Eucinetus meridionalis (Laporte) (Eucinetidae) new to South Devon - and attracted to light?

摘要

On the evening of 21 August 2017, whilst on a university field course, I took a single specimen of Eucinetus meridionalis (Laporte) at a light trap set up at Slapton Ley (SX823449). This is the first record for South Devon (VC 3) and possibly the first record of this species coming to light in the UK. Before dusk Chris Foster set up a small 'Watkins and Doncaster style' actinic light trap in front of a white wall, and when returning at approximately 11:45pm, a specimen was found sitting on the wall. As far as I know there are no records of this beetle being attracted to light, and it is usually found in association with fungoid growths on pine (Nash, 2002). There are several mature trees of Monterey pine Pinus radiata growing nearby at the site.