HEMPITERA-HETEROPTERA IN ESSEX IN 1950 295
26 August. A red-letter day for me; I found Death's Head Hawk larvae
in local potato fields and collected a total of fourteen. The pupae are still
alive and unhatched on 2 December. Experts say that they cannot be brought
through the winter—it remains to be seen whether they can be proved wrong.
I searched practically every potato field in our sixty-square-mile area and
found traces of atropos in many places. A rough estimate would suggest
that up to 200 larvae reached pupation in this district alone ; many thousands
must have been spread over the area from Lincolnshire south to the Channel
and west to Cornwall.
The year was remarkable for the countless Red Admirals and Peacocks
which decorated our flower gardens; on the other hand the Small Tortoise-
shell was a rarity in the district. It is usually in swarms but only odd single
specimens were seen throughout the season.
24 October was the last date on which butterflies were seen here—
one perfect female Clouded Yellow and one Red Admiral ended an interesting
but relatively poor season.
Jack T. Friedlein.
HEMPITERA-HETEROPTERA IN ESSEX IN 1950
BY W. A. SANDS, B.SC, A.R.C.S.
THE insect order Hemiptera has in the past been comparatively neglected by
entomologists. This is the more difficult to understand since at least
350 of the 400-odd British species of the suborder Heteroptera are readily
obtainable, and show as great a variation of form and colouration as any other
group of insects. Past neglect has, however, left the order a most rewarding
one for collection and study. In many of the families the ecology, life histories,
and habits are almost unknown.
Heteroptera occur in almost every possible natural habitat; in hedgerows,
meadows, marshes (both freshwater and salt), lakes and streams, in moss,
dead leaves, fungi, rotting wood, and under dead bark on trees. Some
forms are parasitic on warm-blooded animals. In addition to wild plants,
cultivated crops are often subject to attack by plant bugs. With such a wide
environmental distribution Heteroptera may be collected at almost any time
and place, regardless of weather. I have obtained thirty-five species in Essex
during 1950. These were all taken either in my back garden at Leyton or
on the only three collecting expeditions which I have been able to make in the
county this year.
The Club's field meeting on the saltings at Althorne, near Burnham-on-
Crouch, proved very productive of Heteroptera. Most of the species
taken belong to the family Miridae (Capsidae), but other families were
represented. The following species were taken :
PIESMIDAE AND TINGIDAE (Lace Bugs)
Piesma quadrata (Fieber), very numerous on Obione portulacoides on
the saltings ; Tingis ampliata (Herrich-Schaeffer), on nettles and thistles.
The Lace Bugs are so called because of the beautiful and intricate
reticulation of their upper surface. They are entirely vegetarian.
MIRIDAE (CAPSIDAE)
Most of the Miridae are plant feeders, a few only being predaceous on
smaller insects. The following species were obtained on the rough meadows,
behind the sea wall :