40 Yorkshire Naturalists Union: Annual Report, 1915. 
HYMENOPTERA, DIPTERA AND HEMIPTERA COMMITTEE.— 
Mr. R. Butterfield writes :—-Lieut. H. Vincent Corbett is to be 
congratulated on the results of his studies, although severely 
handicapped by circumstances, in the neglected order of 
Hemiptera. Of the sixty-six species of Hemiptera collected 
in the Doncaster district during the year, twenty-three are 
new to Yorkshire. He has also paid considerable attention 
to Homoptera, the details of which will be announced later. 
Mr.W. Denison Roebuck writes that Mr. J.W. Taylor has noticed 
a water bug in abundance throughout the season in his artificial 
pond at Horsforth. Specimens were sent to Mr. I. A. Butler, 
who stated that the species was Gerris gibbifer, of which he 
had not had a previous example from Yorkshire. Mr. T. 
Stainforth has also made observations on the order. 
Good work has been done in the Aculeate Hymenoptera. 
April and May were favourable months for investigation, but 
July and August proved too wet. The reports regarding 
the prevalence of social bees and wasps are somewhat con- 
flicting, though it is certain that in the hilly portion of the 
county, social wasps have been abundant. Messrs. A. E. 
Bradley and A. Hodgson have made observations on bees in 
the neighbourhood of Leeds. All the British species of Psithy- 
rus have been captured with the exception of true vestalis. 
Mr. Bradley captured two queens of the rare bee, Lombus 
jonellus, at Adel in April. Bombus distinguendus has been 
secured by both observers. The occurrence of Megachile 
circumcincta at Roundhay in July, is interesting, inasmuch as 
none of the members of this genus are recorded for the hilly 
portion of the West Riding. The Aculeate Hymenopterous 
fauna eastwards from Leeds to the coast presents a striking 
contrast with that of the west. 
Several Ichneumons have been added to the county list, 
particulars of which will be published later. Observations 
have been made or specimens captured by Messrs. W. Denison 
Roebuck at Leeds; T. A. Lofthouse at Middlesbrough; B. 
Morley at Skelmanthorpe ; S. Margerison and A. R. Sanderson 
at Ripon; H. Vincent Corbett at Doncaster and the writer at 
Keighley. 
Some progress has been made with Saw-flies, though the 
material as yet has not been fully worked out. Szvrex gigas 
has been recorded for several localities. Two interesting 
additions to the county list of Diptera are recorded in the 
November number 1914, of The Naturalist, by Mr. P.°H. 
Grimshaw. 
Mr. W. H. Burrell writes :—-Birch seed in the neighbourhood 
of Leeds has been infested with the larve of the Cecid., Oligo- 
trophus betule. During the summer months large gatherings 
have been made at Adel, East Keswick, Aberford, Garforth, 
Naturalist, 
