73 

 CUMBERLAND COLEOPTERA IN 1917. 



F. H. DAY, F.E.S. 



In spite of many extremes in the weather, the season of 1917 

 was, on the whole, favourable to insect life. A long winter and 

 late, backward spring, were followed by a period of genial 

 conditions in June and July, when insects came out with a 

 rush. August and September were less satisfactory owing to 

 excessive rains, and collecting was limited in consequence. 

 Geodephaga were numerous, almost all, however, being well- 

 known species in this district. Blethisa muUipttnctata L. 

 occurred abundantly at Thurstonfield Lough — a new locality. 

 It favours the sloppiest ground on the margins of the Lough, 

 and is very active in the sunshine. Various Anchomeni frequent 

 the same situations, such as viduum Pz., marginatum L., and 

 piceum L. On the Solway Dyschirius angustatus Ahr., was 

 met with again, but required more patience than usual to 

 find. D. politus Dj. was, however, abundant. Among a 

 number of Bemhidion var. properans Steph. [velox Er.), I got 

 one of a dark blue colour, a form new to me, and to the county 

 also I believe. I took many water beetles in various localities, 

 the best perhaps being an example of Hydroporus rufifrons 

 Duft. at Kingmoor. Eighteen years ago I took two specimens 

 at Orton, since when it has not been noticed with us until 

 now, although constantly searched for. The Orton locality is 

 on the peat, while the Kingmoor specimen came from a small, 

 artificial pond with a clay bottom. H. discretus Fair., also 

 occurred at Kingmoor for the first time. It is a widely spread 

 species in Cumberland but usually somewhat rare. 



With regard to Helophorus ytenensis Shp., which I recorded 

 last year ( Naturalist, 1917, p. 93) as new to Cumberland from 

 Thurstonfield, I have since found it in abundance at the same 

 place, where it is the commonest Helophorus, in May at any 

 rate. I also took it at Kingmoor. H. mulsanti Rye, was 

 common at Port Carlisle on the Solway, in its usual habitat of 

 brackish pools. These pools are often only a few inches deep, 

 and clear, so that the H elophorus may be easily seen walking 

 on the mud at the bottom of the water. A Helophorus which 

 has been recorded several times from Cumberland is affinis 

 Marsh, but studied in the light of Dr. Sharp's recent papers on 

 the genus in The Entomologist' s Monthly Magazine, the speci- 

 mens in the fairly extensive series of both Mr. Britten and 

 myself are undoubtedly minutus F., a common and widely 

 distributed species, the real affinis being apparently rare. 

 Philydrus fuscipennis Th., I took in fresh water ponds in 

 several localities near Carlisle, P. frontalis Er. {nigricans 

 Zett.) being attached to ponds on the peat. Cercyon ustulatus 



1918 Feb. 1. 



