58 



Report of the Oxshott Field Meeting, September 6th, 



1902. 



By W. J. Lucas, B.A., F.E.S. 



A FINE, warm, and bright day rewarded the twenty-two members 

 and four visitors who attended the Oxshott Field Meeting on 

 September 25th. Perhaps the most interesting capture was that of 

 a male specimen of the dragonfly, Sympetrum safigiiineum, by Mr. 

 Turner at the Black Pond. If this species had been present in pre- 

 vious years it could scarcely have been overlooked, seeing that the 

 pond has been under close observation with regard to the Odonata. 

 We must conclude that it was a new arrival. Mr. South took a nice 

 female ^-Eschiia mixta, of which species, however, there seemed to be 

 few on Esher Common and none apparently at the Black Pond. 

 Was it that the males were not yet out, that the females were far away 

 from the pond at present, and that it was the latter we had been 

 seeing so far ? yE. grandis was observed ; Sympetrum scotiaim and 

 »S. striolatum were common ; Enallagma cyathigerum was also com- 

 mon, but of females only two were observed. One or two females 

 of Pyrrhosoma te7iellu7n were seen. On the tree-trunks on Esher 

 Common were found one or two larvoe oi Raphidia (probably notata), 

 with abdomen very much distended, and pale in colour where the 

 integuments were soft enough to distend. On the inside of the 

 glass tube in which one was placed were afterwards found a number 

 of spores, some of them evidently germinating. A specimen was 

 sent to Kew Gardens, where it was found that the larva was attacked 

 by a parasitic fungus,^w///5rt lampyridarum. 



Of butterflies, one Fyrameis cardui in fine condition was taken at 

 the sand-pits near Oxshott station ; one Gonepteryx rhamni was 

 noticed ; Chtysophanus phlceas was fairly plentiful on and near Esher 

 Common ; some other common species were also on the wing. 

 Phisia gamma had been abundant on Esher Common and was still so. 



