COLEOPTERA FROM MOLES' NESTS IN S.E. OF SCOTLAND 87 



maining 59 nests there were found 180 Beetles (fully 3 

 per nest), exclusive of larvae, belonging to 24 species. The 

 largest number in any one nest was 10. Of the species 

 obtained, only 4, all Staphyli7iid(E^ namely, AleocJiara spadicea, 

 Er., Oxypoda longipes^ Muls., Qiiedius longicornis^ Kr., and 

 Q. vexans, Epp., belong to the group of 9 taken in England, 

 which are considered by Mr. N. H. Joy to be peculiar to 

 moles' nests.^ So far we have seen no signs of any of the 

 other 5, namely, Hoinalota paradoxa, Rey, Heterothops nigra ^ 

 Kr., QuedzHs nigrocoeruleus^ Rey, Medon castaneus, Gr., and 

 Hister marginatus, Er. The absence of the Heterothops is 

 especially noteworthy in view of its abundance in nests in 

 the south of England. The Hister has been taken in a 

 mole's nest in Ross-shire by Mr. Joy, so that its detection 

 here is probably only a question of time. 



With us the most common species is probably Aleochara 

 spadicea^ which was present in 19 nests, and next to it 

 comes Quedius vexans^ detected in i 8 nests. Q. longicornis 

 is much scarcer (taken in 10 nests), while Oxypoda longipes 

 occurred in only 8 nests, two of them in the locality (near 

 Aberlady) where the first British specimen was captured by 

 Dr. Sharp (but not in a mole's nest) many years ago. 



The other Beetles, most of them doubtless onlv" casual 

 visitors, found in the nests were : — Dyschirius globosiis, 

 Herbst., Metabletus foveolatus, Gyll., Mcgastermnn boleto- 

 pJiagum^ Marsh, Aleochara cunicidorinu, Kr., Hoinalota (3 

 species), Tacliyporus hypnoruni^ F., Tachiniis collar is ^ Grav., 

 Xantholinus linearis, Ol., X. ocJiraceus, Gyll., Othius niyrnic- 

 cop/iilns, Kies., Steniis specidator, Er., 5". pusillns, Er., 5. 

 brunnipes^ Steph., Oxytelus sculptnratus, Grav., Choleva angus- 

 tata, F., C. tristiSy Panz., Catops ser^iceus, F., and Trichop- 

 teryx, sp. ?. 



Besides the Beetles there were present in the nests many 

 other creatures — Fleas and their larvae, Diptera and their 

 larvae, Springtails, Spiders, Mites, Myriapods, and Enchy- 

 traeid Worms — upon most of which the Staphylinids no doubt 

 prey. 



1 "Ent. Mo. Mag." Nov. 1908, p. 246. 



- First taken in Scotland in a mole's nest in Peeblesshire, March 1905 

 (Evans, "Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist.," 1908, p. 120). 



