PROCEEDINGS OF T H E

ROYAL ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY

OF LONDON

SERIES C. J O U R N A L OF M E E T I N G S

VOLUME 27 No. 8, 1962

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

ORDINARY MEETING

WEDNESDAY, 5th December, 1962. a t 5.30 p.m. (Tea 5 p.m.)

AGENDA

Confirmation of the Proceedings of the Ordinary Meeting held on 7th November, 1962. Recommendation of candidates for Fellowship. Reccmmendation of candidates for Fellowship. Announcement of election of new Fellows. Additions to the Library. Admission of Fellom. Exhibits. Communications.

First reading. Second reading.

Dr. N. E. Hickin ( Felcourt Research Laboratories, East Grinstead, Sussex)

The occurrence of the furniture beetle Anobium punctatum (Degeer) in Britain

[ABSTRACT]

Commercial surveys of timber in buildings are now taking place on a large scale. They are throwing some light on the occurrence of the furniture beetle Anobium puncta- t u m and other species of wood boring beetles. Buildings are classified according to their function, e.g. private dwellings, churches, and also according to their age. In the latter case the properties are classified for convenience as being built before 1919, between 1920 and 1939 and since 1940.

From January to June 1962 the timber in 9,810 buildings was examined ; private dwellings constituted 84.8% of this non-random sample. 52.2% were built before 1919, 41.5y0 between 1920 and 1939 and 5.4% since 1940. Of the total number of buildings 75.8y0 contained an infestation of Anobium punctatum, 4.5% Xestobium rufovillosum and 4.7% either Euophryurn conjine or Pentarthrum huttoni. Only 1 .Oo/, contained infestations of Lyctus sp. and only 0.3% of Hylotrupes bajulus. The wood boring weevils were very common in London and Essex, where the cellar fungus Conio- phora cerebella is also common. 40.2% of all Anobium punetaturn infestations were confined to roof voids.

NOTICES

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 16th January, 1963. (1) Dr. J. R. Busvine.-To be arranged. (2) Dr. B. R. Laurence.-A film entitled “ Filariasis in Southern India and Ceylon.”

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A ~ L ? L U U ~ Subst I iptioic Fellows are remititied that, commencing with 1963, the basic annual subscription

has been increased to fS 0s. Od. It is hoped that as many Fellows as possible will pay the subscription by bankers’ order, and that those who have not already done so will complete and return the form, sent to them with the Treasurer’s letter in July. as soon as possible.

Librayy Amended tiwies of openin.9

The Council of the Society have reconsidered the hours of opening of the Library and give notice that in future it will be open from 9.30 a.m. to 5.0 p.m. from Monday to Friday, from 10.0 a.m. to 1.0 p.m. on the third Saturday in each month, and until the close of the meeting on meeting days. Books may be borrowed by post.

PROCEEDIXGS O F THE ORDINARY MEETING HELD O N 7TH NOVEMBER, 1962 Professor G. C. VARLEY, President, in the Chair.

Present, 81 Fellows and 14 Visitors. The minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 10th October, 1962, were confirmed

and signed by the President. The names of the following candidates for election were read for the first time :

Mr. Clifford Stanley Barham, B.Sc., ; Mr. William Barnes; Mr. Roger Anthony Beaver ; Mr. Henry Peter Wilfred Fernando ; Mr. Cedric Gillott, B.Sc. ; Dr. Lesley Jean Goodman, M.A., Ph.D. ; Mr. Percy Leonard Gravett : Dr. Harry Hoogstraal, Ph.D. ; Dr. Alston Bancroft Meade, Ph.D. ; Mr. Michael John O’Grady ; Dr. Frank Raw ; Mr. Brian David Rennison ; Mr. Ram Singh Saini ; Mrs. Mary Lou Schmidt, B.Sc. ; Mr. Seshagiri Rao Yerramilli.

For the second time (taken as read) : Mr. John Hemingway Barrett, B.Agr.Sc. ; Mr. Hemendra Kumar Bhowmik, B.Sc., M.Sc. ; Mr. James Roy Cullen ; Dr. John Brand Free ; Mr. Michael John Friend ; Mrs. Grace Hickling, M.A. ; Mr. Christopher John Hodgson ; Mr. John Robert Morgan, B.Sc. ; Mr. Subramania Nagarajan ; Major Anthony Bedford Russell ; Mr. Keshava Chandra Sharma ; Mr. Mohan La1 Thakur, M.Sc. ; Dr. J. D. Thomas ; Mr. John Richard George Turner, B.Sc. ; Miss Lena Kay Ward ; Mr. Fred Witham ; Mr. Cyril James Thompson Willoughby.

The Secretary read the names of the following newly elected Fellows of the Society : Mr. Mohammad Abdullah, 1, Mayfield Avenue, Chiswick, London, W.4: Mr. Raul MacGregor, Cedro 63-10, Mexico 4, D.B., Mexico ; Mr. Garnet Francis Mason, Ross Institute of Tropical Hygiene, Keppel Street (Gower Street), London, W.C.I. ; Mr. John Morley, Department of Physiology, University College, Gower Street, London, w.c.1.

The President announced that in accordance with the Bye-Laws Chapter V, Section 3, Council had prepared its list of nominees to fill the vacancies for Officers and Council for 1963. He felt sure that Pellows would be glad to hear that Professor V. B. Wiggles- worth was prepared t o serve as President for a second term, which would include the forthcoming International Congress of Entomology. The nominees for the vacancies were as follows :-

President : Professor V. B. Wigglesworth, F.R.S. Secretary : Dr. D. R. Ragge

Ordinary Members of Council : Mr. J. P. Doncaster Dr. J. A. Freeman Dr. Paul Freeman

Mr. R. S. D. Balter, Mr. J. A. Morton, Mr. R. A. Tribbeck and Mr. E. C. Young signed the Obligation Book and were admitted Fellows of the Society.

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The following papers. accepted for publiciition in rhe Il‘ru/zsuctioizs, were read in

.’ The identity. xxriiitioii and distribution of some members of the genus T r q o c e - phnlu Cast,elnaii (Coleopterx : Lamiidae) in West Africa, with descriptions of five new sub-species ”, I n - P. F. Entwistle.

title :

“ The com&rative exteriial morphology and affinities of the Dermaptera ”, by E. T. Giles.

” The effect of breeding temperature on the wing length, thorax length, leg length and ovariole number of the adult mosquito Artles aegypti (L.) ” by M. J. van den Heuvel.

’. The ventral ecdysial lines of the head of endopterygote larvae ”, by H. E. Hinton. ” The thoracic skeleton and musculature of adult Saldulu pullipes (F.) (Heterop-

.. ii review of G. Enderlein’s non-Holarctic genera of Psvchodidae and description

* ‘ New species of the genus Mesaptilotus Richards (Diptera : Sphaeroceridae) ”,

“ Geographical variation and evolution in the males of the butterfly Papelio dnrdanus

tera : Yaldidae) ”, by IH. C. Parsons.

of a new species (Diptera) ”, by L. W. Quate.

by 0. W. Richards.

Brown (Lepidoptera : Papilionidae) ” by J. R. G. Turner.

Dr. J. H. Mundie gave a paper on the population dynamics of Chironomidae in Esthwaite Water, an abstract of which appeared on pages 25 and 26.

The discussion which followed was opened by the President, who asked if there was any ecological division of the chironomid larvae found in the mud. Dr. Mundie replied that different species showed a diversity of feeding habits ; some were predators, some lived on detritus, and others fed on algae. Although many species lived in mud and made tubes there, some might use it only as a platform to catch settling plant material. The President asked if larvae feed differentially on detritus and bacteria. Dr. Mundie replied that this was not known.

Dr. J. P. Glasgow said that on Lake Victoria some Chaoborus species came out at full moon and he wondered if any similar periodicity had been noted by Dr. Mundie. Dr. Mundie replied that in the tropics the moon played an important part in determining the time of emergence, but he had detected no influence of this kind during his observa- tions on Esthwaite.

Mr. R. A. Tribbeck commented on the long pupal stage of some seven days men- tioned by Dr. Mundie. I n his experience it was shorter-perhaps two days, and he wondered if there was a temperature effect. Dr. Mundie replied that he had mentioned a week as an example only. Temperature was important : there was evidence that the pupal stage was shorter in flowing streams where the temperature was higher than on the floor of the lake.

In reply to a further enquiry by Mr. Tribbeck as to whether Dr. Mundie had found Procladius choreus in any quantity, Dr. Mundie replied that i t was present and was one of a complex of species. Mr. Tribbeck added that in a Hampshire chalk stream where he had made some investigations, the early stages of this species were vegetarian and the later stages carnivorous.

Dr. T. Lewis said some Chironomidae showed a bimodal peak of adult activity and he wondered if the pupae showed a bimodal emergence. Dr. Mundie said there was no indication of this. Adults found swarming on the shore had emerged some days before and there was no direct relation between emergence and swarming. He added that it was of interest that the numbers of swarming midges gave little indication of the high density of insects in the lake. This was presumably because of prevailing windy weather which reduced the density of swarms. In reply to an enquiry by the President he said that he did not think that larvae and pupae were greatly reduced in numbers by being eaten by fish.

Dr. Bryan P. Beirne gave a paper on biological control research in Canada, an abstract of which appeared on page 26.

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The President opened the discussion by enquiring how widespread was the use in Caiiida of modified s p r i i ~ - programme Dr. Keiriie replied that such programmes were widely and successfully used in the Maritime Provinces hut so far little elsexherc.

Dr. P. T. Has1:ell asked for an opinion on the future of specific cheniostimulants and pointed out the danger of these compouiids. Dr. Heirne indicated a view that chenio- stiniulaiits and dso sex attractants have a considerable potential in insect control and added that much work was now done on these in the United States.

Professor 0. W. Richards enquired about the habits of the Essex Skipper in Canada. Dr. Beirne stated t,hat it fed on Timothy Grass, and that its parasites were being st,udied in Europe as a preliminary to biological control attempts in Canada.

Miss Rothschild asked if introduced parasites ever got out, of control. Dr. Beirne said no instances were known.

Mr. M. J. Way enquired if t,here was work in progress in Canada on developing strains of parasites resistant t o D.D.T. Dr. Beirne said little work was being done on this subject a t present.

Dr. Routhwood nient,ioned that newly introduced species sometimes became very abundant but later decreased. Dr. Beirne said that he could not recall a significant instance of this in Canada.

Dr. A. T. Thompson asked if biological control could be applied against pests of annual crops. Dr. Reirne replied that, in general, biological control by introducing new natural enemies was more suitable aga.inst pests of perennial plants than against t.hose of annuals, but that biological control by environmental manipulation and by t'he use of microbial pathogens had much potential against pests of annual crops.

In reply to an enquiry, Dr. Beirne said that no work was being done on biological control of Ambrosia beetles in Canada.

Dr. H. F. van Emden asked if it was difficult to reconcile biological control pro- cedures with agricultural management practice. Dr. Beirne indicated that he recog- nised the situation but could not speak with knowledge. The President added that tidy farming was sometimes an end in itself.

The President concluded the meeting by thanking Dr. Reirne for his survey of this complicated problem.

devised by A. D. Pickett.

PAUL FREEMAN, Honorary Secretary.

ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY Preselzted

British Museum (Natural History). A revisional study of the Masarid wasps (Hymen- optera 'Vespoidea). By 0. W. Richards. avo. London, 1962. [The Trustees, British Museum.]

Brown, E. S. The African army w w m Spodoptera exempta (Walker) (Lepidoptera Noc- tuidae) : a review of the Ziterature. London : Commonwealth Institute of Entomology

1962. [The Publishers.] Browne, F. G. The biology of Malayan Scolytidae and Platypodidae. avo. Malaya,

1961. Hull, F. M. Robber JEies of the world : the genera of the fami ly Asilidae. Folio, Washing-

ton : Smithsonian Institution, 1962. [Bulletin 224, Parts 1 and 2.1 [The Publishers.]

Linsley, E. G. The Cerambycidae of North America. Part 1. Introduction. Univ. Calif. Publ. Ent. Vol. 18 : 1961.

Pinhey, E. Hawk moths of Central and Southern A-frica. avo. South Africa 1 Long- mans, 1962. [Thomas Meikle Series, No. 2.1 [The Publishers.]

Rennie, J. A conspectus of the butte@ies and moths found in Britain. Sm. 8vo. London : William Orr, 1832. [Mr. E. E. Platt.]

[Malayan Forest Records No. 22.1 [The Author.]

[The Publishers.]

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