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141.

22/4/42, cont.  Glenasmole, DU., cont.

Cryptini ♀︎ seen in path.
Orthocentrus radialis ♀︎ at 2.
Thersilochid ♂︎ at Salex near St. Anne's church.
Dacnusa areolaris.  Large ♂︎ & ♀︎ at 1, smaller ♂︎♂︎ & ♀︎♀︎ at 2:  the usual spring dark-legged form, which may well be a distinct species or race.
D. longiradialis  ♂︎♂︎ at 2.
Monoctonus caricis  1♀︎ in marsh below dam at 2.
Aphidius  ♂︎ at 2.

Nothing mounted or kept of these!


23/4/42.
Went with G.F. Mitchell & A.F. Farrington to Portrane, Co. DU., where on coast just N. of Asylum the former had noticed a black band with bones in the beach gravels of the "cliff" below road along coast.  Very cold & dull, with E. wind.  Spent 3 hours examining same & came away with many burnt chips of bone, some at least of which were human bones.  Did not collect.  At 4 P.M. on this day in Dublin it became so dark with English smoke!) that all lights in houses & on cars were lit up.  Later a gale, with rain, though glass rising all day.


23rd & 24th/4/42.
Cardamine pratensis flowers open on 23rd & Orchis mascula with first flowers open on 24th:  three spikes of flowers on latter this year.


142.

24th April '42.
A ♂︎ Emperor Moth (S. pavonia) emerged from one of several cocoons given me in autuum of 1941 by A.M. Gwynn:  released it in garden in sun the following day.

24th-26th '42.
Three consecutive days of E. gale, very cold, with intense sun in afternoon of 25th & nearly all day on 26th.  Did not go out at all on 26th (Sunday) as useless for collecting & had a sore throat.

26th April 1942.
On this day found several Aphid parasites had hatched from specimens found on cabbage leaves which had been in my snail-breeding boxes in motor house throughout the winter & since Oct. 1941.  Five specimens in all (2 living 3 already dead) were secured & mounted & proved to be as follows:-

Aphidius brassicae  1 typical ♀︎, with 14-seg. antennae.
Praon sp. near abjectum but antennae longer & more slender & 1st tergite also distinctly more slender;  antennae of 2♂︎♂︎ both 19-segmented & of 2♀︎♀︎, respectively, 17- & 18-segmented.  Perhaps only a race of P. abjectum but, I think, deserving of a name for which I think Praon oleris good enough from olus "a culinary vegetable"!  AWS. 27/4/42.