Entomological Notes from UlsterAuthor(s): W. F. JohnsonSource: The Irish Naturalist, Vol. 9, No. 12 (Dec., 1900), pp. 290-292Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25521881 .

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290 [Dlecember,

NOTE.

ZOOLOGY.

INSIECTS.

Entomological Notes from Ulster. Mr. W. H. Patterson, of Strandtown, Belfast, has continued his efforts

to add to our knowledge of the coleopterous fauna of Ireland, and has sent me a number of beetles from various localities; the more interesting of his captures I now enumerate:

At Ballycastle, mostly inland-Phionthkus laminatus, Creutz., Quedius

meso,ne/inus, Marsh., Thiephorus nigrica;zs v. discoidens, Steph., Lenia erichsoni,

Saffr., an interesting capture, extending the range of this insect from

Cork to Antrim; Crepidodera helixines, L. At Kilroot, near Carrickfergus-Harpaius rufttbarbis, P., Hydroporus vittula,

Er., Homalium rujipes, Fourc., Corymbites quercus, Gyll., Brackypteruspubescens, FEr., Cyphon nitidulus, Thoms., Anaspis reefico//is, F., Otiorrhynchus muscorun,

nris., Dorytomus toririx, L.

At Killough, Co. Down-Pterostichus strenuus, Panz., Hydroporus lepidus, 01., H. pubescens, Gyll., H. Zituratus, F., Laccobius bi2unctatus, F., Spkriraium marginatum, F., Liosoma ovatulum, Clairv.

At Strandtown, Co. Down- Amaraplebeia, Gyll., Noterus sparsus, Marsh.,

PhyI/ertha horicola, L., Donacia vulgaris, Zsch. (typhw, Ahr.), Vorytorns

totrnx, L.

At Tollymore Park, Co. Down-Cychrarnus fangicola, Heer. Dr. Sharp, I believe, considers C. fAunicola, Heer., and C. luteus, F., to be-the former

the male and the latter the female of the same species; and in

Fowler and Sharp's Catalogue fung/cola is given as a synonym of luteus.

Epurea stiva, L., Adrastus liftbatus, F., Ath/ws niger, L., Corymbites quercus,

Gyll., Helodes mimi/a, L., Grannoptera ruficornis, F. Mr. Patterson also

beat from trees a number of Hemipterous larve, which I referred to Mr.

E. Saunders, who pronounces them to be the larval form of Pod/sus

(Aso,ps) luridus, Fab.; they were present in numbers, but none of the

perfect insect occurred. At Newcastle, Co. Down, on sandhills-Harpalts tardus, Panz., Drortius

lineanis, 01., Byrrhuis fasciatus, F., Lacon mur/nus, L., Strophosomus re/usus,

Marsh. At Stormount, Co. Down-Byturus tomentosis F., Athous nziger, L.)

Ctepidodera ventraZis, Ill. At Bundoran, on September 4, Mr. Patterson found swarms of

Coccinella xi.-pnctata, L., along with its larva on the Bent-grass and

crawling on the sand; they must have been very numerous, for he

remaarks: " where they had congregated they were so numerous that a

thousand might have been counted in a short time "; besides this

Ladybird Mr. Patterson took Broscuis cephalo/es, L., Ad/maonia tanaceti, L.,

Otiorrhynchus atroapterus, De G., a forn with bright red femora, and

Barynolus Schonenrri, Zett.

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I900.J Notes. 291

At Groomsport, Co. Down-Amara fulva, D ej., A. consdaris, Duft.,

Cerlambus ibnpressopunctatus, Sch. (piczijes, F.) Considering that Mr. Patterson makes no pretension to being an

entomologist, I think he is much to be congratulated on the success that

has attended his collecting; there are not many who would so unselfishly

give their time and trouble to help others in a pursuit of which they

themselves are practically ignorant. Mr. Patterson generously gives all

his captures to me, and as he has not studied the Coleoptera he ia

deprived of that exquisite delight which attends the capture of a " good

thing. "

Mr. S. A. Stewart sent mie a fine specimen of Acanthocinus tedilis, L., male,

which was taken in the end of August by a workman on the Queen's

Island, Belfast; the insect probably emierged from timber in the shipyard; whoever the captor was, he deserves commendation for capturing the beetle without injuring its immensely long antennle.

My friend, W. A. Hamilton, Esq., of Coxtown, Co. Donegal, sent me, on August so, a fine specimen of Carabus glabratuts, Payk., which he had

captured on a mountain about three miles from Coxtown. In a letter dated September 12 the sanme gentleman writes that he has during the season seen six Vantessa io, L.-.five at Coxtown and one at Coolmore-so

that the butterfly is evidently pretty well established in that locality. He also sent me a specimen of the pretty Hymenopteron, Chrysis iznita, and from a description given, Sirex gigas has turned up at Coxtown, causing an alarm of "1 hornets " to be raised.

From another part of Donegal, viz., Narin, by the kindness of Colonel W. J. Alexander, of Acton House, Poyntzpass, I received specimens of

7hecla rubi, L., Zygcna ion/cern, Esp., Euthemonia russula, L., Cerura vinula.

L., and Anarta mtyrfilli, L.

Of captures made here I have but few to record:-a few days ago I took

Bembidium bruxellense, Wesm., in my potato field crawling about among

the lumps of earth; in July I took Herminsia grisealis, Hb., P/usia pulchrina,

FHaw., Goneptera libatrix, L., Cidaria pyraleata, L, which is much more like

forms from York than those from Donegal, and Eurrhypara urticata, 4 On August ioth, Heliophobus popu/aris, Fab., flew into my dining

room and was captured. On Septemiber 5 I made a capture which

much pleased nie. I was returning from paying a visit in Co. Down, and

was walking along a by-road in the townland of Loughadian not very far

from Poyntzpass, when a Painted Lady ( Vanessa cardui, L.) settled on the road just in front of ine. I had no net, so made at the butterfly with my hat; my first attempt was a failure, but the butterfly settled again on the

road, and using greater caution I got my hat over it, and as I had a box

in my pocket soon had it safe. It was a perfectly fresh specimen, the

result no doubt of eggs laid in the early summer by some immigrant.

Vanessa atatanta, L., was remarkably plentiful this autunmn, and I found

one to-day (October I5) on my avenue where it had evidently dropped

and been trodden on. I was in Armagh on October ii, and was

informed by a man that a shopkeeper in the town had captured a

wonderful " bt." I knew from experience that this meant a large moth.

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292 The Iish Naturalist. [December,

On visiting the shopkeeper in question, Mr. Alexander Wallace, grocer, Scotch-street, I found that the "1 bat " was a fine Death's-head moth. It had flown into his kitchen, whither I think it was probably attracted by a bunch of bananas that were hanging there. In my last note (ante, p. i84), I mentioned the appearance of numbers of the Heemipteron, Piezodorus lituratus, Fab., in May, and remarked that the time of appearance was different from that given by Mr. Saunders. I wrote to Mr. Saunders on the subject, and he replied that in indicating autumn he merely meant that the insect was most usually met with at that time. I have this day (October i8th) found the autunin brood in abundance on gorse, evidently Just out.

W. F. JOHNSON. Poyntzpass.

vanessa to in Co. Down. Perhaps the following may be of use to you:-A friend of miine, when

at Newcastle, Co. Down, about the third week in October, saw several of the Peacock Butterfly%, Vanessa io, and captured one. Mr. W. Gray saw one in his garden 'at Belfast. One was brought to me got here, but this

may have been an escape, as I had a quantity of larvxe feeding, which I got sent from Donegal. I see by the guide book there is only one specimen recorded.

Holywood, Co. Down.

Onophrla quadra In Co. Wexford and the Isle of Man. The rare moth, Gnophria quadra, occurred in some numbers about

Ballyhyland thisyear. I came across two females and (I think) four males between July 28th and August ioth. These were all picked up after heavy rains, the males mostly in a very bedraggled state, and both the females dead, and I made no attempt to preserve them. I bave since seen, with regret, that there is no specimen of this moth in the Irish collection in the Museum. It has previously been recorded for Co.

Wexford. Since writing the above note I have had a letter from my friend, Mr.

H. Shortridge Clarke, F.E.S., of Sulby, Isle of Man, who has a splendid collection of Manx lepidoptera, the result of many years' work, and he informs me that the same species turned up this year for the first time in the Isle of Man, where three specimens were taken. I think this is a very interesting coincidence, when we consider how closely the fauna of the Isle of Man resembles that of Ireland.

C. B. MOFFAT. Ballyhyland.

FISHES.

Porbeagle Shark and Tope In Kllala Day. About the middle of October, when walking along the sands of Ennis

crone, looking out for any storm-worn birds that might have been driven ashore by the N.W. gale of the previous days, I came across a specimen

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