Dec., '07] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 447 



On the Distribution and Habits of some West 



African Bees. 



BY F. CREIGHTON WELLMAN. 



Some months ago I sent a small collection of Angolan bees 

 to Professor Cockerell for determination. He has very kindly 

 written me full information regarding them and, as none of 

 them have heretofore been reported from this region, about 

 half the insects being, in fact, new to science, I have thought 

 that my field observations (which include careful notes of the 

 plant relations and exact localities where the specimens were 

 found) might be of interest. The numbers preceding the 

 generic names refer to the order in which the species stand in 

 my collecting record. The new species are marked with an 

 asterisk (*). 



179. Apis nigritarum L,ep. Chiyaka, Angola, Dec. 20, 

 1906. Early rainy season. At Long. E. 15 05', Lat. S. 12 

 44' ; altitude 5000-6000 feet. Taken at various flowers, chiefly 

 L,eguminosae. This is the native domestic honey bee. The 

 blacks make hives for it of bark, which they hang in trees. 

 The honey is of a very pleasant flavor, especially near forests 

 of "Omone" trees {Brachystegiae). These insects are of 

 some economic importance, as beeswax is one of the chief 

 exports of the Colony. 



92. Trigona sp. Chiyaka, July, 1906. Very fond of 

 damp places. Also when any gum-bearing tree is cut they 

 appear in great numbers. The specimens sent Professor 

 Cockerell were taken on a newly fallen gum tree (Pterocarpus 

 erinaceus) in company with many Diptera, among which were 

 Sarcophaga albofasciata, S. africa, Anthomyia dcsjardensii and 

 Pycnosoma chloropyga. These bees make a very decent honey. 



#174. Megachile caridna Ckll. Chiyaka, Dec. 20, 1906. 

 On flowering sedges by the side of a small stream. 



*iyo. Gronoceras wcllmani Ckll. Chiyaka, Dec. 20, 1906. 

 Taken at a flowering mint (Aeolanthus si/a^is~). 



*ij2. Gr. bcngucllcnsis Ckll. Chiyaka, Dec. 20, 1906. On 

 Compositae {Othonna spp., Gcigeria u'dlincuii, etc.). 



171. Anlhophoa quadrifastiata Vill. Chiyaka, Dec. 20, 1906. 

 Stands motionless in the air like a bat fly. Taken near Con- 



