BR. J. ENT. NAI. HIS I., (,: 1993 ISI 



Mr R. A. JONES showed a specimen and photograph of the land sandhoppcr 

 Arcitalitrus (Talilrodes) dorrieni (Amphipoda: Talitridae) found in a garden at 

 Morvah, Cornwall, on 10. v. 92. This species, which is the only truly soil-dwelling 

 sandhopper in Britain, was first discovered in the Scilly Isles in 1925. It is thought 

 to have originated from Australasia and is now widespread in southern tngland, 

 reaching as far as Surrey; it also occurs in Argyll and County Galway. Mr Jones also 

 showed a live specimen of a common carabid beetle, Harpalus affinis (Schrank) taken 

 at Nunhead Cemetery, London SE15, on 11. v. 93. This species was formerly called 

 H. aeneus {¥.), a name that refers to the beetle's usual metallic golden or brassy green 

 coloration. This specimen, however, had a deep metallic purple sheen. 



Mr A. J. Halstead showed two live specimens of a worm leech, Trocheta sp., 

 sent to him on 25.iv.93 from a garden at North Holmwood, Dorking, Surrey. They 

 had been found in wet sticky soil near a pond. This type of leech breeds in water 

 but moves into the nearby soil where it preys on earthworms. He also exhibited a 

 live female privet hawk-moth, Sphinx ligustri L., bred from a caterpillar found feeding 

 with others on a garden shrub Spiraea x arguta Zabel at Wood Dalling near Norwich, 

 Norfolk, and shown at the 8.ix.92 indoor meeting. Various food plants have been 

 recorded apart from privet and include lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.), ash (Fraxinus 

 excelsior L.), Viburnum tinus L., Phillyrea and holly {Ilex aquifolium L.) but there 

 do not appear to be any previous records of this caterpillar on Spiraea, which is in 

 the Rosaceae family. 



Mr D. Hackett showed specimens of oak bark which had been tunnelled 

 by larvae of the jewel beetle Agrilus pannonicus (Pill. & Mitt.) (Buprestidae). 

 He also showed a preserved specimen of the larva and an adult beetle that had died 

 in its characteristic D-shaped exit hole. The specimens came from dead standing 

 trees in Queens Wood, Highgate Wood and Cherry Tree Wood in London N10. 



Dr D. Lonsdale showed live specimens of some seasonally emergent dead 

 wood beetles collected at Alice Holt Forest, Hants. These were Thanasimus 

 formicarius (L.) (Cleridae), commonly known as the ant beetle, which mimics 

 a wood ant and preys on bark beetles. It was found in the Laboratory at Alice 

 Holt Research Station on 30.iv.93. Rhagium bifasciatum F. (Cerambycidae) and 

 Scaphidium quadrimaculatum Ol. (Scaphidiidae) were found on a pile of pine logs 

 on ll.v.93. Rhagium bifasciatum has been fairly abundant at Alice Holt only in the 

 last 2 years and the exhibitor had not previously recorded the other two species there. 

 It is probable that these beetles have benefited from the availability of wind-blown 

 timber, especially unharvestable off-cuts left after clearance. 



The names of Dr Jeremy Greenwood and Neil Christopher Pinchbeck were read 

 for the second time and they were duly elected as members. 



Dr I. McLean said that despite short notice the first workshop at Dinton Pastures 

 had been a success with nine members and guests attending a meeting on Diptera. 



Dr J. Muggleton said the next open day at the Pelham-Clinton building would 

 be Saturday, 30 May, and not the usual fourth Sunday. This was due to the visit 

 of a party of French entomologists. A marquee is being provided by the Country 

 Park for the building's official opening on 27 June and so there is no longer likely 

 to be a restriction on numbers able to attend the luncheon. 



Mr M. Furze spoke on the use of macro-invertebrates for biological monitoring 

 of water quality. Pollutants in water can be detected by chemical analysis but it is 

 an expensive and resource-intensive procedure. Some chemicals degrade rapidly making 

 them difficult to detect, especially if they have been discharged late on a Friday when 

 the river authority staff have gone home for the weekend. As a consequence chemical 

 analysis is only used to monitor certain specific chemicals in some waterways. 



