200 Zoology of Colorado 



venation of bees, that the genus can frequently be determined 

 from it at a glance. There is also no difficulty in distinguishing 

 a bee from a wasp by the venation, if one knows the characters. 

 When there is doubt, it may be remembered that all bees, even 

 the parasitic ones, have at least some plumed or feather-like hairs 

 on the body, while no wasps have them. Frequently, however, 

 it is necessary to use a compound microscope. 



"An Introduction to the Study of Rocky Mountain Bees," 

 by Cockerell and Robbins, was published by the University of 

 Colorado in 1910. It is unfortunately out of print, and difficult 

 to obtain. Space is not available in the present book to reprint 

 the tables for the identification of genera, but a few notes on the 

 most common or most easily recognized may be given. 



(1) Apis, the honey bee, is of course domesticated, and 

 comes from the Old World. The common form in Colorado, 

 with largely yellowish abdomen, is the Italian (Apis mellifera 

 ligustica). Occasionally black bees (typical A. mellifera) are 

 seen. Honey bees differ from all other Colorado bees, except 

 the parasitic Coelioxys, in having hairy eyes. 



(2) Bombus, the humble-bees, or bumble-bees, of which we 

 have 22 species and a number of named varieties. The large 

 size and hairy body are usually quite sufficiently distinctive, but 

 workers may be rather small and species of Anthophora may be 

 taken for bumble-bees. In such case it is only necessary to look 

 at the wing, and see that in Bombus the second cubital cell is 

 elongated and pointed toward the base of the wing. Some of 

 our species are exceedingly handsome. The common one with a 

 broad red band across the abdomen, occupying the second and 

 third segments, is Bombus huntii. I have a specimen of this, 

 with its head covered with pollen masses (pollinia) of an orchid. 

 Mr. S. Knudsen of the North Boulder greenhouse noticed that 

 his large orchid flowers (Cattleya) were wilting prematurely. As 

 this caused serious loss, he investigated, and found Bombus huntii, 

 which had come into the greenhouse to visit the flowers, and was 

 cross-pollinating them. This was an interesting case, because 

 the bumble-bee had of course never before come in contact with 

 this Brazilian orchid, and yet it behaved as though accustomed 

 to it. In the mountains there is a common bee, red-banded in 

 the fashion of B. huntii, but easily separated by the yellow hair 



