MIGRATION AND DISPERSAL OF INSECTS : COLEOPTERA. 281 



Migration and Dispersal of Insects : Coleoptera. 



By J. W. TUTT, F.E.S. 



Of the migration of beetles there are very few records, nor are we 

 sufficiently conversant with the literature relating to coleoptera to feel 

 at all certain that we have collected even the greater part of the few cases 

 known. Darwin refers {Voyage of Bear/le, 12th ed., p. 164) to a species 

 of Caloso)iia coming on board the Beagle when the vessel was at some 

 distance from the South American coast, and notes that a Cohjmhctes once 

 flew on board the same vessel when 45 miles distant from the nearest 

 land {Orvjin of Species, p. 345), whilst he further remarks that other 

 instances had been recorded of the same genus of beetles having been 

 captured far out at sea. Wallace states {Geog. Dist. Animah, i., p. 32) 

 that a large Indian beetle, Chrysochma ocellata, was caught in the Bay 

 of Bengal, by Captain Payne, 273 miles from the nearest land. 

 Walker records (Ent. Mo. Mag.) a fine dark-brown Longicorn, not 

 unlike the European Criocephalus rusticns, that flew on board ship, 

 when off Vancouver, during several evenings in August, 1882, but 

 these he considered were attracted by the scent of the newly-tarred 

 rigging. He further calls attention {in litt.) to the possibility of some 

 of the larger Carabids of powerful flight, having the migrating 

 propensity more or less developed. Thus he notes that " Calosoma 

 sijcoplianta — which, in its early stages feeds in the nests of the gre- 

 garious larvae of the processionary moth [Cnethocampa], and also 

 appears sometimes, but rarely, to attack those of Porthetria diapar, 

 the first species being unknown and the second very rare in England 

 — has been repeatedly found in our southern counties, under circum- 

 stances which point to its having flown across the Channel. Several 

 species of this genus, too, inhabit remote oceanic islands, as the Azores, 

 Madeira, St. Helena, and I think the Galapagos as well, pointing to a 

 roaming habit." As to the Calosoma, Hewitson writes [Entom., xi., 

 p. 176) that he obtained a specimen of Calosoma sycojihanta from a 

 fisherman, who stated that he took it in his net at sea, alive, between 

 thirty and forty miles from the coast, and that several others were taken 

 in the same way, the fishermen stating that they lived at sea upon fish. 

 We have already noted the capture of a specimen of Morimus asper, 

 50 miles ofl' the eastern coast of Borneo, by Captain Walker, in July, 

 1895, the specimen being now in the possession of Mr. Manger. 



In the 2\'aturforscher, xi., p. 95, Walsh records, that on August 4th, 

 1776, about 9 p.m., he observed the migration of myriads of Carabus 

 vulgaris. He states that they passed by his house, near Halle, in 

 Saxony, and that his attention was first attracted to them by the 

 beetles tapping on the windows facing east and south, and resembling 

 rain beating thereon in a strong wind. Opening a window, scarcely a 

 minute had elapsed, before there were more than a hundred in the room. 

 These flew towards the light, and those that were picked up in the room 

 next day, were mostly lying on their backs and very sluggish ; the flight 

 was clearly from south to north, the greater part fairly high alx)ve 

 the ground although some flew lower. The whole flight must have 

 numbered many thousands. The occurrence happened during a great 

 drought, which had continued for some time. The Editor states that 

 this great swarm was flying towards the meadows at Lobsted, on 

 account of the water there, the district being probably damper than 



October 15th, 1901. 



