On the Distribution in Ireland of Our Largest Grasshopper: Mecostethus grossus L.Author(s): A. W. StelfoxSource: The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Vol. 9, No. 2 (Apr., 1947), pp. 37-38Published by: Irish Naturalists' Journal Ltd.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25533516 .

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The Irish N aturalists1 Journal Vol. IX. April, 1947. No. 2.

Note?The authors of the various papers are solely responsible for the views expressed therein.

ON THE DISTRIBUTION IN IRELAND OF OUR LARGEST GRASSHOPPER?MECOSTETHUS GROSSUS L.

By A. W. Stelfox, M.K.I.A.

It has long been known that this fine grasshopper occurs in the counties of Kerry, Galway and Mayo, 'but its exact range

within these- large counties is by no means clear. Moreover a

very (bnieff study of the literature dealing with it will show the

extraordinary carelessness displayed by many writers when

recording their captures. The present notes are an attempt to

straighten out the facts of its geographical range in Ireland. The size a-nd colour of Mecostethus grossus ere sufficient to

distinguish it, when adult, from any other grasshopper found in

Ireland, d-ts body being often as much as an inch and a. quarter in length, gre-eniish^brown, streaked with yellow, with huge- hind

legs whose femora tare- marked with crimson. Taken altogether it is a very striking looking insect. The adults should be looked for amongst heather 'and on wet bogs from the middle of July,, throughout August, and into September.

Its earliest reported capture in Ireland known to me?and

probably dating from between 1830 to 1840?is that in A. H.

Haliday's MS. Catalogue of Irish Insects* (in the National

Museum, Dublin). In this MS. list Holiday records that he himself captured it at

" C," which symbol stands for

" West

Connaught," hut, so far as I know, the earliest record to get

into print is that of H. N. Ridley, to be found in The

Entomologists' Monthly Magazine \, XX, January, 1884, where he states he captured a specimen

'' on the road between Glencar

and Waterville "

in South Kerry. This record of Ridley's is.

repeated by Eland Shaw in Ent. Mo. Mag., XXV, October, 1889.

In the Irish Naturalist for September, 1895, G. H. Carpenter records it as

" Abundant near Oughterard, at Recess, and on the

slopes of Ben Lottery "

in West Galway, and mentions that "

Dr. Schairif has taken it at Killarney." A specimen in the

National Museum, without eaptor's name or date-, labelled "

Coppal Lake, Kerry," in Carpenter's writing, is probably

Scharff s .specimen. In the National Museum, there are also two

specimens labelled '

Roundstone: 195?1895," which are stated

in the Museum register-book to have been collected in July, 1894,

by Professor (now Sir) D'Arcy W. Thompson. W. J. Lucas (British Orthoptera, 1920) repeats the above

records based on specimens in the National Museum, on the

authority of the late Stanley W. Kemp, but erroneously states.

Under the name of Locusta flavipes Gmelin.

fUnder the name of Pachystylus cinerascens Fab.

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38 The Irish Naturalists5 Journal. [Vol. IX.

that they tare in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin, and mis

spells Oughterard; he -also states that there is a 'specimen from 4*

Fox-fond, Co. Mayo," in the British Museum.

In his Clare Island Survey Export (Proceedings E. Irish Acad., XXXI, no. 31, 1912) Carpenter records it as taken ait

Doolough, Co. Mayo," by H. Bonaparte Wyise, hut it is unfortunate thai there are two specimens in the National Museum

bearing labels which read "

Ben Lottery: July. B. Wyse," so that there appears ito be some doubt (1) whether these are the

specimens recorded from Doolough, and if so (2) was Carpenter correct in saying they were taken there, or (3) were- they really taken at Doolough and wrongly labelled? I can, however,

definitely state that this grasshopper is to be found in the Doolough distract oif Co. Mayo, as on 10th .September, 1041, I captured two on boggy ground by the road 'which leads from Doolough up

Glenurnmera and over the pass to Glenlaur and Shenry Bridge; my specimens were taken at about 600 feet above sea. level.

Malcolm Burr (British Grasshoppers, 1936) states that " Several Irish localities are recorded

" and in his map of its

distribution indicates that it has been found hi four Irish counties, namely, Kerry, Galway, Mayo and Dublin. The italics are mine!

Whether this Dublin record of Burr's is due to hopeful anticipation or carelessness I can't say, but I am (tolerably /certain that

MecostetHius grossus is not a native of Co. Dublin. In 1946 a fine specimen was taken

" on a heathery bog at The Lodge,

GlengarrirT, West Cork, by Mr. J. Grainge^, Jun., and is now in

the National Museum. It will be seen, therefore, that we have only the vaguest

outline' of the range of this grasshopper hi Ireland and all that is certain is that it inhabits two areas?(1) West Cork and Kerry

and (2) West Galway and Mayo. Perhaps visitors to these and other boggy areas in the south

and west wall keep a look out for it and, if they meet with it, will they (please' let me have particulars of its occurrence' and

a specimen if possible. I would also ask them to make a note on its

" song," as I can find no reference to this in the literature

I have consulted, but near the locality where I captured my two

specimens in Co. Mayo my wife heard a song different from that of any grasshopper she was acquainted with. This may have been the song of Mecostethus grossus.

National Museum, Dublin. 4th September, 1946.

NOTES ON THE PRESENT STATUS OF BIRDS ON RATHLIN ISLAND.

By (x. F. Mitchell.

During a four-day stay on Rathlin Island from 28th to 31st

July, 1945, with Dr. E. E. Evans, David [Evans, and Alan Clarke, ynost of the island was visited. There was some fog throughout our stay and we did not.go out after dark. Comparing our list of species seen with that published in 1868 by R. C. Gragert1) and

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