34: Procefitingi o/ the Roj/al Irish Academy. • 



sootii and sonth-castem parts of England: example are Anax impemtor 

 and AexAma ixsedei. Abroad, manj of these mi?gmig species are \ndely 

 disbibate<l: ret it is evident that the majority of them are fomid chiefly 

 in the sondi of Europe, becoming decidedly rarer towards die north. At 

 ttie same time it should be pointed oat that there are in Ireland a few 

 species which do not appear to have penetrated far into Xorth Britain : 

 we may refer to LiMltda depressa, Gompktu mlgatusimus, Braehytron 

 pratetut, and Laics drytu; naturally these range south in Ireland; and 

 they appear to rank amongst the more local members of our fanna. 

 Perhaps oar most interesting, native Dragon-fly is SomatoMcm aretiea, a 

 northern and alpine insect, which occais as far soath as the EUlamey 

 district ; while in Great Britain it is known to inhabit only certain heaths 

 and swamps in the highlands of Perth and Inverness. 



A rough analysis of the Irish Trichoptera (Caddis-flies}, an order repre- 

 sented by all the characteristic distribational groups in the Irish fauna, 

 may be of interest in this connexion, more especially as they are feeble 

 fliers, aquatic during their early stages, and not subject to artificial intro- 

 duction through the interference of man.' It should be remembered, 

 bowerer, that the analysis b only approximately accurate, as much remains 

 to be found out coneemilig their distribution in Europe. 



DisTUBcnox i>- Ecson of the Ibibh Spbcoes of Trichoptera 



(Caddis-flus). 



Common and widely distributed forms, . . 60 



Northern and parts of central Europe, 

 Central and soatheiu Europe. 

 South-western Europe, 

 Alpine, . . . . 



38 

 10 



4 



o 



114 



As might be expected, the great majority oi the Irish Tricboptera are 

 wideqnead in the Palaearctic region. The large pnqportirai, also, of 

 northern and central forms is not surprising, seeing that the Trichoptera 

 reach their greatest development in cold and temperate countries. Yet 

 the prepondetanoe <rf these forms amongst the more local species holds 

 good in meet groups, and seems a diaraeteristic feature of the Irish fauna. 



pawiHy ke wp' tgiiM* atkr Kctaoa* of Ike Xcnvptom. 

 oliht tftam ram Aat hwm am lantl 

 orf Bay irminaiTly be fiaMe to i»» i» Jiri o« nto 6«A lofBrif oa Ob 



