302 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST 



what may be called the latimanus group to which Robertson gave 

 the name ^anthosarus. 



The males of all three species ware taken at the wild liquorice 

 {Glycyrrhiza lepidota) at Lethbridge on June 28, 1914. The 

 flowers of this plant wither about the middle of July, and diligens 

 was found in abundance on Psoralea argophylla within the railway 

 fence between Redcliff and Medicine Hat on July 31, 1917. As 

 both these plants are papilionaceous, it is not surprising that alfalfa 

 should prove attractive to these bees. The females of diligens 

 show considerable hostility to a person trespassing in the alfalfa 

 fields by zigzagging before him more frequently and more mena- 

 cingly than bumble-bees do in a field of red clover, but they do not 

 attempt to sting. 



The females of the latimanus group are very active and ener- 

 getic, far more so than honey-bees or bumble-bees. Their -in- 

 dustry is equalled only by that of CUsodon terminalis {Antho- 

 phora furcata of Europe) which has not been observed at alfalfa 

 except at Ottawa. Perihirta shows melanism in the north and on 

 the Pacific Coast. No species answering to the description of the 

 latimanus group is recorded in Friese's monograph of the European 

 species of Megachile in "Die Bienen Europas," published in 1899. 



As the species of the latimanus group are very closely related, 

 and not easy to separate, especially in the females, the following 

 table will be useful : 



Latimanus Group. (Xanthosarus Rob.) 



cf .- — Fore tarsi dilated, middle femora swelled so that they are 

 stouter than hind femora, middle basitarsi with a large process or 

 tooth on underside. 



9 . — Large, length 12 to 15 mm. pollen brush pale red, paler 

 at base, white felt hair bands on the apical margins of abdominal 

 segments 3 to 5 ; 6th dorsal segment well clothed with comparatively 

 long hair which becomes shorter and decumbent towards and at 

 the apex. This hair is white to pale golden but black in northern 

 localities, and there are always some pale, reddish hairs on the sides 

 of the 6th segment. 



MALES. 



1. Process on middle basitarsi narron' and ridge-like. Pile pale 

 yellow-brown, becoming paler on exposure. Abdomen densely 



