1908. Reviews^ 19 



NEW KERRY INSECTS. 



stray Notes from South Kerry In 1903. By Frank Bouskei.1., 

 F.K.S., F.R.H.S. {Transactions of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical 

 Society. Vol. IX., Part I., January, 1905). 



After his previous sviccessful experience amongst the plants and insects 

 of Kerry (Bouskell and Donisthorpe, Irish Nat., 1903), Mr. Bouskell decided 

 to vSpend another holiday exploring the fauna and flora of the south- 

 west, selecting the Caragh Lake district. The results of his researches, 

 during three weeks in June and July, are contained in this paper. 



The records are mostly of insects and plants, and there are a few 

 references to birds, notably to a Hoopoe, which was seen flying " through 

 the wood close to the house," on the north shore of the lake. This 

 occurrence is of interest, as, according to Mr. Ussher, the bird is seldom 

 seen except as an irregular spring and autumn visitor in the south of 

 Ireland. A brood of Siskins was also seen " which had evidently been 

 bred in the district." Mr. Bouskell was also informed that a Martin had 

 been noticed during the winter months. 



The most interesting entomological discovery is that of three species 

 of myrmecophilous beetles in a nest of the large Wood Ant Formica rufa. 

 These are Quedins brevis, Monoto^na formicetorutn, and Clythera iv-punctata, 

 all being additions to the Irish list. The Wood Ant Formica rvja is a 

 decidedly local insect in this country. It has been found at Churchill in 

 the county Armagh by the Rev. W. F. Johnson {Irish Nat., 1896) ; in 

 Killoughrim Forest, county Wexford, by Mr. C. B. Moffat {Irish Nat., 

 1896) ; and it occurs commonly near the Upper Lake, Killarney. The 

 writer has also found it in numbers running on tree trunks in a fir plan- 

 tation close to Woodford, county Galway. When recording it from 

 Wexford Mr. Moffat gave some convincing arguments in favour of this 

 being a native insect and not an importation, as had been suggested. 

 The occurrence of these parasitic beetles in nests of the Wood Ant at 

 Caragh Lake is undoubtedly favourable to the same view, as they are all 

 more or less characteristic denizens of nests oi Formica rufa. 



Another interesting capture is the handsomely coloured beetle 

 Callidium z'iolaceu?n, both the larvae and perfect insects of which were 

 lound under bark of fir trees at Lickeen, making a fourth new Irish 

 record. Mr. Bouskell suggests that it is in all probability native in such 

 an isolated and little explored locality as Lickeen, and we are inclined to 

 agree with him, althoiigh the species is one somewhat liable to importa- 

 tion. 



In this connection the reputed extirpation of the original Scotch Fir 

 of Ireland, and the question as to whether our pine-feeding insects are 

 truly indigenous, is an interesting one. It would seem to be a difiicult 

 matter to decide whether the original stock of Scotch Fir was really 

 exterminated before recent plantings had begun. One would be inclined 

 to believe that some remnants of the original pine woods must have 



