iSgSi] Impressions of AchilL 137 



C01.EOPTKRA. 



ACHii^L ivS a typical locality for anyone wishing to become 

 acquainted with our western fauna. There is a fine mountain 

 range reaching in Slievemore a height of over 2,200 feet, 

 numerous lakes and sandy bays with sandhills in the north- 

 east. Much of the island is covered by bog, not very attractive 

 to the entomologist, except where it abounds with birch and 

 willow as in many parts of central Ireland. For almost all 

 branches of entomology, Easter is too early to begin field 

 work ; indeed it is amongst the beetles alone that a list of 

 170 species could have been the result of a few^ days work at 

 this season of the year. 



It was satisfactory to be able to prove during our short 

 stay, that the Achill mountains possess a fairly representative 

 alpine fauna, and it is the presence of such that probably 

 accounts for the preponderance of northern forms amongst 

 the local species. On Slievemore some interesting discoveries 

 were made, notabh' the rare ground-beetle, Leistus moiitamis. 

 This beautiful species occurred sparingly from an elevation 

 of over 2,000 feet to the summit, but it seemed to be absent 

 from the lower slopes, where its place was supplied by the 

 common L. fulvibarbis. Another pleasant surprise was the 

 northern weevil Otiorrhynchus maitrus ; living examples were 

 exceedingly rare, but the remains, in a fair state of preser- 

 vation, were abundant under stones. This is the first western 

 record for this fine species, which has long been known from 

 Slieve Donard ; and I have just seen a specimen taken 

 in Co. Donegal. The following beetles seem to be worth 

 recording from their occurrence on the summit : — Cychnts 

 yostratus, Nebria Gylienhali, and Calathus 7iubiocna, all fairly 

 common under stones (the specimens of the last-mentioned 

 were not nearly so dark as some collected on I^ugnaquilla 

 Co. Wicklow) ; Bradycellus cogjiatus, Trechiis obtusus, Homalota 

 circellaris, a dark variety ; Ouediiis boops, O thins myrmecophihis, 

 Stenus lustrator, a single specimen, new to the Irish list ; 

 Lathrobium fzUvipcniie, Olophncm piceum, Arpedium brachyp- 

 terum^ under stones on the wet peat ; Silplia opaca, ByryJius 

 pilula and Corymbites cup reus. On the heather- clad slopes over 

 the Minawn cliffs, the rare Cymindis vaporarioruui occurs, but it 

 is extremely difficult to capture amongst the long heath ; it has 



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