214 Guide to Belfast. 



specially localized. As an example may be mentioned the 

 rare Pond-skater Gerris riifoscute//ata, which has not been 

 found in Ireland since Haliday's time, and may well have 

 been a " local find." It is to be hoped that some one of the 

 Belfast entomologists may be induced to take up the study 

 of this group of insects, and in due time rediscover some of 

 the indefinitely recorded Irish species. Perhaps the most 

 interesting local Hemipteron as yet brought to light is the 

 Water-bug, Apelocheims cestivalis, an immature specimen of 

 which was obtained a few years ago by R. Welch while 

 dredging at Lough Neagh — that prolific hunting-ground of 

 past and present Belfast naturalists. C. W. Buckle redis- 

 covered this fine species during the summer of 1901, when 

 he found may scores of dead specimens which had been cast 

 up on the north-eastern shore at Sandy Bay. As Lough 

 Neagh is the only known Irish locality for this insect, it is of 

 interest to note that it has only been found in a few places 

 in the midland and southern counties of England, while its 

 continental range extends from France eastwards to Hungary. 

 Another uncommon record is that of the Bat parasite 

 Cimex pipistrelli. Specimens of this insect were obtained 

 off bats captured near Toome by H. L. Orr in the month of 

 June, 1900. It is a decidedly local species, recorded only 

 from a few localities in the south of England, and seems rare 

 on the continent of Europe. The Shield Bugs {Pentatomina) 

 are scarce, generally, in the north of Ireland, but at least six 

 species have been found in the counties of Antrim and 

 Down. These are — Piezodorus lituratus^ (locally plentiful 

 on the flowers of Furze on the shore of Lough Neagh, also 

 at Cushendun and near Portadown) ; Tropicoris rtifipes 

 (common) ; Podisiis luridus (the larvae of this species were 

 obtained off trees in ToUymore Park by W. H. Patterson) ; 

 Acanthflsoma hcemorrhoidale (Ballinderry, on Latirestinus) ; 

 A. tristriatum (taken by Haliday in Tollymore Park, the 

 only locality in which it has hitherto been found in Ireland) ; 

 A. ifiterstinctiwi (Tollymore Park). The following species 

 of Heteroptera may also be referred to ; e.g., Berytiis >ni)ior 

 (Black Head, Co. Antrim) ; Microvelia pyvncea (this little 



1 The nomenclature is that of E. Saunders : The Hemiptera Heteroptera 

 of the British Islands. 



