64 



[March, 



Coleoptera in the Colchester district in 1897.— My brother and myself having 

 taken a large number of species of Coleoptera in the neighbourhood of Colchester 

 during the past year, some account of the less common among them may be of 

 interest. They were all captured in the north-east corner of Essex. In order to 

 avoid repetition, those found under similar circumstances are grouped together. 



Tn fungi we found a good many local insects, including Liodes orbicularis, Dacne 



humeralis, Triplax cenea and T. russica, Cyrtotriplax bipustulata, Cis alni (on one 



log only), Hypophlaeus bicolor, Sallomenus humeralis, Heledona agaricola (in white 



fungus on willow, with Quedius cruentus, and other commoner species). In dead 



leaves, during the early part of the year : — Notiophilus rufipes, Ocalea badia, 



Atemeles emarginatus (1), Myeetoporus clavicornis, Bythinus Curtisi (scarce), Neu. 



raphes elongatulus, N. Sparshalli and its var. minutus. In flood refuse, tufts of grass, 



rushes, &c. : — Cychrus rostratus (also one in a fungus), Oodes helopioides (scarce), 



Pterostiehus incBqualis, Platyderus ruficollis, Stenus circularis, Choleva morio. In 



salt marsh ditches and their vicinity, at intervals during the season : — JBembidium 



Clarhi, Berosus spinosus, Trogophloeus foveolatus, HcBmonia Curtisi (1), Thryogenes 



festuccE, and Bagous tempestivus. In ants' nests, during the early part of the 



summer: — Aleochara ruficornis (1), Myrmedonia humeralis (with both Formica 



rufa and F. fuliginosa), M.fanesta, M. laticollis, M. lugens, Quedius brevis, Ani- 



sotoma calcarata (1), and Amphotis marginata. In manure heaps and animal 



droppings : — Philonthus ebeninus, var. corruscus, Euplectus signatus, F. sanguineus, 



Nitidula rufipes, Mycetophagus ^-guttatus, Aphodius porcus,Xylophilus populneus. 



Under bark and in moss : — Pristonychus subcyaneus, Megacronus inclinans, Oxypoda 



exoleta, Fuplectus nigricans, Cryptarcha strigata. On the coast, under stones, 



maritime plants, &c. : — Panagceus 4-pustulatus, Harpalus servus (scarce) , Masoreus 



Wetterhali (scarce), Xantholinus tricolor, Cafius sericeus, Selops pallidus, and 



Ccenopsis Waltoni. On various trees and bushes: — Lebia chlorocephala, Toxotus 



meridianus, Strangalia ^-fasciata, Liopus nebulosus, Pogonochcerus dentatus, Zeugo- 



phora flavicollis (rare), Cryptocephalus lineola (scarce), C. 6-punctatus (1 only), 



Crepidodera nitidula (1 only, where a fine series was taken last year), Byctiscus 



hetuleti, Rhynchites cupreus (scarce), R. ophthalmicus (common on one occasion), R. 



pubescens, Anoplus plantaris, and A. roboris (scarce). In dead animals : —(S^a^A^- 



linus stercorarius, Necrophorus ruspator, and N. vestigator. On flowering plants, 



by sweeping and searching : — Harpalus punctatulus, H. sabulicola, Malachius mar- 



ginellus, Anthocomus fasciatus, Dolichosoma lineare, Hedobia imperalis, Orsodacna 



cerasi, O. lineola (both sparingly), Cryptocephalus bilineatus, Apion limonii, and A. 



fuscirostre, Polydrosus chrysomela (scarce, on sea plants). On the wing : — Tachinus 



elongatus (in a wood), Deleaster dichrous (within a few yards of a main street), and 



Saprinus virescens, three of our best insects. Among the miscellaneous species 



were: — Zabrus gibbus {vawnmg on pathways), Homalota hygrotopora, Fncephalus 



complicans, Oxytelus insecatus (in decaying vegetables), Melasis buprestoides and 



Ptinus germanus (in oak trees), Prionus coriarius (on a tree trunk), Callidium 



variabile (one bred), Scaphidema ceneum (under birch bark), Melandrya caraboides 



(on willow and ash), Otiorrhynchus raucus, and Rhinoncus inconspectus. — Bernard 



Smith Haewood, 94, Station Eoad, Colchester : January loth, 1898. 



