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129. 

 ANDRENA KIRBII. 



Order Hymenoptera. Fam. Andrenidse Lat.., Leach, 



Type of the Genus Melitta nitida Kirby. 



AxDRENA Fah., Lat., Panz. — Melitta Kirby. — Apis Linn. 



AntenncE inserted near the middle of the face, remote, filiform, 

 1 3-jointed in the males, basal joint not so long, 3rd much shorter 

 than in the female (fig. 1) — 12-jointed, subclavatein theferoales, 

 basal joint long, 2nd short, 3rd long and slender (la). Labrum 

 convex pilose, strongly ciliated, anterior margin entire (2). 

 Mandibles long linear, especially in the males, slightly curved, 

 dilated at the base, bifid at the apex, clothed externally with 

 ciliated hairs (3). 



Maxillce rigid, very pilose, terminated by a broad, rather short, 



subovate ciliated lobe bent at its extremity (4 a), having a small 



hairy lobe below the palpus near the internal margin (e). 



Menlum very long, linear, (5 a). Palpi longer than the lip, 4- 



jointed, basal joint long clavate, the remainder decreasing in 



length (b). Lip membranous, trigonate, acute, grooved and hairy 



down the middle (c and 5 * c). Paraglossge or lobes membranous, 



strangulated in the middle, ciliated at the apex (d and 5 * d). 



Males much smaller and more slender than the females. Head as broad 



or broader than the thorax. Eyes lateral, narrow. Ocelli 3 in 



triangle. Thorax subglobose. Scutellum semicircular. Abdomen 



depressed, broad and ovate in the females, and fringed at the apex, 



more lanceolate in the males. Wings pubescent, especially towards 



the extremities, with 1 marginal and 3 submarginal cells, the 2nd 



and 3rd receiving recurrent nervures. Posterior legs of females very 



hairy pollinigerous, with a flocculus at the base of the thighs, the 



tibice and basal joint of tarsus {which is shorter than the tibia) 



furnished with a scopa or brush. Tibiae in the males icith 2 long 



spines at the apex. Tarsi 5 -jointed. Claws bijid. Pul villi distinct ^ 



(8 t hinder leg of male). 



KiRBii Stephens's MSS. J^obis. 



Male unknown. Female dull black, shining. Head minutely and 

 closely punctured, face covered with ochraceous hair, eyes and 

 antennae beneath brown. Thorax sparingly punctured in the disk 

 and covered with short pale ochraceous hairs. Abdomen minutely 

 punctured, pubescent especially at the base, the margins of the 

 segments being thickly ciliated with pale ochraceous hairs form- 

 ing 4 transverse bands, apex clothed with yellowish brown hair. 

 Wings stained yellowish, posterior margin fuscous, post-costal 

 nervure brown, the others ferruginous. Thighs and tibis clothed 

 with pale hair, tarsi ferruginous, the basal joint clothed with pale 

 hair, changing with the light to ferruginous. 



In the Cabinet of Mr. Stephens. 



