Charles MacKechnie-Jarvis in an obituary notice of Forster in EMM., 1974, p.255, notes that he became an active collector of Coleoptera in 1938 and that he recorded many interesting species from Epping Forest in particular. These included most noticeably Lathridius norvegicus Strand (now L. australicus Belon) which he found in a burned out hollow beech- and which A.A.Allen described as new to Britain (ibid., 88, 1952, pp.282-283). Among other interesting captures by Forster which MacKechnie-Jarvis notes are Spercheus emarginatus SI. from the Beccles area; Graphoderes cinereus L. from S. Essex; and Ilybius guttiger Gyll., Rhizophagus oblongicollis Blatch and Osphya bipunctata F. all from Epping Forest. There are specimens collected by Forster in the NMW. Ashley Kirke Spriggs writes that they are ‘very easily recognisable as the labels are hand-written, and edged with a narrow green border. Specimens are usually from ‘Beccles’ or ‘Epping Forest’ with additional material from localities in Surrey and elsewhere. The specimens are usually only represented by a short series in the A.E.Gardner collection, the majority having been donated to the BENHS’. After moving from Chingford to Harlow with his business, Forster apparently allowed his interest in entomology to lapse and his collection suffered from Anthrenus. The donation to BENHS, by his widow, consisted of what remained. Forster was a member of BENHS from 1939-1960. (MD 12/02)
Dates
1908 - July 1974