i89r.j 105 



Captures of Coleoptera during the fast tweloe months.— li may interest some of 

 the London Coleopterists to liear of the following captures of Coleoptera durhig the 

 past twelve months. At Oxshott, in the early spring, in and about the nests of 

 Formica fuUginosa, the usual run of Myrmedonia humeralis, laticollis, &c., with an 

 occasional Mirroglossa gentilis ; and, in the sandpits, Cardiophorus asellus and 

 Atemeles emarginatiis. At Portland, in April, Trichonj/x Mdrkeli, one specimen, in 

 company with Claviger foveolatus. At Epping Forest, in April and May, Mgceto- 

 phagus atomarlus, Litargus hifasciatus, Triplax russica, and Xyleborus saxeseni, in 

 fair numbers, in old beech logs, with an occasional Ditoma crenata and Sihanus 

 unidentatus. At the New Forest the best thing obtained in the early part of the 

 year was Pediacus dermestoides, two specimens of which were captured on April 

 30th, under bark. At Bookham, May 17th and 24th, by beating hawthorn, Orso- 

 dacna humeralis (1), Clytus mysticus, Ischnomera cmrnlea, and Hedohia imperialis ; 

 also Callidium violaceum, in some numbers in old pine posts near the station ; 

 Asemum striatum* two specimens, from old pine stumps not far from the village, 

 and Crepidodera helxines, var. cyanea, Marsh., on aspen bushes. At Richmond 

 Park, on May 23rd, I had the pleasure of taking my first specimen of Ischnodes 

 sanguinicollis, flying in the early morning, near the old locality ; Scraptia fascula 

 (1) and Xylophilus pygmcBus also occurred in the same place. At Mickleham, July 

 18th — September 20th, 'the following were the most noteworthy captures : — Licinus 

 depressus (3), Chrysomela gottingensis, Choragns Sheppardi (2), Ceuthorrhynchus 

 echii, trimaculatus, and asperifoliarum, CeuthorrhyncMdius horridus, and Pogono- 

 chcerus dentatus. At Brent Knoll, Somerset, October 23rd — 25th, Anisotoma furva, 

 one, flying in the hot sunshine, and abundance of Cicindela maritima, amongst other 

 commoner species. At Bos Hill, December 2'bi\\,Lebia chlorocephala ; this finishing 

 my list of captures for 1896. 



So far, this year, although the season has hardly commenced, seems to be 

 decidedly in advance of that of 1896. The following local species have already 

 been observed : — At Brent Knoll, Somerset, January 5th, Brachytarsus varius, two 

 specimens, from moss and lichen siftings off old apple trees. At Richmond Park, 

 February 14th, Opilo mollis, one specimen, under bark of a plane tree. At Dormans, 

 Sussex, February 20th, Endomychus coccineus, sixteen examples, under the bark of 

 an old willow. At Dorking, March 9th, Leptinus testaceus (6), from a rodent's nest 

 under an old barn ; and O rthochcetes setiger and Hyperaspis reppensis, in moss. At 

 Richmond Park, March 14th, Prognatha quadricornis, in profusion, under beech 

 bark. At the New Forest, March 21st, Anobium denticolle. With regard to this 

 interesting capture, the following observations as to its life-history may be worth 

 mentioning : — The tree attacked was an old oak, and contained three distinct colonies, 

 two of which were in the larval stage, and for obvious reasons left alone. The 

 perfect insect pupates in a small cell about half an inch from the surface in the 

 rottenest wood. The male, on emerging, bores through to the cell of the female, where 

 copulation takes place, in which condition I had the pleasure of taking six specimens. 

 The female then proceeds to bore into the more solid wood, depositing the eggs in 

 the boring, somewhat after the manner of various Scolytidce. The males do not 

 appear to live long after copulation, as I saw several quite dead, but pei'fect, in the 



* An interesting record, showing that this boreal insect is gradually establishing itself in the 

 south of England, it having bean recently found in the New Forest also.— G. C. C. 



