THEODORE H. FRISON 151 



movements, the ])oes would frequently alight on my hands and 

 lap up drops of perspiration. They would even settle on and 

 explore mj^ camera outfit as if in search of a possible sup])ly of 

 moisture. No doubt the female will sting when picked up and 

 roughly treated, but having had experience along this line with 

 other bees I did not wish to "try the experiment. In captivity 

 these bees fed readily on a solution of honey and water. 



K. Observations on" Parasite and Inquiline Associates 



Continued occupation of the same bank year after year by 

 large numbers of the same species of bee would seem to offer 

 favorable opportunities for inquihnous and parasitic species of 

 insects to become abundant. Riloy has described a coleopterous 

 insect by the name of Hornia minutipennis as occurring in the 

 cells of this species. Another Meloe found in the cells of Antho- 

 phora occidentalis Cresson, has been described as Hornia gigantea 

 by Wellman (1911), and according to Cockerell (1905) Mr. S. 

 A. Johnson has found Leonidia neomexicana Cockerell in the 

 cells of Anthophora bomboides. Though I have examined hundreds 

 of cells of Anthophora abrupta I have never chanced upon a 

 specimen of Horjiia, but have found several other parasitic 

 and inquihnous insects in the cells and burrows of these bees. 



On ]\Iay 31, 1919, I observed maii}^ specimens of an antho- 

 myiid flying about the entrance holes. I caught fifteen of these 

 flies and IMr. J. R. Malloch kindly identified them for me as 

 Pegomyia affinis Stein. They were also found flj'ing about 

 the bank in the same manner on June 20,' 1920, when the males 

 were first beginning to emerge. Indoors in 1919, Pegomijia 

 affinis began emerging on June 8 and continued appearing until 

 June 14. As in the case of Anthophora abrupta, the males of 

 this fly appeared first, my initial record for the appearance of 

 the female flies being June 11. Hibernation is accomplished in 

 a puparium in the old cells and l)urrows of the bees. I have 

 never found any evidence that would indicate that larvae of 

 Pegomyia affinis were ever parasitic. It seems that, after mat- 

 ing, the adult flies lay their eggs in and about the bee burrows 

 when the bees are storing their cells. The emerging larvae 

 then feed upon any waste products available and are therefore 

 scatophagous. It may be that the eggs are sometimes laid in 



TRANS. AM. EXT. .SOC, XLVHI. 



