\V' .' (A'J RETROSPECT OF A COLEOPTKRIST FOR 1903. 29 



Retrospect of a Coleopterist for 1903. 



By Professor T. HUD80N-BEARE, B.Sc, F.R.S.E., F.E.S. 



In the " Retrospect" for 1902 I was able to chronicle the addi- 

 tion of nine new species to our list, in addition to several previously 

 unnoted varieties. The past year has been equally fertile, and when 

 it is borne in mind that we have passed through one of the wettest 

 seasons on record, it is certainly a rather striking fact that I am again 

 able to chronicle nine new species, and these, too, not obscure insects, 

 three of them being additions to our scanty list of longicorns, and 

 another being new not only to our list but to science ; I will deal 

 with this latter first. Sc!/))inus liuioiiii, Donis., was taken by Mr. 

 Donisthorpe in August last, in a saltmarsh at Yarmouth, Isle of 

 Wight ; a full account of the capture, and a description of the species, 

 is given in the A'nt. Record, vol. xv., p. 287. The fortunate discoverer, 

 having had an opportunity of examining species of Sci/ninas in other 

 collections, has found that it had been taken in similar localities else- 

 where, but had hitherto been confused with miihantl, or with redten- 

 bacheri. The three new longicorns are all close allies of Aseuium 

 striatiuu, L. (Jriocephalns poloniciiK, Motsch., was found by Mr. 

 Willoughby Ellis in the New Forest ; the insects were all taken in 

 the larval stage, feeding in Scots fir, and were bred out. There is 

 little doubt, he says, judging from the conditions under which they 

 were found, that the colony has been in existence for many years in the 

 forest {Hnt. llerord, vol. xv., p. 259). In the same locality (New 

 Forest) Dr. Sharp took Tetropiii))7 fusciiiii, Fabr., by sweeping between 

 Brockenhurst and Denny (Ent. ISIo. Ma;/., vol. xxxix., p. 198) ; after 

 the appearance of this record, Mr. E. Saunders {loc. cit., p. 228), in a 

 note, recorded a previous capture of this longicorn at Betchworth, 

 Surrey, in July, 1901. The larva? of this species are apparently also 

 attached to the Sects fir, and, like Aaeiuum striatiuv, this species has 

 probably been introduced into the south of England in recent years, the 

 extensive plantations of the fir forming a suitable home for it. The third 

 longicorn, Tetropinm caxtaneiDit, L., was taken by Mr. Bouskell in June 

 last in a wood near Market Bosworth, Leicestershire {Ent. Record, 

 vol. XV., p. 288) ; larvfe, pupae and imagines were all taken in this 

 case from one fir-tree. It is probable that T. caataneiun and T. fuscum are 

 really one species ; they are both feeders in the larval stage under 

 bark of pines and firs, and Mulsant is of opinion that T.fusciwi is merely 

 a variety of T. castaneiim. The conditions under which at least two of 

 these three longicorns have been captured, point to the fact that, 

 whether they were originally introduced or not, they have now fairly 

 established themselves in this country, and are as much entitled to be 

 considered indigenous as several other of our longicorns upon whose 

 claim to be British insects no one now throws any doubt. 



Of the other novelties, Oedeniera virescens, L., is recorded by Mr. 

 J. Edwards {Ent. Mo. Ma//., vol. xxxix., p. 64) from central Norfolk; 

 it is dull sage-green in colour like larida. Marsh., but the males have 

 " incrassate femora ; " it appears from Mr. Edwards' note to be very local. 

 Mr. Chitty {Ent. Mo. May., vol. xxxix., p. 143) introduces Hydrojinrtts 

 bilineatus, Stm., which was taken at Deal, as far back as 1891, in ditches, 

 and confused with H. (/ranalaris, L., to which insect it has an extremely 

 close resemblance. Mr. Newbery contributed later to the Ent. Mo. 

 February 15th, 1904. 



