = Ww i ra —_— MITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILMLILSNI_ NVINOSHLINS Sa1uvudIT_ LI cs a ees = WD < ‘ 3 = , Zz 2 Ny 3 _é 2 YY, B iw & ae Dy ga Z AS =? = 20 2 VINOSHLINS SAlYVHGIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | NC Li a ee) Up, a ld Xo = i = Uy 3 | oc = oc Lith, ee LE: ; : a < Yo Git = eS s N SS ca S sel, fee = les Bhs i. S oS = : al aes i ps | MITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS SaluvugiT LI ae z on zi Gs “OO 2 oo ) a Lf Fs) & - 3) Dio 2 = 2 = a | Wy ea - \ a = a es g - z ; = w) — VINOSHLINS S31YVY9IT_ LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN Ni no = Dialga 22) Pad w = S ec a \ ww = << = ra. yg fey Vag "Z \\S = = | 7 OS NEIOE bs 2 “iy = \. Z = ={é ee a 2 ; : . : bs Tp) a ; AITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS Saluvugi7_ Ll aa We z fe Z a” a ” De Ww = oc oa oc = hy a < om < an) | = = eo ne = A . ee | : (INOSHLINS —S31YVYAIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | NC Yee 2 io Oo Up cs ° 5 vex a 5 Pl 5 ; & a g) at aan ried a feof eros ay Ba iN saiuvug INSTITUTIC INSTITUTIC saiuvug INSTITUTI saluvua INSTITUTIC NOSHLINS SHIYVYEITLIBRARIES INSTITUTION NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3IYVUEIT LIBRA NVINOSHLINS S3Z!IYVua na = z ” = +20) = = Z gee <= = — = Pe ies meee ye Se — st 4 ff fy, = pea fer 8S ‘yo = x= Y{\|Y, oO Vtht ff Oo Loy oO 2 “yy = \ = 2 YW, = 2 “Wy = 5 2G . 5 wos. Se a 3 7 a uw) ‘: THSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILONLILSNI NVINOSHLIWS S3I1YVYStIT LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION NOILNI1: 2 z go 8 3 e 2 2 at jx 2 : 4 NN. : : = : ip = < = Re < = as = < i wd) a ES PQ GP Na: Ge E Se 8 a oe = a za > iad 4 aa 2 - NOSHLIWS LIBRARIES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. NOILNLILSNI NVINOSHLINS S3IYVYSIT LIBRAR » —_ w o= ty, oo — aw > j as w Weg & Pa) = ly, FO 5 ee \. . 5 2 \y . = = = th = = as SS = = “ ERS _ re Li ime ro A YAS — So OE a a i eae = #4 NYS ro = LW 2 m 2 m Z on LW f mo THSONIAN INSTITUTION NOLLALILSNI_ NVINOSHLINS $3 luvudIT_LIBRAR LES | SMITHSONIAN. INSTEG US a = ee, * = fy, = =: a2 = = ty = z = = 3 z I, 9 5 Ui 3 ; 3 Z fs Yo My, i LER fe) . Se = a. G fee - 2 see = = a pee = >" = > = = ee 2 a 2 a = 2 ALIWS SS i Uva ts} ee BRARI ES SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION - —NVINOSHLINS z =o same ae WW Fe ee ee a ae Record EDITED BY Price 35s Entomologist S AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Sy Ny Aw JACOBS wEakubes: net Printed in Great Britain by T. BUNCLE & Co. L7p., Arbroath, Angus. CONTENTS Ill CONTENTS Aberrations of British Macrolepidop- tera. A. L. Goodson, 151. Anabolia brevipennis (Curtis). A further British Record of. E. C. Pelham-Clinton, 269. Anthocharis cardamines L. An inter- sex of. K. N. Baskcomb, 269. Ants 1964-1965. Notes on British. C. A. Collingwood, 23. Aphomia gularis Zell. in Northamp- tonshire. P. J. Gent, 65. Argynnis euphrosyne L. in South Devon. Second brood of. Dr. J. F. H. Eagles, 268. Asilidae (Dipt.) of Northern England. P. Skidmore, 230, 257. Bucculatrix demaryella Stt. (Lep. Lyonetidae) Spanish Chestnut an apparently unrecorded natural Pabulum of. J. M. Chalmers- Hunt, 158. Buddleia and Asters. Visitors to. T. and M. Silcocks, 302. Butterfly attracted to light. A further. I. R. P. Heslop, 303. Butterflies attracted to light in 1966. I. R. P. Heslop, 267. Butterflies in South Eastern France in July 1965. Collecting. J. V. Dacie, M.D., and G. Stoughton- Harris, M.A., 168. Butterflies seen in Yugoslavia, July 1963. Notes on some. T. R. New, 153. Cactoblastis cactorum Berg. An example of aposematic colora- tion. J. S. Taylor, 293. Calophasia lunula Hufn. Unusual emergence of. Brigadier H. C. Warry, 134. Culoptilia (Gracilaria) falconipen- nella Huibn. Notes on. Ss: Wakely, 49. Further notes J. L. Campbell, Canna Lepidoptera. on the Isle of, 267. Cardiganshire Lepidoptera 1965. Further records of. N. L. Birkett, 11. Catocala fraxini L. in Derbyshire. J. H. Johnson, 269. Celastrina argiolus L. H. C. Huggins, 183. Celerio livornica migration of. Cicada. The New Forest. Johnson, 55. Cicadetta montana Scop. H. Symes, Esp. A mass A. Valletta, 105. EB. E. Colias croceus Fourch. in 1966. J. M. Chalmers-Hunt, 238. | Copper Colias croceus Fourch. in Sussex and Suffolk. Baron de Worms, 301. Ccmparison of the catches obtained in insect traps fitted with 15 watt and 6 watt “blacklight” fluores- cent tubes. J. Heath, 222. Butterflies in the West Country. P. B. M. Allan, 161, 198. Cordylura (Dipt. Scatophagydae) from Surrey and Middlesex. Alan E. Stubbs, 266. Correction, A. A. Allen, 67. Cosmopteryx lienigiella Zell. Hampshire. E. A. Sadler, 42. Ccssus cossus (Linnaeus) in Scotland. E. C. Pelham-Clinton, 43. Crane Fles in Central Mainly. R. M. Payne, 54. Cranleigh Butterflies 1965. A. E. Collier, 87. in Wales. Major (Danaus plexippus) Migration Ex- periment 1965. Report on the Monarch Butterfly. J. F. Burton 156. Dandridge and the first Aurelian Society. Joseph. D. E. Allen, 89. Dasypolia templi Thbg. in North Yorkshire. E. Ramsden, 133. Depressaria ciliella Stt) (Lep. Tineina) in Perthshire. J. M. Chalmers-Hunt, 236. Diptera. Amendments to the list of British. L. Parmenter, 128. Dingle 1966. H. C. Huggins, 294. Diptera from Windsor Forest. Two notable. Alan E. Stubbs, 197. Diptera. Notes on some uncommon. P. J. Chandler, 80. Secund Recordings. Discography of palaearctic Insect. Jeffrey Boswall, 202. Dolichocephala ocellata Costa (Dipt. Empidae) in Devon. Alan E. Stubbs, 197. Dragonflies. Libellulid versus Aesh- nid. A. E. Gardner, 299. Drosophilidae amended. Key to the British. L. Parmenter, 129. Drosophilidae (Dipt.). On Mr Fon- seca’s Key to the British. L. Parmenter, 53. Early Migrants 1966. H. B. OD. Kettlewell, 214. Elater sanguinolentus Schr. (Col.) A. A. Allen, 235. Elater sanguinolentus Schr. in Windsor Forest? Possible occur- rence of. J. Muggleston, 185. Ennomos autumnaria Wernb. in Cambridge. B. O. C. Gardiner, 48. SMITHSONIAN nanb o4 (Ge; IV CONTENTS Entomological Methods of the seven- teenth and eighteenth Centuries. English. Ronald Sterne Wilkin- son, 148, 285. Entomological Notes of Captures and Observations in 1965. S. Wakely, 99. Entomologist at War. An. Major- Gena Gs (& VEipscomba GB: D.S.O., 121 Eriogaster lanestris (Linn). E. C. Pelham-Clinton, 159. Eriogaster lanestris L. Third and Fourth Years. H. Symes, 105. Euvanessa antiopa L. in Susex. W. E. Busbridge, 268. France, October 1965. fal, WAY. Mackworth-Praed, 112. Fifty Years Ago. 28, 107. French Riviera, April 1966. Easter on the. Baron de Worns, 192. Glass-bottomed Box. teenth Century. 37. Green, the Grey and the Brown. The B. F. Skinner and R. G. Chatelain, 251. A middle nine- E. E. Johnson, Hadenidae. The second broods of Irish. H. G. Huggins, 183. Harpyia Bicuspis Borkh. in South Devon. E. Ramsden, 133. Heliothis armigera Hiibn., Nonagria sparganti Esp. and N. typhae Thunb. in Essex. R. Tomlinson, 302. Herse convolvuli L. in County Clare. A. M. R. Heron, 184. Hornet and the bad tempered Wasp. The good tempered. O. M. H., Ute Hornets galore. H. Symes, 75. Hornet. The bad tempered. A. G. Carolsfeld-Krause, 77. Hornet. The good tempered. Alasdair Aston, 27. Hylecoetus dermestoides (Lo. Lymexlidae. A. A. Allen, 79. The. P. B. M. Allan, Ci: Ignis Fatuus. 104 Insect Visitors to Buddleia and Michaelmas Daisies. A. W. Jones, 219. Invasion of gamma, cardui and atalanta in North-West Scotland. S. L. Meredith, 215. Inverness-shire in 1965. G. W. Harper, R.N., 50. Ireland, August - September Southern and Western. de Worms, 68. Isle of Canna—1966 Spring Migrants. J. L. Campbell, 215. Commdr. 1965. Baron Killing the Goose. 26. S. L. Meredith, Laphygma exigua Hiibn.in the North and South. Baron de Worms, 301. Larvae feeding on plants with a latex-like sap. D. G. Sevastopulo, 27. Laspeyresia pactolana Zell. (Lep. Olethreutinae), a species new to the British Isles. E. A. Sadler, 134. Lepidochrysops Hedicke (Lep. Lycae- nidae) from Western Cape Province. A new Species of, C. G. C. Dickson, 189. Leptidea sinapis L. in Somerset. C. S. H. Blathwayt, 300. Leptidea sinapis L. in Somerset. H. M. Chappel, 300. (Leptidea sainapis) in Wessex. Wood White. H. Symes, 210. Leptomorphus walkeri Curtis (Dipt. Mycetophylidae) in Lancashire. The L. N. Kidd, 81. Leucania loreyi Dup. P. J. Rogers, 111. Leucania unipuncta and _ other Migrants in Somerset. T. B. Silcocks, 226. Leucania unipuncta Haw. in Somer- set. H. M. Chappel, 268, Lithocolletis acerifoliella Zell. ssp. joannisi LeMarchand. (Lep. Tineina). J. M. Chalmers-Hunt, 238. Lithosia quadra L. in Forest. H. Symes, 56. Lithosia quadra L. The status of. Admiral A. D. Torlesse, 26. Lycia hirtaria Clerck. Melanic. R. Tomlinson, 183. Lysandra bellargus Rott. aberration. Major-Gen. Lipscomb, C.B., D.S.O., 78. the New A new G3tG:; Maltese Islands, Butterflies of the. A. Valletta, 38. Massif Central, July 1966. Butter- flies in the French R. F. Bretherton, C.B., M.A., 245. Mecyna gilvata Fabr. in Hampshire. C. W. Mackworth-Praed, 297. Microlepidoptera, Notes on the. H.C, Huggins, 110, 166, 256. Migrants. May. T. D. Fearnehough, 180. Mole Cricket. Flight of the. P. J. Gent, 104. Mole Cricket, Flight of the. P. B. M. Allan, 48. Mompha_ vraschkiella Zell (Lep. Tineina) in Lanarkshire. J. M. Chalmers-Hunt, 237. CONTENTS V (Mycetophyllidae). Subterranean Fungus Gnats (Dipt.). A. E. LeGros, 237. Napi group of the Genus Pieris (Lep.). On the Nature and Origin of certain Races of the. B. C. S. Warren, 57. New Forest Mercury Vapour Light Records. L. W. Siggs, 66. New Providence Island, Bahamas. Butterflies of. B. K. West, 174, 206. Nomophila noctuella Schiff, in Janu- ary. L. W. Siggs, 81. Nymphalis polychloros L. in Wilt- shire, Hampshire and _ Dorset. I. R. P. Heslop, 303. Ochropleura plecta L. L. W. Siggs, 182. Oegoconia deauratella H.-S. (Lep. Symmocidae) in the British Isles. P. A. Goddard, 243. Oporinia autumnata Borkh. in the Isle of Wight. T. D. Fearne- hough, 104. Pararge megera L. in Central Bir- mingham. S. L. Meredith, 27. Parascotia fuliginaria L. in West Sussex. A. Curtis, 300. Parasitation. Dispersal as a possible check on. Col. A. M. Emmet, 180. Phalaena (Naenia) typica L. (The Gothic Moth). Commdr. G. W. Harper, R.N., 56. Phalaena typica L. larvae at Brad- ford, Yorks. Note on the Behaviour of. J. Briggs, 82. Phalaena typica L. A note on the Gothic Moth. A. A, Allen, 82. Pieris napi L. A Scale Defect in. N. L. Birkett, 13. Plastics in Entomology. Ainley, 98. Plusia: Autographa gracilis Lempke. The new. R. F. Bretherton, C.B., M.A., 185. Plusia festucae L. and P. gracilis Lempke mainly in North-West England. Notes on the Distribu- tion of. N. L. Birkett, 283. Plusia gamma in South Devon. Migrations of. Hilton L. O’Heffer- nan, 268. Plusia gracilis Lempke at Wicken. H. C. Huggins, 255. Plusia gracilis Lempke in Westmor- land. Baron de Worms, 301. Poecilmitis brooksi Riley, with the Description of a recently recog- nised Race of this Species. Revisional Notes on the Cape Lycaenid. C. G. C. Dickson, 217. IDir,) 18%, (Ex Poecilmitis Butler (Lep. Lycaenidae) from the Great Karroo. A new Species of. C, G. C. Dickson, 109. Poecilmitis Butler (Lep. Lycaenidae) from the Western Cape. A recently discovered. C. G. C. Dickson, 241. Poecilmitis Butler (Lep. Lycaenidae) previously unknown. A Cape Coastal. C. G. C. Dickson, 181. Pogonota hircus Zett. Dipt. Scato- phagydae) in the New Forest. L. Permenter, 216. Polymorphism in North-East Derby- shire. J. H. Johnson, 47. Pseudonympha trimenii Butler (Lep. Satyridae) from the Eastern Cape Province. A new Subspecies of. C. G. C. Dickson, 85. Moth Flies (Dipt. Psychodidae) in the South East. A. E. Le Gros, Be}. Pyrameis cardui L. in the North and South, Baron de Worms, 296. Pyrenees, July-August 1965. The Eastern. Baron de Worms, 1. Pyrgus malvae asiaeclara Verity. B. C. S. Warren, 173. Questions from a non-collector. O. P. Clarkson-Webb, 236. Sardinia, July and August 1965. Some Butterflies and Moths in. J. A. C. Greenwood, O.B.E., and Dorothy Greenwood, 224. Saturniidae. The Import of. B. O. C. Gardiner, 45. Sciomyzidae (Dipt.) in Britain. L. Parmenter, 125. Sciomyzidae (Diptera), and a note on Limnophora exsurda (Antho- myiidae). Some overlooked Synonymy and additional Species in British. J, E. Collin, 227. Season 65. T. W. Harman, 94. Season 1966. Notes on the. Guy A. Ford, 301. Sirex gigas L, in Connemaraa. Baron de Worms, 26. Sorhaugenia. Notes on the Genus. S. Wakely, 9. Spaelotis ravida Hubn. B. O. C. Gardiner, 46. Spain June-July, 1966. Northern and Central. Baron de Worms, 275. Sphingidae found around Cape Town, South Africa. Observations on the family. Hilton L. O’Heffer- nan, 212. Sphingidae, MHepialidae, Cossidae, Zygaenidae, Syntomidae, Lyman- triidae and Arctiidae (Lep.) of Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, with some ecological notes. Gaden S. Robinson, 253. Rev. Habits of. vi CONTENTS Stanmore Common. The Manage- ment of. P. A. Goddard, 239. Sternoxia (Col.) of Windsor Forest. The rarer, A. A. Allen, 14. Sterrhopteryx fusca Haw. (=hirsu- tella Hubn.) at Witherslack. Baron de Worms, 25, Syrphidae (Diptera) in Sussex. Some uncommon. A. W. Jones, 134. Triaenodes reuteri McLachlan (Trich. Leptoceridae), Allan Brindle, 130. Vanessa cardui L. Major-Gen. C. G. Lipscomb, C.B., D.S.O., 214. Vanessa cardui L. Air Marshal Sir Robert Saundby, K.C.B., 183. Vanessa cardui L, and Alsophila aescularia Schiff. in January. C. S. H. Blathwayt, 104. Vanessids in Cambridge. Absence of. B. O. C. Gardiner, 56. William Vernon, Entomologist and Botanist. Ronald Sterne Wilkin- son, 115. Westmorland. Early appearance in. Gaden S. Robinson, 158. Wicken Fen. Early photograph taken at, J. M. Chalmers-Hunt, 298. Wilderness, Cape Province. Insects at Light. J. S. Taylor, 73. Wild Life Sound Recordings. Scientific Use of B.B.C. 303. Will-o-the-Wisp. A Reply. df Muggleton, 83. Wood White in Wessex. Swindells, 300. The Aa, Jit, dh Zygaena Fab. in the British Museum (Natural History). On some Type Specimens of the Genus. W, G. Tremewan, 29. Zygaena Fab. Fauna of Spain (Lep. Zygaenidae). A Contribution to. Hugo Reiss, 137. CURRENT NOTES National Nature Week. 108. The 1966 Season. 108. CURRENT LITERATURE Common Malayan Butterflies. R. Morrell, 105. Animals 8: 198-201. P. S. Calahan, 106. The Ecological Theater and the Evolutionary Play. Prof. G. E. Hutchinson, 108. Ergebenisse der Zoologischen Nubien-Expedition 1962 (Part XXIX) Lepidoptera, Pyralidae, Pterophoridae. Dr H. G. Amsel, 135. Keimdrusenreifung bei Lepidopteren durch futterung mit Tokopherol, Manfred Koch, 135. Rotifers. Josef Donner, 159. Faunula Lepidopterologica Al- meriens, Ramon Agenjo, 160. The Pattern of Animal Communities. Chas. F. Alton, F.R:S., 185, A Distribution List of Butterflies (Rhopalocera) of Western and Southern Europe. R. 1k Bretherton, C.B., M.A., 186. Proceedings and Transactions of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society. 187. Nigerian Butterflies (Pt. I) Papi- lionidae. John Boorman, 187. Woodland Life. G. Manrahi-Barth, 239. Lepidoptera of Rostherne Mere Nature Reserve, H. N. Michaelis, 240. Principles of Pollination Ecology. K. Faegei and L. van der Pijl, 240. The Dancing Bees. 272. The Karl von Frisch, OBITUARY NOTICES Geoffrey Stoughton-Harris, 269. G B. Oliver, 271. Billy Winspit, 217. CONTENTS VII AUTHORS Allan, P. B. M., M.B.E., M.A.: 48, 104, 161, 198. Allen, A. A.: 14, 67, 79, 82, 235, Allen, D. E.: 89. Ainley, Dr. R. G.: 98. Aston, Alasdair: 27. Baskcomb, K. N.: 268. Birkett, N. L.: 11, 13, 288. Blathwayt, C. S. H.: 104, 300. Boswall Jeffery: 202. Bretherton, R. F., C.B., M.A.: 245. Briggs, J.: 82. Brindle, Allan: 130. Burton, J. F.: 156, 303. Busbridge, Wm. E.: 268. Campbell, J. L.: 215, 267. Carolsfeld-Krause, A, G.: 77. Chalmers-Hunt, J. M.: 158, 237, 238, 298. Chandler, P. J.: 80. Chappel H. M.: 268, 300. Chatelain, R. G.: 135, 257. Clarkson-Webb, O. P.: 236. Collier, Major A. E.: 87. Cellingwood, C. A.: 28. Collin, J, E.: 227. Curtis, A.: 300. Dacie, J. V., M.D.: 168. Dickson, C. G. C.: 85, 109, 181, 189, 217, 241, 278. 185, Eagles, J. F. H.: 268. Eagles, T. R.: 150, 272. Emmet, Lt.-Col. A. M.: 180. Fearnehough, T. D.: 104, 180. Ferd, Rev. Guy A.: 301. Gardiner, B. O, C.: 45, 46, 48, 56. Gardner, A. E.: 299. Gent, P. J.: 65, 104. Goddard, P. A.: 239, 243. Goodson, A, L.: 151. Greenwood, J. A. C., O.B.E.: 224. Greenwood, Dorothy: 224. Harman, T. W.: 94. Harper, Commdr. G. W., R.N.: 50, 56. Heath, J.: 222. Heron, A, M. R.: 184. Heslop, I. R. P.: 267, 308. Huggins, H. C.: 110, 166, 183, 255, 256, 294. Jacobs, S. N. A.: 105, 106, 107, 160, 185, 186, 187, 239, 240. Johnson, BH. E.: 37, 55. Johnson, J. H.: 47, 269. Jones, A. W.: 134, 219. Kettlewell, H. B, D.: 214. IesGielel, Jee INES Bile LeGros, A. E.: 223, 237. Lipscomb, Major-Gen. C. G., C.B., D.S.O.: 78, 214. Mackworth-Praed, C. W.: 297. Mackworth-Praed, H, W.: 112. Meredith, S. L.: 26, 27, 215. Muggleton, J.: 838, 185. New, T. R.: 153. O’Heffernan, Hilton L.: 212, 268. Old Moth Hunter, An: 77. Parmenter, L.: 53, 125, 128, 129, 216. Payne R. M.: 54. Pelham-Clinton, E. C.: 43, 159, 269. Ramsden, E.: 133. Reiss, Hugo: 137. Rcbinson, Gaden S.: 158, 253. Rogers, P. J.: 111. Sadler, E. A.: 42, 134. Saundby, Air Marshal Sir Robert, ACs, Geis IMIS... | IDEN. PIIACH, IDG, 9 BBY Sevastopulo, D. G.: 27. Siggs, L. W.: 66, 81, 182. Silcocks, T. B.: 226, 302. Skidmore, P.: 230, 257. Skinner, B, F.: 251. Stoughton-Harris, G., M.A.: 168. Stubbs, Alan E.: 197, 266. Swindells, R. J.: 300. Symes, H.: 55, 56, 75, 105, 210. Taylor, J. S.: 73, 293. Tomlinson R.: 183, 302. Torlesse, Admiral A. D.: 26. Tremewan, W. G.: 29. Valletta, Anthony: 38, 105. Wakely, S.: 9, 49, 99. Warren, B. C. S.: 57, 178. Warry, Brigadier H. E.: 134. Watson, R. W.: 271. West, B. K.: 174, 206. Wilkinson, Ronald Sterne: 285. Worms, The Baron de, M.A., Ph.D.: 301. 1, 25, 26, 68, 192, 269, 275, 298; 115, 143, ad lice mas Tos I aris f ty r Dae bia) tn Wear ane airgun ¥ f Forte “iis i ii Py sh i. sii ones JANUARY 1986 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by S. N. A. JACOBS, F.REs. with the assistance of A. A. ALLEN, B.SC., A.R.C.S. C. A. COLLINGWOOD, B.SC., F.R.E.S. ‘NEVILLE BIRKETT, M.A., M.B. H. C. Huaains, F.R.ES. } L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S. . M. CuaLMERS-HUNT, F.R.E.S. H. SYMES, M.A. ‘Major A. E. CouLier, M.C., F.R.E.S. S. WAKELY Commander G. W. Harprr, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.S. _ ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 35/- POST FREE OR U.S. DOLLARS 5.50 1 Hon. Treasurer, L. PARMENTER, “Woodside”, Pinewood Road, Ferndown, Dorset. KFS) BRLELE CURCESELEREDE oD) Eee 5/- N EHEOSESSlS SS CSSD SPIES ESI EPESG CIES CSE SSS ESGECLESBSE Re) | a For Study and Leisure Reading | DRAGONFLIES of the BRITISH ISLES Cynthia Longfield FRES 17s 6d net , | In this descriptive history of all the British Species a special feature is @ the detailed but perfectly simple key to both colour and pattern or } external structures, which will enable anyone to trace the Dragonfly’s € correct name in a few minutes. 16 plates in colour. Prospectus available ¢ on request. ‘ y 8 INSECTS of the : BRITISH eS > R Neil Chrystal MA DSc | 16s net { = This book has been written to meet the needs of all interested in growing } trees, whether in the garden, plantation or park, and will prove indispensable to teachers of Biology. With 2 half-tone plates, 12 line plates, and text illustrations. 384 pp. Size, 8? in. X 53 in. Cloth, with jacket. THE OBSERVER’S BOOK OF POND LIFE , John Clegg FRMS 5s net \ This book de ribes ; and illustrates, in full detail, every aspect of Pond Life, both plz and animal to be found in or near freshwater ponds and ¥ streams. With keys and index and many colour plates. THE MICROSCOPE MADE EASY | A Laurence Wells - r 12s 6d net Not only ae maporatoty scient ist can enjoy the fascinating mysteries icroscope: Be handy volume explains in a clear style revealed by t interesting objects can be Mounted easily and inexpensively. As the author shows in his book, this hobby need not be expensive. There are 8 colour and 7 half-tone plates and 28 text figures. From all Booksellers FREDERICK WARNE & CO LTD 1-4 Bedford Court, London WC2 , i le Ci Rap i Shi Dy i Oe ORK Cg a Oa QO Oy LB OLB. Annual Subscriptions Subscribers are respectfully reminded that subscriptions for 1966 are now due. They are asked to send their subscriptions promptly and not to await an invoice or personal reminder in order to assist in keeping down costs already increased by rising postage rates and printing costs. Bankers’ orders are preferred and a form will be sent on request by our Hon. Treasurer, L. Parmenter, ““Woodside,’ Pinewood Road, Ferndown, Dorset. The Eastern Pyrenees, July-August 1965 By Baron DE WorMs, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.E.S. Having sampled the central area of the Pyrenees, at Gavarnie, in 1963, I thought that the eastern end of that great mountain chain was well worth a visit, since both the weather and the lepidoptera are appreciably different on the Mediterranean side from conditions and fauna, both in the centre and on the Atlantic seaboard. The most favourable headquarters appeared to be Vernet-les-Bains situated some fifty miles inland from Perpignan, at about 2000 ft. It used to be a popular resort not only for collectors, but also for those who sought to improve their health and ward off many ailments. But as usual our entomological literature is remarkably devoid of any recent account of collecting in that region, though reference is made to a four-day visit there in early July 1951 by Mr R. F. Bretherton, the late Eldon Ellison and Lt. Col. W. Manley (Entomologist, 85: (1952) 187 seq.). One has to go back to 1914 to get a very precise account of collecting round Vernet by G. T. Bethune Baker who published two articles in the Entom. Record for that year (pp. 8-15 and 53-58) entitled “July in the Eastern F’yrenees” and “Eighteen Days on Mount Canigou”’, the 9000 ft. peak dominating that area. The famous French authority, Charles Oberthur, had a summer residence at Vernet where he made a very comprehensive collection of the local lepidoptera. The French eollectors, however, have of recent years made a very thorough survey of the region and have published a number of papers of recent discoveries in its lepidopterous fauna. mainly in the the journal “Alexanor”. Setting out from London on the morning of 21st July, I reached Paris by train that evening and later took the Barcelona Express via Toulouse which landed me at Perpignan early on the 22nd in a deluge. I hired by arrangement from French Railways a very efficient and spacious Simca at very reasonable terms. During the morning the downpour eased up on my 50-mile run into the mountains as far as Villefranche-le- Conflent, a small walled town from which you leave the main road to Spain to run up the five miles to Vernet, quite a large and modern town with Mount Canigou towering in the background. As for the weather, it was quite phenomenal during my seventeen-day sojourn there, staying at the very comfortable and well-appointed Hotel Angleterre run by a lady who had been born in England. Apart from two dull afternoons and an evening downpour the sun shone continuously with a steady rise of the thermometer from the low 80’s till on the day I left for home, 7th August, the shade temperature soared to 92°F. During my stay I visted several of the standard localities in the vicinity of Vernet, some of them on a number of occasions. I have therefore considered it best for the purpose of obtaining an idea what each pr)- SMITHS: MAR 3 bh emerTeTrercio’ g ¢ 0 - 2 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 duced, to enumerate them in order and describe their respective merits for collecting together with the principal species found in them. Since I was in the area at a later period than the participants in the 1951 visit I am appending a list of the butterflies recorded in all the areas visited. Probably the richest locality in the immediate neighbourhood of Vernet is the Vallée de Saint Vincent which is reached by going just outside the town on the road towards Fillols and then taking a short side road a few hundred yards where a rough track starts that leads eventu- ally on to a steep route up the valley to the Cascade des Anglais, some two miles distant at the foot of the Canigou massif. But I did not penetrate as far as this and confined my activities during my half a dozen visits to the woods bordering the wide and almost dry river bed at the entrance to the valley. On my first morning there at about 80°F. in the shade on 23rd July I was able to sample its wealth of butterflies, seeing some 35 species on this first occasion. It was not long before I came across that Marbled White which inhabits the whole of this region, Melanargia lachesis Htibn. It was just appearing in plenty with both sexes in prime condition. But the galaxy of Hairstreaks mentioned in the 1952 paper, feeding on the chestnut flowers was virtually over. But though Zephyrus quercus L. was just appearing, Strymon ilicis Esp. and Laeosopis roboris Esp. were very much past their best as also was Strymon acaciae Fab., of which a few were still flying. However, the great feature was the large number of buddleia bushes in full bloom not only along the woodland paths, but also along the river bed. These were patronised by a host of butterflies and it was a remarkable sight to see perhaps a dozen species on a single bush. Besides Argynnis paphia L. and A. aglaia L., the most frequent visitors to long purple spikes were Hipparchia circe Fab. with some huge females and Papilio feithsameli Dup. which replaces P. podalirius L. in this part of the Pyrenees. Ona few of the bushes were males of Gonepteryx cleopatra L. and an occasional Nymphalis antiopa L., just out and in superb condition, but never easy to catch as they glided swiftly over the blooms, seldom settling on them. Hipparchia alcyone W.V. was alighting along the pathways, a larger form than that present at Gavarnie. It was just at mid-day, as I was making my way back to Vernet along the path under very warm conditions, that I suddenly saw a flash of purple and an Apatura settle on a small rose bush and then sail over to a small oak above my head from which I was lucky enough to sweep it off. It proved to be a male A. ilia W.V. of the normal white-barred form, but an appreciably larger race here than the majority in France. In fact some of the French authorities consider it a possible third European species of Apatura in its isolated Pyrenean haunts. In spite of frequent further visits to this spot and searching the many poplars growing along the river bed, I never saw another in this locality. On a further visit on the 25th Limenitis rivularis Fab. was gliding about here and there and I was also surprise to see it accompanied by some worn L. camilla L., not common so far south in Europe. I also took a small bright Fritillary which turned out to be Melitaea dejone Geyer in its second brood form. On another morning, 30th July, a few Brenthis daphne W.V. were about together with a lot of somewhat worn Strymon aesculi Hubn. Hipparchia arethusa W.V. was at this date just on the wing there. Another very productive locality was one indicated by General Sir George Johnson who had been in the region in 1968. It was a small stretch THE EASTERN PYRENEES, JULY-AUGUST 1965 3 of rough ground bordering the main road just west of Villefranche-te- Confient in the valley that eventually leads up towards the Spanish frontier. I first sampled it on the afternoon of 22nd July. It was among the rocks and steep hillside here that I had my introduction to Hipparchia fidia L. which was starting to appear in both sexes and as usual with this type of Satyrid, they were far from easy to net as they flew up and alighted among the stones, their chequered undersides, being almost invisible against the background On this occasion only a few were on the move, but on the morning of the 26th when I halted for a short time en route to the high plateau of the Cerdagne, H. fidia were a:most in dozens and at one time I had as many as four in the net at once, but they were none too easy to get in perfect order. It was a fine sight to see thein flitting round the boulders and settling on the ground, but, though I scoured the surrounding countryside, I never found this fine insect elsewhere. This small area of only about three hundred yards in length was a veritable paradise for many species which congregated chiefly on the large growth of scabious. Pieris manni Meyer seemed to be the dominant White there. All three of the small Maniolas were flying together. J. tithonus L. was probably the commonest butterfly anywhere. M. ida Esp. was quite numerous, while there was still an occasional M. pasiphaé Esp., rather past their best. Here too Coenonympha dorus Esp. was especially plentiful in either sex. Around bushes with leaves like a sumak were flying numbers of Everes coretas Ochs. Among other Lycaenidae were many Lysandra coridon Poda, Polyomatus icarus Rott. with an occasional P. thersites Fab. and Lysandra hylas Esp. Melitaea didyma Esp. was abundant on each occasion and by the end of the month M. dejone Geyer was equally common in this restricted area which also harboured many G. cleopatra and Papilio feithsameli. The Skippers too were well represented by Erynnis tages L. and Carcharodus alceae Esp. A further small locality which proved very fruitful was the upper reaches of the Vallée de Py which is entered from the village of Sahorre lying to the west of Vernet. After ascending about a couple of miles through a narrow gorge the valley opens out at the foot of the mountains. I sampled it first on 2nd August in glorious weather. When I ascended a rough path to some rocky eminence overlooking the valley, I found a flourishing colony of Hipparchia actaea Fab. just out and in prime condition together with a few late H. cordula Fak. A nearby small clover field was alive with butterflies with plenty of Colias, mainly C. croceus Fourc. and C. australis Verity. The first of the summer brood of Papilio machaon L. was just appearing here and I was surprised at this date to take a fresh female of Anthocharis euphenoides Staud. Parnassius apollo L. was very numerous in this spot. On my fourth visit to this area, on 6th August I caught sight of an Apatura ilia W.V. sailing up the road bordering the torrent which was lined with poplars. The winding road leading from Sahorre some six miles to Joncet on the main road westwards was also the scene of some quite profitable collecting on 30th July and on a few subsequent occasions. After climbing from Sahorre the road traverses some very thickly wooded slopes where M. lachesis was flying in plenty, while it proved the best region for L. rivularis and possibly H. alcyone. On an open grassy clearing were flying numbers of the larger Fritillaries, chiefly Argynnis aglaia L. and A. cydippe L. and it was here that I took the only Heodes alciphron Rott. I saw. 4 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 I paid two visits to Conat, a small village up the Valley de Ria, reached by a very twisty and narrow road leading north from just west of Prades. On the first of these, on 27th July, a buddleia bush at the side of the road was smothered with Argynnis paphia and A. aglaia, but my chief quarry, Pieris ergane Geyer was not forthcoming, though it was said to have been discovered in this locality in 1960 (Alexanor ii. 7). Some very large forms ot Melanargia lachesis inhabited this valley, while Maniola pasiphaé was also flying in this area on 28th July. Mount Canigou, that impressive peak rising to just over 9000 ft. was the scene of two successful trips, the first one on 24th July when I joined a small party of seven in one of the jeep services that are run daily in fine weather. We started at 8.30 a.m. in glorious conditions and after going three miles along the road to Fillols, we turned up the rough mountain road which winds ten miles through pine woods and along a very precipi- tous ravine, finally emerging at the chalet notel at about 7500 ft. where we were deposited at 10 a.m. and told that the descent would be soon after 4 p.m. The terrain round the chalet is pine-clad, but within a few hundred yards the ground opens out to a plateau, mainly covered with the wild rhododendron right up to the screes under the main peak. I did net attempt to reach it by the steep path which entails over 14 hours on foot to the summit. However, I confined my activities to the plateau which was somewhat disappointing. Erebia epiphron Knoch was about in plenty in the open grassy patches where I also saw a few late Clossiana euphrosyne L. also Colias phicomene Esp., Gonepteryx rhamni L. and only single examples of Pontia callidice Esp. and of Erebia lappona Esp. f. sthennyo Graslin. Among the pines near the chalet were flying a good many Erebia stygie Ochs. and a few worn E. evias Godart. It was here in the heat of the afternoon at over 70°F. that I noticed another small Erebia flying, looking like a large member of the Tyndarus group. These turned out to be E. hispania goya Oberthur just starting to appear. This encouraged me to pay another visit at the same hour and by the same route on the 29%n, again in ideal weather. On this occasion I got myself put down from the jeep in a small grassy area on the roadside a few hundred feet below the chalet. This spot I soon found was alive with E. hispania Butler, both sexes flying in plenty with some of the females displaying most strikingly variegated undersides ranging from ochreous to dove-grey and others almost white. A walk along the path leading towards Amélie-les-Bains provided a good many very heavily-spotted E. stygne and a few E. euryale Esp., but a disappointment was not to find E. lefebuvrei sub. f. astur Oberthur on the screes in this region. Nymphalis antiopa was flying at this altitude, but I was surprised not to find any Bolorias. I returned by jeep and did not undertake the rather long and arduous descent by foot back to Vernet. The Cerdagne is an area of high plateau at about 5000 ft., bordered by mountains, lying between Mont Louis and Bourg Madame on the Spanish frontier. On the north side is the Spanish enclave of Llivia. I paid three visits to this and its adjoining region, the first on 26th July, yet another superb day when I set out early from Vernet and motored the 25 miles to Mont Louis. This walled town is situated at the top of the very tortuous and precipitous road which winds up the Tet valley alongside the electric railway running between Villefranche and Enveitg on the Toulouse- THE EASTERN PYRENEES, JULY-AUGUST 1965 5 Barcelona line. On reaching Saillagouse just west of Mont Louis I turned up one of the side valleys in the hope of finding that very local Marbled White Melanargia japygia Cyr. which was recently discovered in that area (Alexanor ii. (1962) 145). But none of this species was apparent either here or in the vicinity of Latour de Carol where I also halted before going on to Porté at the foot of the Col de Puymorens. As conditions were not favourable for working the high ground, I contented myself with collecting along the road leading from Porté to the foot of cable car station up to the Lac de Lanoux. This stretch of road was swarming with insects and especially one narrow grassy slope where P. apollo was still in numbers. The Erebia stygne were an especially large race. A few worn E. oeme Esp. still flying. The Nymphalids were mainly represented by some late examples of the first brood of Melitaea dejone, also M. phoebe Knoch and M. parthenie Borkh. of which I took a fine melanic aberration. Even a few Brenthis aphirape Htibn. were also still on the wing as well as females of B. ino Rott. Among the Blues were Plebeius argus Rott., Lysandra coridon Poda. and fresh Maculinea arion L. female. My next expedition to this high region was on 3lst July when I did a long round tour of 150 miles, once more through the Cerdagne, then cross- ing into Spain at Puigcerda and on to Seo de Urgel, a further 30 miles. En route I stopped to sample the lepidoptera, but soon found what a dearth there was on the parched hillsides, though I did take Pontia daplidice and Carcharodus alceae Esp. I then struck north entering Andorra at San Julia, proceeding to the capital, now a modern flourishing town of many thousands as well as being flooded by tourists. After a brief halt there to send postcards franked with the special stamps, I climbed tke wonderful new road leading into France which scales the Port d’Envalira at 8000 ft., descending rapidly on the French side into the Col de Puymorens which was enveloped in cloud, preventing any collecting. My final acquaintance with this region was 3rd August when I struck north from Mont Louis into the fine fir forest of Font Romeu where Erebia euryale Esp. was flying in plenty and in very fresh order with a good many Coenonympha iphis W.V. Further on in the forest towards Font Romeu 1 came across a small marsh where butterflies were in abundance, including Brenthis ino and a few female Erebia oeme. I then motored once more on t) Porté and to the top of the Col de Puymorens, which was virtually barren of lepidopterous life. The following is a list of the Butterflies seen in the various localities around Vernet-les-Bains and also on the high plateau of the Cerdagne and in its vicinity, 103 species in all. Papilio feisthameli Dup. Numerous round Vernet, at Py and Villefranche- le-Conflent. Papilio machaon L. Appearing as second brood in early August, mainly round Vernet and in Vallée de Py. Parnassius apollo L. Few in Saint Vincent Valley, and at Villefranche, more plentiful near Py. Also a few at Porté. Aporia crataegi L. Few worn in Vallée de Py early August. Pieris brassicae l.. Occasional round Vernet and at Villefranche. Pieris rapae L. Fairly common most areas. Pieris manni Meyer. Numerous near Villefranche and Conat; few near Vernet. Pieris napi L. Scarce everywhere. Pontia daplidice L. Second brood flying at Villefranche and near Py. 6 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 Pontia callidice Esp. One seen on Mt Canigou on 24th July. Leptosia sinapis L. In all localities in the Vernet region. Anthocharis euphenoides Staud. A single female taken in Vallée de Py on ist August. Colias phicomene Esp. A few at 7500 ft. on Mt Canigou. Colias hyale Fab. Fairly common round Vernet in both sexes. Colias australis Verity. Almost as numerous as the last species. Colias croceus Foure. Generally distributed in small numbers. Gonepteryx rhamni L. Occasional round Vernet and at Villefranche; also on Mt Canigou. Gonepteryx cleopatra L. In Vallée de Saint Vincent and common at Villefranche and in Vallée de Py. Argynnis paphia L. Mostly in Vallées de Saint Vincent and de Py and near Conat. Very numerous on buddleia. Argynnis niobe L. Few in Valleys round Vernet. Argynnis cydippe L. Fairly common in valley round Vernet and in Forét de Font Romeu. Argynnis aglaia L. Numerous round Vernet, few at Villefranche, near Conat and along Sahorre-Joncet road. Issoria lathonia L. Few in Vallée de Py and at Villefranche. Brenthis daphne W.V. Few worn Vallée de Saint Vincent. Brenthi dia L. Fairly plentiful at Villefranche, few in Saint Vincent. Brenthis ino Rott. Few late specimens at Porté and in Forét de Font Romeu. Clossiana aphirape Hubn. A few very worn late examples at Porté. | Clossiana euphrosyne L. Few late specimens flying at 7500 ft. on Mt Canigou. Melitaea didyma Esp. Plentiful round Vernet, at Villefranche and near Py. Melitaea phoebe Knoch. Few in Vernet area, at Villefranche and Porte. Melitaea dictynna Esp. Some worn late examples of the pale form only in the Vallée de Saint Vincent. Melitaea athalia Esp. Getting over round Vernet and at Villefranche. Melitaea parthenie Borkh. Fresh specimens at Villefranche and near Py. Melitaea dejone Geyer. Some of the first brood still at Porté, 26th July: also the second brood plentiful at Villefranche and near Py, few in Vallée de Saint Vincent. Polygonia c-album L.. Sparsely distributed round Vernet. Aglais urticae L. A few seen in the Vernet region and on Mt Canigou. Nymphalis antiopa L. A good many seen in Vallée de Saint Vincent and near Py and one at 7000 ft. on Mt Canigou, 29th July. Vanessa io L. A few round Vernet and in Vallée de Py. Pyrameis atalanta L. Scarce in the Vernet area. Pyrameis cardui L. Occasional near Vernet and at Villefranche. Limenitis camilla L. Few worn in Vallée de Saint Vincent. Limenitis rivularis Hiibn. Sparsely distributed round Vernet, Vallée de Py, Villefranche and the Sahorre-Joncet Road. Apatura ilia W.V. One male taken in Vallée de Saint Vincent, 23rd July, another seen in Vallée de Py, 6th August. Pararge maera L. Scarce at Villefranche and at Porté. Pararge megaera L. A few in most localities round Vernet. Pararge aegeria L. Not common in valleys round Vernet. THE EASTERN PYRENEES, JULY-AUGUST 1965 7 Coenonympha iphis W.V. Numerous in Forét de Font Romeu; few at Porté. Coenonympha pamphilus L. Sparsely distributed in all areas. Coenonympha arcania L. Few at Villefranche and in Vallée de Saint Vincent. Coenonympha dorus Esp. Plentiful at Villefranche, few in Vernet valleys. Erebia epiphron Knoch. Fairly common at 7000 ft. on Mt Canigou. Erebia oeme Esp. A few late females at Porté and in Forét de Font Romeu. Erebia stygne Ochs. Large form at Porté. Smaller form on Mt Canigou and in Saint Vincent valley. Erebia evias Godt. Worn examples on Mt Canigou, 24th July. Erebia euryale Esp. Few Mt Canigou: plentiful in Font Romeu forest. Erebia lappona Esp. One of f. sthennyo Graslin, taken Mt Canigou, 24th July. Erebia hispania Btler. The form goya Oberth, with very extensive orange markings on upperwings abundant in grassy patches at about 7000 ft. on Mt Canigou, especially on 29th July. Hipparchia circe Fab. Mainly in Valleys of Saint Vincent and Py and near Conat. Hipparchia alcyone W.V. Quite common round Vernet, near Py and on the Sahorre-Joncet road. Hipparchia arethusa W.V. First seen on 28th July at entrance to Vallée de Saint Vincent: few on Sahorre-Joncet road. Hipparchia fidia L. Only seen near Villefranche where plentiful. Hipparchia actaea Fab. Only at high level in Vallée de Py, first seen on Ist August. Hipparchia cordula Fab. Few in valleys of Saint Vincent and Py. Eumenis semele L. Not common round Vernet and at Villefranche. Aphantopus hyperanthus L. A few in woods round Vernet. Maniola jurtina L. Not common round Vernet and at Villefranche. Maniola tithonus L. Generally distributed, probably the commonest species. Maniola ida Esp. Numerous at Villefranche: few near Vernet and at Py. Maniola pasiphae Esp. Few worn at Villefranche and near Conat. Melanargia lachesis Hitbn. Abundant round Vernet, at Villefranche; few at Porté. Zephyrus quercus L. Few fresh in Vallée de Saint Vincent. Laeosopis roboris Esp. Few very worn in Vallée de Saint Vincent. Strymon spini W.V. Few seen near Villefranche. Strymon ilicis Esp. Occasional in woods near Vernet. Strumon oesculi Hiibn. Few in Vallée de Saint Vincent and at Ville- franche. Strymon acaciae Fab. Few worn in Vallée de Saint Vincent, 23rd July. Heodes virguareae L. Only two seen at Villefranche. Heodes alciphron Rott. One seen at Porté and another on Sahorre-Joncet Road. Heodes phlaeas L. Fairly numerous in most localities round Vernet. Heodes dorilis Hifn. Numerous at Villefranche: elsewhere in area. Lampides boeticus L. Only seen at Villefranche, 25th July. Everes coretas Ochs. Plentiful at Villefranche: few in Saint Vincent valley and near Py. 8 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 Plebeius argus L. Few worn at Porté, 26th July; also in Saint Vincent valley. Aricia montensis Verity. A few mainly at Villefranche. Polyommatus icarus Rott. Everywhere plentiful round Vernet. Polyommatus thersites Hiibn. Few seen at Villefranche. Polyommatus escheri Hiibn. A few at Villefranche and in Saint Vincent valley. Lysandra hylas Esp. Uncommon at Villefranche and round Py. Lysandra bellargus Rott. Few at Villefranche and near Py. Lysandra coridon Poda. Fairly common round Vernet, at Villefranche ani at Porté. Cyaniris semiargus Rott. Few at Villefranche. Maculinea arion L. One male in Vallée de Saint Vincent and a fresa female at Porté on 26th July. Celastrina argiolus L. Few at Vernet and at Villefranche. Carcharodus alceae Esp. Fairly common, especially at Villefranche and in the Vallée de Py. Carcharodus altheae Hiibn. Few at Villefranche. Pyrgus malvoides Elwes. One taken at Villefranche. Pyrgus accreta Verity. Few obtained at Villefranche. Erynnis tages L. Common at Villefranche; few near Py. Thymelicus acteon Rott. Few at Villefranche. Thymelicus lineola Ochs. Fairly plentiful at Vernet and near Villefranch=. Thymelicus sylvestris Poda. Fairly generally distributed at low levels. Hesperia sylvanus Esp. Scarce in the Vernet region and at Villefranche. Hesperia comma L. Few in the Vallée de Py on 6th August. As a contrast to the profusion of butterflies moths were distinctly on the scarce side, even the Burnets of which I only saw Zygaena sarpedon Hubn., Z. hippocrepidis Hiibn. and Z. hilaris Ochs., all in the Vallée de Py. Each favourable evening during the last week of July I paraded along the beds of petunias that bordered the river at Vernet. On each occasion Celerio livornica Esp. was flying, usually singly, though I saw two at once on the 28rd. The shop windows, however, yielded very little and the chief source of night-flying moths was from the lights left on in my bedroom at the hotel. The Lithosiids were the chief visitors, especially Lithosia quadra L.., both sexes being quite common. There were also a few Eilema griseola Hiubn. and E. deplana Esp., but Noctuids and Geometers were surprisingly searce in spite of many warm nights. ; 2 Three Oaks, Woking. 12.xii.65. MELANIC FORMS OF BUPALUS PINIARIA L. NEAR WOKING, SURREY.—On 24th July, 1964, while collecting on the edge of the heath at Lucas Green, near Bisley, I took among a number of Bupalus piniaria L. a male with a very dark upperside and the variegated markings on the underside of the hindwings replaced by deep chocolate with a white streak running through the centre. The specimen is figured in the Proceedings of the South London Entomological and Natural History Society (1964: pl. I, fig. 9). On revisit- ing the spot on 19th July, 1965, I took a female of exactly similar form, and also another male of this type, not quite as extreme as the 1964 specimen. It would seem that this melanic form was becoming well established and I wonder whether it is referable to f. tristis Dziurzynski.— C. G. M. pe Worms, Three Oaks, Woking. 11.xii.1965. NOTES ON THE GENUS SORHAGENIA (LEPIDOPTERA) 9 Notes on the Genus Sorhagenia (Lepidoptera) By S. WAKELY In an article written by J. D. Bradley in the Entomologist’s Gazette for January, 1963, attention was drawn to the fact that three distinct species were involved under the old name of rhamniella Zeller. These three species are placed in the genus Sorhagenia, but various authorities in the past referred to the species under the genera Mompha, Laverna, Chrysoclista, Walshia, and lastly Sorhagenia. The specific name rhamniella given was thought to represent one species only. Douglas, who described a species in 1846, gave it yet another generic name when he called it Anacampsis lophyrella. The specific names of the three species involved are lophyrella Douglas, janiszewskae Reidl and rhamniella Zeller. Upon examining the material at the British Museum, Mr. Bradley found that the two former species were represented in some of the collections, but that no specimen of the third species—rhamniella—could be found at the time. This information was of great interest to me as I had taken the larvae of lophyreila several times and had bred series of the moth. The other species—janiszewskae—was apparently more local and—except for one taken by Mr. Bradley himself in Ashdown Forest, Sussex—the B.M. speci- mens had all been taken by E. R. Bankes in the New Forest. The larvae of this species was unknown, even on the Continent. Thinking about the localities—the New Forest and Ashdown Forest— I remembered that the Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) was very common in both places, whereas Rhamnus cartharticus was much more local and seldom seen in my experience. DISCOVERY OF THE LARVAE OF SORHAGENIA JANISZEWSKAE REIDL On the 23rd June, 1963, the South London Entomological and Natural History Society had a field meeting at Ashdown Forest and I spent some time looking on alder buckthorn bushes hoping to find signs of a larva which might prove to be janiszewskae. All I could find was numerous drooping terminal tips to the branches. These were examined carefully but they were dry and brittle and there were no signs of the terminal leaves being spun together as I had expected and which is so characteristic of the larval spinning of lophyrella on R. cartharticus. There was also the chance that the shrivelled shoots were the result of frosty weather earlier in the year, so the search was given up. I did however make a mental note to try again another year at an earlier date. The opportunity did not arise again until the 6th June, 1965, when I accompanied J. M. Chalmers-Hunt and E. Sadler on an entomological trip to the New Forest. Near Lyndhurst off the Beaulieu Road we were looking for larvae on the bog myrtle when I noticed we were at a spot where the alder buckthorn was common and immediately thought of the shrivelled terminal shoots seen at Ashdown Forest in 1963, and sure enough here they were again in plenty. This time the date was earlier and the drooping shoots were not dry and brittle. The first one examined contained a grey larva feeding in the centre of the stem and several others were found to contain similar larvae. 10 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 My bunch of shoots was shown to a friend near home and left with him by an oversight. Unfortunately he went on a holiday a few days later and I was unable to get them. However, not to be beaten, the following Saturday (12th June) I went by train to Ashdown Forest, where there were more and even larger bushes of alder buckthorn. Here the drooping tips were plentiful and although in some cases the larva had left the shoots there were still plenty of occupied mines. I was careful to select shoots that were not too withered and dry. At home these shoots were placed in transparent plastic boxes lined with tissue paper. After a few days the paper was renewed as it became damp with condensation and I was anxious to avoid mould. About ten days later the material was transferred to a larger glass with the shoots surrounded by dry tissue and a piece of nylon tied over the top of the receptacle to allow ventilation. At the end of June all the shoots and tissues were carefully examined and nearly twenty small light brown pupae were found spun up under a few strands of fine silk. These were placed on nylon in a glass-topped tin and the stems were returned to the container to see if any had been missed. The first moth emerged on the 6th and the last on the 14th July. Several emerged in the container which was not surprising as the small pupae had been difficult to see. After dark the moths came up and rested on the nylon cover, but during the day they remained well hidden among the drying leaves. On referring these moths to Mr. Bradley they were determined as S. janiszewskae. This species differs from S. lophyrella in its larval feeding habits for whereas the larvae of lophyrella feeds inside the stem to start with and then spins the terminal leaves together in a rather conspicuous bunch while continuing to feed on the soft new leaves, the larva of janiszewskae completes its growth within the terminal shoot, feeding on the pith in the centre, and only leaving to pupate. Then again, in my experience, janiszewskae is attached to F. alnus while lophyrella is on R. cartharticus. Both species are apparently quite common locally, but their respective ranges of distribution are at present not fully known. Larvae of lophyrella should be looked for about the second week in May and those of janiszewskae about the second week in June. My emergence dates are: lophyrella, 1st to 16th June; janiszewskae, 6th to 14th July. As the larvae of both species are difficult to transfer to fresh foodplants, it is important to take them when about full-fed. The food- plant can be kept fresh for about a week in an airtight container, after which it should be allowed to dry off by replacing the lid by nylon, otherwise mould will result. None of the New Forest larvae from buckthorn were bred and my own were lost as described earlier. Mr. Chalmers-Hunt has already recorded that he bred janiszewskae from a larvae found at Blean Woods on the 13th June (Ent. Rec., 77: 262). I examined several wilted stems at Blean on the same date but found only empty mines. Since writing the foregoing notes Col. A. M. Emmet has found the third species in the genus, namely, rhamniella, and has suggested that FURTHER RECORDS OF CARDIGANSHIRE LEPIDOPTERA, 1965 11 his discovery be included in these notes. The facts are as follows:— DISCOVERY OF SORHAGENIA RHAMNIELLA Zeller IN BRITAIN On the 7th August Col. Emmet visited Wicken Fen and spotted numbers of small moths at rest on the old windmill preserved in the Fen. The majority of them obviously belonged to the genus Sorhagenia and, seeing that Frangula alnus was abundant in the fen and knowing that this had recently been discovered to be the foodplant of janiszewskae, he thought the moths would prove to be that species. However, three of the speci- mens were sent to Mr. Bradley for identification and he hurriedly wrote back to say they were rhamniella-—the first record of its appearance in Britain. To quote Col. Emmet’s own words: “Visits were made to Wicken Fen on the 7th, 10th and 14th August. Moths were abundant on the 7th, but fewer were seen on the 10th and very few on the 14th. I took a series of twelve, which were settled on the windmill, on the 7th, and could have taken two or three times that number had I wished. The moths flew out of Frangula alnus bushes at virtually every touch of the stick. It was the commonest moth on the wing”’. All the evidence suggests the species is attached to Frangula alnus and it is hoped to discover the larvae and their method of feeding next year. It does not seem possible at present to separate these three species by external characters alone and it is necessary to dissect the genitalia. These are figured by Dr. T. Riedl (1962, Bull. ent. Pologne, vol. 32, figs. 1-11), but the genitalia of lophyrella are figured under the name S. tolli Riedl which is a synonym. Col. Emmet is to be congratulated for his discovery of rhamyniella in Britain and my thanks are due to him for allowing his discovery to be included in this article. Thanks are also recorded to Mr. Bradley for all his work in the identification of the species concerned. Further Records of Cardiganshire Lepidoptera, 1965 By Dr. NEVILLE L. BIRKETT I reached Aberayron, Cardiganshire, at the start of a short holiday on 30th July this summer and pitched my caravan on a fine site high on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Dr. C. J. Goodall, of Morecambe, joined me on the evening of the 31st and we visited a locality just outside Aberayron on the Lampeter road for a night sortie with the m.v. lamps. It was very windy on the coast but inland a few miles, where this road runs at the bottom of a deep valley, conditions were quite calm and warm. Many insects came to our sheet illuminated by two m.v. lamps and we were kept busy into the small hours. We did not, unfortunately, keep a full tally of all the species attracted but the most interesting were noted. The best insect was a specimen of Pseudoips bicolorana Fuessl.—a species I had once before noted from a locality not many miles away (vide Ent. Rec., 1954: 245). After I left to return to base Dr. Goodall stayed on and was fortunate to obtain a specimen of Plusia bractea Schiff. This species does not seem to be recorded from Cardiganshire in S. Gordon Smith’s lists of the species of that county (Proc. Chester Soc. Nat. Sci., Lit. and Art, 1950 12 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 and 1951-53). At this locality near Aberayron Apamea scolopacina Esp. was also common and variable. Dr. Goodall had to return home on Ist August and my wife and I then moved on to take up a pitch on a caravan site just outside Cardigan at Gwbert on Sea. We stayed here for about a week and did a modicum of collecting. Day collecting was not very remunerative but one or two nights with the m.v. lamp produced some interesting species and these are listed below. Many insects I noted are of such common general occurrence that they are not included in the list, only those of particular interest are noted. Cardiganshire seems to be a neglected county entomo- logically, which is a pity since it is quite obvious that it has a most interesting and varied fauna. A=Aberayron G=Gwbert-on-Sea district. Deilephila elpenor L. One at A. Notodonta ziczac L. Frequent A. and G. Thyatira batis L. Common G. Malacosoma neustria L. Common G. Drepana falcataria L. A few A. Eilema complana L. Common G. Euxoa tritici L. Common G. Euxoa vestigialis Hufn. Common G. Amathes ditrapezium Schiff. Frequent A. and G. Triphaena ianthina Schiff. Frequent A. and G. Melanchra persicariae L. Frequent A. and G. Hadena bicruris Hufn. Two at G. Leucania pallens L. Common G. Apamea scolopacina Esp. Common and variable A. Procus literosa Haw. Common A. and G. Pseudoips bicolorana Fuessl. One at A. Plusia chryson Esp. Two at G. The foodplant is widespread and common so that it is likely the moth is also. *Plusia bractea Schiff. One only at A. Plusia chrysitis L. Frequent A. and G. Rivula sericealis Scop. Frequent A. and G. *Phytometra viridaria Cl. Common at G. Pseudoterpna pruinata Hufn. Common at G. Hemithea aestivaria Hiibn. Freq. G. Perizoma bifaciata Haw. One female at G. Euphyia unangulata Haw. Common at G. Epirrhoe galiata Schiff. Common at G. *Plemyria bicolorata Hufn. One only at G. Eupithecia centaureata Schiff. One at G. Eupithecia pulchellata Steph. Freq. G. *Chloroclystis coronata Hiibn. One at G. Campaea margaritata L. Common G. Cleorodes lichenaria Hufn. One at G. Pempelia dilutella Hibn. Common at G. Eurrhodope marmorea Haw. A few at G. *Olethreutes rivulana Scop. One at G. *Notocelia aquana Hiibn. One at G. *Notocelia uddmanniana L. One at G. *Cnephasia conspersana Dougl. One at G. A SCALE DEFECT IN PIERIS NAPI L. 13 Eucosma cana Haw. Common at G. Batia lambdella Don. Two at G. Anarsia spartiella Schrank. Two at G. The species marked * do not appear to have been recorded from Cardiganshire previously. 3 Thorny Hills, Kendal. 29.xi.1965. A Scale Defect in Pieris napi L. By Dr. NEvILLE L. BIRKETT In the Entom. Rec., 76: 236, I published a short note concerning the defective development of scales on the wings of Lysandra bellargus Rott. taken in Yugoslavia. I had not at the time realised that I had in my collection a short series of 5 males and 4 females of Pieris napi exhibiting a similar deformity—perhaps in more marked degree than the bellargus. This series was taken in a north Lancashire fen on 25th May, 1964, when it was observed that specimens flying in the area had a yellower than normal facies. Both sexes are of a distinctly pale yellow colour and the females particularly have noticeably more transparent wings than normal. It was when making preparations of the androconia that the scale defect responsible for their curious appearance became apparent. The androconia are quite typical of any other napi. The main scales are all curled longi- tudinally and stand out from the wing membrane at a considerable angle, instead of lying quite flat as in normal specimens. Both surfaces of all wings are equally affected but it is quite clear that the deformity is restricted to the white scales. All black scales are quite normal in appearance. In one particular female the deformity is so marked that the wing-membrane is clearly visible between the scales giving the wings a hyaline, semitranslucent appearance. In view of the fact that this series from north Lancashire had a general similarity of facies to one from Inverness-shire, I then examined the latter microscopically. These, to my surprise, showed a less well-marked development of curling of the white scales though one male has the deformity well-marked on all wings and a female exhibits it on the under surface of the hindwing only. This development on the underside gives the Wing a yellower colour than normal. I had hoped to revisit the Lancashire locality this last spring but I was away in Switzerland and could not do so. I wished to determine if the 1964 brood was a mere freak or represented the normal state of affairs in the particular colony. Obviously further work is required to assess the status of these deformed specimens and also to attempt to determine the cause of such abnormalities. It would be of great interest to have other observations concerning especially northern forms of napi—particularly examples from Scotland. It is hoped that this short note may stimulate those who possess yellowish or semitransparent specimens of napi to examine them microscopically and put on record their findings of the state of the scales they find. Should anyone have breeding records of such specimens these would be of particular interest. 3 Thorny Hills, Kendal. 27.xi.1965. 14 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 The Rarer Sternoxia (Col.) of Windsor Forest By A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc., A.R.C.S. Of the various groups of Coleoptera—mostly, of course, those associated with trees and timber—in which this fine old hunting-ground is so pro- ductive, none is better represented or richer in ‘specialities’ than the lignicolous (wood-frequenting) members of the Elateridae or click-beetles. With these are included, for present purposes, the rarer species of the allied families Buprestidae, Trixagidae, and Eucnemidae. The groups concerned are thus equivalent to the Elateroidea plus Buprestoidea of Crowson (1956, etc.), and to the Sternoxi or Sternoxia of earlier authors— amounting, in our fauna, to only a few over and above the Elateridae themselves. It will be instructive to make some sort of comparison of this fauna with the corresponding species of other old forest areas, whereby the truly remarkable richness of Windsor Forest in the group of beetles under notice will become more apparent. The list for the New Forest alone, a much larger area, is of similar extent; but Windsor possesses many more species not found elsewhere with us. Three of these (all rare on the Continent) have only since 1936 been in the British list, it having fallen to the writer’s lot to discover (or in one case, re-discover) them at Windsor within the short space of three years. This notable success inspires a hope that the Forest may even yet harbour species unrecorded as British—and as to those which might occur, the possibilities are legion! The idea is less implausible when we reflect that (1) there must almost surely be some factor tending to favour the group in this area as against others; (2) if, for instance, Elater ruficeps has only once been found up to now (1938), others as rare may equally have been altogether missed; and (3) only the parts nearest Windsor have been at all thoroughly worked— the larger portion of the Great Park, which constitutes most of the Forest now remaining, having been but very imperfectly explored. It should be pointed out that the term Windsor Forest, in the broader sense as here often used, includes the whole of the Park but not the Bag- shot Sand country about Ascot, Swinley, ete—thus differing from the usage of Donisthorpe (1939). It will be seen from the comparative table that Sherwood and Epping Forests, both well-worked areas, have each yielded only about one-third of the number of these rarer tree-dwelling Sternoxia known from either of the other two. It is of interest also to note how the various species are distributed among the four areas (having due regard to our doubt- less still imperfect knowledge of their fauna). Sherwood is probably situated too far north for several of the specialities of the more prolific southern areas to occur, whilst equally it owes one of its own, Elater pomorum, to the same circumstance—this being particularly a Midlands species, whose presence south of the Thames Valley is quite doubtful. The apparent poverty of Epping Forest in the ‘better’ species of the group, at least at the present time, may possibly be connected with its proximity to London; but, as such is by no means the case throughout the whole Order, this would seem questionable. The commoner species of these beetles will not be considered, occurring as they do in practically all suitable localities within their range. Thus no account will be given of, e.g., Melanotus rufipes Hbst. or Dentocollis THE RARER STERNOXIA (COL.) OF WINDSOR FOREST 15 linearis L.; nor even of Athous villosus Fourc., which, though formerly rare, has spread and become common during this century in most wood- land areas. Two species included in the table, C. gramineus and C. cruciatus, do not figure in any recent list of British Coleoptera; these and two species of Melanophila which might have been included are discussed at the end of the paper. Due acknowledgment must be made of, and tribute paid to, the inten- sive and highly successful investigation of the Windsor Coleoptera by the late Horace Donisthorpe. It was this which first turned the writer’s attention to the locality so long ago as 1934; and the memory of many a pleasant and rewarding day in the Forest in his company, during which he was unstinting in passing on the benefit of his twelve years’ experience there, will not readily be erased. Although so many of his ‘new species’ from Windsor and elsewhere will have to lapse, he did excellent work not only in ‘reviving’ many ‘lost’ rarities in the Forest but also in discover- ing a multitude of others entirely new to the area, including a number new to Britain; and in compiling what has already become something of a classic among local lists. Some of the more prominent of the pioneer collectors of beetles in Windsor Forest during the early and middle part of the previous century are mentioned in the notes on the individual species which now follow. TABULATION OF SPECIES FOR FOUR FOREST AREAS Windsor New Sherwood Epping Species Forest Forest Forest Forest Agrilus viridis L. a A. sinuatus Ol. a a A. biguttatus F. a(c?) a ‘Anthaxia nitidula L. b Trixagus brevicollis Bonv. a Melasis buprestoides L. a a ev a Eucnemis capucina Ahr. b b Dirrhagus pygmaeus F. a Lacon querccus Hbst. b Cardiophorus gramineus Scop. c ¢c Elater sanguineus L. c E. cinnabarinus Esch. a Cc E. rufipennis Steph. a E. cardinalis Schidéd. a c(d?) . E. praeustus F. a(c?) E. sanguinolentus Schr. a a E. pomonae Steph. a a E. pomorum Hbst. d a E. elongatulus F. a a E. nigerrimus Lac. b E. ruficeps Muls. & Guil. b Ischnodes sanguinicollis Pz. a a a Megapenthes lugens Redt. a a a _ Procraerus tibialis Lac. a a a Ludius ferrugineus L. a d Limoniscus violaceus Miill. h Corymbites cruciatus L. be C. bipustulatus L. a a a a=known to occur, or record presumed authentic b=not known to have occurred in Britain outside area(s) shown c=presumed extinct; only old records or specimens known d=record or occurrence (somewhat) doubtful *Has occurred not far away (Waltham Abbey) 16 ENTOMOLOGISI’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 An asterisk before the name denotes those anciently recorded from Windsor, usually by J. F. Stephens (1830), and rediscovered by Donisthorpe (unless otherwise stated) in the 1920s. The remainder—apart from the two or three that have not recurred—are, as far as known, recent dis- coveries by one of us. THE WINDSOR SPECIES *Agrilus sinuatus Ol. This attractive Buprestid was still very rare and little known in Britain when the old Windsor record of one example was confirmed by its recapture in 1927. About that time, however, it began to be found in a few other places besides the New and Windsor Forests and is now known also from isolated localities in Surrey, Beds., Wilts., Dorset, etc. On old hawthorn trees in July and August; the larvae doubtless mine under bark of the boughs, but have not been found. I have also beaten an odd specimen oif ash, and, I believe, off maple, but they may have strayed from hawthorn. Donisthorpe took it in consider- able numbers at times; to me, however, it has always been sparing, and in some years—mainly of late—is not to be found. It is widely scattered over the area. Trixagus (=Throscus) brevicollis Bonv. First taken in Britain in 1935 by the late G. H. Ashe off oak at Moccas Park (Herefs.) and Shute Park (Devon), which remain the sole recorded captures except for a single exampie found among some Trixagus collected by me from oaks in Windsor Park on 19th July 1950. (The very similar character of the localities—all three deer-parks—is worthy of notice.) Probably the species is overlooked, as it much resembles some of its congeners with which it may occur, and the genus being rather obscure is liable to be neglected. T. dermestoides, carinfrons, and obtusus are more or less common in the area, especially the last two; our remaining species, elateroides, is also recorded but I consider it requires confirmation. *Melasis buprestoides L. An interesting and unusual Eucnemid which may have become rarer in the past 30 years. It is curious that in spite of Donisthorpe’s record (p. 76): “Under beech bark and on beech logs; 36 specimens and some larvae found in a small fallen oak bough’, I have never in all my collecting at Windsor come across the species—and very seldom elsewhere. It is, however, known to be widespread up to as far north as Yorks. Donisthorpe appears to have overlooked the original Windsor record by Stephens, also given by Fowler. Eucnemis capucina Ahr. A very scarce beetle, the type of its family, long known here only from the New Forest—most if not all the specimens coming from one old beech, a source which however has long dried up. Since Donisthorpe discovered it at Windsor, this has been the sole British locality to produce it except for several taken in the New Forest in 1936 (P. Harwood), and I believe, a few by J. J. Walker. Found very sporadically in old beech trees between May and August, sometimes singly running in sunshine on barked portions of the trunk. Several in old ash tree and one by sweeping (H.D.); one under bark of cut beech bough in woodpile (A.A.A.). I have twice met with it in some small numbers, besides once finding the characteristic larva in a fallen trunk and, in late March, a small batch of pupae in mould under and in a piece of rotting branch fallen from a beech; they hatched the following month. THE RARER STERNOXIA (COL.) OF WINDSOR FOREST 17 *Lacon querceus Hbst. (=Adelocera quercea auct.). Stephens (1830) mentions one specimen (as Agrypnus varius) taken in the Forest by J. H. Griesbach, but like so many more of this class not otherwise found in Britain, the species was considered too doubtful for admission to our list; so that when on 12th September 1936 I had the great pleasure of finding, in a standing oak in the Windsor end of the Park, a fine example of this handsome and very distinctive click-beetle, it was virtually an addition to our fauna. It lives exclusively in red-rotten oak. In the next few years further specimens were taken from such trees, together with the larva which is not of the wireworm type and is fairly easy to rear. Later found to inhabit a wider area of the Park; in 1951-52 adults and larvae occurred in some quantity in an old fallen trunk in the Forest proper; last taken 1963. A most sluggish insect, feigning death pertinaciously; prob- ably nocturnal, as it is never met with at large. Can be found dormant in the pupal cell through the greater part of the year. It seems extra- ordinary that L. querceus was not among the species rediscovered by Donisthorpe, seeing that it has proved by no means one of the rarest or most local of the Windsor Elaterids—though a typical ‘primary-forest relict’, scarce and sporadic in Central Europe. Elater rufipennis Steph. (Although not recorded from the area in early times, it is very probable that Fowler’s Windsor record of E. cinnabarinus (as lythropterus) really applies to this species, if not to the next.) First taken in the Forest by Dr. N. H. Joy (about 1923?) and subsequently by Donisthorpe, who worked out its true identity—having been previously equated with sanguineus L. In rotting beech trunks, as a rule scarce but occasionally in fair numbers, and distributed over a large area; also, but more rarely, in branches or old stumps of beech in a suitable state of decay. The larvae are great wanderers and inhabit a wider range of conditions than the adults, which is equally true of allied species such as E. cardinalis. Once in ash and once in birch (A.A.A.); one off hawthorn flowers (H.D.), but very seldom at large, though my first was walking on dead beech in sunshine. Life-cycle as in the following species. Elsewhere I know of the genuine EF. rufipennis only from East Kent and Moccas, Hereford—in both cases recorded under other names. *Hlater cardinalis Schiod. (=coccinatus Rye; in our later literature confused with praeustus F.). Long known from Windsor Forest whence it was recorded by Rye in 1867, but apparently not found again until recaptured by Donisthorpe some time after 1925. He took it only rarely, but to me it has been generally less infrequent—at least at intervals from 1934 to 1940 or thereabouts—and in distribution and incidence in the area differs little from the last species. In contrast, however, it is found solely in oak, usually red-rotten, and sometimes with Lacon or Procraerus; seldom in stumps, but does not avoid the smaller boughs when decaying from the centre. Adults in their pupal cells from September to April or rather later; between May and July often singly under loose bark of oak. Rarely in the open; crawling on wood-mould in forks of old oak (H.D.), one beaten from oak in June (A.A.A.). The larva very closely resembles that of rufipennis, but the imagines cannot be confused. The species has occurred elsewhere in a few scattered localities. Elater elongatulus F. Donisthorpe records this small species as not common, “by beating hawthorn blossoms, at roots of trees and in rotten oak log”. I took one in the latter situation in 1935, but in later years it 18 ENTOMOLOGISL’S RECORD, VOL. 73 15/1/66 turned up two or three times quite freely in old stumps of oak or beech appearing externally hard and dry but inside found to be red-rotten and much laminated. This seems the favourite or typical habitat of the beetle and it is often accompanied there by its much commoner ally E. balteatus L. (Like that species, elongatulus also inhabits pine stumps, e.g., in the New Forest, and is sometimes found at large, but is of rather rare occurrence and very local. However, it is recorded as far north as the Scottish Lowlands, though absent from Fennoscandia and Den- mark.) *Elater nigerrimus Lac. (The E. aethiops of our older literature—a mistake corrected about the turn of the century.) Entirely confined to oak, occurring in red-rotten logs, etc., but also, like the last, rather especially in stumps in this condition. Discovered in the Forest in March 1841 by T. Desvignes, and taken there some years after by Charles Turner (of New Forest fame), but seemingly from that time lost to us as British until recaptured, with its larvae, by Donisthorpe in October 1925. He later found it in considerable numbers until the area was burnt, after which it again seemed to have disappeared—except for one from haw- thorn bloom and another resting on an elder stem, the only examples found in the open. Despite much searching, my first capture of this species was not until October 1939—one only; but in the spring of 1951 I took it freely in its restricted headquarters in the Forest, in two smallish stumps and part of an old log—also one in a large standing oak. Only E. balteatus occurred with it. The larva can be known from that of cardinalis by its slenderer form and paler colour. E. nigerrimus is notable for its localiza- tion at Windsor; a single specimen only has been found in the Park, by Mr. Colin Johnson a few years ago. (I cannot at present accept any of the few reports of this beetle from other British localities—at least, two of these alleged are certainly erroneous—but am inclined to think that Fowler’s record of E. nigrinus Hbst. from Tooting Common (S. Stevens) may refer rather to the present species, and agree with Donisthorpe (p. 77) that Stephens’ Windsor record of the former most likely does.) Elater ruficeps Muls. & Guilleb. A very rare species of south-central and southern Europe; my ascription of it to Sweden (1938: 172), though taken from Junk’s ‘Col. Cat.’, must be ignored, for the species is not men- tioned by Palm (1947). On lst April 1938, I was lucky enough to turn out a solitary specimen of this unmistakable little Elater, a most un- expected addition to our list, with wood-mould from a cavity rather high in the trunk of an oak tree of no great size near the Deputy Ranger’s house in the Park. At the same time a larva was found (now in the British Museum collection) which, as it would not fit any other species, was accepted by the late Dr. F. I. van Emden as that of E. ruficeps, and by Mr. H. F. van Emden in his study of the larvae of the British species of the genus (1956: 182). In spite of repeated working of this and similar trees, no further trace of the insect has been found to date. It is thus the rarest of all the Elaterids known from Windsor; but unless on the verge of extinction—which could well be the case—it will probably recur in course of time. *Ischnodes sanguinicollis Panz. This beetle is scattered over southern England from Essex to Devon but is generally secretive and far from easy to find, requiring a special habitat. Stephens’ old Windsor record was confirmed in 1928 when, in February, Donisthorpe took 16 examples in black wood-mould in the centre of a hollow ash tree just felled. Mv THE RARER STERNOXIA (COL.) OF WINDSOR FOREST 19 first catch was a 9 at treacle bait placed as a trap for Ludius, etc., in a hollow beech in the Forest proper, early in July 1937; but when the elms of the ‘Long Walk’ in the Park were felled in 1946-7, I was able to obtain a good series from inside the trunks and boughs of some of the trees, e.g., in the damp mould of rot-pockets and hollows—some in the larval state. Very occasionally met with since in like situations, chiefly as a larva, which may be known from similar-looking Elaterid larvae by the attenuate and sharply pointed caudal extremity. The conditions selected by Ischnodes result in its occurring oftenest in elm, its habitat agreeing best with that of Ludius; in fact it accompanied numerous larvae of this in the Long Walk elms. Rarely seen in the open, but Dr. A. M. Massee once swept a specimen in the Park (29.v.50)—the trees near being oak, haw- thorn and maple. *Megapenthes lugens Redt.. An exceedingly scarce insect, recorded from some half dozen places in the southern counties and never in any numbers—the biggest catch being of several specimens at Highgate many years ago by E. W. and O. E. Janson. The earliest British record is of one from Windsor Forest by Curtis (as Elater aterrimus), which oddly enough was overlooked by Donisthorpe. In the late 20s or early 30s the last- named collector took two at different times in the Forest by beating hawthorn blossom; this appears to be the usual mode of capture in Britain. In early March 1938, I dug out two examples from their pupal cells in part of a recently blown-down elm tree in the Park, the wood being rather firm and comparatively little rotted. This seems to have been the first find in the breeding-site since that of the Jansons in the 1860s. The diurnal and flower-seeking habits of at least the male, evident when the records are examined, are in strong contrast to most of the species dealt with here; and why it should be so very seldom seen, above all in so well-worked an area, is a mystery. (For some account of M. lugens in Britain see Allen, 1964). Just recently I have heard of a third Windsor capture, Mr. P. Skidmore having taken a specimen crawling up the trunk of a partly decayed beech in the Forest near Highstanding Hill in May of this year. The species is nearly as rare on the Continent, where it has occurred, for instance, at rest on beech trunks and in evening flight. *Procraerus tibialis Lac. Like the last, this species (formerly in Megapenthes) appears to have been unknown to Stephens, but Fowler gives an early Windsor record (Griesbach). It is widespraed there in oak and beech equally, but erratic and mostly found singly; there are periods of years in which it is hardly seen, whilst to each of us it has occurred once somewhat freely in decaying beech. In oak rather often accompanied by E. cardinalis; has a liking for cavities in trees, and I have taken it very sparingly under loose bark of old oaks in the Forest in late May. Very seldom at large—one beaten off oak in June (A.A.A.). Also by brushing in hollow tree, crawling on black mould in forks of oak, and one in a bird’s nest (H.D.). Life-cycle as the two preceding and the species of Elater. We have doubtless met with the larva, but I have not so far recognised it. P. tibialis is very thinly dispersed about southern England up to the north Midlands, always however as a great rarity, except at Windsor. *Ludius ferrugineus L. The giant among our click-beetles, always esteemed a great prize by collectors; said by Stephens to have been taken at Windsor by Dr. Leach, and rediscovered by Donisthorpe in 1926. Has proved quite widespread in the area and not very rare in the larval state; 20 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 yet, from its habits, not readily found. It is remarkable that only once since Leach’s day has the imago itself been met with in the Forest, and that quite recently—a damaged 9 walking on a path, probably disturbed by wood-cutting close at hand (P. S. Tyler, 4.viii.58); otherwise only larvae, never even pupae. Larvae occur sometimes in very fair num- bers, but more often singly, in the interiors of old trees and boughs where there is damp wood-mould and/or wet sappy rotten wood; when more than half grown they may be known from other ‘wireworms’ by their size alone, and in any case by having the last segment smoothly rounded with no trace of an apical tubercle, spine, fork or other process. The trees favoured are elm, beech and ash, in that order; only once in oak (A.A.A.). Tends to frequent hollows where there have been nests—also more or less true of Ischnodes and Procraerus—and trees bored by the Lucanid Dorcus parallelepipedus (Small Stag-beetle), on whose larvae it preys freely; also a cannibal, and no doubt a fairly general predator. Easily reared if the largest are selected, kept separately in tins or jars of mould and supplied with larvae, pupae, caterpillars, smallish earthworms, etc.; otherwise growth is extremely slow. About late May or early June it forms a large cell or cocoon against a wall of the vessel (or in nature, of the tree-cavity) from which the perfect insect emerges 4-5 weeks later; it is short-lived and nocturnal (was once taken, in Suffolk, at sugar on a tree in September) and does not hibernate. The life-cycle thus agrees with that of Athous villosus Fc. or (except for the long larval life) with Denticollis, and departs from the usual Elaterid pattern. The species has not been recorded anywhere else in Britain since rediscovered at Windsor, nor for long before that. The old records are few and indicate two main centres: one in the Thames Valley with an extension to the west, and another in East Anglia. We have both bred one or two of var. occitanicus Villers, a form with wholly black pronotum not previously taken in this country. (The length given by Fowler for Ludius, 14-16 mm., is much too small, the larger 9 9 reaching 24 or 25 mm.; while the ‘description’ in Joy’s ‘Handbook’ is inadequate and gives no inkling of its handsome appearance.) Limoniscus violaceus Mull. On 17th May 1937, I had the good fortune to capture, in an old prostrate beech trunk (not ‘stump’ as given in the List, p. 80) in the Forest near Highstanding Hill, a single specimen of a dark blue Elaterid unlike any known as British; it proved to be this very rare beetle—a highly interesting addition to our fauna, found only in scattered localities in central and southern Europe. Intensive efforts to secure more were unavailing, and now that the special habitat is known it is clear that this was a casual individual that chanced to be sheltering in the log, and had not developed there. It was not until April 1947 that the species turned up again, when Mr. B. A. Cooper and the writer managed to find, by hard work, several larvae and a few adults in an adjoining part of the Forest. These all occurred in beech trees with the trunk more or less hollow and an accumulation of wood-mould, mixed with humus or leaf-mould, inside. The larvae (most of them successfully reared) are predacious and greatly resemble those of the common Athous haemorrhoidalis F., which are apt to occur in the same habitat; to find them and the adults, the material accumulated (usually about ground- level) must be scooped out and carefully worked over—not forgetting any rotten wood in the cavity walls, such places being very often chosen tor pupation by many Elaterids. This is best done before the beetles emerge, THE RARER STERNOXIA (COL.) OF WINDSOR FOREST 21 which they do in late April or May; they are nocturnal and from then to July can occasionally be taken by brushing or scraping the walls of the hollows or under pieces of wood, etc., fallen to the bottom. The insect (or traces of it) was found only in three or four such trees, and in this piece of forest alone, so that its extreme localisation and rarity here is evident. I have often searched for it since without success, and it has quite possibly by now been exterminated by the Forestry Commission’s activities in its special haunt (which is also the main area for Elater nigerrimus and other rarities); none of the trees in which we took it now remain. There appears to be no reason why it should not occur in the Great Park, but so far I have failed to find quite suitable trees there. Corymbites bipustulatus L. The latest addition to the Windsor Sternoxia; I took an example by sweeping in the Park near Union Gate (29.v.50). It has not occurred since, and must be very scarce to have escaped notice so long in a particularly well-worked part of the area. The species breeds in several kinds of trees, such as willow, where the larva is a predator under bark or in decayed wood; I have personally taken it only from alder, but it is more often associated with oak, from which it is beaten in some places such as the New Forest. The trees nearest my Windsor capture were of various sorts, and it is impossible to say from which of them the beetle might have come. C. bipustulatus, our sole undoubted lignicolous member of the genus, is sparsely distributed over the southern two-thirds of England and almost always rare. As the two following Elaterids, not in any later British list, are reported as taken in the Forest in the first half of the last century, and as the evidence for their having occurred seems quite sound, they should receive some notice here. In view of the rediscovery of so many species first taken there about the same time and by the same collectors—above all that of Lacon querceus—it would be foolish indeed to dismiss such records out of hand, as due to fraud or error; and rash to conclude (if their genuineness be admitted) that the species are necessarily totally extinct in the area to-day. The existence there of four species not known from anywhere else in Britain, two of which were quite unknown there 30 years ago and another almost so, forbids any such hasty assumption. As to the chance of error, not only are the two species very distinctive, but both are represented by extant specimens which—though unfortunately without data or history—are in one case, at any rate, likely to be the original Windsor material. What is surely quite decisive, however, is that Stephenss record is in each case independently verified by the subsequent captures of Desvignes in the 1840s (or late 30s?). I am of opinion that both species should be placed upon, or restored to, the British list—but as supposedly extinct. Cardiophorus gramineus Scop. (=thoracicus Er.). “Windsor—Dr. Leach” (Stephens, 1830). (We have already seen that Leach’s capture of Ludius there, reported in identical terms, has proved genuine.) “Windsor Forest (T. Desvignes), bought at the sale of his collection by E. W. Janson (teste, Oliver Janson)” (Windsor List, p. 77). There are four specimens in Stephens’ collection, but these may derive from elsewhere since he records the species from several parts of England (London district, New Forest, etc., to as far north as Cumberland); which, as Fowler comments (p. 85) “is remarkable, as it has certainly not been taken for very many years”. Abroad the species is often associated with oak, with a larval 22 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 habitat not unlike that of Limoniscus. It is represented in most of our larger old collections, but by examples with no locality attached. Corymbites cruciatus L. Stephens mentions 4 or 5 examples, taken near Windsor by Griesbach, as being in the British Museum. Five, presumably the identical ones, survive in excellent condition amongst the old ‘B.M. Coll.’ material. Likewise taken in the Forest by Desvignes and vouched for as above (Windsor List, p. 80). I see no good reason to doubt the testimony of O. E. Janson concerning these two species (and the same applies to Strangalia attenuata L. and revestita L., see p. 88 of the List); but do not know what became of the specimens, unless possibly they are in the Cambridge Museum. There is no other British record of C. cruciatus; however, had Fowler been aware of both the Windsor records, and of the existence of the specimens, I am sure he could not have omitted the species and thus in all likelihood it would have been accepted as British up to this day—just as is Vibidia 12-guttata Poda, an- other ‘lost?’ Windsor species whose claim to inclusion is really no stronger. C. ecruciatus (which has a striking colour-pattern) is said to be found by beating and sweeping in woods, resting in sunshine on tree-trunks, etc., and to be mostly rare. Two further Bupestids of note, Melanophila acuminata Deg. and M. (Phaenops) cyanea F., are in the Windsor List (p. 76). The former is a well-known British species, the ‘fire beetle’; the latter’s right to inclusion in our fauna rests solely on a specimen “in the collection of Mr. J. H. Griesbach, I believe taken in the vicinity of Windsor” (Stephen’s, 1830). Both are pine insects, thus differing from all others treated here, and could hardly occur in Windsor Forest as here defined. M. acuminata is from the pine-clad Ascot district, and with us is wholly limited to such areas. Very possibly M. cyanea also came from there; but having regard to Stephenss slight doubt and the lack of any confirmation, the record must remain open to question. In conclusion, I should like to express my gratitude to the Deputy Ranger, Sir Eric H. Savill, for kind permission freely granted to collect in the Forest and Park. REFERENCES Allen, A. A., 1936. Adelocera quercea Herbst (Col. Elateridae) established as British. Hnt. mon. Mag., 72: 267-9. Allen, A. A., 1987. Limoniscus violaceus Mill. (Elateridae), a genus and species of Coleoptera new to Britain. Ent. Rec., 49: 110. Allen, A. A., 1938. Elater ruficeps Muls., a beetle new to Britain. Ent. mon. Mag., 74: 172. Allen, A. A., 1950. Trizagus (=Throscus) brevicollis Bony. (Col., Trixagidae) new to Berkshire. Ibid., 86: 347. Allen, A. A., 1957. Three rare beetles new to the Windsor Forest List. Ibid., 93: 18. Allen, A. A., 1964. Megapenthes lugens Redt. (Col., Elateridae) in Hants., Gloucs., etc., with additional notes. JIbid., 100: 95-6. Donisthorpe, H, St. J. K., 1939. A preliminary list of the Coleoptera of Windsor Forest., pp. 76-80. Donisthorpe, H. St. J. K., 1945. Ludius ferrugineus L., ab. occitanicus, Villers (Col. Elateridae), an aberration new to the British List. Bnt. Rec., 57: 97. Emden, H. F. van, 1956. Morphology and identification of the British larvae of the genus Elater (Col. Elateridae). Ent. mon. Mag., 92: 167-188. Fowler, W. W., 1890. The Coleoptera of the British Islands. 4: 68-116. Joy, N. H., 1932, A. practical handbook of British beetles. 1: 438-452. NOTES ON BRITISH ANTS, 1964-1965 23° Kloet, G. $., & Hincks, W. D., 1945. A check list of British imsects. pp. 180-2. Palin, Thure, 1947. Systematiska studier Over svenska Elater-arter (Col., Elateridae). Ent. Tidskr., 68: 155-170. Stephens, J. F., 1830. Illustrations of British Entomology, Mandibulata. 3. Tyler, P. S., 1959. Ludius ferrugineus L. (Col., Elateridae) captured as an adult. Ent. mon. Mag., 95: 225. 63 Blackheath Park, London, S.E.3. 20.x.65. Notes on British Ants, 1964-1965 By C. A. Cottincwoop, N.A.A.S., Coley Park, Reading. Myrmica lobicornis Nyl. This was taken by Mr. R. Winney in 1963 on Great Cumbrae, a new record for the Clyde Isles. I found a colony nesting in bare ground among Calluna on Coombe Hill near Wendover in October, 1964, a first record for Bucks. This site is in effect a piece of moorland heath on poor drained, acid boulder clay overlying chalk. The only other species there were M. scabrinodis Nyl. and Leptothorax acervorum Fab. and there were no Lasius spp. which abound on the surrounding chalk land. M. lobicornis was also found on moorland above County Gate, confirming an old record for N. Devon. M. sulcinodis Nyl. This species has still to be discovered in Wales and north-west England and is sparse or absent in much of the western Highlands. Mr. R. Winney has specimens from Great Cumbrae, a new record for the Clyde. Stenamma westwoodii Westw. Mr. H. B. Sargent reports that Dr. F. A. Turk sent him a specimen to name from Boscastle in 1964, confirming an old vice-county record. A colony of about 30 workers, six males and twelve alate queens together with the nest queen, was discovered under a large boulder in Worlebury Woods near Weston-super-Mare on 6th October 1965. This is an ideal site for the species being a well drained north-facing slope with many outcrops and boulders of limestone scattered over the shaded woodland floor. Leptothorar acervorum Fab. This widely distributed species was taken by Dr. J. H. Sudd in two places in Merionethshire in 1965, a first county record. L. tuberum Fab. There is a single worker identified by the late Mr. H. Donisthorpe from Cardiff Docks taken in 1938. This is the only record so far from Wales. The species occurs on limestone outcrop on the Avon Gorge, Bristol, confirming the old record from Durdham Down, W. Glos. Tetramorium caespitum L. Mr. A. W. Stelfox has specimens collected by Mr. T. Grainger on Great Skellig, S. Kerry, in 1946. It was seen also on Slea Head, Graninish, and on Clogher Head in the same vice-county in June, 1964. One nest in a very exposed windswept position above the cliffs contained at least fifty dealate queens. These were evidently infertile and had probably remained in the nest from the previous season When temperatures may have remained too low for nuptial flight. This species was also found near Sheringham in 1964, a new record for E. Norfolk. It has still to be confirmed for N. Somerset where I failed to find it along the coast. The old record for Batheaston is probably a misidentification of Myrmecina graminicola Latr. which is quite common in Somerset. 24 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 Lasius alienus Foerst. New records include Bucks. where I found this ant nesting in exposed oolitic rock in a field near Stony Stratford in April, 1965, and Cromer, E. Norfolk, October, 1964. In Ireland, where it is very local, it was found at Ballydehob, W. Cork, and in a small area of bank above the lighthouse at Howth Head, Co. Dublin. L. brunneus Latr. Mr. C. V. Dyte of the Pest Infestation Laboratory gives records for this species infesting houses and other premises, all from 1957 onwards, as follows: Ingatestone, S. Essex, Moorfield, Langley and Slough in Bucks, Twyford, Berks. and Esher, Surrey. Workers were seen filing down an oak tree near Burnham, Bucks., conveying pupae apparently from a site high up the tree to a nest at the base. L. rabaudi Bond. This was found in a gravel bank near Sheringham, E. Norfolk in October, 1964. There is a single worker in the British Museum collected by Prof. O. W. Richards from Cromer, 1950. L. umbratus Nyl. Mr. C. V. Dyte reports it from among L. fuliginosus workers in a household infestation near Slough, a first record for Bucks. A large colony extending for about 30 yards under stones in a gulley near the sea at Lettermullan, W. Galway was seen in June, 1964. This is only the third authentic record for this species in Ireland, the others being Castletownbere, W. Cork and Rosslare, Wexford, both old records. Other first records include a male and worker from Melbourne, Derbys 1959, hitherto overlooked in my collection, also Mr. A. N. Brangham found this species in the Duddon Valley, Cumberland, in 1946. An alate queen was picked off the pavement at Midhurst on 6th August, 1964, confirming older records for W. Sussex, and the ant also occurred on the cliff at Folkestone Warren, E. Kent, and at Barton, S. Hants, sent in with ant damaged potatoes. L. mixtus Nyl. This was again found in several places in South Ireland where it is not uncommon. These included Ballyconeely and Mannin Bays in W. Galway, a first record, Coppermine on the Mizen peninsula, W. Cork, Allihies in S. Kerry and Glenmalure, Wicklow, where two mound nests were found side by side on a shaded bank near where L. fuliginosus used to occur at least until 1948. Mr. D. J. Stradling reports it from Newburgh Warren, Anglesea, a new record. Other occurrences include a wandering queen on Harlech dunes taken by Mr. K. Side in Merioneths in April, 1959, and a similar queen near Heckfield, N. Hants, taken in April, 1964. A new record was also obtained for Montgomery where a pile of L. mixtus corpses were found in the base of a nest of Formica rufa near Machynlleth in June, 1964. A dealate queen was captured in Bath on 6th October, 1965, at the same time as L. flavus queens were flying, an exceptionally late date for the latter. L. fuliginosus Latr. Mr. D. J. Stradling reports this from Anglesea, a new county record. Other specimens have been sent me from Arnside, N. Lanes., and Pill, Somerset, by Mr. M. Burton. The species was also seen at Kirdford, W. Sussex, in oak trees. Formica fusca L. This occurred on a portion of the cliff near Howth Head, Co. Dublin, in June 1964, confirming an old museum specimen from that locality. Further inland only F. lemani could be found. I have seen specimens of F. fusca sent to Dr. A. J. Pontin by Dr. A. F. G. Dixon from the Black Wood of Rannoch. The examples appear to be quite typical with smooth integument and complete absence of thoracic bristles. There are two workers of this species in the Leicester City Museum labelled ‘Rannoch’ NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 25 which I had assumed to have been in error. This occurrence in Mid Perthshire is quite out of pattern with the known and very restricted distribution of F. fusca in Scotland and the Black wood can hardly be regarded as a climatically favourable site by comparison with the south- facing sheltered banks on Loch Hourn and near Ardnamurchan where the species has been taken previously at that approximate latitude. There were still a number of males in nests at Cheddar, Somerset, on 7th October, 1965; the normal flight period for this and similar species is in July. F. lemani Bond. This proved to be abundant on exposed sites around the coast of north-west Devon and north Cornwall. There is an interesting juxtaposition of the three species F. lemani, F. fusca and F. cunicularia in this coastal region, the latter occurring abundantly on the more sheltered south exposures. F. sanguinea Latr. Barrett (1964) queried Harwood’s old records for the Westerham area of Kent in Donisthorpe (1927), since there have been no recent confirmations. However I have seen series of specimens in one of Harwood’s boxes in the British Museum labelled West’m 4/21 and Wm, which must refer to that locality. Mr. L. Weatherill has made interesting discoveries of this species on a wooded ridge along the Hereford-Radnorshire border, the localities for the two counties being Nash Wood and Caen Wood respectively. At the sites shown to me the ants were nesting typically in a sandy gravelly bank among gorse and heather along a woodland ride. Barrett (1964) notes the absence of records of mixed F. sanguinea-F. rufa nests in south England. I saw such a mixed nest near Ringwood in 1951. The style of nest construction was that of F. rufa and it is interesting to speculate whether the colony had been originally F. rufa which had adopted a F. sanguinea queen or whether a F. sanguinea colony had added a preponderance of F. rufa workers by raiding and bringing back pupae from nearby F. rufa nests. F. rufa L. Queens were flying off a nest on the morning of 27th July, 1965, at Franchise Wood, Wilts., at least a month later than normal. Many Formicine ants had pupae in the nests until mid October, following the cool, damp summer. The inquiline beetle Dinarda mdrkeli Keir. was abundant in F. rufa nests at Ashley Coombe, N. Somerset and in Trenowth Wood, E. Cornwall. REFERENCES Barrett, K. E. J., 1964. Formica sanguinea Latreille (Hym., Formicidae) in Southern England. f&nt. Rec., 76: 107-114. Notes and Observations STERRHOPTERYX FUSCA HAWORTH (=HIRSUTELLA HUBN.) AT WITHERSLACK.— On 27th June, 1965, I was joined at Witherslack by Dr. Charles Goodall. We ran our mercury vapour light in the well-known Black Tom’s Lane only a couple of miles from the Derby Arms. Shortly after dark we had in quick succession three males of the above Psychid moth, sometimes known as the muslin sweep. Barrett (II: 346) says that he has never known this insect come to light, though it had often been bred from cases found in the London area as far back as 1820. Only once before had I seen this species at light, also at Witherslack, on Meathop Moss in 1937.— C. G. M. pE Worms, Three Oaks, Woking. 11.xii.1965. 26 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 SrrRex Gicas L. 1n CoNNEMARA.—During our tour in Eire this year, 1965, Mr. J. L. Messenger and I put up for a night at the Rock Glen Hotel, just outside Clifden, Co. Galway. When the owner, who incidentally had migrated from Swanage, heard we were interested in insects, he produced one which he said had greatly frightened the inhabitants of the hotel. It was a male great wood wasp, Sirex gigas L., technically a large saw-fly. He then showed me the source of his capture, a pile of fir logs emanating from trees, which had been blown down in a recent gale, at the back of the hotel. On splitting open some of the logs, the whole wood was riddled with the tunnels of the larvae, many of which were in situ, and what was more interesting was to find several imagines gnawing their way out through about an inch of wood. All these latter proved to be males, which according to Mr. Benson are very difficult to come by compared with the well-known huge yellow-bodied female. In fact at South Kensington in the museum series there was one male to some ten females. Our male specimens were added to the national collection.—C. G. M. bE Worms, Three Oaks, Woking. 11.x11.1965. THE STATUS OF LITHOSIA QUADRA L.—Mr. L. W. Siggs suggests (Ent. Rec., 77: 262) that Lithosia quadra L. taken nowadays in the New Forest may be native. “ This insect was certainly native in the New Forest in the past. Turning to the 1961 edition of “South” for information, I note that nothing new seems to have been learnt about the species in the past fifty years, but though its migratory habits are referred to, it is quite definitely inferred that it is native in the south of England. Humphreys and Westwood (1854) refer to it as a widely-distributed and abundant species. Many years ago the late R. E. Salwey, speaking of a visit in July to Brockenhurst about 1888 (1 cannot be sure of the year), told me that pupae of L. quadra were so plentiful on oak trunks between Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst that he and his man had collected as many as forty before breakfast. My opportunities for collecting in the New Forest in July have been very limited, and alas! I have never been able to find even one! — Admiral A. D. TorRLESSE, Trentham, Burton Joyce, Notts. 23.xi.1965. KILLING THE GoosE.—I was rather horrified to read in the October issue of the capture of a pair of Apatura iris L. (in cop.). I would not have thought that iris was common enough anywhere to justify such a killing of the goose that lays the golden egg(s). The excitement and temptation at finding one’s first opportunity for taking this species can be imagined, but surely the collector could have waited until they had finished mating and then taken the male only; the taking of females of rare or semi-rare species should not, I think, be encouraged. In the same way that bird watching has replaced egg collecting, I am convinced that observation, study and photography will largely have to replace pure acquisition in the entomologist’s field if our insect fauna, particularly the rarer species, is to be saved. I believe far more satisfaction can be gained by studying insects in their localities and recording all of interest seen. In this way the realistic status of all our butterflies and many moths can be ascertained, with the protection of them thought about and acted upon. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 27 I have recently been visiting various areas in the midlands to gather some idea of the present distribution, habitats and population of butterflies. The visiting of sites for record purposes particularly when unlikely habitats are found, even for the common butterflies is most rewarding and T would recommend it to all entomologists who at present tend to concen- trate on the collecting aspect. The combined efforts of all entomologists would be very forceful, I think, if directed towards protecting what is left of our insect life and their habitats——S. L. Merrepiry, 283 The Broadway, Dudley, Worcs. 7.X1.1965. [While being broadly in agreement with this note, I would suggest that the forming of a collection is an essential part of the study of insects for, without this, in a very considerable number of cases we would not know of which insect we were talking, and in any case the human angle of the admiration and love of beautiful things should be given its place alongside the compilation of pages of notes and figures. I am myself guilty of having killed and set two specimens of Thalopocares parva which are now in the R-C-K collection at Tring, both of which, unfortunately, proved to be females.—Ep.] PARARGE MEGERA L. IN CENTRAL BIRMINGHAM.—On 7th September, 1965, I saw a male wall butterfly (Pararge megera L.) settle on a wall of an office building in Bennets Hill, in the heart of Birmingham. I know of no Slte nearer than seven miles from the centre, but it may exist on odd patches of waste land, in the vicinity.—S. L. MrrReEpiTH, 283 The Broadway, Dudley, Worcs. 7.xi.1965. THE GOOD-TEMPERED HorNeT.—Mr. P. B. M. Allan asks whether any reader of this magazine has been stung by a hornet. I may have been. As a schoolboy, I used to strip the bark off elms between Onehouse and Stowmarket in search of the goat moth larvae whose exudations also attracted large tortoiseshell butterflies and hornets. One day, I watched a hornet crawl across the palm of my hand and temporarily insert its sting, which was immediately withdrawn. I had made no movement, not wishing to antagonise the beast, which tumbled to the ground. I suffered no physical ill-effect, apart from a slight prick, and I have often wondered whether the hornet was too drunk to be effective or whether I was more poisonous than the insect. If I was indeed stung, the situation may have been paralleled by Goldsmith’s “Elegy on a Mad Dog”: “The man recovered of the bite, The dog it was that died”’. —ALASDAIR ASTON, 15 Pickwick Road, S.E. 21. LARVAE FEEDING ON PLANTS WITH A LATEX-LIKE SAP.—The last sentence of Mr. Chalmers-Hunt’s note on the larva of Lobesia euphorbiana Hibn. (Ent. Rec., 77: 228) “... so that one supposes it must also consume the bluish-white milk-like fluid that exudes from it”, reminds me of a rather curious fact. Calotropis procera, the foodplant of Danaus chrysippus L., exudes a copious white latex when a leaf is cut or broken. Yet when eaten by a larva of chrysippus there is no exudation at all from the bitten edge of the leaf. Whether this is the result of chemical or mechanical action is 28 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/1/66 difficult to say, the larva may produce some coagulant or possibly the biting action may close the cells and prevent the flow of the milky sap.— D. G. SEVASTOPULO, Mombasa. 23.xi.1965. Fifty Years Ago (From The Entomologist’s Record of 1916) Larvat Hasits OF THE PLAIN CLay.—From ova of Noctua (Amathes) depuncta a number of larvae emerged in September. I gave them sorrel 1o feed on, but they huddled together and used the sorrel not as food but as a resting place and remained perfectly quiescent till disturbed with a fine brush. This went on for some weeks, being each time I looked at them, perfectly quiet and gregarious till touched, then quite lively, settling down again afterwards. Tired of this, I put them out in the garden on a small bed of sorrel, but suppose I shall see nothing of them in spring. I cannot help wondering how, if this is the usual habit, they manage to keep alive through the winter. I do not remember eve1 reading anything about the life-history of N. depuncta. Has anything been published thereon?—J. E. GARDNER. TRANSPLANTING THE SPOTTED SULPHUR.—F rom 30th June to 2nd July 1903, I was in the Breckland district and happened upon a considerable colony of Agrophila trabealis (sulphuralis). Of the specimens captured several females laid, as is their wont, a number of eggs, which I brought home, with the purpose of rearing them in captivity. These eggs, laid upon 3rd July, hatched on the 11th. Meanwhile I had noticed the resemblance of my garden to the locality whence my prisoners came, and instead of rearing the larvae in confinement I turned them out amongst abundant foodplant to feed for themselves. In 1904 and again in 1905 I looked in vain for specimens of the insect. But last night a single specimen flew to light, and proved to me that my experiment had not failed. This is the third year that this most local moth has been able to maintain itself in my neighbourhood, and I have every hope that it may get such a hold that it will remain here for all time.—C. R. N. Burrows. PAIRING OF THE CHOCOLATE-T1IP.—A © Clostera curtula emerged on 2nd May, and I at once placed her with a ¢ in a sleeve out of doors, but no pairing took place till 5th May. It then occurred during daytime. I cannot say at what hour, but I found them in cop. at 6 p.m. and they separated soon after 7p.m. Another 9 was busy ovipositing at the latter hour, when it was still broad daylight.—Prrcy C. Ret. THE BORDERED STRAW IN ESSEX.—I was walking round my garden after dark on ist July last, chiefly boxing Aplecta advena (Polia nitens) from valerian flowers. At 10.20, just as I was going indoors I was amazed to se2 a specimen of H. peltigera flitting gently .... from flower to flower of valerian, I determined not to risk boxing it and rushed precipitately indoors for my net. Luckily, on my return the moth was just where I had left it, and was hanging down from a flower which evidently afford2d it a plentiful supply of nectar. In the net it was rather lively, but I boxed it without injury and found it to be a fine female-——G. H. Raynor. 0 be examined aa es eetaale at any required angle under . simple or _ binocular | dissecting microscope. Manufactured in our own Scientific Instrument Works. Made _ of brass, stove - enamelled black with chromium plated fittings .. _ £5 10s, @d. plus carriage We also supply MICROSCOPES & ACCESSORIES — BUTTERFLY & POND NETS SETTING BOARDS — ENTOMOLOGICAL PINS — STORE BOXES COLLECTING BOXES — EXHIBITION CASES Catalogues on request Please note our new address FLATTERS & GARNETT LTD. _ Mikrops House, Bradnor Road, Manchester 22 Part of our extensive service to Biologists R. N. BAXTER 16 Bective Road, Forest Gate, London, €.7, England. SPECIAL OFFERS OF PAPERED (un-set) EXOTIC BUTTERFLIES 0 South American “‘Swallowtails’’ for 25/-. (0 Indian ‘‘Swallowtails’”’ for 21/-. Assorted South American Butterflies (Catagramma, Callicore, Heliconius, Adelpha, etc.) for 15/-. / rger South American Butterflies sone, OU Ea ae for soaks Blue Preponas from Peru for 21/-. Blue Morphos from South America for 30/- (didius, anaxibia, etc.). ssorted Butterflies from North America for 17/6 (Argynnis, Liminitis, etc.). ssorted Butterflies from ested for ae (lar ge and small ee ‘the above ae offers are POST FREE in U.K. ONLY. Overseas “at coms _Mail Orders Only. ys pmiatic work, in collaboration with the best specialists of all Countries, ‘ edited by Prof. Dr. A. SEITZ an French editions. Vol. 1-4: Fauna palaearctica. Vol. 5-16: Fauna haart exotica. mi _ Every volume may be had separately. fh THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J. W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) The following gentlemen act as Honorary Consultants to the magazine : Lepidoptera: Dr. H. B. WiitiaMs, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.E.S.; Orthoptera: D. K. McE. Kevan, Ph.D., B.Sc., F.R.E.S.; Coleoptera: A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc.; Diptera: L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S.; E. C. M. d’AssIs-FONSECA, F.R.E.S. ie CONTENTS THE EASTERN PYRENEES, JULY-AUGUST 1965. BARON DE WORMS, M.A., Ph.D., F.R.E.S. ays Aa ne i 8 fe aah ue pt i. at NOTES ON THE GENUS SORHAGENIA (LEPIDOPTERA). S. WAKELY oA 9 FURTHER RECORDS OF CARDIGANSHIRE LEPIDOPTERA, 1965. Dr. NEVILLE L. BIRKETT ... i We a sia ee ee 11 A SCALE DEFECT IN PIERIS NAPI L.. Dr. NEVILLE L. BIRKETT .... dee 13 THE RARER STENOXIA (COL.) OF WINDSOR FOREST. AGA eALDLEN: “Bp Ges, CAGE Ors 14: see 2 eS oh ae chs 14 NOTES ON BRITISH ANTS, 1964-65. C. A. COLLINGWOOD, N.A.A.S. ... aa 23 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ... oe A She Lass BEEN ae as 25 FIFTY YEARS AGO ... ge ou, Ea ie. Rae ieee oa i de hh 28 \ SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL “S ACCOUNT. PART II. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT ... Kae 1 eit (O73) TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS All material for the TEXT of the magazine must be sent to the EDITOR at 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. ADVERTISEMENTS, EXCHANGES and WANTS to F. W. BYERS, 59 Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, Herts. Specimen copies supplied by F. W. Byers on “payment of 5s. Od. or Sterling equivalent, which will -. be refunded . or taken into account if TESS in question becomes a # goubscribers ; Stibscriptions and Enquiries regarding Back Nunibers: Volumes, Sets of *Volumes and Changes of Address should be sent to the Treasurer, se eal PARENTER, “Woodside”, Pinewood Road, Ferndown, Dorset. a aed anv ) © REPRINTS: 12 copies, taken ieee from the magazine are sent gratis “to contributors | “of articles; these may contain extraneous matter. More formal reprints from re-set type may still be had at cost price, and orders for these should be given, at the latest, with the return to the Editor of corrected proof. ILLUSTRATIONS are inserted on condition that the AUTHOR DEFRAYS THE COST. Contributors are requested not to send us Notes or Articles which they are sending to other magazines. All reasonable care is taken of MSS, photographs, drawings, maps, etc., but the Editor and his staff cannot hold themselves responsible for any loss or damage. Printed by T. Buncie ann Co. Lrp., Arbroath. fee ee FEBRUARY 1966 RENE RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by S. N. A. JACOBS, F.R.£:s. with the assistance of . A. ALLEN, B.SC., A.R.C.S. C. A. COLLINGWOOD, B.SC., F.R.E.S. VILLE BIRKETT, M.A., M.B. H. C. HuGeuns, F.R.E.s. L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S. M. ERS-HUNT, F.R.E.S. 4 “ CHALMERS-HUNT, H. SYMEs, M.A. . ajor A. E, COLLIER, M.C., F.R.E.S. S. WAKELY Commander G. W. Harper, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.S. Hon. Treasurer, L. PARMENTER, “Woodside”, rane oe Road, Ferndown, Dorset. sta 5) NET WARNE 4 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES Volume I: Comprising families Sphingidae, Endromidae, Saturnidae, Notodontidae, Thyatiridae, Drepanidae, Lyamtrudae, and Noctuidae. | Volume II: Comprising families Lasiocampidae, Arctiidae, Geometridae, Cossidae, Limacodidae, Zygaenidae, Sesiidae, and Hepialidae. H M Edelsten has taken into account all the latest knowledge in structure, habit, distribution and nomenclature of the species in this completely revised, edition, both in text and illustrations, of Richard South’s great standard work. A major portion of the value of a work of this type is the quality of the illustrations. All the colour plates have been re-drawn by the late H D Swain. There have been full revision made to the many half-tones and text drawings. A completely new General Index and a Specific Index has been provided. Technicalities have been avoided as far as possible, the main object being to provide a guide to the identification of our moths, together with a simple account of the whole or a part of their earlier stages. 2 ‘ 35s. net per volume Vol. I. 98 colour, 58 black and white F FREDERICK WARNE piates a ae core Vol. il. 69 colour, 72 black and white ‘1 London WC2 plates VOL. 78 PLATE I | 29 On some Type Specimens of the Genus Zygaena Fabricius (Lepidoptera : Zygaenidae) in the British Museum (Natural History) By W. G. TREMEWAN With the completion, in 1964, of the rearrangement of the Zygaena Fabricius collection in the British Museum (Natural History), a number of holotypes and syntypes were noted which were not included in the catalogue (Tremewan, 1961) or in a subsequent paper (Tremewan, 1962). The present paper may therefore be regarded as a second supplement to the catalogue; its aim being to illustrate the holotypes and lectotypes, the latter being designated where necessary. The arrangement of the present work follows that of 1961 and 1962. I am greatly indebted to Mr. A. Rowe for taking the photographs reproduced on the plate, and to Mr. Alan D. Palmer, who made the original drawings used to illustrate the genitalia of the lectotype of Z. ganymedes Herrich-Schafter. Zygaena erythrus (Hubner) Sphinx erythrus Hubner, [1803]-[1806], Sammlung europdischer Schmetterlinge, 2 (1), pl. 18, fig. 87; [1806], ibidem, Der Ziefer, p. 77. The type locality of erythrus erythrus Hubner has previously been cited by various authors as the neighbourhood of Firenze (Florence), Italy. Hubner, however, cites “Die Gegend des Vesuvs”, viz., the region of Vesuvius, which is situated above the Bay of Naples, Campania. This area should now be taken as the type locality of the nominate subspecies of erythrus Hubner. Zygaena erythrus saportae Boisduval (Ssp. rev.) Zygaena minos Denis & Schiffermtller sensu Boisduval, 1828, Essai sur une Monographie des Zygénides, p. 29 (partim), pl. 1, fig. 7. Zygaena saportae Boisduval, 1829, Essai sur une Monographie des Zygénides, Errata et Addenda, p. 1; 1829, Europaeorum Lepidop- terorum Index Methodicus, Errata et Addenda, p. 2; 1834, Icones historique des Lépidoptéres nouveaux ou peu connus, 2: 38, pl. 52, figs. 2, 3. Zygaena erythrus albipes Verity, 1916, Bull. Soc. ent. Fr., p. 289 (syn. nov.). In my previous paper (Tremewan, 1962: 125), I considered the date of publication of the name saportae Boisduval to be 1834, but I have sub- sequently discovered that the name was actually published by Boisduval in 1829, in an Errata et Addenda to his Monographie des Zygénides, which was published in 1828(!). A copy of this apparently rare work, together with an Errata et Addenda to Boisduval’s Europaeorum Lepidopterorum Index Methodicus, is in the possession of Dr. L. G. Higgins, to whom I am greatly indebted for allowing me to examine it. The pagination of the Errata et Addenda to the Index Methodicus follows on, viz., from pp. 2-8, from the Errata et Addenda to the Monographie. Dr. Higgins has recently published further details of this work (Higgins, 1965). SD ae ahh? hb 30 ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 The name saportae Boisduval has always been considered synonymous with erythrus erythrus Httbner from the neighbourhood of Vesuvius, Italy (Burgeff, 1926: 5; Reiss, 1930: 7; Tremewan, 1962: 125). Boisduval (1828: 29, pl. 1, fig. 7) however, first described and figured saportae under the name minos Denis & Schiffermuller, stating that the species occurred in France, Austria, Hungary, Italy (including Sicily), Switzerland, etc. The text can therefore be attributed partiy to the true minos (purpuralis Briinnich) and partly to the species erythrus. Boisduval stated that the insect figured (pl. 1, fig. 7) by him was a female taken in Sicily. Although the illustration does not show the basal streak 2a on the forewings, a character of erythrus, I have no doubt that it represents a female of this species, such a conclusion having been reached by previous authors. Furthermore, of the two species, only erythrus occurs in Sicily, while minos (purpuralis) has never been found there. Boisduval (1829: 1) later realised his error, and separated and described an insect which had been bred from larvae found feeding on Eryngium campestre in Provence by M. le comte de Saporta. Boisduval further stated that this insect, so common in the south, might possibly be a species distinct from minos and proposed the name saportae. Although Sicily was not mentioned in this Addenda, it should be taken as the type locality of saportae, following Boisduval’s statement: ‘En conséquence, Vindivdu femelle que j’ai fait figurer [pl. 1, fig. 7] sera le type de cette nouvelle espéce,...’. Boisduval (1834: 38, pl. 52, figs. 2, 3) next mentioned that the species occurred in Provence, Italy and Sicily and figured two specimens which are un- doubtedly erythrus Htibner. The name saportae Boisduval should now be used to describe the sub- species of erythrus occurring in Sicily, as Boisduval had previously stated that the female specimen figured by him in 1828 (pl. 1, fig. 7) is the type and that this specimen originated from Sicily, It is only later (1834: 38) that Italy and Provence are included as localities. The Sicilian popula- tions of erythrus were also named ssp. albipes Verity (1916: 289). The name albipes Verity, however, must now fall in synonymy under saportae Boisduval. I have been unable to trace the type of saportae in the Boisduval collection. If the specimen had been found one might expect it to be labelled minos, the name which Boisduval originally used. There is a male specimen of purpuralis Brinnich, however, labelled “Minos. H. Pilosellae. Esp.”. This specimen is obviously not the type of saportae and it is probable that Boisduval transferred the labels after discovering his error. It is perhaps worth mentioning that Boisduval’s illustrations (1828, pl. 1, fig. 6; 1834, pl. 52, fig. 1) of erythrus Hubner are probably refer- able to purpuralis Brinnich. Treitschke (1834: 103) also considered that the specimens figured as erythrus Htibner by Boisduval were varieties of minos (purpuralis). This conclusion is supported by my examination of a female specimen from the Boisduval collection, labelled “Erythrus. H.”. This specimen is, in fact, an example of purpuralis with enlarged and confluent forewing spots and is probably referable to ssp. austronubigena Verity from the Abruzzi. Burgeff (1926: 5), however, referred these figures to rubicundus Hubner. (1)The two copies in the British Museum (Natural History) of Boisduval’s Monographie des Zygénides are both dated 1829 on the title pages. Reference to the Bibliographie de la France (1828: 836), however, shows that the Monographie was recorded in that work on 22nd November 1828, TYPE SPECIMENS OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 3l thus proving that it was published in 1828 and not in 1829. I do not know whether any copies exist that are dated 1828 on the title page but it is probable that those dated 1829 are in fact a second edition. Boisduval’s Europaeorum Lepidopterorum Index Methodicus is also recorded in the Bibliographie de la France (1828: 845). The Index Methodicus was pub- lished in at least two editions, one dated 1828 on the title page (such a copy being in the British Museum (Natural History)), the other dated 1829 on the title page (there are two copies of this edition in the British Museum (Natural History)). These two editions (1828 and 1829) are apparently identical with the exception of the title pages. By implication, a third edition of the Index Methodicus was published in 1829, differing from the second edition only in the addition of the Errata et Addenda. Zygaena ganymedes Herrich-Schaffer Zygaena ganymedes Herrich-Schaffer, 1852, Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa, 6: 45; 1851, ibidem, 2, pl. 14, figs. 100, 101 (non-binomial). (Pl. I, fig. 1) ? Lectotype: ¢ 26mm. “62 55”; “Zyg. ganymedes As. min.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1177 (text figs. 1, 2). Zygaena ganymedes Herrich-Schaffer. Fig. 1, male genitalia; Fig. 2, aedeagus. The number “62 55” on the blue pin-label is the registration number (1862: 55) of the specimen and reference to the register showed that the specimen is one of two purchased by the British Museum (Natural History) in 1862 from Herrich-Schaffer and named by him, together with a number of other species of lepidoptera. As this is apparently the only specimen extant that was seen by Herrich-Schaffer, the second specimen not having been traced, I have no hesitation in designating it as a lectotype. Apart from being somewhat faded, the specimen is in very good condition. It should be noted that Dr. B. Alberti (in litt.) states that there are no original specimens of ganymedes Herrich-Schaffer in the Zoologisches Museum, Berlin. 32 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 Zygaena carniolica (Scopoli) Sphinx carniolica Scopoli, 1763, Entomologia carniolica, p. 189, fig. 478. Zygaena carniolica crymaea Stauder Zygaena carniolica crymaea Stauder, 1925, Ent. Anz., 5: 86. (Pl. I, fig. 2) Lectotype: ¢ 30mm. “Feodossia (Krym) 19. VI. 1921. L. Sheljuzhko leg. coll. L. Sheljuzhko”; two labels in Stauder’s handwriting: “ss. n. crymaea Stdr Typen 9 ¢”; “Krym!”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1172. From a series of 6 ¢ ¢,1 designate as lectotype, the male with the data quoted above. Zygaena carniolica gradiscana Stauder Zygaena carniolica gradiscana Stauder, 1922, Soc. ent., 37: 46. (Pl. I, fig. 3) Lectotype: $¢ 29mm. “Litorale Sdraussina 20. VI. 1921 H. Stauder Patuna”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “gradiscana Stdr. Type”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1173. Of the original series of 60 $d and 22 9 9, there are in the British Museum (Natural History), 8 §$ and 10 9 9 from which I designate as lectotype, the male with the data quoted above. When describing this subspecies, Stauder also named the ab. rubrothoracalis Stauder. There are no specimens labelled as such, but 2 66 have on the thorax, red scales which have been transferred from the fore- and hindwings. It is probable that Stauder considered these specimens to be aberrations. Zygaena loti ([Denis & Shiffermiller]) Sphinx loti [Denis & Schiffermuller], 1775, AnkUndung eines systema- tischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend, p. 45. Zygaena loti restricta Stauder Zygaena achilleae restricta Stauder, 1915, Z. wiss. InsektBiol., 11: 71. (Pl. I, fig. 4) Lectotype: 9 29mm. “Jtal. mer. pen.-Surrentina 10.6.1913 H. Stauder’”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “ab. restricta Stauder 1387. Typen!”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1169 This subspecies, labelled “ab.” on the pin-label, was described from a series of 10 dd and 6 9° 9, collected 10. vii. 1913 on Monte Faito, above 1000 m. In addition to the female lectotype designated above, there are in the British Museum (Natural History), 2 99 and 1 ¢ from the same locality. Zygaena lavandulae (Esper) Sphinx lavandulae Esper, 1783, Die Schmetterlinge, 2: 221, pl. 34, fig. 2. TYPE SPECIMENS OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 33 Zygaena lavandulae lavandulae Esper ab. lutescens Cockerell Zygaena lavandulae Esper ab. lutescens Cockerell, 1889, Entomologist, 22: 128. Zygaena lavandulae Esper var., Warburg, 1888, Entomologist, 21: 211. (Pl. I, fig. 5) Type: ¢ 30 mm. “e. 1. 23/5/88 Cannes.”; “Lavandulae. ab. e. 1. 23/5/88”; ex Warburg collection. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1168. The cocoon, together with the pupa case, is placed on the pin under the specimen. In naming this aberration, Cockerell refers to Warburg’s record of breeding the specimen, together with several typical, red examples, from larvae found at Cannes feeding on Dorycnium suffructi- cosum Vill. (Dorycnium pentaphyilum Scop. =). Zygaena transalpina (Esper) Sphinx transalpina Esper, 1782, Die Schmetterlinge, 2: 142, pl. 16, figs. d, e, f. Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger, 1894, Iris, 7: 254. Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. rubromixta Stauder, 1921, N. Beitr. syst. Insektenk., 2: 31 (Syn. nov.). [rubromixta] (Pl. I, fig. 6) Lectotype: 2 36mm. “Ital. mer. 900 m. penins. Surrentina M. Faito 9.6.1920 H. Stauder legit.”; “rubromixta Stdr’”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”’. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1181. The lectotype designated above is merely a worn specimen of the normal, red, ssp. sorrentina Staudinger and for convenience, I place the name in synonymy under that subspecies. Reiss (1930: 39) erroneously considered the name rubromixta Stauder to be a synonym of ab. roseopicta Turati. Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. albinotica Stauder Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. albinotica Stauder, 1915, Z. wiss. InsektBiol., 11: 135. (Pl. I, fig. 7) Lectotype: ¢ 31 mm. “Jtal. mer. pen.-Surrentina 16. 6. 1913 H. Stauder’”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “albinotica”’; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”’. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1182. I designate the specimen with the data quoted above as the lectotype and consider it to be one of the six original specimens cited by Stauder. Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. aureomaculata Stauder Z. transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. aureomaculata Stauder, 1921, N. Beitr. syst. Insektenk., 2: 30. (Pl. I, fig. 8) 34 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 Lectotype: 2 33mm. “10/6 Ital. mer. 900 m. penins. Surrentina M. Faito 1920 H. Stauder legit.”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “aureomaculata Stdr’; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”’. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1178. Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. flavomixta Stauder Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. flavomixta Stauder, 1921, N. Beitr. syst. Insektenk., 2: 31. (Pl. I, fig. 9) Lectotype: ¢ 32mm. “14/6 Ital. mer. 900 m. penins. Surrentina M. Faito 1920 H. Stauder legit.”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “flavomixta Str Typen”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1179. Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. ochraceomaculata Stauder Zygaena transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. ochraceomaculata Stauder, 1921, N. Beitr. syst. Insektenk., 2: 31. (Pl. I, fig. 10) Type: SG 33 mm. “18/6 Ital. mer. 850 m. penins. Surrentina M. Faito. 1920 H. Stauder legit.”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “cchraceo-maculata Stdr Type’; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.””. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1180. Zygaena viciae ([Denis & Schiffermiuller]) Sphinx viciae [Denis & Schiffermtller], 1775, Ankindung eines systema- tischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend, p. 45. Zygaena viciae subglocknerica Reiss Zygaena viciae subglocknerica Reiss, 1943, Z. wien. ent. Ges., 28: 108. Zygaena hybr. pseudofilipendulae Stauder, 1924, Int. ent. Z., 18: 52 (syn. nov.). [pseudofilipendulae] (Pl. I, fig. 11) Type: Q 28mm. “Teriol. Scharnitz 22/7. 23 H. Stauder’”; “achilleae ssp. alpestris Bgf. f. pseudofilipendulae Stdr’”; “Rothschild Bequest B. M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1174. This specimen is not a hybrid but a normal form of viciae Denis & Schiffermuller. The name has no status in nomenclature and for con- venience, is placed in synonymy under viciae subglocknerica Reiss. Zygaena filipendulae (Linné) Sphinx filipendulae Linné, 1758, Systema Naturae, ed. X, p. 494 (with reference to Fauna Suecica, p. 256, 1746). Zygaena filipendulae veneta Rocci Zygaena filipendulae veneta Rocci, 1937, Redia, 22: 136. Zygaena filipendulae Linné ab. burgeffi Stauder, 1921, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. TYPE SPECIMENS OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 35 Wien, 70: (178) (syn. nov.). [burgeffi] (Pl. I, fig. 12) Lectotype: 9 39mm. “Litorale austr. Karstboden Draga 16/6 1913 H. STAUDER’”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “filip. burgefi Stdr Typen”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1170. I designate as lectotype the female with the data quoted above. This female is the only remaining specimen of the original series of 8 ¢¢ and 5 ©. Stauder records “15.VI” for the locality Draga, but in spite of this not agreeing with the data on the pin-label, I have no hesitation in accepting the specimen as a syntype. This specimen is a normal female of filipendulae veneta Rocci and for convenience, I place the name burgeffi Stauder, which has no status in nomenclature, in synonymy. Zygaena filipendulae pulchrior Verity ab. cingulata Tremewan Zygaena filipendulae pulchrior Verity ab. cingulata Tremewan, 1965, Ent. Rec., 77: 89. (Pl. I, fig. 13) Type: ¢ 32mm. “Bischofsbad Bihar C. 26.vi. 1913”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”; “Z. filipendulae pulchrior Verity ab. cingulata Tremewan. det. W. G. Tremewan, 1964. Holotype <”’. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1171. Zygaena trifolii (Esper) Sphinx trifolii Esper, 1783, Die Schmetterlinge, 2: 223, pl. 34, figs. 4, 5. Zygaena trifolii trinacria Verity ab. punctonotata Verity Zygaena trifolii trinacria Verity ab. punctonotata Verity, 1926, Ent. Rec., 38: 12. (Pl. I, fig. 14) Lectotype: ¢ 32mm. “Sicilien Ficuzza Geo. G. Kr.”; “Sicily, coll. E. Ragusa.”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1175. Zygaena trifolii trifolii Esper Zygaena trifolii Esper, 1783, Die Schmetterlinge, 2: 223, pl. 23, figs. 4, 5. Zygaena trifolii Esper ab. ruficincta Tutt, 1908, Ent. Rec., 20: 248 (syn. nov.). [ruficincta] (Pl. I, fig. 15) Lectotype: ¢ 29mm. “Staefa, L. Ziirich, 29. July 1905 ex coll. Tutt.”: “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. Zygaenidae Slide No. 1176. Part of the data on the pin-label is erroneous and should read “27. July 1908” (Tremewan, 1965: 88). As I have already stated (Tremewan, loc. cit.), the series of 9 gg and 2 29 comprises normal specimens of trifolii and the name ruficincta Tutt is placed in synonymy under trifolt trifolii Esper. 36 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 Zygaena lonicerae (Scheven) Sphinx lonicerae Scheven, 1777, Der Naturforscher, Halle, 10: 97. Zygaena lonicerae herthae Stauder (ssp. rev.). Zygaena lonicerae herthae Stauder, 1920, Soc. ent., 35: 23. Zygaena lonicerae dimorphica Verity, 1926, Ent. Rec., 38: 60; 1925, Ent. Rec., 37: 117, pl. 8, figs. 54, 55 (syn. nov.). [herthae] (Pl. 1, fig. 16) Lectotype: ¢ 37mm. “Calabria Mt. Martinello 6. 6. 1913 H. Stauder”; a label in Stauder’s handwriting: “subsp. herthae Stdr”; “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1.”. The lectotype designated above, is the only remaining specimen of the original series of 7 ¢ ¢. The abdomen of this specimen is missing. The date of capture is erroneously recorded on the pin-label, as Stauder stated that the specimens were captured 6th July 1913. Verity (1926: 72) considered herthae Stauder to be a synonym of silana Burgeff (1914: 68, pl. 3, figs. 112-114). In my opinion, however, herthae Stauder is a subspecies distinct from silana Burgeff, while I consider that dimorphica Verity (1926: 60) is synonymous with herthae Stauder. Burgeff described ssp. silana from a series of specimens collected from the be- ginning to the middle of July 1907 near Sila, Calabria. A large series from the Sila Mts., near Bottle Donata, Calabria, 1000-1800 m., 6-12, vii. 1907, leg. O. Neumann, agree entirely with Burgefi’s description and figures. In the British Museum (Natural History) there is also a series of lonicerae col- lected by Querci in 1920 at San Fili (Cosenza), 900 m., this apparently being part of the same series from which Verity described his ssp. dimorphica. These specimens agree with the lectotype of herthae Stauder and a series of 7 ¢ d¢ and 3 99, from Mt. Martinello, Calabria, and the neighbourhood of Paola Cosenza, Calabria, 15-17. vi. 1920. I therefore place dimorphica Verity as a synonym of herthae Stauder and raise the latter out of synonymy with silana Burgeff. It should also be noted that the lectotype 3 of herthae Stauder agrees with Verity’s illustration of a male of dimorphica, while silana Burgeff is distinct from both, according to the specimens figured by Burgeff. REFERENCES Bibliographie de la France, 1828, no. 47: 4-940, (1)-(272). Boisduval, J. A., 1828. Essai sur une Monographie des Zygénides, p. i-xxvi, 1-132, pls. 1-8. , 1829. Essai sur une Monographie des Zygénides, Errata et Addenda, p. 1-2. , 1834. Icones historique des Lépidoptéres nouveaux ou peu connus, 2: 1-192, pls. 48-84. Burgeff, H., 1914. Kommentar zum Palaarktischen Teil der Gattung Zygaena des von Chr. Aurivillius und H. Wagner herausgegebenen Catalogus Lepi- dopterorum. Mitt. mtinch. ent. Ges., 5: 35-70, pls. 2-6. , 1926. In Strand, Lepid. Cat., 33: 1-91. Higgins, L. G., 1965. Boisduval, Europaeorum Lepidopterorum Index Methodicus. Entomologist, 98: 241-242. Reiss, H., 1930. In Seitz, Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, Supplement, 2: 1-50, pls. 1-4. Treitschke, F., 1834. Die Schmetterlinge von Europa, 10 (1): i-xvi, 1-286. Tremewan, W. G., 1961. A Catalogue of the Types and other Specimens in the British Museum (Natural History) of the Genus Zygaena Fabricius, TYPE SPECIMENS OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS 37 Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae. Bull. Brit. Mus. (nat. Hist.) Ent., 10 (7): 239-314, pls. 50-64. , 1962. On Some Type Specimens of the Genus Zygaena Fabricius, including the Lectotype selection of Zygaena felix Oberthur, Lepidoptera : Zygaenidae. Ent. Rec., 74: 125-130, pl. 2, figs. 1-23. , 1965. On the Occurrence of Abdominal Belts in Zygaena filipendulae Linné, with Descriptions of Two New Aberrations (Lepidoptera : Zygaenidae). Hnt. Rec., 77: 88-90. Verity, R., 1916. Un type de transition entre Zygaena erythra Hb. et Z. rubicunda Hb. [Lep.]. Bull. Soc. ent. Fr., p. 287-289. , 1925. Remarks on the evolution of the Zygaenae and an attempt to analyse and classify the variations of Z. lonicerae Scheven and of Z. trifolii Esp., and other subspecies. Ent. Rec., 37: 101-104, 117-121, 135-138, 154-158, pl. 8. , 1926. Tbidem, Ent. Rec., $8: 9-12, 22-26, 57-62, 69-74. EXPLANATION OF PLATE I. Fig. 1. Zygaena ganymedes Herrich-Schiaffer, lectotype ¢. Fig. 2. Z. carniolica crymaea Stauder, lectotype ¢. Fig. 3. Z. carniolica gradiscana Stauder, lectotype ¢. Fig. 4. Z. loti restricta Stauder (Z. achilleae restricta Stauder, lectotype ©). Fig. 5. Z. lavandulae lavandulae Esper ab. lutescens Cockerell, type ¢. Fig. 6. Z. transalpina sorrentina Staudinger (Z. transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. rubromixta Stauder, lectotype ©). . transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. albinolica Stauder, lectotype Sie Fig. 8. Z. transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. aureomaculata Stauder, lectotype ©. Fig. 9. Z. transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. flavomixta Stauder, lectotype Gre Fig. 10. Z. transalpina sorrentina Staudinger ab. ochraceomaculata Stauder, type ¢. Fig. 11. Z. viciae subglocknerica Reiss (Zyqaena hybr. pseudofilipendulae Stauder, type 9). Fig. 12. Z. filipendulae veneta Rocci (Z. filipendulae Linné ab. burgeffi Stauder, lectotype ©). Fig. 13. Z. filipendulae pulchrior Verity ab. cingulata Tremewan, type ¢. Fig. 14. Z. trifolii trinacria Verity ab. punctonotata Verity, lectotype ¢. Fig. 15. Z. trifolii trifolii Esper (Z. trifolii Esper ab. ruficincta Tutt, lectotype 3). Fig. 16. Z. lonicerae herthae Stauder, lectotype ¢. a 39 J N A Mippit NINETEENTH CENTURY GLASS-BOTTOMED Box.—With reference to Mr. G. E. Hutchinson’s note (Ent. Rec., 77: 264) under the above heading, the box is a Scotch snuff box. In the days when I used to collect small antiques, I bought a similar circular box in Surrey which also had a Cairngorm set in the centre of the lid, but this was made entirely of yew, which had attained a beautiful mellow tone by age. I also was intrigued as to what it could have been made for. On examination, I noticed there was a minute piece of faded newspaper wedged at the top of the inside of the lid, and on prising this out carefully, a few grains of snuff tumbled out, and these still held their aroma. The minute print on the paper was of a very ancient type, and anyone knowledgeable of print might perhaps have been able to have given some useful information as to the date of the box. However, I had no doubt at all from the box itself in dating it eighteenth century. The Cairngorm and horn on the box give the clue to Scotiand.—E, E, Jounson, Wood Pigeon, Wormley, Surrey. 20.xii.1965. 38 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 The Butterflies of the Maltese Islands By ANTHONY VALLETTA, F.R.E.S. Thirty-three years have passed since the publication of the last list of the Butterflies of Malta viz. “The Lepidoptera of the Maltese Islands” by Paul Borg, F.C.S., F.Z.S., 1932, Malta Government Printing Press. During these years new species have been taken and recorded in different publications, and others mentioned in previous lists, if actually noticed or taken, have not been noticed or taken again. Before proceeding with the naming of the different species, I would like to point out that the following species which appear in Borg’s list have never been taken or seen by me and by other collectors these last thirty-three years. Papilio podalirius L., P. napi L., Aporia crataegi L., Leptoria sinapis L., Colias hyale L., G. rhamni L., Argynnis Dia L., Melitaea cinxia L., V. urticae L., V. polychloros L., V C-album L., Hipparchia tithonus L. and L. bellargus Rott. On the other hand the L. boeticus is recorded by Count Caruana Gatto in 1891 and is not included in Borg’s list, and so are the following species not mentioned in Borg’s list, though appearing in another contribution by Count Caruana Gatto in 1925:— Satyrus maera L., S. semele L., P. mesentina Cr., Tarucus telicanus Lang. and Danaus Chrysippus L. var Alcippus Cr. Since P. Borg’s publication, his brother Prof. John Borg, M.D.. in “Our Insect Visitors 1939”, Archivum Melitense, Vol. X, No. 4: 196, writes: “T have caught a specimen of Thecla rubi from Wied Encita in the centr1l part of Malta. More or less battered specimens of P. podalirius, Anthocaris euphenoides and Vanessa urticae have also been blown here by winds”. These four species have never been noticed again since. LIST OF BUTTERFLIES WHICH ARE STILL TO BE FOUND IN MALTA INCLUDING NEW SPECIES SINCE 1939 Papilio machaon sphyrus Hb. George Waring writing in 1843 mentions this butterfiy in “Letters of a Naturalist from Malta and Sicily”. It is a common butterfly and is on the wing as early as the last week in February and as late as November. There are three to four broods. Its caterpillar is quite common on the Phoeniculum vulgare and on the Ruta graveolens. Pieris brassicae L. Quite common all the year round. The local broods are reinforced ty migrants. The number decreases during summer owing to lack of vegeta- tion. Pieris rapae L. Very common indeed. It is on the wing all the year round appearing in different forms viz., f. immaculata De Selys especially during January and February, f. leucotera Steph and f. divisa Gelin in March and April, f. trimaculata Vrty. in July and August. The caterpillar besides feeding on crucifers feeds also on the Capparis spinosa especially during the not summer months when other food-plants are lacking. The local broods are every year reinforced by migrants. THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS 39 Pontia daplidice L. Though this butterfly is a noted migrant, it also breeds on the island. I found several caterpillars on the Reseda alba in spring and on the Diplotaxis muralis in summer. I bred it several times: eggs laid on the 28th June hatched on the 2nd July and pupation started on the 11th July, whilst the butterflies emerged on the 18th July. Pupation takes only six days later in the month and in August when the temperature is high. Gonepteryx cleopatra L. It had been recorded in 1858 by Prof. Gravino Gula, M.D., in his “Corso elementare di Entomologia Maltese”. This butterfly comes out from hibernation on sunny days in February and March when it mates and deposits the eggs on the Rhamnus alaternis or on Rhamnus oleoides. The caterpillar takes over a month feeding and the pupa Stage is from 12 to 15 days. The first brood is out during May and June and is plentiful. I saw females laying in March and in June and took specimens as late as the 13th August. According to Dr. R. Verity the Maltese cleopatra points more to the taurica Stdgr. of Asia Minor which has a very restricted and pale orange blotch than the Algerian nomintypical one which has a broad blotch and nearly touches the outer border of the wing and is of an intense reddish orange. Colias croceus Fourc. This butterfly is a noted migrant especially in early spring and early autumn; the males seem to outnumber the females. It is also a resident. There are at least three broods. The var. helice Hubner and the var. pallida Tutt are also met with. Hipparchia algerica Obth, vallettai de Lattin. Very rare indeed; taken only once by me on the 23rd May 1939 -t Naxxar, one of the high spots of the island. As war broke out pretty soon after its capture and the garden from which I caught it was taken up for the cultivation of vegetables. I had no chance to visit the locality again. Moreover, the whole area has been built up and consequently the vegeta- tion has disappeared. Possibly the specimen recorded by Count Caruana Gatto as Eumenes semele which was taken by Col. H. Harford, C.B., at St Julian’s on the 10th August 1910 was actually the algerica. This butterfly has been described by De Lattin in the Ent. Record 1952, Vol. 64: 335-336. Pararge aegeria L. Quite common but rather localized, as it prefers shady places like Boschetto, Gnejna and the widien under the carob trees. It is on the wing all the year round as four broods are given. The earliest recorded is in the first week of February and the latest in the first week in December. Pararge megera L. It is met with almost all the year round in different localities especially in country lanes. There are from three to four broods. Both the males and the females vary a lot in the number of spots on the forewings and hindwings. 40 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 Maniola jurtina hispulla Esp. Very common. The first and only brood is on the wing in late April and May in sheltered localities, but in other localities it is not noticed before June and July when the females are much paler than those which emerge earlier. This butterfly varies a lot especially the females; different forms are taken. Coenonympha pamphilus L. Quite common, having two regular broods with a partial third brood. + is one of the first butterflies to emerge as it appears as early as in February. The second brood gives bigger specimens with the variety lyllus Esp. Danaus chrysippus L. var. alcippus Cr. An occasional migrant. I took two specimens at Wied Is-Sewda, Attard, on the 10th April 1952. Lt. Cmdr. Terence Butler saw another pair near Villa Gomerino, limits of Rabat, on the 6th April of the same year. This butterfly was noticed before at Hastings Gardens, Valletta, by Col. Harford on the 4th June 1923. Vanessa atalanta L. Fairly common in gardens. It appears as early as March and is a com- mon sight on the blossoms of the orange-trees. It is still on the wing in October and November visiting the blossoms of the loquats. ‘There are at least three broods. Its caterpillar is found on the Urtica urens and on the Parietaria officinalis in rolled up leaves. The local broods are sometimes reinforced by migrants. Vanessa cardui L. A noted migrant. It is widespread and very common during spring and autumn. Its caterpillar feeds on thistles in spring and on mallows in autumn. Very often large migrations occur in July and August and large numbers are noticed on the zinnia and lantana. Polygonia egea Cr. A very rare butterfly, taken only once by me on the 20th March 1948, at Wied Is-Sewda, Attard. May be it had migrated with other migrants as the P. daplidice and C. croceus were in large numbers in that locality on that day. Lycaena phlaeas L. Fairly common, but not as common as it was ten years ago. In certain localities it has disappeared altogether. It has been recorded as early as 1958 by Prof. Gravino Gulia. I have taken it as early as the 9th January. The form coeruleopunctata Ruhl. is taken during the first three months of the year whilst the f; eleus Fabr. during July and August; darker specimens are met with in summer. Different forms have been taken. Lycaenopsis argiolus L. Taken for the first time by me at Boschetto on the 23rd March 1961, a locality which I used to visit almost every week-end. Since then it has THE BUTTERFLIES OF THE MALTESE ISLANDS 41 been scattered throughout the whole island especially in localities where the Rubus fruticosus and the Hedera helix are found. There are definitely three broods, the last one in late August and September is very small. Aricia agestis Schiff. Quite common in certain localities. It has been recorded since 1851 by W. Thallack in his book “Malta under the Phoenicians, Knights and English”. It emerges early in March; the number increases as the days get warmer, especially in April and in May. The second brood which is on the wing in July and August is plentiful too. In mild autumns there is also a partial brood. Polyommatus icarus Rott. Very common, and is one of the early butterflies. It is on the wing from February till late October. There are at least three broods. The different forms such as the f. pulcherrima Vrty. and arcuata Weymer are met with. The foodplants of its caterpillar, e.g., Trifolium, Melilotus and Lotus are plentiful. Syntarucus telicanus Lang. Up to 1944 this butterfly was rather rare. Its only mention is in Count Caruano Gatto’s list, 1925, as taken only once by Col. Harford on the 28th October 1910, at St Julian’s Bay. I noticed it for the first time in the summer of 1944, at San Anton Gardens, Attard, in a limited number; now it is very common indeed and is met with in many different localities. The earliest record I have is the 14th January which may be the remnant of the last brood. Large numbers are seen on the plumbago in July and in August, and on the antigonon in October and early November. Lampides boeticus L. Quite common in gardens. It has been recorded since 1891 by Count Caruana Gatto. It appears as early as March and sometimes it is still on the wing in December when the autumn is mild. There are two broods with a partial third brood. The caterpillar feeds in the pods of the Butter Beans whilst the, eggs are laid on the white petals of the flower. Gegenes pumilio Hoffm. Taken by me for the first time at San Anton Gardens, on the 17th August 1948. Several specimens were taken up to the 2nd September o1 the same year from three different localities. It was taken again in April and May of the following year at Wied Il-Ghasel, Mosta. Now it has established itself having two regular broods and is found in several localities. REFERENCES Gulia, G., 1858. Corso elementare di Entomologia Maltese. Caruana, Gatto A., 1891. Prima Contribuzione alla Fauna Lepidopterologica dell’ Isola di Malta. Caruana, Gatto A., 1925. “‘Di alcune specie di farfalle erratiche catturate c osservate in Malta’. Archivum Melitense, Vol. VI, No. 4, 155-159. De la Garde, P., 1892. Mediterranean Lepidoptera. Mediterranean Naturalist Feb., 183-134. De la Garde, P., 1898. Mediterranean Lepidoptera, Entomologist, 82: 8-11. Matthew, G. F., 1898. Notes on Lepidoptera from the Mediterranean, Entomo- logist, 31: 77-84; 108-116; 141. 42 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 Fletcher, T. B., 1904-5. A Preliminary List of the Lepidoptera of Malta, Entomologist, 37: 273-276; 315-319; 38: 18-20. Andres, Von Adolf, 1916. Verzeichnisder wihrend meiner Kriegsgefangenschait von mir auf Malta gesamelten Lepidoptera. Entomologische Rundschau, 33 Jahrgang, No. 9: 43-45. Borg, Paul, 1932. The Lepidoptera of the Maltese Islands. Government Printing Press. Borg, John, 1939. ‘Our Insect Vistiors’. Archivum Melitense, Vol. X, No. 4: 196. Verity, R., 1940-53. Le Farfalle Diurne adItalia, Vol. I-V. Casa Editrice Marzocco, S. A. Firenze. De Lucca, C., 1950. Casual immigrant Rhopalocera in Malta. Entomologist, 83: 64-65. De Lattin, Gustaf, 1952. Two New Subspecies of Hipparchia semele Lin. Ent. Record., Vol. 64: 335-336. Bernardi, G., 1961. Biogéographie et speciation des Lépidoptéres Rhopalocéres des iles Méditerranéennes. Editions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. Paris. Cosmopteryx lienigiella Zell. in Hampshire By E. A. SADLER After obtaining a specimen of this species in mid-1964 (Ent. Record, 77: 19) on the edge of a reed bed near Gosport, I searched this area with the skilled help of Mr. S. Wakely on 17th October of the same year in the hope of finding the larvae, which feed during September and October in straw coloured blotches in the leaves of Phragmites communis. This beautiful moth used to be taken freely at Wicken Fen over seventy years ago, and it has also been recorded from Suffolk and Norfolk. It is an extremely local species and there appear to be few recent records of its occurrence, and none at all from the southern counties. Mines were numerous in the reed leaves, but were mostly found to contain small dipterous larvae. Six lepidopterous larvae were obtained, however, after several hours of searching and we shared these between us and departed for home. After a few weeks it was noticed that these larvae had spun their cocoons within the mines as hibernating quarters, pupation not taking place until the spring. On 11th June 1965 Mr. Wakely telephoned to inform me that the first of his three had emerged that day, and this was followed three days later by another. My own emerged on 20th, 23rd and 25th of the same month. Together with a small party of keen micro-lepidopterists, I again visited this reed bed on 16th October 1965, and numerous mines were once more found, but this season, the majority contained lienigiella larvae, about 100 being seen by the party in two hours, during which time about one-third of the area was searched. The larvae were distributed fairly evenly over the area, only one leaf on any reed being occupied, but on two occasions two larvae were found in the same leaf: the mines in this case touched but did not merge with each other. The dipterous mines so plentiful last year were this season found to be very few and far between. St. Christopher, West Tisted, Alresford, Hants. 22.xii.1965. COSSUS COSSUS (LINNAEUS) IN SCOTLAND 43 Cossus cossus (Linnaeus) in Scotland By E. C. PELHAM-CLINTON In his last contribution to the discusion on the punation sites of Cossus cossus (Ent. Rec. 77: 140-1) Dr Kettlewell made a reference to its Scottish distribution: he found it surprising that Commander Harper had not seen it in Inverness-shire since there was a record from Aberdeenshire and since it had been found abundantly ‘in Morayshire, which is further north”. Now this implies that the range of a species such as cossus should extend to a certain latitude in Scotland and that it should be found in all suitable localities to the south of this line. This is far from true of those species that reach the limits of their range in Scotland and factors other than latitude appear to be of much greater importance. A number of southern species with ranges extending to Morayshire, Ross-shire or Sutherland are absent from upper Strathspey: examples are Celama confusalis (H.S.), Alsophila aescularia (Schiff.) and Deuteronomos alniaria (Linn.). That these species have not been found in a large part of east Inverness-shire is certainly not due to a lack of vigilance on the part of Commander Harper or others, for that area has received more attention from collectors than any other part of Scotland, possibly excepting Rannoch: in fact their distributions conform to a certain stage in a series shown by most southern species which have colonised part of Scotland. The series begins with species that reach only the extreme south-west of Scotland such as Notodonta trepida (Esper), and continues with such species as Drymonia dodonaea (Schiff.) and Xylocampa areola (Esper) that _ are found much further north but never far from the west coast. Others such as Lithosia lurideola (Zinck.) extend northwards to Morayshire by way of the east coast, presumably avoiding the high rainfall areas of the west. At the end of the series are those species which have colonised most of Scotland apart from the east central highlands and we find Spilosoma lubricipeda (Linn.) and Earophila badiata (Schiff.) extending up Strathspey from the north no further than Aviemore. The gap of varying size centred on Kingussie and Newtonmore that is common to all these species has nothing to do with foodplants and is presumably due to climatic factors, the most likely single factor being annual minimum temperature. Cossus cossus is a rare species in Scotland. The following are the only Scottish records known to me, arranged by vice-counties :— 73 Dalscairth, Kirkcudbrightshire, “not common” (Lennon). Trans. Dumfr. Gall. nat. Hist. Soc. 1862-3: 55 (1864). 75 Near Troon, Ayrshire (Dalglish). Fauna, Flora & Geology of the Clyde Area, p. 251. Glasgow (1901). 82 Luffness, East Lothian, 1904, larvae in willows (Renton, quoted by Evans). Ann. Scot. nat. Hist. 1905: 155. 88 or 89 Rannoch district, Perth, 2. vii. 1846, at sugar (Weaver). Zoologist 4: 1439. Strath Tummel (printed as “Strath Summet”), Perth, ix. 1861, two larvae (Hislop). Zoologist 19: 7322. Rannoch district, Perth, 1868, larvae in birches (White). Ento- mologist’s mon. Mag. 4: 249. 93 Fyvie. Aberdeen, scarce (Reid). Brit. Nat. 1: 69 (1891). The 44 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECCRD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 origin of this record is stated by Cowie (1903, Trans. Aberdeen working Men’s nat. Hist. sci. Soc. 1: 23) to be a list of “Lepi- doptera of Dee” by J. W. H. Trail, which has not been seen by me. 95 Darnaway Forest, Moray, 1856, rare (Bliss) and Brodie, Moray, 1857, on diseased oaks (Innes). .Both records quoted by Gordon, Zoologist 19: 7666 (1861). Morayshire, 1868, “larvae were abundant all over the country, doing great mischief to the birch and oak trees’ (Norman). Entomologist 4: 169. Norman was an over-enthusiastic publisher of records: an almost identical version of the paper containing this record appeared the following month in a different periodi- cal, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 5: 201 (1869), and other records of the species followed—Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 7: 141 (1870), 8: 70 (cocoon in earth 20 yards from infested birch at Forres) (1871), 9: 142 (1872) and Scot. Nat. 1: 17 (1871). 96 Strathglass, Inverness-shire, 1870, larvae in a few birches (White). Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 7: 48. Nairnshire, “occurs pretty often in oak woods” (Thomson). Ann. Scot. nat. Hist. 1894: 14. Ardclach, Nairn, 12 vii. 1897, a worn female; also larvae in birches (Thomson). The Natural History of a Highland Parish, p. 288. Nairn (1900). Beauly, Inv., ix. 1944, “Larvae among grass” (Sangster). Ento- mologist 78: 30. Glen Moriston, Inv., 25. vi. 1955, a male hanging from a heather twig in a boggy clearing (E. C. Pelham-Clinton). Record not previously published. Glen Affric, Inv., 5. viil. 1957, a full grown larva under lichen on a rock (EK. C. Pelham-Clinton). Record not previously published. 106 Contin district, E. Ross, 1869, larvae in birches (White). Ento- mologist’s mon. Mag. 5: 282. There is also an erroneous record for Caithness, corrected in Scot. Nat. 1938: 144. I have not included references to other works that merely repeat or summarise the original records. Evidently cossus has not been widely distributed in Scotland since records have been made and its range appears to have contracted stil. further during this time until now it may be confined to a small part of Inverness-shire north-west of the Great Glen, all other records being at least 60 years old. A similar contraction may have taken place in the north of England (see Jackson, 1957, Ent. Rec. 69: 150 and Hyde, 1957, Ent. Rec. 69: 250), so that the range in Great Britain is now divided into two widely separated areas. Similar discontinuities may be seen in the ranges of Archiearis parthenias (Linn.), Selenia tetralunaria (Hufn.) and (at one time) Endromis versicolora (Linn.), but these have a very different type of distribution from that of cossus, being confined in Scotland to the central highlands: it seems that they need relatively continental conditions, but all are birch feeders and might be limited by a preference for Betula pendula Roth over B. pubescens Ehrh. The distribution of cossus is there- fore unusual, probably representing a recent contraction from the type discussed earlier; but one other species, Orgyia antiqua (Linn.), has recently undergone a decline in numbers in Scotland and is perhaps also becoming confined to an area adjoining the Moray Firth. THE IMPORT OF SATURNIIDAE 45 It would be useful if those with further knowledge of Cossus cossus in Scotland could fill in the picture with any other records, published or unpublished. The possibility of this species disappearing completely from Scotland makes recent records of particular importance. The Royal Scottish Museum, Chambers Street, Edinburgh 1. The Import of Saturniidae By Brian O. C. GARDINER In view of the present scarcity of British Lepidoptera, surely a few large Saturniid moths embellishing our countryside would not be such a bad thing. After all, it is only a few years since an Asiatic butterfly, Vanessa xanthomelas Esper, which appears to have been spreading across Europe this century, was found flying wild and added to the British list, in spite of the fact that they almost certainly arrived here by airmail postage. But alas! it is highly unlikely that any of them are capable of surviving the uncertainty of a British winter, let alone the summer and British residents such as birds, parasites, and perhaps the attentions of Carabus violaceus L. which is known to be partial to Philosamiu cynthia Drury, larvae. Attempts have been made to naturalise several species over the past century and none has been successful. They require to be carefully nurtured. The import of Saturniids from abroad commenced about a century ago, the spur being the devastation caused by Pébrine in the magnaneries 'of Europe. This disease was so destructive and widespread to Bombyx mort L., the true silk-moth, that it caused untold misery and unemploy- ment, particularly in France and Italy where the silk industry was concentrated. The export of some of these other silk-moth species from their country of origin was not only difficult due to the slowness of ships in those days, but could be fraught with great danger, since the death penalty was exacted on anyone attempting, or helping in, the export of, for instance, Antheraea yamamai, Guérin-Ménéville from Japan. Even today there is no ‘free trade’ in silkmoths. The export of A. mylitta Drury was recently forbidden by India. A classic case of bolting the stable door (a century) after the horse had bolted. Although much was discovered, little commercial silk production took place and the Pébrine problem was eventually solved by Louis Pasteur. Interest, however, had been aroused in these magnificent moths and their more magnificent larvae. Amateur Lepidopterists commenced to breed them and, naturally enough, dealers soon sprang up to supply the demand, notably the late H. W. Head of Scarborough. The advent of air mail postage has also meant that it is possible to import any species from anywhere in the world. It is curious to note, however, that in spite of this boon to the adventurous Entomologist, the dealers’ catalogues still carry, in the main, the same species that they have listed for the past half century. While it is true that private collectors and zoos use a small fraction of imported Saturniidae, the great majority are used for scientific research 46 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 or for educational purposes. At the present time, and indeed for some years now, the scientific demand for Saturniidae has far outstripped the availability of supplies. A fair number are also used as a breeding stock by Entomologists, mainly youngsters, who wish to study their life cycle, and who are more interested in the living creature and its ways than the adult as a dead museum piece. Compared to the millions of birds, tortoises, fish, and other assorted fauna which are imported into this country every year to cater for the demands of the pet lover, the number of Saturniids may be few. On the other hand their deathrate on entry is practically nil, which compares very favourably indeed with the very high kills, 90% or so, sometimes reported in the popular press, for some other animals. Since various Saturniids have now been bred, and occasionally released in this country, continuously for about a century, not to mention deliberate acclimatisation attempts, it would unfortunately appear highly unlikely that any species will establish itself. The only likely candidates are, after all, those species that inhabit a similar climate. Tropical species (which comprise the vast majority of the Saturniidae) for obvious reasons have no chance at all. This leaves a number of Palearctic (mainly Asiatic) and a few species from the northern and southern limits of the Nearctic ana Neotropical regions. ; Nearly all non-tropical Saturniidae feed on deciduous trees. With one exception, none is known as a pest of any crop or as a defoliator. The exception, Hylesia nigricans Berg, is a pest of willow plantations and of orchards in Argentina and could conceivably become established. But in view of the complete failure to pair this species in England so far, this seems unlikely. It would also be necessary to shift the life-cycle four months in order to correspond with the seasons in the northern hemi- sphere. HABITS OF SPAELOTIS RAVIDA Httpn.—Air Marshal R. Saundby asks in the December last issue (antea p. 291) concerning the habits of this moth. S. ravida is not uncommon at times in Cambridge and I have met with a considerable number of specimens over the years. Its behaviour, in my experience, is exactly like that of the more familiar and widespread Mouse, Amphipyra tragopoginis Linnaeus. It isa scuttler, much preferring this form of escape to flight. It also appears to have a thigmokinetic impulse. When I operated a light-trap just inside my garage window it was rare to find ravida in it. Instead it was underneath or behind various other objects inhabiting the garage. In particular it was to be found under- neath the side door of the garage. It really is surprising the narrowness of the crack these scuttling moths seem able to crawl through, and I feel sure that their partiality for being found in sheds is due to the attractiveness of such places as hiding places, the usual clinker boarding, often somewhat distorted in older buildings, offering ideal cracks into which the moths can crawl. I feel sure that any ravida approaching a church door would automatically crawl either underneath or else between the door and its jamb.—BRIAN O. C. GARDINER, 18 Chesterton Hall Crescent, Cambridge. 29.xii.1965. POLYMORPHISM IN N.E. DERBYSHIRE 47 Polymorphism in N.E. Derbyshire By J. H. Jounson, F.R.E.S. My previous note on this subject (Johnson 1964) was severely criticised because I gave only the percentages of the different forms of lepidoptera instead of the actual numbers of insects dealt with. This was a regrettable lapse which I will attempt to rectify now and at the same time I will add the relevant figures for the year 1965. I did not operate the light trap at all in 1964, in order to give the local moth population an oppor- tunity to recover from my earlier attacks, so I have no figures to show for that year. In the following table I have given the actual numbers of specimens taken in my light trap as described previously. The statisticians will be able to calculate the percentages and evaluate the significance for themselves. I would like to see the numbers of the same species captured in light traps in any other localities, so that a comparison might be made. My reason for publishing my figures tn the first place was just to encourage other amateur moth collectors, who are finding ordinary old fashioned ccllecting rather uninspiring, to count and study all their nigthly captures and to publish their records instead of merely sorting out “the good things” and ignoring the commoners. I do not say that this information will push forward the frontiers of knowledge, but it will add to the pleasure of some amateur entomologists in their leisure time occupation. The problems of ecology and evolution are still apparently a long way from being completely and satisfactorily solved and the books dealing with these problems usually quote examples from animals in other countries or even other ages. It would be pleasant to be able to observe the phenomenon of say, natural selection on some British fauna other than Biston betularia L. Many moth collectors are puzzled by the constant appearance of certain varieties of common moths. If any natural selection is taking place it should affect the ratio of the different forms in different habitats, and if one form has an advantage then it should replace the others under certain conditions. It might be possible to correlate the ratio of different forms with some factor or factors in the environment. On the other hand the results might suggest that environment has little effect on the wing patterns and coloration of moths. Whatever the exercise showed it would be good to have some examples in our own territory. REFERENCE Johnson, J. H. Ent. Rec., 76: 282. TABLE SHOWING POLYMORPHISM IN LEPIDOPTERA IN N.E. DERBYSHIRE Species 1960 1961 1962 1963 1965 Allophyes oxycanthae L Typical “it be 98 ae 7 1 13 10 4 Melanic a fe ie Si 78 33 42 48 30 Apamea crenata Hufn. Typical ae ay na ae 13 5 6 12 14 Var. alopecurus ae lite oe 39 31 38 58 24 48 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 Apamea monoglypha Hufn. Typical fe a a a 2871 1392 369 1097 1052 Var. aethiops Be ts oe 163 162 42 130 110 Apamea secalis L Typical bi a ae Ae 867 531 311 227 147 Var. leucostigma .. ae ie 102 68 79 42 26 Var. rava te ne ay ap 60 21 18 12 16 Procus fasciuncula Haw. Typical Be es a oe 203 59 77 57 37 Melanic a is ie 5 1336 Wa) 250 233 Uy Welc, Gah + Bt ie = 39 18 42 26 25 Sterrha aversata L. Var. remutata as a as 189 54 37 102 107 Var. aversata ae ah fe 28 11 9 26 23 Gonodonta bidentata Cl. Typical i ie he Re 44 28 31 50 60 Melanic we jee he ae 7 9 16 8 19 Biston betularia L. Typical As oe 5) ips 3 2 1 2 0 Melanic ay su aS by: 71 70 56 89 65 Intermediate ie ane by 0 0 0 1 0 ENNOMOS AUTUMNARIA WERNB. IN CAMBRIDGE. — This moth was first recorded in our county only nine years ago by the Rev. G. A. Ford. This year (1965) I have seen between two and three dozen, all attracted to the fluorescent lights operated in a greenhouse for purposes other than those of attracting moths. I was not operating a light-trap as such at the relevant time, but the very fact that I did, en passant, come across so many specimens, must imply that this species is now quite common in Cambridge and the chances are that it is also now widespread through- out the county. It is certainly a pleasure to be able to record_something to be on the increase in view of the sad tales of woe that apply to so many other Lepidoptera.—Brian O. C. GARDINER, 18 Chesterton Hall Cres- cent, Cambridge, 29.xii.1965. FLIGHT OF THE MOLE-CRICKET.—In a recent article in the Record I referred to the flight of Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa Linn. but was unable to cite any recent mention of this insect being caught while on the wing. Last night, reading volume 44 of The Entomologist (No. 573, February 1911) at page 53 I came across a record, by that great orthopterist, the late W. J. Lucas, which is included in an article by him called “Surrey Orthoptera”. It reads as follows:— “Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa Linn.—Churt, 1901, and Milford, June 3rd, 1902. (G. Dalgliesh). The latter example was met with on the wing.” Can any reader of the Record tell me where the original record, as quoted by Lucas, was printed and whether any details of flight and place and time were given?—P, B, M. Auuan, 4 Windhill, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts. NOTES ON CALOPTILIA (GRACILLARIA) FALCONIPENNELLA HUBNER 49 Notes on Caloptilia (Gracillaria) falconipennella Hubner (Lepidoptera) By S. WAKELY For many years I had searched in vain for this rare species and it was not until 1965 that I was successful ini finding it. The capture of a specimen by J. M. Chaimers-Hunt in 1957 was the first record for half a century and is recorded in the Ent. Record for 1957, 69: pp. 285-6. The locality was Cosford Mill, near Thursley, Surrey, and the moth was bred from a mixed lot of larvae found on alder, the larva not being recognised at the time. This record was most exciting and now that a locality was known where the moth had recently been taken it seemed likely that others would soon be forthcoming. However, in spite of several visits to Cosford Mill in other years, others could not’ be found. On the 30th August 1965, Mr. Chalmers-Hunt suggested a trip to Cosford Mill to try again for the larvae. After calling on Mr. Loarridge (the owner of the property) we were kindly given permission to wander round an examine the alders for larvae. The immediate vicinity of the spot where the larva had been taken in; 1957 was diligently searched for folded leaves as distinct from the rolled leaves of the common C. elongella L, It was not long before we found some leaves with their edges turned down which seemed to answer the description of what we were looking for. These were somewhat similar to those of Parornix avellanella Staint. on hazel. They were not at all common, whereas the rolled leaves of C. elongeila were much more in evidence. My leaves were kept in a plastic container and a few days later one of the larvae started to spin up in a corner of the container. The cocoon was very different from that of elongella, which spins a semi- transparent covering under which the form of the larva, and eventually the pupa, can be discerned. This cocoon was made of white silk, too dense for the larva to be seen inside. I counted 10 of these cocoons later, some being under the turned-down edge of a leaf and others being formed in creases in tissue paper. About a fortnight later a parasite emerged and after six of these emerged in succession my hopes of seeing falconipen- nella began to fade. However, on the 30th September two moths emerged, followed by another on the 1st October and a fourth on the 4th October. Mr. Chalmers-Hunt was not so lucky and all his were parasitised. The imagines of falconipennella are dark brown in ground colour and reminded me of C. semifascia Haw., but were larger, of course. In an endeavour to find out more about tine history of the species in Britain, very little could be found. One of the earliest records is by Charles G. Barrett, who took the moth in the Haslemere district of Surrey a hundred years ago. He used to take a few regularly by beating thatch (E.M.M., 1866, p. 211). Little seems to have been known about the habits of the larva, but John H. Wood knew it and wrote an article about it in the E.M.M. for 1890, pp. 136-7. Writing from Ledbury, Herefordshire, he says the larva is extremely rare in his district, “but is to be found in small but constant numbers in a dingle on the western side of the county”. In this article Wood gives an accurate account of the feeding habits of the larvae in folded alder leaves. 50 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 On being told that there was a small series of this species in the Bankes Collection at the British Museum, I wrote to Mr. Whalley at the Museum, who answered my letter with the information that Mr. Schaffer had examined the MS. Diaries of E. R. Banks and found the following extremely interesting entry on Gracillaria falconipennella for the year 1908 :— “September 8—Collected polled alder leaves containing larvae, from upper end of Matley Bog. October 2-12—7 sp. bred from larvae in chambers formed of turned- down edges of alder leaves, collected in Matley Bog, New Forest, on 8th September. The cocoon is spun in the hollow formed by a short piece of the margin of the alder leaf being narrowly turned down and spun of pure white silk. It is extremely narrow in proportion to its length, and almost cylindrical’. During recent years I have on three occasions found what I feel sure were the cocoons of this species in the turned-down edges! of alder leaves. Two of these were in different parts of Surrey and one was in Kent. As none of these were bred they cannot be recorded, but it suggests that the species is more widespread than records would lead one to suppose. Apparently all the imagines taken were beaten from thatch and very few entomologists appear to have found the larvae. The end of August and beginning of September is the time to look for the turned-down leaves in which the larvae live, and plenty of thick undisturbed under- growth nearby in which the moths can hibernate is probably an important factor for its existence. 26 Finsen Road, Camberwell, $.E.5. 17.1.66. Inverness-shire in 1965 By Commander G. W. Harper, R.N. (Retd.), F.R.E.S. After a series of very poor years for collecting Lepidoptera, especially 1963 with 1964 little better, it was only human to hope for better things in 1965, but it was not to be! The winter started rather late with severe frost and light snow on Christmas day, but cold N.E. winds accompanied by light snow and frosts continued for longer than usual and broken by very few mild spells, resulting in a very late season. The first insects of the year to appear were a Conistra vaccinii L. at my lighted window early in the morning of 6th February, and Phigalia pedaria Fab. (pilosaria Schf.) freshly emerged on a wooden post later the same day. This species continued to emerge intermittently in fair num- bers during the next six weeks, a longer period than usual. The middle of March produced the first tentative efforts of Spring to arrive in the form of a few days of sunshine accompanying the first immigrant Plovers; a month later than usual. This was evidently sufficient to warm up the pupae for them to take full advantage of the next mild spell at the end of the month when a veritable explosion of emergence occurred; on the 28th March a few Achlya flavicornis L., Orthosia gothica L. and O. incerta Hufn. appeared in my m.v. light trap, but on the next day I was amazed to count eighty A. flavicornis and forty-six O. incerta! The day after, the first Lycia hirtaria Cl. appeared, and the last day of the month saw Brephos parthenias L. and hibernated Aglais urticae L. flying in the sunshine. Even the sallows showed signs of blossoming. INVERNESS-SHIRE IN 1965 51 Early April saw a continuation of emergence of the usual Spring species, and although I did not see the first Brachyonyca nubeculosa Esp. until the 3rd, the next day I found my local colonies of Poecilopsis lapponaria Bdv. to be already well out, many females having already laid most of their eggs. The sallows and daffodils were not fully out until Easter Day, 18th April to the accompaniment of the usual bitterly cold “lambing” storm of snow and gale. However the month ended with sunshine and a few Saturnia pavonia L. flying, and the only Endromis versicolora L. seen this year on the wing, and one female found at rest on a small birch later after much searching. The steady decline in numbers of this handsome insect over the past few years is unfortunately continu- ing, and has been reported to the Conservation Committee of the Royal Entomological Society in the hope of checking it. I think there are at least three probable causes contributing to this sad state of affairs; the steady erosion of self regenerating birch by overstocking of the hills with sheep, the rapidly increasing complete destruction of habitats by the bulldozers of the Forestry Commission, and the remarkable increase recently in numbers of colonies of the wood ants Formica lugubris Zett. and F. aquilina Yarrow. These must wreak havoc by preying on the gregarious young larvae of E. versicolora. These ants are specially abundant on Granish moor near Aviemore. May started cold and only warmed up slowly with an equivalent slow and late emergence of most species; thus Anarta cordigera Thun. and Isturgia carbonaria Cl. were not out in any numbers until the 10th, and on this date I watched a gravid female A. urticae feeding with three males on Arabis in my garden and displaying no courtship behaviour at this late date. The month ended with another spell of very cold East winds, _ but Argynnis euphrosyne L. began emerging on the 29th, while on the 3ist I saw the most unusual spectacle of a flock of ten cuckoos in fifty yards, presumably a mass attack on the local meadow pipits nests! June began with three days of sunny warm weather, soon deteriorating to the usual stormy wet and cold weather. On the 1st I drove over to the Great Glen, where I was distressed to find one of the colonies of Carterocephalus palaemon Pall. conspicuous by its absence due I suspect to the habitat being very overgrown by a Forestry plantation, although I may have been rather early for it in this very late season. A single rather worn Nola confusalis H.-S. was at rest on an Alder trunk. On the 2nd June a life-long ambition to see Acherontia atropos L. alive was at last fulfilled. A male immigrant of this fine species in very fair condition was brought to me from Ardverike House, Laggan, where it had been found resting on the ground at the foot of the stable wall. 1965 was not a good atropos year but a specimen of Macroglossum stellatarum L. was reported to me at Boat of Garten by a reliable observer in late May. Two male Nomophila noctuella Schf. in my m.v. light trap on 12th June and a very few Plusia gamma L. later in the year completes the poor score of immigrant moths for this year. The emergence of the common summer species continued slowly through the rest of this stormy month; as an example Aricia aegestis ssp. artaxerxes Fab. only began to appear on 21st June, and a few worn examples were still flying at the end of August, while a larva of Argynnis aglaia L. found in June did not produce its female imago until 17th August! On 27th June Mr. E. C. Pelham-Clinton, Mr. and Mrs. Denzil ffennell, 52 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 and I rendezvoused in a remote part of Argyll with a view to seeing some Scottish Burnets and of course hoping to find a colony of Zygaena viciae (Meliloti Esp.). We were however extremely unsuccessful, and the weather was stormy. All we found between us was one Zygaena purpuralis and two Z. filipendulae, even at this late date, and over a period of three days. But we found the area a Botanist’s paradise with many beautiful and uncommon flowers and plants. Back in Badenoch, the first week of July clearly demonstrated the lateness of the season by the fact that lilac, hawthorn and laburnum were still in blossom though going over, and a cuckoo was calling! The weather continued as the B.B.C. euphemistically described it, rather cool, actually cold windy and wet, with snow in Aberdeen on the 10th. But from the 15th to 21st we had our Summer, a warm sunny spell in which another explosion of emergence of the common summer species occurred giving quite big m.v. trap catches, and very large numbers of A. aegestis ssp. artaxerxes and A. aglaia were flying in their haunts. Thereafter the weather reverted to the usual cold pattern but even wetter, with snow on the tops and sharp frost everywhere on the 30th. In August a very few fine days with some sunshine divided up the generally wet cold and windy weather. Most species continued to appear about two weeks late; thus Erebia aethiops Esp. appeared on the 10th, while Triphaena sobrina Bdv. was emerging in numbers on the 14th. Wishing to obtain a few more Actebia praecox L. with the ever present hope of Triphaena orbona Hufn., I made an expedition to Findhorn, on the Morayshire coast, on the 18th August. This was yet another failure, even Euxoa cursoria Hufn. being very scarce, while larvae of Pyrrhia umbra Hufn. usually common were not to be found on the Ononis which was abundant and looked suspiciously healthy! The month ended with the heather (Calluna) just beginning to blossom, at least a fortnight behind the normal, and quite a plague of wasp’s nests suspended from the branches of certain Spruce trees; an abundance we could well have done without! The Season continued late through September, shown for example by the first emergence of Oporinia filigrammaria H.-S., Antitype chi L., and Lithomoia solidaginis Hb. during the first week instead of the usual August. The month continued its chilly, wet and windy course but gave us one warm sunny day on the 27th which also gave us a bonus in the form of quite a wave of immigrant Plusia gamma L. and a single South- bound Vanessa atalanta L. which paused for only an hour’s refreshment before going on. Earlier in the month a specimen of the melanic Scottish race of Rhyacia simulans Hufn. secreted itself in typical fashion under my sitting-room window-sill. The last few days of the month saw the emergence of Oporinia dilutata Schf. and other Autumnal species, but O. autumnata Bork. was unusually searce this year. October began in the usual stormy wet and windy manner, and the normal numbers of October species appearing. At last, however, we had a rather brief Indian Summer with moderate frosts during the last ten days, synchronysing with the arrival of considerable flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares. An emergence of Operophtera brumata L. and O. fagata Scharf. with large numbers of Erannis aurantiaria Hb. signalled the end of the season approaching, which was sealed by the arrival of snow and hard frosts early in November. Another disappointing year. Neadaich, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire. 20.i.1966. ON MR. FONSECA’S KEY TO THE BRITISH DROSOPHILIDAE (DIPT.) 53 On Mr. Fonseca’s Key to the British Drosophilidae (Dipt.) By L. PARMENTER The appearance of “A Short Key to the British Drosophilidae (Diptera) including a New Species of Amiota”’, by Mr. E. C. M. d’Assis Fonseca in December 1965, in Vol. 16 of the Trans. Soc. Brit. Ent., is very welcome. One hopes that it will be a forerunner of an expanded work on the family, in the Royal Entomological Society’s Handbook for the Identifica- tion of British Insects series. The 19 species listed by G. H. Verrall in 1888 in his List of British Diptera was increased to 22 in his 1901 second edition. The Rev. W. J. Wingate provided a key to 17 of these in his “Durham Diptera” in 1906. When Kloet and Hinks published their 1945 list, the number had risen to 31 species and cne variety, with 5 species transferred to the family Camillidae. In 1950 Mr. E. B. Basden commenced an invesitgation into the biology of the wild srecies in Scotland. This involved taxonomic studies of the species. In 1952, he published “Some MDrosophilidae (Diptera) of the British Isles”. Ent. mon. Mag., 88: 200-1 and at his request Mr. J. E. Collin described two new species and recorded additions in the same volume of that journal. These two papers resulted in Drosophila acuminata Collin, D. forcipata Collin, D. ambigua Pom., D. cameraria Hal., D. helvetica Burla, D. hydei Sturt., D. immigrans Sturt., D. simulans Sturt., D. subobscura Collin, D. testacea v. Ros. and Amiota albilabris Zett. being added to the 1945 Check List. Drosophila tristis Fall. was raised to full specific status and D. fasciata Mg. became D. melanogaster Mg. Chymomyza fuscimana Zett. of the 1945 List was re-identified and the list name became C. distincta Egg. In 19538 Mr. Collin reviewed the genera Scaptomyza and Parascapto- myza in the Entomologist, 86: 148-151. He gave a key to the species and some habit data, described a new species S. trochanterata and added S. montana Wheel. and S. griseola Zett. S. apicalis Hardy was sunk as a synonym of S. flaveola Mg. Mr. E. B. Basden carried out a heavy programme of trapping, with baits, wild Drosophilidae during 1951 and 1952. This work and related studies enabled him to produce his valuable paper in 1954 on the distribution and biology of the family in Scotland in Trans. R. Soc. Edinb., 62: 603-654. His account of 29 Scottish species included Drosphila silvestris which he described as a new species and D. ananassae Dol. as an addition to the British List. In his paper on the Strobl collection of Drosphilidae in 1961 in Beitrdge zur Entomologie, 11: 160-224 which we reviewed in Ent. Record, 73: 167 he added Drosophila unimaculata Strobl to the British List and made changes:—Prostegana curvipennis Fall. became P. furta L., Drosophila forcipata Collin became D. andalusiaca Strobl and Parascaptomyza disticha Duda became P. pallida Zett. Although it is unfortunate that Mr. Basden has had to forego dealing with all the British species he has generously assisted Mr. Fonseca in. producing a key to them. This accepts the changes above-mentioned as well as the acceptance of Drosophila picta Staeg. in place of D. macularis Villen. mentioned by Mr. A. A. Allen in Ent. Record, 77: 100. Mr. Fonseca, after a brief introduction, gives a short key to 51 of the 52 54 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 species of the British List. There is no second half to couplet 49 and thus Stegana furta L. is omitted. He concludes with a description of Amiota basdeni, a new species, obtained in Cambridgeshire and Kent, and with three references. Chymomyza fuscimana Zett. is reinstated to the British List. It is unfortunate that no dates, localities, habits, are given especi- ally as Mr. Collin had pointed out in 1952 that previous records of British taken C. fuscimana related to C. distincta Egg. Also, in couplet 48, a description of C. fuscimana Zett. is given but C. distincta Egg. is stated to be “not as above”. As the distinction is chiefly in the genitalia it is to be hoped that in due course figures of the genitalia will be given in the awaited handbook. Included in the key are Drosophila iri Burla and D. polychaeta P. & W. found in ships in our ports. The key has been in manuscript form and used by a few British collectors through the kindness of the author. It is now available for all collectors to use and its appearance should encourage many to collect and study the ‘fruit flies’ so that a handbook with comprehensive data of distribution and flight periods can be given. Useful illustrated details of suitable traps are given in Mr. Basden’s 1954 paper. The family has been well known for a long time in laboratories for genetical studies. “Woodside”, Pinewood Road, Ferndown, Dorset. 6.1.66. Mainly Crane-flies in Central Wales By R. M. Payne, F.R.E.S. In June 1965 I spent a few days in the Plynlimon area. Unfortunately the weather was persistently wet, but crane-flies are amongst the insects that can be collected even in adverse weather conditions (provided it is not too cold), and my trip was not as unrewarding as it might have been, though I took very few flies of other families. CARDIGAN On 14th June I walked (‘“‘climbed” would be quite inappropriate!) to the top of Plynlimon Fawr (2468 ft.). The only crane-flies about were Phylidorea meigeni Verrall and Elaeophila trimaculata Zett., both in rushy bogs at about 1500 ft. When I got down to the Nant-y-Moch road again I examined the stone walls of a bridge carrying the road over a stream, a likely-looking habitat for Nematocerous flies. Three species were present here, Tipula alpium Berg., Dicranomyia didyma Mg. and Dicranota exclusa Walker. The Dicranomyia were bobbing up and down on their long legs in the manner typical of this genus. In an oak and birch wood near Goginan on the following day, the very common Limonia nubeculosa Mg. and Pilaria nemoralis Mg. were on the wing, and a single Ormosia nodulosa Macq. was taken at rest on an oak trunk. MONTGOMERY I made my headquarters at the little town of Llanidloes. Between heavy showers one evening I strolled along a lane just above the deserted railway station, and took a single specimen each of the very large Tipula unca Wiedemann and the very small Molophilus griseus Mg. from hazel leaves in the hedge. On 15th June I set out over the mountain road towards Machynlleth, NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS Bs) but it poured with rain almost the whole day. At one stage, determined not to waste the day, I stopped the car where the B4518 crossed a small wcoded ravine (Pont Crugnant), and below and near the bridge I took a number of flies, either on the wing or on mossy rocks, fern fronds, etc. These included Austrolimnophila ochracea Mg., Dactylolabis transversu Mg., Dicranomyia dumetorum Mg., D. mitis Mg., D. modesta Mg., Epiphragma ocellaris L., Limonia flavipes F., Molophilus griseus, Ormosiy rcedulosa, Pilaria nemoralis, Rhipidia maculata Mg. and Tipula flavolineata Mg. The Dactylolabis were distinctly smaller than the specimens I had taken on the limestone in Brecon in the previous year (1965, Ent. Rec., 77: 20-21). RADNOR On the journey home on 16th June I stopped (again in the rain!) by the river Wye at Marteg Bridge, near Rhayader. In addition to a puzzling Rhabdomastix which was crawling on stones at the edge of the river, ! took the following species round ferns and mossy tree-trunks on the banks:—Dicranomyia mitis, Elaeophila submarmorata Verrall, Gonomyia dentata de Meij., Hilara thoracia Macq., Nephrotoma analis Sch. and Pilaria nemoralis. In a marshy wooded ravine nearby were Limonia flavipes and Tipula fascipennis Mg. The reedy margins of Llyn Heilyn, near New Radnor, produced Empis stercorea L., Molophilus griseus, Prionocera turcica F., Ptychoptera con- taminata L., the ubiquitous Scatophaga stercorarium L. and Tipula luna Westhotf. Empis stercorca was also taken at Stanner Rocks just inside the county, a famous botanical locality on the limestone where I hoped to spend several hours—but the weather was too unfavourable. 8 Hill Top, Loughton, Essex. Notes and Observations THe NEw FOREST cIcADA.—With reference to Mr. P. B. M. Allan’s note (Ent. Rec., 77: 295), just forty years ago I stumbled upon a man in the New Forest just by Brockenhurst, who had come to endeavour to secure the cicada, and asked me if I had heard it, adding that it could be dis- tinguished by its louder and longer stridulation over and above the cricket family, which happened to be in full song as we stood. I told him that it Was very rare. He told me that he had seen Charles Gulliver as being a likely person to know something of it, but Gulliver was of no help, saying that he did once remember one which tumbled into his beating tray when he was out beating for larvae.—E. E. JoHNson, Wood Pigeon, Wormley, Surrey. 26.xii.1965. CICADETTA MONTANA Scop.—IiIn reply to Mr. P. B. M. Allan’s enquiry about this insect (Ent. Rec., 77: 295), the answer is, briefly, yes. When attending the meeting at Lyndhurst on 23rd March, 1964 (Ent. Rec., 76: 169), I asked one of those present if he knew whether the New Forest cicada still occurred there. He said that some specimens had been seen in the previous year. I do not remember the exact spot, except that it was not the old locality to the north of Balmer Lawn, Brockenhurst.— H. Symes, 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth. 29.xii.1965. 56 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/11/66 LITHOSIA QUADRA L. IN THE NEw FoREST.—On page 262 of last November’s Record, Mr. L. W. Siggs says he wonders whether New Forest L. quadra (four-spotted footman) are migrants. No doubt some of them are, but the species certainly breeds in the New Forest. On 21st June, 1939, I found five almost full-fed larvae on oak trees near Ladycross, feeding on lichen. Two of them pupated, and in due course one female emerged. The moths had been abundant in that area in 1938. The full-grown larva is a handsome beast, somewhat resembling those of Leucoma salicis L. and Moma alpium Osb., but in the words of South, “‘in the breeding cage it is apt to eat its companions”. I have never succeeded in bringing this larva through the winter. Nor indeed did Buckler (Larvae, III: 29). Brigadier Warry, who used to take the moth regularly at Upwey, more than once gave me some very small larvae, but they always died or disappeared mysteriously before attaining any size, and he was no more successful with those he kept for himself.— H. Symes, 52 Lowther Road, Bournemouth. 29.xii.1965. ABSENCE OF VANESSIDS IN CAMBRIDGE.—When I was a boy my memory and diary is full of records of the Buddleia trees and Michaelmas daisies being covered with Vanessid and other butterflies. Very occasionally, since the war, have I seen the same thing again. But in 1965 in Cambridge T have not seen a single Vanessid butterfly at either of these blossoms, the only specimen seen being one Vanessa io Linnaeus which was basking in the sun. —Brian O. C. GARDINER, 18 Chesterton Hall Crescent, Cam- bridge. 29.xii.1965. PHALAENA (NAENIA) TYPICA L. (GoTHIC MotH).—With respect to Mr. P. B. M. Allan’s note on this insect in the December 1965 issue (Ent. Rec., 77: 290), he asks whether typica occurs on high ground. Here in Inverness- shire it is not at all rare, and I get it in my trap at 1,000 ft. altitude. I have taken it at 1,200 ft. at Dalwhinnie. It is a curious insect. A few years ago I tried to breed it. Acting on the advice of a friend I fed a large batch of larvae on docks (Rumex) prior to hibernation. They ate this up to the third instar, when they all started hibernating, and then disappeared for ever. I suspect a plague of earwigs.—G. W. HaRpER, Neadaich, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire. 15.i.1966. Current Notes THE REMOVAL OF FLATTERS AND GARNETT LTp.—Our readers will wish to note that the old-established firm of Flatters & Garnett Ltd. has now removed to new premises at Mikrops House, Bradner Road, Wythenshaw, Manchester 22. This firm, established over fifty-three years ago, is well known as a supplier of microscopes and scientific instruments, as well as entomological apparatus, biological equipment, etc., etc., and their new premises will have an up-to-date show-room displaying the great variety of equipment which they can supply. An interesting illustrated booklet describing the early history of the firm can be obtained post free on request to the new address of Flatters & Garnett Ltd., mentioned above. Rk N. BAXTER tive “Road, Forest Gate, London, €E.7, England. ce we i LIVING COCOONS Bcerkonia nea. 5/- each, six for 28/6, 12 for 54/- Pe Pioyern oc Say oc eh. 5/- each, six for 28/6, 12 for 54/- AOL; PHEMUS 2 ssc ke. 5/- each, six for 28/6, 12 for 54/- Pe eseChWVATOSI mee 5 oa we 8/6 each, six for 51/- 0 ANSE ELS oa eae 5/6 each, six for 31/6, 12 for 60/- AGE OVLEL: Vesa he he ras es: 5/6 each, six for 31/6, 12 for 60/- Sebroicinica ees a oe: 5/6 each, six for 31/6, 12 for 60/- CoAT rlO we ere ee 3/6 each, six for 19/6, 12 for 36/- ‘Please add 1/- towards cost of postage. Mail Orders Only, please. | R. N. BAXTER 16 Bective Road, Forest Gate, London, E.7 PORTABLE M.V. EQUIPMENT Portable traps complete with transistorised power unit and Lamp, £17. Lamp Assembly for sheet operation with power unit and Lamp, £9 5/-. S.A.E. for full details. J. HEATH, Merlewood Lodge, Windermere Road, Grange-over-Sands, Lancs. THE MACROLEPIDOPTERA OF THE WORLD \ systematic work, in collaboration with the best specialists of all Countries, edited by Prof. Dr. A. SEITZ “Every known butterfly of the whole world is lifelike represented in 10-14 colours og and described scientifically. There is no similar work in existence. English, German and French editions. Vol. 1-4: Fauna palaearctica. Vol. 5-16: Fauna a exotica. Every volume may be had separately. A. ee publishers, Stuttgart, Schloss-Str. 86 THE AMATEUR ENTOMOLOGISTS’ SOCIETY e Society was founded in 1935 to cater especially for the younger ‘experienced ee OEE THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION (Founded by J. W. TUTT on 15th April 1890) The following gentlemen act as Honorary Consultants to the magazine: Lepidoptera: Dr. H. B. WittiaMs, Q.C., LL.D., F.R.E.S.; Orthoptera: D. K. McE. Kevan, Ph.D., B.Sc, F.R.E.S.; Coleoptera: A. A. ALLEN, B.Sc.; Diptera: L. PaRMENTER, F.R.E.S.; E. C. M. d’Assis-Fonseca, F.R.E.S. CONTENTS ON SOME TYPE SPECIMENS OF THE GENUS ZYGAENA FABRICIUS (LEPIDOPTERA : ee ee IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). . G. TREMEWAN ... a oe Sie See ye 29 THE BUTTERFLIES OF neae “MALTESE ISLANDS. ANTHONY VALLETTA, IRSRSBSS ae By 2 38 COSMOPTERYX LIENIGIELLA “TELL. IN “HAMPSHIRE. E. ie “SADLER rus 42 COSSUS COSSUS (LINNAEUS) IN SCOTLAND. E. C. PELHAM-CLINTON ... 43 THE IMPORT OF SATURNIIDAE. BRIAN O. C. GARDINER . ung 45 POLYMORPHISM IN N.E. DERBYSHIRE. J. H. JOHNSON, “FRES. 47 NOTES ON CALOPTILIA (GRACILLARIA) FALCONIPENNELLA HUBNER (LEPIDOPTERA). S. WAKELY ... a 49 INVERNESS-SHIRE IN 1965. Commander G. Ww. “HARPER, RN. (Reta), ; IRON desis bes cs pal 50 ON MR. FONSECA’S “KEY TO ‘THE ‘BRITISH. DROSOPHILIDAE (DIPT.). L. PARMENTER ... Jie 53 MAINLY CRANE-FLIES IN CENTRAL WALES. ae M. PAYNE, FRE. S. Ye 54 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ... eee Bi Eee bees ae As 5a CURRENT NOTES .... uo se Bes eee se Bae ee ae ca a 56 SUPPLEMENT—THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS IN KENT: A CRITICAL ACCOUNT. PART II. J. M. CHALMERS-HUNT ... : oe a Baten Oak) )o TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS All material for the TEXT of the magazine must be sent to the EDITOR at 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. ADVERTISEMENTS, EXCHANGES and WANTS to F. W. BYERS, 59 Gurney Court Road, St. Albans, Herts. Specimen copies supplied by F. W. Byers on payment of 5s. 0d. or Sterling equivalent, which will be refunded or taken into account if person in question becomes a subscriber. Subscriptions and Changes of Address should be sent to the Treasurer, L. PARMENTER, “Woodside”, Pinewood Road, Ferndown, Dorset. Enquiries regarding Back Numbers, Volumes and Sets of Volumes to S. N. A. JACOBS, 54 Hayes Lane, Bromley, Kent. REPRINTS: 12 copies, taken straight from the magazine are sent gratis to contributors of articles; these may contain extraneous matter. More formal reprints from re-set type may still be had at cost price, and orders for these should be given, at the latest, with the return to the Editor of corrected proof. ILLUSTRATIONS are inserted on condition that the AUTHOR DEFRAYS iu COST: Contributors are requested not to send us Notes or Articles which they are sending to other magazines. All reasonable care is taken of MSS, photographs, drawings, maps, etc., but the Editor and his staff cannot hold themselves responsible for any loss or damage. rr a Printed by T. BuncLEe anv Co. Ltp., Arbroath. MARCH 1966 oY / ~ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD AND JOURNAL OF VARIATION Edited by S. N. A. JACOBS, F.R.£:s. with the assistance of ae) A. A. ALLEN, B.SC., A.R.C.S. C. A. COLLINGWOOD, B.SC., F.R.E.S. NEVILLE BIRKETT, M.A., M.B. H. C. HUGGINS, F.R.E.S. L. PARMENTER, F.R.E.S. J. M. CHaLMERS-HUNT, F.R.E.S. H. SYMEs, M.A. E Major A. E. COLLIER, M.C., F.R.E.S. S. WAKELY Commander G. W. Harper, R.N.(Retd.), F.R.E.S. EBEDESEDES ES SESeVESS 9 B May SESESeoe 2 eS ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 35/- POST FREE OR U.S. DOLLARS 5.50 Hon. Treasurer, L. PARMENTER, * ee Pinewood Road, Ferndown, Dorset. S ASEDRSSEBOEOSUS oe 5/- NET book ROTIFERS | Josef Donner Ever since they were first described and studied by Leeuwenhoek § in 1703 these minute animals, which are so abundant in all aquatic §j and semi-aquatic habitats, have fascinated and delighted amateur § microscopists, and professional scientists alike the world over § because of their beauty, diversity and interesting biology. The precise study of rotifers in recent. years has been F handicapped by the lack of an up-to-date guide in the English — a language to their identification, nomenclature and biology. Mr. H. G. 8. Wright has adapted this German text to provide a book : | @ that will do much to fill the gap in the literature and stimulate a — renewal of interest in these fascinating creatures. As many rotifers are cosmopolitan, the same kinds being found in many parts of — the world, the book will be of value far beyond the confines of — Britain. =: ete 7 g There are a series of fine plates from photographs of living 4 : | specimens taken by modern electronic flash techniques by L. W. § | Mullinger. Also line drawings. 18s net FREDERICK WARNE 1-4 Bedford Court, Strand, London WC2 PLATE II . 78 VOL 57 On the Nature and Origin of certain races of the napi-group of the genus Pieris (Lepidoptera) By B. C. S. WarRREN, F.R.E.S. A large form of Pieris belonging to the napi-group is known to occur at Herculesbad (now Baile Herculane), in the south-western Transylvanian Alps. It has long been referred to as “P. napi napaeae Esp.”; of later years as “dubiosa Rober”. Recently, Mr. Konig of Timisoara kindly sent me a series of Rumanian Pieris; a material that proved to be of great interest. The specimens were of both generations and came from Timisoara in the north-west; various altitudes in the Herculesbad district in the south-west; Cavaranul in the northern foot-hills of the Transyl- vanian Alps and Lujos somewhat further to the north in the lowlands. On looking at these specimens I was struck by the great differences in sizes observable between some of them from the three southern districts, in both generations. Concerning this variation in size, Mr. Bowden tells me (i.1.) that in his experience other large Pieris races are liable to produce very small specimens also, and that he frequently meets these in breeding. There was therefore no reason to suppose that my specimens were not all dubiosa. The females were variable, one fine, spring specimen from Herculesbad, had the fore-wings strongly suffused with grey as in P. bryoniae, even the familiar “bryo-streak” through the black spot next the inner margin of the fore-wings was present. As bryoniae does not exist in this district this specimen was puzzling, and other females were quite normally marked. On starting to study the scales, some mounts from the summer generation of Herculesbad gave ordinary types of dubiosa scales but with a considerable mixture of variable forms, while in others extreme variation was present, which on examination was found to display the actual formation of the scales. Not realising the implica- tion of this I turned to a mount from a specimen from Cavaranul. To my surprise this was equally remarkable, but one distinctive type of scale was at once recognisable. This was a type that occurred in a hybrid specimen, bred some years ago by Bowden and figured by myself (Warren 1961, fig. 64). I reproduce that figure again on the plate accompanying this paper, fig. 9; the scale from the Cavaranul dubiosa is shown just above it, fig. 5. A moment’s comparison will suffice to show that the two are identical developments. Such a scale is not known in any natural race of bryoniae or napi; or related species. Bowden’s specimen was a cross between bryoniae female and napi male. The Cavaranul dubiosa must also be a hybrid: but this time a natural one. This remarkable scale was of course not a solitary example, and it was accompanied by that extraordinary range of malformed and non-symmetrical scales usual in bred hybrids. A study of the other mounts from the Rumanian specimens, between five and six dozen, showed that distortion and lack of symmetry was the normal condition in them also. In fact this series of specimens were certainly members of a hybrid race. Did this mean that dubiosa in general is a hybrid race? It is perhaps, advisable to note certain characteristics of hybrid scales before going further. Most striking is the frequent loss of symmetrical development; to this is added a want of uniformity of type among the scales in any one speci- men. Variation ranges from slight deviations, such as might be held to be natural aberrations if occurring among otherwise normal scales, 58 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/111 /66 to the most extreme malformations. But it must be understood that normally developed scales, typical of the race and generation of the species, occur in varying proportions in each individual together with the abnormal, hybrid forms. Broadly speaking, the basal area of the scale is most affected, but the general outline is frequently malformed and the scent cells also can be affected, being reduced in size. In the past I illustrated a number of these hybrid scales taken from Bowden’s cross-bred specimens (Warren, 1961, figs. 61-68; and 1963B, figs. 10-12). These figures give some idea of the extent of distortion that can take place when normal development is checked. The plate accompanying this paper gives some further examples. All the photographs were taken at the same magnification, but the 1961 and 1963 photos were reduced for publication. Twisting of the normal scales in mounting can produce considerable deviation in the apparent width of the scales (see Warren 1965, p. 121), but such scales are normally formed and symmetrical and can therefore be distinguished from the effects of hybridisation. Following the discovery of these remarkable scale formations in the Rumanian specimens, I re-examined all mounts of dubiosa scales that I had; from Macedonia, Greece, Corsica and Spain. In them all, though perfectly developed dubiosa scales were plentiful, fluctuating forms, previously disregarded as uncontrolled variation owing to their lack of uniformity, were also present. Many of these distorted forms agreed with those observable in Bowden’s hybrids. Our plate shows one or two examp!es of them from different countries. Fig. 6, a spring specimen from Corsica, with strangely unequal and distorted basal prongs. Fig. 3, a summer generation from north Spain, which is greatly reduced in size. The normal scale would be about the size seen in fig. 10 (which is not dubiosa). Strangely attenuated scales in which the width of the body is only about half that of the neck in fig. 3, with excessively long basal prongs (or without any), also occur in the specimen from which fig. 3 was taken. Similar types appear in specimens from Greece. The only possible explanation of these scales characteristics, present in every country where the insect exists, is that the race dubiosa is of hybrid origin; and is a cross between P. bryoniae and P. napi. The testimony of the scales is definite; it will be shown later that their connection with a species must be of immense antiquity. In the light of this explanation of the nature of dubiosa, the presence of the bryoniae-like female among the Herculesbad specimens is not so remarkable. The nearest point to Herculesbad where bryoniae is known, is the Sinaia district; at least 150 miles away. The absence of bryoniae in the south-western Transylvanian Alps is confirmed by Zelny in his work on the species in the Carpathians (Zelny 1961). But this separation of the species now is unimportant, for dubiosa, in its present form, has become at home in lands bordering both the Black Sea and the Atlantic. The enduring nature of the existing scale characteristics can be estimated by this fact; the race must have attained the present constancy of character, before it spread over these great distances. The relationship of dubiosa and pseudorapae is a question that has long been in my mind. In his description of dubiosa, Rober gave “Andalusien und Klein Asien” as the habitat (Seitz, Macrolep. I), which showed he was including Pseudorapae under the name. True dubiosa of Spain does not occur in Asia Minor, so far as I can ascertain. The two races differ NATURE AND ORIGIN OF CERTAIN RACES OF GENUS PIERIS 59 in their seasonal appearances markedly. In the spring generation pseudorapae has broad, dark scaling spreading over the veins of the underside of the hind-wings; this led Verity to name it “suffusa’, not realising it was only the first generation of the insect he had previously named pseudorapae. The underside of the first generation of dubiosa is sharply marked; suggestive of P. napi. In the summer generations of pseudorapae the underside of the hind-wings is almost without markings; so much so that it can be very similar to P. rapae. The underside of dubiosa in summer is also very little marked; but it is scarcely ever quite without marking, some trace of dark scales on the veins can usually be noted. The androconial scales agree very closely in the two, as my previous figures show (Warren 1961, figs. 20, 22, pseudorapae; 1963 B, figs. 1, 7, dubiosa); on the whole the pseudorapae scales are slightly larger. For some time past I thought that pseudorapae, like dubiosa, must be a race of P. bryoniae. In view of the facts ascertained concerning dubiosa, I started to re-examine my mounts of pseudorapae. I was fortunate at this time in obtaining a number of pseudorapae from several widely separated localities; a valuable material for which I am greatly indebted to my friend Mr. C. W. Wyatt. When examining the mounts made from these specimens and my existing mounts, with the facts about the dubiosa scales fresh in mind, the abnormal scales rather than the perfect ones attracted attention. It was soon obvious that the same diversity of form and lack of uniformity so striking in dubiosa, also characterises pseudorapae every- where, and its geographical range is considerably greater than that of dubiosa. A few examples of the strange forms are given on our plate. The extreme malformations like figs. 1 and 2 are very obvious, slighter abnor- malities as figs. 7, 8, and 10, are less so, but equally important. The difference in the widths of the necks in figs. 8 and 10, both summer generations, are very remarkable; the difference in shape of the basal prongs in fig. 8 is probably the result of imperfect development for there were numbers of scales showing such variations, but specimens like fig. 8 can occur in normal bryoniae races at times. The basal half of the scale in fig. 10 shows general deviation of outline, but the upper half is fully developed. The angular extensions of the sides in fig. 7 are very remark- able, and cause a striking appearance when present in a number of scales, but even then no two are exactly the same. The heavy neck in this specimen, which is a July one, suggests it may be a first generation in spite of the altitude from which it came (10,000 feet). The differences that distinguish the generations of dubiosa and pseudo- rapae have been described, and these may seem at variance with the fact that the scales indicate both races to have a fundamentally identical nature. But this is only an apparent contradiction. The scale features of dubiosa are derived from an amalgamation of the characteristics of bryoniae bryoniae and napi napi; those of pseudorapae are derived from other bryoniae and napi races, namely, heptapotamica and a northern race of napi. The former (better known under the name bryonides which was given at a later date to the first generation), has much in common with P. bryoniae flavescens: compare figs. 4 and 11 with (Warren 1961, fig. 59). The primitive flavescens scale is a more advanced type (i.e. has a more marked neck formation), than is usual in bryoniae races, but in hepta- potamica the neck is far more developed than in flavescens (see fig. 11). x st “A NATURE AND ORIGIN OF CERTAIN RACES OF GENUS PIERIS 61 In addition to this the primitive scales are more numerous in hepta- potamica. I have only examined a few specimens of heptapotamica, but considering the importance of the primitive scale and its unique formation, it may well be that it is specifically distinct from bryoniae. The spring generation of heptapotamica has the spreading markings on the veins on the underside of the hind-wings, as in pseudorapae. The females in the summer generations of pseudorapae are often tinged with yellow on the upperside, and have the black spots somewhat square in shape, characteristics that also show connection with heptapotamica. Elwes described such a summer female he took in the Bija Valley, in the Altai Mountains (Elwes 1899). This locality is at least 700 miles north of the most northerly locality from which I have examined specimens. Throughout a great area in Central Asia, from the Tianshan in the south to the West Sayan range in the north, heptapotamica and pseudorapae exist in proximity. Considering this, and the similarity of superficial markings in both (those of the underside in the spring generations, and the upperside in the summer generations), it seems scarcely possible to doubt that the bryoniae element in pseudorapae has been derived from heptapotamica. As P. napi napi does not exist (so far as I can ascertain), anywhere in this area, the napi parent of pseudorapae must have been a northern race, and this could only occur in the most northerly areas. We know such a race in the extreme west and east of the Palaearctic area (adalwinda and kamtschadalis). Records of “napi” from the Witim district, and a reference to specimens from Minusinsk in the Yenese Valley (Elwes 1899), show that northern napi occur in those regions. Elwes writes, ‘‘one female from Minusinsk might have been bryoniae’, which implies that others were not; he also records “one female” at Ongudai which “might have been bryoniae’’, but was not quite as heavily marked as European bryoniae; others again were like napi. The same phenomenon of occasional dark or suffused females among others typical of napi, has also been recorded from the Witim district (Miller and Kautz 1939, p. 67); and is a characteristic of the adalwinda strain and to a certain extent of kamtschadalis. The link between the northern races of the west and east therefore exists in the northern area of Central Asia, and it is this strain EXPLANATION OF MAP. NN Pieris napi napi. Wy Pieris napi adalwinda. x Pieris dubiosa. | x Pieris pseudorapae. . Pieris heptapotamica. .*. The most Easterly point attained by any Pieris bryoniae race; the . species otherwise exists throughout the European Alps, often in proximity to P. napi napi. Note.—The three most northerly indications of P. napi adalwinda, P. heptapotamica and xP. pseudorapae at the eastern edge of the map, should be understood to lie several hundred miles further east. 62 ENTOMOLOGIST’S RECORD, VOL. 78 15/111 /66 that must have crossed with heptapotamica to establish the mixed race pseudorapae. The hybrid pseudorapae is certainly an extremely vigorous race. It is equally at home at altitudes of 10,000 feet in the Tianshan, or 8,000 feet in north Persia, as at sea level on the shores of the sea of Marmora. In its passage from east to west it is possible that it never came into contact with the western race of napi, for on studying the distribution of the latter one finds that as it approaches the limits of its range it becomes sparse; apparently dying out. Thus, though abundant in northern and central Italy it is extremely rare in the island of Elba. Querci, who collected there from May to September, is reported only to have seen three specimens (Verity 1917). Further, in notes on the emergence of species in Peninsular Italy by Verity, records of napi are numerous in northern and central regions, but decrease rapidly towards the south, and finally cease. J. A. Simes who collected in the Brindisi district in every month of the year from April to December, notes he never saw P. napi and doubted if it occurred in the district (Simes 1910). In the Balkans it is frequent in northern areas, but I have only seen very few from Macedonia and none from Greece. “Napi’ has been recorded as widely distributed but rare in Macedonia by several collectors. The rarity suggests napi, but it is probable that most of these records refer to dubiosa, for Graves recorded pseudorapae as the only form of the species (i.e. P. napi) in central and southern Greece. He did not distinguish between pseudorapae and dubiosa. It may be added that he notes pseudorapae apparently does not occur in Cyprus (Graves 1925), which may be under- stood as meaning neither pseudorapae or dubiosa exist in Cyprus. To the east in Europe I know of no certain records beyond the Carpathians. It may exist in south-east Russia, but the possibility that it may be replaced by pseudorapae cannot be overlooked. We know the latter exists in the Ukraine (Warren 1965). It is therefore uncertain if napi napi ever attained the regions east of the Caspian Sea, or even as far as it. These facts point to some natural failing in the western napi race that may account for its inability to compete with dubiosa. In outlying districts where napi still occurs (as Sicily), dubiosa does not; but when dubiosa does (as in Corsica or southern Greece), napi is absent or very restricted, as in Spain, where it is confined to the extreme north-east corner of the country which is otherwise inhabited by dubiosa. In the hope of making the foregoing notes clearer I give a rough map, more or less indicating the geographical range of the races under discus- sion. The great blank areas on this map are perhaps its most striking feature, for an attempt has been made to illustrate known facts, and: we have no idea how far south in Russia the northern napi strain comes; or how far east the south-western strain spreads. The indications on the map of the presence of heptapotamica and pseudorapae far to the north in Asia, should lie considerably further to the east, for they refer to the Kurai Mountains; a western offshoot of the Altai range. It is hoped this map will help readers to realise the immense geographical range of pseudorapae, especially as it is in fact even greater than appears having spread practically as far west to the north of the Black Sea, as it has to the south of it. As to how it gained this northern area we have no idea. At both the western limits of its range, in the Ukraine and in the Constantinople district, pseudorapae has apparently NATURE AND ORIGIN OF CERTAIN RACES OF GENUS PIERIS 63 come into contact with dubiosa, and it is remarkable that in both these areas abnormality in scale development is intense. In the northern region mal-development of the basal prongs leads to the loss of one (as fig. 2), or both; while in the south the scent cell in some cases can be misplaced and actually developed as part of one of the basal prongs (as fig. 1). In such eases the other prong is usually atrophied. One can but wonder if these results may indicate that in these two areas pseudorapae and dubiosa have actually crossed with each other. Support for this idea is not wholly wanting. In the Constantinople district specimens of the spring generation occur in which the veins on the underside of the hind-wings are sharply marked, as is usual in spring dubiosa, together with others having the spreading markings characteristic of pseudorapae. I made the mistake of attributing the former individuals to P. napi napi (Warren 1965), but the scales prove they are members of the hybrid strain. The presence of these two forms of the spring generation in this district can only be accounted for by the mixing of the pseudorapae and dubiosa strains, for the sizes of the scales correspond with the former. The facts discussed in this paper will suggest that napi and bryoniae must be conspecific: apparently unable to survive as two distinct entities if they come into proximity. But on consideration this view will not be found to accord with all the facts. The realisation that dubiosa and pseudorapae are of hybrid origin rests on the scale development, the interpretation of which rests on data derived from Bowden’s cross-bred specimens. The testimony of scale development is clearly too important to ignore, but acknowledging this it cannot, logically, be disregarded in some cases. The cross-bred specimens proved that intraspecific crosses did not disrupt development (Warren 1961), but interspecific crosses invariably caused lack of uniformity and intense malformation. Had napi and bryoniae been conspecific this could not be accounted for. That napi forms have on occasions crossed with bryoniae or related species, cannot be regarded as an indication that these insects were conspecific. In the cases under consideration it has been shown that in all probability the napi strain was already weak when it came into proximity with a bryoniae, and in such circumstances a crossing might not be so improbable. Such hybridisation may actually be in operation in various parts of the European Alps at present; the race I previously described as “bryoniae subsp. flavescens” (Warren 1961, p. 136), following Muller and Kautz, a race occurring near Meiringen and at other low levels in the Bernese Oberland, may well be such a case. The question of the correct names for these hybrid races must be mentioned. According to the International Rules (if not changed recently), in the case of a hybrid where the details of parentage are not exactly known (i.e., which species was which parent), the hybrid should take a specific name, as if a true species, but in notation the generic name is to be preceded by the sign of multiplication: as