THE METALLIC-COLORED HALICTINE BEES OF 

 THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



By T. D. A. Cockerell 

 Of the University of Colorado 



The subfamily Halictinae, numerously represented in almost 

 every part of the world, contains groups of species in which the 

 surface of the body is black, brown, or yellowish, and others in 

 which portions, at least, are metallic green or blue. The large 

 genus Halictus, as generally understood, contains both metallic 

 and nonmetallic species. In the Holarctic Region, Robertson 

 has separated the metallic species as genera Chlo?~alictus Robert- 

 son and Seladonia Robertson. He also recognizes, in North 

 America, genera Dialictus Robertson (with only two submar- 

 ginal cells) and Paralictus Robertson. How many such genera 

 should be segregated from the old Halictus, it is hard to decide ; 

 and certainly the Robertsonian groups are less distinct than the 

 genera commonly recognized among bees. The French entomol- 

 ogist Vachal went as far from current usage on the other side 

 and not only refused to accept Robertson's genera, but threw into 

 Halictus such genera as Augochlora and Agapostemon, almost 

 universally considered distinct. The genus Nomioides Schenck, 

 placed as a subgenus of Halictus by Dalla Torre, must be con- 

 sidered a distinct genus. Its members are small, usually with 

 conspicuous yellow markings, almost perfectly imitating the 

 American panurgine genus Perdita. Yet the venation is like 

 that of Halictus, except that the marginal cell is narrowly trun- 

 cate at the end. These bees are so unlike the species of Halictus 

 that Cameron described several of them in Ceratina. Thus my 

 Nomioides comberi from India must be called N. punjabensis 

 (Cam.) ; for Meade-Waldo, on examining Cameron's types, found 

 that his Ceratina punjabensis, published about four years ear- 

 lier, was in fact my insect. It also appears that Ceratina cerea 

 Nurse is to be called Nomioides pulchella Schenck or, according 

 to the synonymy indicated by Alfken, N. parvula (Fabricius). 



Genus NOMIOIDES Schenck 



Mesothorax green 1. 



Mesothorax steel blue, highly polished.. 2. 



1. Larger; abdomen with four entire yellow bands; mesothorax 



duller dapitanellus Cockerell. 



Smaller; abdomen with four (varying to two) lateral yellow marks, 

 representing two widely interrupted bands ; mesothorax more *shin- 



ing valdezi Cockerell. 



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