26 MELANDER AND BRUES. 



Sphex ichnenmonea Linn., and a species of Pompilidae were 

 also seen digging their nests in the compact sand of the road in 

 the vicinity of the bee colony. They have no connection with 

 the presence of the bees, but associate with them as the same 

 condition of soil and surroundings are suitable for each. 



Order Coleoptera. 



Family COCCINELLID.E. 



Microweisea misella Leconte. 1 



The species of this genus are reported to be of great economic 

 importance as they greedily prey on scale insects. The presence 

 of the Aleyrodes may have had an influence in bringing this spe- 

 cies to our notice. 



Family ENDOMYCHID/E. 

 Aphorista vittata Fabricius. 



Family PTINID.E. 

 Casnocara scymnoides Leconte. 



Family SCAPHIDID.E. 

 Baeocera concolor Fabricius. 



The last three species are fungus-eating beetles, which may 

 come to the Halictits nests to feed on the fungus overgrowing 

 the stores of abandoned or damp nests. It is certain that during 

 the course of the season numerous nests are left unfinished, either 

 deserted voluntarily by the bees for some whimsical reason or 

 not completed by the death of the bees. 



Family RHIPIPHORID.E. 

 Myodites fasciatus Say. 



Inasmuch as Fabre and others have found the larvse and pupse 

 of a member of this family in the cells of an European species of 

 Halictus, it is quite interesting to note the occurrence of M. fasci- 

 atus about the colonies of the American form. Several specimens 

 were taken while sweeping with the net among the swarming 

 bees as they entered and left their nests. 



Several other beetles were found crawling over the nest but 

 were visitants too accidental to record. 



1 This is the species known in our lists under the generic name Swilia or Pentilia. 

 The present name was proposed by Cockerell ( Can. Ent., 1903, p. 38). 



