The Status and Distribution of Eilema lurideola (Zinck) Common Footman and E. Complana (L.)Scarce Footman (Lepidoptera) in Northern IrelandAuthor(s): Dave AllenSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 23, No. 8 (Oct., 1990), pp. 337-338Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25539549 .

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Ir, Nat. J. Vol. 23 No. 8 1990 337

The fresh body of a female dolphin, estimated as around 7-8ft (2.0-2.4m) long was photographed in early February 1990 on stones on Keem Strand, Achill Island, Co Mayo (F5604), The print shows that the beak is long and that there are in excess of 40 teeth in the upper jaw. The coloration is clear and includes the stripe running along the flank from the eye that is diagnostic for the euphrosyne dolphin.

The body of a female of this species, in fair condition but with damage to the flukes and beak, was also identified from its markings on stones midway along Keel Beach, Achill Island (F6406), on 24

March 1990. Measurements taken were: 1.63m; centre of back fin to tail 0.78m; height of back fin 0.1 lm; length of R flipper 0.20m.

Dooagh, Achill Island, Co Mayo JOHN O'SHEA, BOB KINGSTON

Department of Zoology, University College, Galway j. S. FAIRLEY

FIELD RECORDS ? INSECTS

THE STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OYEILEMA LURIDEOLA (ZINCK) COMMON FOOTMAN AND E.COMPLANA (L.) SCARCE FOOTMAN (LEPIDOPTERA) IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Eilema complanafL.) is described by Donovan (C, 1936. A catalogue of the Macrolepidoptera of Ireland. E. J. Burrow, Cheltenham) as "widely distributed and common from Antrim to Cork": E.lurideola (Zinck) as* Very, local, sporadically distributed over Ireland". Baynes (E.S.A. 1964 and

supplement 1970 A revised catalogue of the Irish Macrolepidoptera. Classey, Middlesex) questioned these somewhat vague distributions, stating that he had personally found EJiirideola "quite abundant at MV light in Co Dublin" and* listed a number of other records from mainly the Irish E Coast. Conversely the only confirmed records Baynes (op. cit.) lists for E.complana are from the S and SW

of Ireland.

A1 ook at the distribution maps in Heath (Let al. 1919. The moths and butterflies of Great Britkm and Ireland. Vol. 9 Harley Books, Essex.) (though one must take into account they are far from

complete) suggests that the most likely of the two species to occur in Northern Ireland would be

E.lurideola, though there are records of E.complana from the Isle of Man and Cumbria though abundance at these stations is not indicated. The only records in the literature for Northern Ireland are

from Wright (W.S. 1954 Catalogue of Macrolepidoptera in Northern Ireland. Ulster Museum,

Belfast.) simply stating that E.complana had been found in Cos Antrim and Tyrone, no specimens exist and the authenticity of these records must be brought into question. Kane (W,F, de V. 1901

Catalogue ofthe Lepidoptera of Ireland with supplement. West, Newman & Co. Ltd., London) does

nothing to clarify the situation; he never encountered E.lurideola and recorded E.complana from the S

and W. His assumptions as to the distribution ofthe two species in Ireland maybe the root cause ofthe

apparently incorrect distributions repeated through the subsequent literature.

The reasons for this evident confusion lie in the basic identification of the two species. This

problem was confirmed when Robert Nash and I examined the specimens in the Ulster Museum and

found three specimens of E.lurideola labelled as E.complana and one of the latter labelled as

E.lurideola. The criteria for identification are clearly stated in both South (R. 1961 The moths ofthe British Isles. 2 vols, Warne, London.) and Skinner (B. 1984 Colour identification guide to moths of

the British Isles. Viking Penguin, Harmondsworth). Without going into unnecessary detail here the

most obvious way of separating the two species when alive is in the way the wings are held.

E.lurideola has the wings lying flat above the body whilst E.complana roils the wings tight around the

body, for further details see the aforementioned literature.

A large catch of moths taken at MV light on 16 July 1989 at Seaforde, Co Down (J402420) included a single specimen of E.lurideola, a second was trapped at the same locality on 21 July 1989

(D. Allen and Jill Brown). Both specimens are now in the Ulster Museum, On 26 July 1989 a single specimen of E.lurideola was taken in a Robinson trap at Brockley, Rathlin Island, Co Antrim

(D312452) (R. Cryer). The specimen is now in the Ulster Museum, These represent the first three

confirmed records of E.lurideola for Northern Ireland.

It is interesting that both species were recorded on Rathlin by summer wardening staff prior to

1988 (R.S.P.B., Unpublished Annual Reports). No specimens were taken and it would seem quite:

probable, in light of the 1989 evidence, that a specimen of BJurideokt was ̂identified as

E.complana, possibly based primarily on the erroneous distributional information in South (op.cM and Skinner (op, cit.).

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338 Ir. Nat. J. Vol. 23 No. 8 1990

The status and distribution of E.complana and E.lurideola in Northern Ireland (and the rest of

Ireland?) need further investigation. The evidence suggests that E.lurideola is the most likely of the

two species to be encountered in the North, but is certainly uncommon possibly rare. Donovan's (op.

cit.) description of its distribution as "very local, sporadically distributed over Ireland", seemingly

based on assumption, may well prove to be more accurate than he realised. The position of

E.complana as a Northern Irish species must be seriously questioned, as must its distribution away

from the S and W coasts.

I am indebted to Robert Nash for his enthusiasm in helping me make a step towards resolving an

obvious problem and allowing me access to specimens and literature at the Ulster Museum, to Russell

Cryerfor his unstinting efforts at trapping on Rathlin and to Jill Brown whose initial enthusiasm led to

the purchase of our first trap.

RSPB, Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 4QT DAVE ALLEN

A RECORD OFDIACHRYSIA ORICHALCEA (FABR.) (LEPIDOPTERA) SLENDER BURNISHED BRASS FROM CO DOWN.

On 30 October 1989 Jill Brown was clearing some grass clippings in the garden of The Lodge, Seaforde, Co Down (J402420), when her attention was attracted to a moth amongst the litter. She was

able to collect the specimen without difficulty and returned to the house with it. She easily determined it to be Diachtysia orichalcea (Fabr.). I subsequently confirmed this identification.

The following day I visited the Ulster Museum to find that the collection contained no specimens of this species. Robert Nash examined and confirmed the identity of the moth and a number of

photographs were taken before the moth was killed. The specimen now resides in the Ulster Museum.

This record represents the fourth Irish record, previously recorded in Cork 1946, Galway 1964 and Cork 1978 and the first for Northern Ireland (Baynes, E. S, A. 1964 and supplement 1970 A revised catalogue of Irish Macrolepidoptera. Classey, Middlesex. Haynes, R. F. and Hillis, J. P.

1976-88. Reports of Migrant Insects. Ir.NatJ.). It had been recorded on less than 30 occasions in

Great Britain prior to 1980, the vast majority of specimens being taken along the English S coast. In the following decade records increased, though still virtually all in southern and eastern England, with

34 between 1980 and 1989 including 10 in 1983. To date I can only find two records in 1989, 29 October in W Sussex and 30 October in E Sussex, the time of occurrence of the Seaforde specimen

fitting perfectly. It appears that this is one of the most northerly European records to date and

undoubtedly arrived with a huge influx of Mythimna species which arrived on the English S coast at this time (Russell Bretherton pers. comm.).

Its range abroad includes the Azores, Canary Islands, and the southern Mediterranean, and it

reaches Spain and Portugal regularly in reasonable numbers. It is most normally encountered at light but one of the previous Irish specimens was of an individual captured whilst feeding on michaelmas daisies (Heath, Letal. \9$3 The moths and butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol 10. Harley Books, Essex),

RSPB, Belvoir Park Forest, Belfast BT8 4QT DAVE ALLEN

LATHROBIUM RIPICOLA CZWALINA (COLEOPTERA: STAPH YLINIDAE), A RIVER BANK BEETLE NEW TO IRELAND

Lathrobium ripicola Czwalina

Co Cork: nr Bailymartle, W621570, 24 June-22 July 1986, 1 cf, pitfall trap, spring barley; nr Glandore, W240365, 14 June-3 July 1986, 1 tf, pitfall trap, spring oats.

L, ripicola Czwalina, an elongate staphylinid of 8-9mm, is difficult to distinguish externally from the common I. fulvipenne (Gravenhorst), but the male is easily identified by its very distinctive aedeagus (Coffait, H. 1982 Nouv.Rev.Ent, (Suppl.) No. 7: 1-440). The species occurs in Great Britain, central and western Europe, the northern part of southern Europe, and in Asia Minor, but is

generally rare (Horion, A. 1965 Faunistik der Mitteleuropdischen Kafer. 10. A, Feyel, Uberlingen Bodensee). It is absent from Scandinavia (Coffait, op.cit,), Horion {op.cit.) records it as occurring on the banks of streams, rivers and ponds, as well as in damp areas in sand and gravel pits, stone-quarries and m gardens. The species is also found in saturated soils in meadow land, according to Lohse (G. A,

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