In the genus Homalota there are 160 British species, of which the writer has, up to the present, found 93 in the Birmingham district. The following may be noted: H. currax and H. insecta, Bewdley; H. pavens, Smallheath; H. eximia, Bewdley (previously only found on banks of Scotch rivers); H. luteipes, Bewdley; H. sylvicola, Coleshill, Cannock Chase, Bewdley; H. monticola, Smallheath; H. curtipennis, Sutton Park; H. autumnalis, Knowle, Old Hill, Bewdley, Middleton, near Tamworth; Gymnusa brevicollis and G. variegata occur on Cannock Chase, the latter also at Sutton Park; Megacronus inclinans may be found at Bewdley, and M. cingulatus at Sutton Park and Cannock Chase; Staphylinus latebricola (in Ants’ Nests), at Sutton Park and Bewdley; Philonthus fulvipes, Sutton Park; Ancyrophorus homalinus, Bewdley; Trogophlœus halophilus, Hopwas Wood(!); Deleaster dichrous and var. adustus, Bewdley; Geodromicus nigrita, Bewdley; Deliphrum tectum, Knowle; Acidota crenata, Coleshill; A. cruentata, Sutton Park; Coryphium augusticolle, Sutton Park, Knowle, Hopwas; Homalium Allardi, Smallheath; H. punctipenne, Edgbaston, Sutton Park, Knowle, Bewdley; H. deplanatum, Knowle, Cannock Chase; H. brevicorne, Knowle; H. gracilicorne, Sutton Park, Hopwas Wood; H. salicis, Sherwood Forest; Phlœocharis subtilissima and Prognatha quadricornis, Sutton Park, Needwood.
Many of the Trichopterygidæ are found in profusion, including a good number of rare species. Ptinella testacea, P. denticollis, P. aptera, and P. angustula, are all plentiful in various parts of the district, from Smallheath and Knowle to Cannock Chase and Bewdley Forest. Pteryx suturalis is also generally distributed and fairly abundant. Several good species of Trichopteryx occur in hot-beds at Knowle and Edgbaston, and also on the river banks at Bewdley. Millidium trisulcatum sometimes swarms in one spot at Knowle. Ptenidium Gressneri, a new British species, may be mentioned as having been captured in 1885 at Sherwood Forest. Triplax russica abounds on Cannock Chase, and T. ænea may be taken sparingly at Needwood. The very rare Teredus nitidus, after being lost sight of for nearly 50 years, was again found in Sherwood Forest by the writer in 1884 and 1885. Myrmetes piceus, Hopwas Wood, Bewdley; Gnathoncus rotundatus, Cannock Chase; var. punctulatus, Knowle; Abræus granulum, Salford Priors; Plegaderus dissectus, Cannock Chase, Salford Priors; Epuræa augustula, Sutton Park; Cryptarcha strigata and C. imperialis, Knowle; Rhizophagus: nine of the species occur in the neighbourhood of Birmingham, and the tenth, R. cœruleipennis has been taken at Matlock; Thymalus limbatus, Cannock Chase; Psammæchus bipunctatus, Coleshill, Sutton Park; Antherophagus nigricornis, Bewdley; A. silaceus, Marston Green, Bewdley; A. pallens, Solihull, Bewdley; Myrmecoxenus, vaporariorum, Edgbaston, Knowle; Scaphidium quadrimaculatum may be taken at Cannock Chase and Bewdley; Diphyllus lunatus, in the same localities and also near Knowle; Byrrhus fasciatus and B. dorsalis, at Cannock Chase; Georyssus pygmæus, Bewdley. The remarkable beetle, Macronychus quadrituberculatus, should be included in this list, its only British habitat being the river Dove, near Burton-on-Trent.
Coming now to the Lamellicornia, the following species may be noted: Lucanus cervus, Bewdley; Dorcus parallelopipedus, Bewdley, Cannock Chase, Salford Priors; Aphodius tesselatus and A. porcus, Sutton Park; Ammœcius brevis, Bewdley (banks of Severn); Trox sabulosus and T. scaber, Bewdley and Cannock Chase; Hoplia philanthus, Bewdley, Knowle, &c. Of the Serricornia, a few examples may be given: e.g., Agrilus augustatus and A. laticornis, Bewdley; the brilliant Trachys troglodytes, quite a Southern species, which the writer has on several occasions captured in an old pasture at Knowle; Elater coccinatus, Sherwood; E. pomorum, Cannock Chase; E. balteatus, Coleshill, Sutton Park, Bewdley, Cannock Chase; Athöus rhombeus, Sherwood; Corymbites pectinicornis, C. cupreus, and var. æruginosus, C. æneus, Knowle, Bewdley, Cannock Chase; Sericosomus brunneus and v. fugax, Cannock Chase; Hydrocyphon deflexicollis, Bewdley; Scirtes hemisphæricus, Cannock Chase; Lampyris noctiluca is spread over the whole district, but is most abundant in Bewdley Forest; Malachius æneus is found at Knowle, and Haplocnemus impressus at Sutton Park; Clerus formicarius occurs at Salford Priors; Hylecœtus dermestoides and Sphindus dubius at Cannock Chase and Sherwood Forest; Niptus crenatus and Hedobia imperialis occur at Knowle.
Of the Longicornia, it must suffice to mention the following:—Prionus coriarius, Aston and Cannock Chase; Callidium alni, Knowle; Clytus mysticus, Bewdley; Pachyta collaris and P. octomaculata, Bewdley; Strangalia quadrifasciata, Bewdley and Cannock Chase; S. nigra, Bewdley.
Many of the Donaciæ are plentiful, perhaps the most interesting local species being D. affinis, which is found at Knowle.
Clythra tridentata and C. quadripunctata inhabit Bewdley Forest, but C. tridentata is very rarely met with. Cryptocephalus coryli, C. punctiger, and C. fulcratus may be beaten out of birches on Cannock Chase, and at Chartley the Scotch species, C. decempunctatus, has been taken.
Salpingus ater is at Knowle, and S. castaneus at Coleshill and Cannock Chase. The curious Notoxus monoceros is abundant at Kidderminster and Bewdley.
Among the Rhynchophora the following may be noted: Platyrhinus latirostris and Anthribus albinus, Salford Priors; Tropideres sepicola, Budden Wood (unique); Choragus Sheppardi, Salford Priors; Apion Hookeri, Knowle and Trench Woods; A. filirostre, Trench Woods; Cænopsis fissirostris and C. Waltoni, Cannock Chase, also on Hartlebury Common; Cleonus sulcirostris, Erdington; Cœliodes geranii and C. exiguus, Bewdley; Amalus scortillum, Bewdley, Salford Priors; Magdalinus barbicornis, Bewdley; Rhyncolus gracilis, Sherwood Forest is noteworthy; Phiœophthorus rhododactylus, Bewdley; Scolytus destructor, Yardley; S. intricatus and S. rugulosus, Bewdley; Xylocleptes bispinus, Sutton Park and Malvern.
Lepidoptera.
This order has received the lion’s share of attention from local collectors, with the result that a very fair proportion of the British Micro-Lepidoptera has been discovered in the district. The Micro-Lepidoptera have, however, not been looked up with any enthusiasm, and consequently our knowledge of the extent to which these interesting little moths occur about us is extremely limited.