90 THE entomologist's kecord. 



Coasuiy trees ; (S) species usually found in decaying vegetable matter 

 and so are attracted by the fermenting sap ; (4) the accidental visitors 

 including several very common predaceous species. 



The following belonging to the first group has occurred here : 

 Tliaiiiiaraea hospita, Maerk., and Thainiaraea cinnawoniea, Grav.. 

 abundant at most trees; Fhilonthns fuscns, Grav., six specimens under 

 the loose bark of one tree ; Hoinaiiuin planiim, Payk., rather common; 

 Hpuraea decemiiattata, F., and K. dip'iisa, Bris. The former common 

 this year but rare last, and the latter common last year but quite rare 

 this. There can be no mistaking typical specimens of these two species 

 or forms, but I have some, only a small proportion compared with the 

 numbers of typical specimens I have taken, which are very puzzling 

 and are evidently mtermediate forms. Soeronia pimctatusiuia, 111., is 

 very coumion ; N. urisea, L., which I do not include in this group, I 

 have only taken once. Thabjcra sericea, Sturm, has turned up twice. 

 ( 'ri/ptarc/ia atriiata, F., and i '. iinperalis, F., are both common at some 

 trees. These pupate in the soft earth soaked in sap at the roots of the 

 tree. Canon Fowler mentions Silnsa nibi(/i)i()sa, Er., as being specially 

 attached to ('ossim trees, but I have not yet identified it from here. 



I have a list of eighteen of the bark-frequenting species that have 

 been taken "at Cossus." Among the most interesting are — (jKedins 

 rcntralis, Ar., which I have taken once; Hmnaliuw pUmiuii, Payk.; 

 H. pnnctipennc, Thoms. ; Epuraea deleta, Er., the last two being two 

 of the commonest species found at the exuding sap. l}is (juadiipitnc- 

 tata, Herbst, is common in one small group of trees, but I have found 

 it nowhere else. Rhhophaiim fcrn([/ineus, Payk., I take commonly at 

 another group of trees. Besides these I have taken Dryocoetes rillnans, 

 F., and Xi/leboriifi dri/ojiraphus, Ratz., in the dead bark around the 

 " wound " in the tree. 



Among the species of the third group are the Honialuta, sometimes 

 very abundant, but which I have not yet identified. Aleoehara 

 tiiiccicula, Th., and Tachinns rnjipes, L., are two of the most character- 

 istic of this group. The accidental visitors include such common 

 species as Vterostichus madidus, F., and Tachy/iunis rhnisomiii)iUi<, L. 

 DorcKs parallelopipedus, L., I have taken twice. Besides coleoptera the 

 most conspicuous species of other orders which frequently visit the 

 trees are EiKjonia pohjchlorns, L., and Vespa rufa. Wasps have 

 been specially common this year at the ( 'o.s.s/^s-infested trees, as there 

 has been such a short supply of fruit for them. I have on several 

 occasions found a tree only recently attacked by the (.'ossus larvte, by 

 noticing a conspicuous mass of wasps at the base of a tree, for it has 

 been in eveiy case, but perhaps one, that I have found the primary 

 attack within a few inches of the ground. As the sap does not run 

 from the trees until June, this is the earliest month one can expect to 

 find the beetles, but the best months are August and September, when 

 apparently the larv* are particularly active, and the trees quite dry up 

 again by the end of October. 



Agabus (Eriglenus) unguicularis, Thoms., and A. (Gaurodytes) 



affinis, Payk. 



By W. E. SHARP, F.E.S. 

 To sufficiently discriminate between these species has, 1 think, 

 been a difficulty which I have shared with many other coleopterists, 

 and for this reason i venture to record the result of my investigation 



