1894.) 225 



COLi:OPTERA IN THE NEW FOREST. 

 BT G-. C. CHAMPION, F.Z.S., AND D. SHARP, F.R.S. 



It is evident from our experience that for some reason or other 

 Coleoptera in the New Forest are becoming rarer than they used to be. 

 Each of us has visited the Forest more than once in former years, and 

 as we have recently passed a month there (June 7th to July 7th) we 

 think it may be of some interest to give a list of the more important 

 Coleoptera we met with, although we found little or nothing new to 

 the locality, or indeed that we had not, one or other of us, met with 

 there before. 



The New Forest has long been known as the only, or as the best, 

 locality for some of our more interesting British beetles, and every 

 Naturalist will agree that it is a matter for regret that these should 

 be disappearing from among us. Some of Charles Turner's captures, 

 EndophJoeus spinidosus, for example, have not been found again, though, 

 judging from our experience with this species on the Continent, there 

 should be no great difficulty in securing it, if it still exist here. It 

 appears probable, too, that JEucnemis capucina, though only discovered 

 in Britain a few years ago, has, like Endophloeus, nearly or quite dis- 

 appeared ; possibly, however, it may still be represented by a few 

 individuals, the last of their race, in the Forest, this insect being more 

 difficult to find than Endophloeus. " Eed Elaters " are, it is generally 

 agreed by collectors, becoming much rarer than formerly ; only four 

 specimens, representing two species, were obtained in our month's 

 work. We were, however, probably not there at the best time for 

 these insects, which are perhaps more readily met with in the late 

 autumn, or in the spring ; indeed, we found Elateridoe larvae to be 

 much more common than perfect insects of the same species. 



We were fortunate in tracing to their haunts two of Turner's 

 specially interesting prizes, very few specimens of which have been met 

 with in this country during the 20 or 25 years that have elapsed since 

 his decease These were Velleius dilatatus and Anthaxia nitidula ; 

 to meet with the latter is a treat even to those who are acquainted 

 with it as a fairly common insect on the Continent, for in its brilliant 

 colour and mode of living in and flitting about the flowers, it is really 

 a " thing of beauty." That it will be " a joy for ever" in the New 

 Forest is to be doubted ; we found it very local and apparently quite 

 restricted to the neighbourhood where we had heard it used to be 

 found by Turner. We were also fortunate in meeting with Agrilus 

 riridix, which was discovered in the Forest two or three seasons ago. 



