THE INSECT-FAUNA OF THE FÆROES 



I. c. NIELSEN. 



THE insect-fauna of the Færoes consists of European or Norlh- 

 European species. Judging from the specimens in hånd, it is, 

 as regards the niimber of its species far inferior to other countries 

 which he in the same latitude, as well as Greenland; but this 

 will almost certainly be altered by further collecting. As is the 

 case in other northern faunas, thus also here the most conspicuous 

 Order is the Diptera, noteworthy both as regards the number of 

 its species (90) and as regards the quantity of the individuals; the 

 Nematocera and the Muscidæ are especially richly represented. 

 After the flies follow the C o le op ter a, with 78 species, of which, 

 however, a few have been introduced; all these species live in 

 sheltered piaces under stones or moss, in the ground, in dung, 

 or in water. Of the 27 species of the Hymenoptera, 25 are 

 parasitic forms, and one is phytophagous, while bees are repre- 

 sented by only one Humble-bee, which is evidently very 

 rare, as but one specimen of it has been obtained. 



Among the Lepidopte ra (15 species) there occurs but one re- 

 presentative of the Rhopalocera, viz. Vanessa cardui L., of 

 which species only one old specimen exists in the Museum in Copen- 

 hagen. In this scarcity of butterflies the Færoes agree with Ice- 

 land, while the fauna of Greenland contains 4 species. The Neurop- 

 tera number 5 species, but no Pseudon europtera have hitherto 

 been found in the Færoes. The Orthoptera are represented by 

 one species of Forficula, and the Hemiptera by 4 Heterop- 

 tera and 3 Homoptera. 



The following list has been compiled from H. 1. Hansen's 

 catalogue (Faunula Insectorum Færoensis. Naturhistorisk Tidsskrift 

 1881, 3. R., Bd. 13, p. 229), to which have been added the species 

 coUected subsequently by Professor Dr. Eug. Warming and Dr. 

 C.H.Ostenfeld. 



