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19.

28.9.43, cont.  Aherlow, ST., cont. in small sheltered field along the tributary stream from Clady Bridge & Glencushnabinnia = Aherlow (1) 28.9.43.

In afternoon went into Ballinacourty demesne & across field N. of stables:  many bees out along avenue & in sheltered NE. corner of field, but mostly Halictus rubicundus ♂︎♂︎ & ♀︎♀︎. Fresh ♂︎♂︎ & ♀︎♀︎ of Bombus lucorum seen.  Later went W. across field & then into wood through cut-down plantation, where on pine stumps we discovered nearly a dozen Ephialtes (?tuberculatus) ♀︎♀︎ at work egg-laying. 

In the case of this species the ovipositor is brought forward at a sharp angle under the body & the sheath apparently used to guide it into a crack;  but once it is entered the sheaths are quickly drawn back & held aloft & the body raised until the insect is almost standing on its head & the ovipositor gradually becomes vertical, the insect from time to time circling round its terebra as if searching for an easier way to push the latter in.  When the 


20.

28.9.43, cont.  Aherlow & Ballinacourty ST. cont.

ovipositor had been pushed in its full length the abdomen & it were rapidly pulled up & pushed down several times for a quarter or perhaps half an inch & then the insect simply walked forwards & pulled the terebra out as she went.  In the case of one ♀︎ the whole process was repeated three times in about five minutes and I find it difficult to believe that they actually laid 3 eggs in the bodies of 3 victims within that time!!! 

What the victims were I cannot say but all the stumps the Ephialtes were seen on had large & conspicuous bore-holes & were I think spruce;  I therefore suggest Strangalia aurulenta as the probable host, though I have no proof to offer, except that the holes seen in the stumps appeared too large for Rhagium & were certainly not Sirex I think. 

Just before reaching this cut down plantation, we crossed a small stream on the clay bank of which Daisy saw a couple of Bembidion beetles running about & which I collected for O'Mahony & shook the overhanging herbage to get more, but instead shook down a ♀︎

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