■I-907- 47 



COLEOPTERA. 



BY J. N. HALBERT. 



Previous to the exploration of Lambay during the last two 

 years, very little was known of the beetle fauna of the island. 

 So far as can be ascertained there are only two published notes 

 one of the occurrence of the Rose Beetle, Cetonia aurata, and the 

 other a short list of twelve species collected by Mr. H. Gore 

 Cuthbert during the visit of the Dublin Naturalists' Field Club 

 in the summer of 1896 {Irish Naturalist, vol. v., p. 186). 



The result of our recent researches is a list of 191 species, 

 including all that have been found on the island. It is mainly 

 the result of three short collecting trips — twice in the month of 

 June, and once in October, supplemented by some species 

 collected by friends while working at other groups of animals. 



As might be expected, the beetle fauna of Lambay agrees 

 closely with that of the adjacent mainland, such differences 

 as exist being due to local conditions. As these differences are 

 explained elsewhere, it may be pointed out that aquatic and 

 woodland insects are poorly represented on the island, and almost 

 equally so are the denizens of the sandhills and salt-marshes 

 which are such special features of the opposite coast. The 

 sandhill insects are represented, however, by a few forms such 

 as Philopedon geminahis and Calathus mollis occurring on the 

 strip of sandy beach in the harbour of Lambay. On account 

 of these differences, the beetle fauna agrees more closely, area 

 for area, with that of the Howth peninsula than with that of 

 the adjacent mainland. 



Students of our native Coleoptera will notice several in- 

 teresting species amongst our captures, such as Silpha atrata, 

 var. subrotundata, one of the few insects which may be said to 

 be characteristic of Ireland, though it is also found in the Isle 

 of Man. It is notable that the brown variety only was met 

 with on Lambay. The Rose Beetle, Cetonia aurata, is also a notable 

 capture ; it is known to occur along the south and west coasts 

 of Ireland, but it is extremely rare in the province of Leinster. 

 Perhaps the most interesting species found on the island is the 



