Stenomalina illudens (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) New to IrelandAuthor(s): Robert NashSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 23, No. 2 (Apr., 1989), p. 73Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25539364 .

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Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 23 No. 2 1989 73

this montane species in Ireland, with records only for Antrim and Wicklow. Walton (G. A. 1967 Ir.

Nat. J. 15: 309-312) took a specimen in 1958 on Doughruagh Mountain, Kylemore. Galway (H16).

Agabus congener (Thunberg). Balfour-Browne (1951 op. cit.) reported only one record, from W

Mayo in 1910. The species is common in some parts of western Britain but appears to be very rare in

Ireland. One specimen was seen taken by Brendan O'Hanrahan in Mongan Bog (N0330. Offaly H18)

on 30 June 1987.

Ilybius aenescens Thomson. This is probably a common species in Ireland. Specimens from the

Wicklow Mountains are less obviously metallic than those from some parts of Britain but they are

nevertheless quite distinct from /. guttiger. a species of lowland fens in Ireland. Apart from the Sally

Gap pools, where the species is common, the species was found on 20 June 1988 by Brian Nelson in

peat pools at Teal Lough (Tyrone/Londonderry). GNF also took this species in two peaty takes in

Fermanagh (H33): on 22 June 1988 in an unnamed lough near Braade (250m. H044548) and on 23

June 1988 in Lough Anlaban (360m, H069437).

Dytiscus lapponicus Gyllenhal. This species was first reported from Ireland in 1868 by A. Somerville

(Balfour-Browne 1950 op. cit). We found two adults and several larvae in the lake in the Partry

Mountains, W Mayo, on 13 August 1987. Comments on this record elicited two earlier ones by Peter

Kirby: for Lough Nambracknarrie (420m. V 9478. Kerry H1) and a neighbouring upland lake (580m.

V 9578) on 6 September 1981. Walton (op. cit.) also collected it on Doughruagh Mountain.

Kylemore, Co Galway.

Acknowledgements

The Praeger Fund of the Royal Irish Academy financed our visit in 1987 and the Countryside &

Wildlife Branch of the DoE(NI) organized and financed the survey in 1988. Paul Harding, of the

Biological Records Centre at Monks Wood Experimental Station of the Institute of Terrestrial

Ecology, has helped in several ways to develop our interest in Ireland. It is also a pleasure to thank

Peter Kirby, Brian Nelson and Brendan O'Hanrahan for their records.

3 Eglinton Terrace, Ayr KA7 1JJ G. N. FOSTER Leicestershire Museums Service, 96 New Walk, Leicester LEI 6TD D. A. LOTT

STENOMALINA ILLUDENS (WALKER) (HYMENOPTERA: PTEROMAL1DAE) NEW TO IRELAND

There is no previous Irish record of Stenomalina illudens (Walker. 1836) although its presence here is implied in Graham (M. W. R. de V. 1969 Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Ent J Suppl. 16: 1-908)

who states "probably widely distributed in Europe; very common in Britain" but gives no detail. I am

formally admitting the species as Irish, prior to the publication of a checklist of Irish Hymenoptera. on

the basis of the following specimen.

1 $ : Co Down, Mourne Wood, J2712, leg. R. Nash. 29 June 1988 swept from leaves of sycamore in

deciduous woodland.

Little is known of the biology of this species but it is reported as gathering in swarms on the foliage of

trees and has been obtained from shoots of barley, being therefore of potential economic significance.

Dept. of Botany and Zoology, Ulster Museum. Belfast BT9 5AB ROBERT NASH

AESHNA CYANEA (MULLER) (ODONATA: AESHNIDAE) A DRAGONFLY NEW TO IRELAND

On 17 October 1988 a female Aeshna cyanea (Muller, 1762) was found dead in Cork city

(W673720). Although the specimen was headless, it was otherwise in good condition, and its

relatively limp condition suggested that it had died only recently. The species is not noted as a regular migrant, and the specimen may have been accidentally

imported into Ireland. However, other occurrences around this date suggest that conditions were very favourable for the migration of insects to Ireland from the south-east. For example, there were reports of Saharan dust from Clonakilty, Co Cork, and from Co Donegal on the night of 17-18 October. In

addition, the well-known migrant Lepidoptera, Rhodometra sacraria (L.) (8 specimens), Orthonamu

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