A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE COLEOPTERA Beetles The county of Leicester is rich in Coleoptera, nearly 1,800 species being recorded. The late Mr. Fred Bates, better known as an authority on the Heteromera, his brother, Mr. H. W. Bates, of Amazon fame, the Rev. A. Matthews, the latter as a specialist on the Tricopteryigidae, have largely contributed to make the list so complete. Following them come Mr. H. Holyoak, who first dis- covered Trachodes bhpidus at Buddon Wood, Mr. J. H. Harris, of Burton-on-Trent, and in more recent years the writer of this article, Messrs. H. St. J. Donisthorpe, F.Z.S., C. B. Headly, F.E.S., J. H. Wooley, Rev. Canon Cruttwell, Dr. Barrow, and others have all worked hard at the county distribution. About twelve species are confined to the county. Tetropium castaneum (since described on the continent as Tetropium gabrielli, by Weise) was added to the British list by the author, and has since been taken in other counties. Calasoma inquisitor occurs at Buddon Wood, rather more north than its normal range, and the specimens are darker than those from the south. Blethisa multipunctata is very abundant at times at the various reservoirs. Bembidium clarki and B. assimi/eare. both recorded from Thornton, whilst B. obliquum and B.flam- mulatum are two of our most abundant species. Hydroporus longulus, always an exceedingly rare beetle, occurs in the ditches at Bradgate Park, Hydaticus transversa/is is noted from Gumley, Hydro- cbui brevis from near Leicester, Dinarda markeli, with Formica rufa, at Buddon Wood, Philonthus quisquilarius var. dimidiatus has been found at all our reservoirs; the type is one of the most abundant species, and Oxyporus rufus is recorded from fungi in the autumn at Bardon Hill. The next two species, Omalium brevicorne and O. testaceum, were added to the British list by Rev. A. Matthews. Both were taken at Gumley, and, so far as we have been able to ascertain, have not been taken since. Another interesting record by the same worker is the first capture in England of Neuraphcs sparshalli var. minutus. Triathron markeli has been taken from under fir trees by evening sweeping, at Bardon Hill. In the Tricopterygidae our records are strong. In Tricopteryx we have twenty-five specimens, including T. fratercu/a, the only British record, T. attenuata, only taken in two other counties, T. brevis^ with only one other record, T. longicornis from Market Harborough and Gumley, but not recorded elsewhere ; T. jansoni three specimens (unique) from Gumley, T. guerinii, only two other records, T. fuscu/a (unique) from Gumley, T. vario/osa, added to the British list from Gumley, but since taken in several other counties. Ptilium rugulosum is only recorded from Gumley in England, but it occurs, however, in Scotland. Ptenidum laevigatum, again, is probably the only record. P. kratzn was taken by Canon Fowler at Buddon Wood out of nests of Formica rufa. This species is only recorded from one other locality, viz. Rannoch (Scotland). Orthoperus brunnipes, also from Gumley, and according to Fowler, the only other specimen known, is in Mr. Wilkinson's collection. O. punctulatus, the only example known, was taken by Rev. A. Matthews at Gumley. Sphaerius acaroides was taken at Gumley in 1855 by Rev. H. Matthews. Scymnus arcuatus was added to the British list by Wollaston, who took it out of old ivy at Shenton Hall on 24 August, 1872; since then it has been taken in Surrey. Pediacus dermestiodes is a recent addition to the county list by the author, from the Bosworth district, Trip/ax aenea from Leicester Frith, Cryptarcha imperialis from Bardon, Cerymbites aeneus on the Charnwood Forest Hills; Ax'motarsus rtificollis is recorded from Sheet Hedges Wood by Mr. A. R. Wallace. As it is our only record of the beetle, and the only note of the famous explorer, probably it was taken during one of the excursions which he made with H. W. Bates and F. Bates before the great Amazon trip was arranged. Til/us elongatus and Thanasinus formicarius from Owston, the latter from a Cossus-infested tree; from the same wood the author has taken Molorchus minor three times, and since in the Bosworth district in numbers. Monochammus sartor and M. tutor are both recorded from Leicester, Phytoecia cylindrica from Gumley, Stenostola ferrea from Sutton Cheney, but on the whole the county is not strong in Longicornes. Zeugophora flavicollis was taken at Seal Wood by the late Mr. J. T. Harris. Melasoma aenea, a local insect, has been found at Swithland, Phyllobrotica quadrimaculata is abundant in places where the Scullcap (Scutellaria) grows, Clinocara tetratoma, Hallomenus humeralis, Phloetrya rufipei have all been found in several localities ; Oncomera femorata has come to sugared trees, Brachytarsus fasciatus has been found at Sheet Hedges Wood and Kibworth, Tropideres niveirostris was taken at Buddon Wood by Mr. F. Plant on 9 September, 1860 ; the same collector added T. sepicola to the British 66
