WILLIAM ,1. FOX. 
34(i 
He$;ac‘liile Cress. 
Megachile curia Cress., I’roc. Ent. Soc. Phila. iv, p. 178, 'J, . 
9 . — Black, shining, front opaque, occiput and vertex shining, finelj' ]>unc- 
tnred, clothed with long fuscous or black hairs; base and apex of clypeus, the 
sides of the face and the cheeks with long, pale hairs, those on the side of the 
face mixed with black hairs, the mandibles shining, clothed with short, pale 
fuscous jmbescence at base, and with a few erect reddish brown hairs on the 
other portions, a broad sulcus extends from near the base, which is, on the a])ical 
two-thirds, formed into a moderate outward curve, the sulcus extending between 
the two large teeth at the apex ; clypeus shining, strongly punctured, the ])unc- 
tures becoming sparse medially, at which place there is a longitudinal smooth 
and polished line. Antennse black, the flagellum testaceous beneath ; thorax 
very finely punctured, the punctures becoming larger and more .separated toward 
tlie apex of dorsulum ; seen from above, the dorsulum and .scutellum appear 
nude, from the side they are clothed with short, erect, black hairs, those on the 
scutellum becoming longer toward the apical margin; tegulse black, shining, a 
l)atch of hairs above and beneath the tegulte, a much larger patch on each side 
of the metathorax white, two transverse irregular patches at apex of dorsulum 
yellowish, the rest of the thorax is clothed with pale fuscous hairs; wings hya- 
line, iridescent, the apical margin broadly fuscous, nervures and stigma black ; 
legs black, clothed with pale pubescence, that on the tarsi, especially the poste- 
rior pair within, reddish brown ; outer side of posterior tibiae and first joint of 
the tar-si, which is slightl.v concave, shining, strongly rounded ; tibial si)urs 
brownish. Abdomen with exceedingly fine punctures, the first segment in front 
clothed with pale fuscous hairs, a patch on each side of the first segment whitish, 
the apical margins of segments 1-5 clothed with pale yellowish hairs, the pubes- 
cence interrupted medially on segments 1-3, sometimes that on the fourth seg- 
ment is also interrupted, ventral scopa white, the sides margined with black 
hairs. Length 8 — 10 mm. 
. — Black, shining; the mandibles, at base, armed with a strong tooth on 
outer edge, the face, front and clypeus thicklj^ clothed with long pale hairs, in- 
termingled with black ; wings subhyaline, nervures and stigma black-brown, 
anterior coxfe armed with a strong tooth, the anterior tarsi not flattened. An- 
tennae reaching to the apex of first abdominal segment; abdominal segments 1-5 
above with a transverse impression before the apex, those on segments 4 and 5 
interrupted medially, a spot on each side of the first, and a transverse mark on 
segments 2-4 laterally, as well as the pubescence of the legs and abdomen be- 
neath, white; sixth segment above slightly carinated medially; the last segment 
emarginate medially, with a strong depression before the emargination. Length 
8 — 9 mm. 
Var. a. — Pubescence of the head, in front, yellow, 'fhe tooth at base of man- 
dibles slightly longer. 
Five 9 and four % specimens ; Port Antonio. 
'rhis s[)ecies seems to be allied, according to the description, to M. 
ornata Sm. from 8t. Domingo. 
'riiree specimens ; Kingston. 
