FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS. 



home pollen on her hind legs, on the hairs of her abdomen 

 (e. g. Megachile), and in other ways, and regurgitating, 

 as honey, the nectar she swallowed. 



In general, the PANURGIDJE, PROSOPID/E, STELIDIDJE, 

 ]\IEGACHILID^E, and a few NOMADID^E have but 2 sub- 

 marginal cells, and the remainder have 3, but this rule is 

 not without exceptions. As a rule, the females and most 

 males of HALICTID.E to ANTHOPHORID.E (p. 444), inclusive, 

 have a flat, triangular area on the last dorsal, abdominal 

 segment, the other families lacking it. In the Honey-bee 

 (p. 453) the marginal cell is very long and the posterior 

 tibiae have no apical spurs. These and the following notes 

 apply principally to Atlantic Coast species. 



HALICTID^ 



For the most part small bees; the first discoidal cell 

 is not as long or scarcely longer than the marginal cell which 

 is not square-cut at the tip ; basal vein rounded posteriorly, 

 first recurrent vein not meeting the first transverse cubital; 

 second recurrent not sinuate; first submarginal cell con- 

 spicuously longer than the third and often as long as the 

 second and third combined ; stigma well developed, lanceo- 

 late; hind basitarsi narrower than tibiae. The labrum is 

 not free from the mandibles and not as large as the clypeus, 

 which is hardly protuberant ; tongue, acute, flat ; no pubes- 

 cent depressions in the face. See also Andrenidae. 



There are two main divisions which may be classed as 

 genera: Spliecodes (abdomen smooth, shining, naked, the 

 chitin usually red and black, fifth segment of female's 

 without a furrow) and Halictus (abdomen usually not shiny, 

 segments I to 4 or 5 usually fringed at apex with pale 

 pubescence, fifth of female's with a median longitudinal 

 furrow). Augocldora (body entirely metallic blue or 

 green; first recurrent vein usually ending at or near the 

 apex of the second submarginal cell) and Agapostemon 

 (males have only the head and thorax metallic colored; 

 first recurrent vein received by the second submarginal 

 cell near the middle; Plate XCIV) maybe classed as sub- 

 genera of Halictus, although other systems are used by 

 good authorities. 



440 



