Jump to content

Page:VCH Kent 1.djvu/173

From Wikisource
This page needs to be proofread.

INSECTS G. C. Champion for the loan of his exhaustive hst of the Coleoptera of Kent and Surrey. I have been much helped by having had full access to the late Dr. Power's collection while writing my work on British Coleoptera, and I have of course included these records in my list, as well as many others contributed by other entomologists, among them being the late Mr. S. Stevens, Mr. R. W. Lloyd, the Rev. T. Wood, Mr. C. G. Hall, the late Mr. W. G. Blatch and the late Mr. A. C. Horner. The last mentioned collector paid especial attention to the small and obscure Staphylinidce and Clavicornia of Tonbridge and its neighbourhood, and added a considerable number of species to the Kentish fauna. The total result has been a list which comprises the great majority of the British Coleoptera, and which cannot, I feel sure, be beaten by any other county of Great Britain. Among the Carabidee, Carabus auratus, Calosoma sycophanta and Diachromus germaiius are perhaps the most striking, but they are very doubtfully indigenous. The genera Dyschirius and Harpaius are particu- larly well represented, and such insects as Atnarafusca, Anchomenus livens, Bembidium quaaripustulatum and hebia crux-minor deserve more than a passing notice. The best of the Dytiscids appear to be Dytiscus circumjiexus and Hydaticus seminiger. Several species of Gyrinidse are found in the brackish ditches, among them being G. elongatus and G. suffriani. The Hydro- philida2 are well represented. It would take too long to enumerate the good species that have occurred among the Staphylinids. Aleochara brunmipennis has been taken at Frindsbury near Rochester by Com. Walker and also at St. Mary Cray by Dr. Sharp ; Ilyobates propinquus and /. forticornis have occurred at West Wickham and Snodland respectively. About one hundred species of Homalota are included in the list, several of them being very rare. 'Emus hirtus has been found on two or three occasions, and the following deserve mention : Euryporus picipes (Strood and Faversham), ^edius longicornis (Cobham ^^.v^), Staphylinusfuhipes (Folkestone), Ocypus cyaneus (Folkestone), Philonthus punctus (Sheerness and Gravesend), P. fuscus (Chatham and Cobham Vzvk), Medon castaneus (Deal), M. piceus (Bexley), Acrognathus mandibularis (Tonbridge and Darenth Wood) and Compsochilus palpalis (Sheerness and Tonbridge). Among the Clavicornia several species of Atiisotoma and Colon are especially noticeable. The very rare T'richonyx sulcicollis has been found in one or two localities. Oxylcemus variolosus has occurred under bark at Charlton, and one specimen of Silvatms sitnilis has been taken by Mr. Walker in a birch faggot in Cobham Park. Among the Scarab^ids may be mentioned Heptaulacus villosus and Odontceus mobilicornis, and also the beautiful and very rare Gnorimus nobilis. Several good Buprestida2 and Elaterid^ occur in the county. We have already referred to Agrilus biguttatus. All the species of Trachys and Throscus are found, and three or four of the red Elaters. Ludius ferrugineus is now apparently extinct, but has occurred at Darenth Wood. 123