Page:VCH Sussex 1.djvu/176

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A HISTORY OF SUSSEX on walls, rocks, etc., for the burrows of their hosts. Some species seem very restricted in their choice of a prey, as for instance Cbrysis neglecta and C. viridula which prey on Odynenis spinipes, while others, as Cbrysis ignita, attack a good many species apparently without much preference. This latter species is excessively variable in size ; probably this may be due to the size of the grub which has been its victim. We are indebted to the Rev. F. D. Morice for the following particulars : ' Cbrysis cyanea seems to be chiefly attached to wood-boring Hymenoptera, it is often found on palings, very seldom on sand banks ; C.fulgida seems to have the same habits, as I have always found it on posts or wooden buildings ; whereas C. succincta preys on sand burrowing species. E/ampus auratus is com- mon on bramble stems with small Pemphredons and Trypoxylons. The Hedychrums and Hedycbridiums are I believe mainly parasitic on sand- wasps, they occur in sandy places frequented by Astata, Tachysphex, etc. Notozus panzeri, as I have, I think, made out for certain, infests Mimesa, while Cleptes infests (teste Lepelletier) the Nemati.' The Sussex recorded species are as follows : — Cleptes pallipes, Lep. Guestling (E.N.B.) Hedychridium ardens, Coq. Hastings dsinct, Bognor (G.) bred from bramble stems Elampus violaceus, Scop, (caeruleus, Dhb.) Chrysis neglecta, Schuck. St. Leonards Hastings — cyanea, L. G««///«^(E.N.B.), Bognor (G.) — auratus, L. Hastings district, bred from — ignita, L. Common bramble stems ; Bognor (G.), bred from peach wood HYMENOPTERA ACULEATA Bees, Wasps, Ants, etc. The list of the Aculeata of this county hardly compares well with that of either Surrey or Kent. The reason for this appears to be that although the coast has been visited and worked by numerous entomologists, the centre and north, judging from the paucity of records, have been much neglected. When these latter have had due attention paid to them no doubt the comparison with those of the neighbouring counties will be favourable. Thanks to the energies of the Rev. E. N. Bloomfield of Guestling and his co-workers the neighbourhood of Hastings has been especially well worked, and nearly two-thirds of the British species of this section of the Hymenoptera have been recorded in the local lists published under his supervision. Two species captured by Mr. Bloom- field at Guestling have not been recorded from any other county, viz. Spbecodes niger, v. Hag., and Ropbites t^-spinosus. Spin. The former of these is a very small inconspicuous insect and might easily be overlooked, but the latter could hardly be missed by any one on the look out for it ; only two specimens were taken and these as far back as 1878. It has been repeatedly sought for since without success. Altogether 266 species are recorded. 130