181 



CAPTURES AND FIELD REPORTS. 



ArOMIA MOSCHATA and RhaGIUM BIFA8CIATUM NK.VR CHESTER. — A 



specimen of .-1. moschata (the musk beetle) was taken bv Mr. Thompson, of 

 Chester, about the end of hist July, off some nettles in the Sealand district. 

 On Aug. 4th, when he and I were out together, he captured another in the 

 same locality, resting on an old sallow. The first specimen, especially, 

 gave out a strong musk scent, which clung to the cotton wool in the 

 cyanide bottle for days after. Wallasey is the only other Cheshire locality 

 I know for this handsome and interesting beetle, the larvoe of which burrow 

 in old sallows. 



Ten examples — two males and eight females — of Rhagium bifasciatum 

 were taken by Messrs. Thompson and son, March 12th, this year, out of 

 rotten alder-trunks near " the eleven arches," which carry the Birkenhead 

 railway over the canal, about a couple of miles from Chester. Mr. Thomp- 

 son, junr., and I, went to tlie spot on the 24th of the same month, but we 

 only secured four — one male and three females. The trunks infested were 

 well tunnelled — chiefly longitudinally — by larvae of the species in all stages 

 of growth, and the burrows contained, not only what looked like pupse, but 

 the living imagines we captured as well. The larvae were white, with 

 reddish jaws. The two well-defined oblique marks on each wing-case are 

 certainly not " yellow," but pale grey. 1 found a screwdriver of great use 

 in breaking up the rotten wood. — J. Arkle ; Chester. 



Ranatra linearis. — A well-grown, mature (that is, winged) specimen 

 of this interesting water-bug was brought to me alive by Mr. E. Vincent, 

 who took it from the canal near Byfleet on March 11th last. It is not a 

 common insect in Britain, and is thought by some to be getting rarer, but 

 it has been taken in this locality on two or three occasions, when search was 

 being made for other things. It was also taken last year in one of the 

 ponds in Bushey Park near Kingjton-on-Thames. Its habitat is on the 

 mud at the bottom. — W. J. Lucas ; Kingstoii-on- I'hames. 



The following are three localities in which I have obtained Ranatra 

 linearis this year : — Epping Forest, April 26th : found in all ponds, but 

 commonest in the gravel-pit ponds near Loughtou. Rickmansworth, 

 May 2nd : two specimens only. Oxshott, May 19th : Black Pond, one 

 specimen only. — S. K. Kemp ; 80, Oxford Gardens, Nottiug Hill, W., 

 May 20th, 1900. 



Larv^ of Arctia caia and Odonestis potatoria at Chester. — 

 These larvae were unusually common on certain hedge-banks at the 

 beginning of May. — J. Arkle ; Chester. 



Spring Captures — On Saturday, April 21st, about 3.30 p.m. (the sun 

 shining brightly at the time), I saw a specimen of M. stellatarum actively 

 engaged at clumps of white arabis in the garden. Is not this a very early 

 and unusual occurrence? The same day I saw several specimens of 

 Vanessa urtica on the wing. I may also mention that, on March 9th and 

 loth respectively, I saw single freshly-emerged specimens of Fieris rapcB. 

 — Thus. B. Bi.akeborough : Ashlea, Brighouse. 



[Last year M. stellatarum was taken at Hereford on Jan. 3rd, and 

 on Feb. 18th at Winchester. Both these captures are recorded in the 

 * Entomologist ' for 1899 (vol. xxxii.), where also will be found reports of 

 the occurrence of the species in many parts of the British Islands. — Ed.j 



