516. 

 EPEOLUS VARIEGATUS. 



Order Hymenoptera. Fam. Apidae. 



Type of the Genus, Apis variegata Linn. 

 Epeolus Lat., Fab., Curt. — Apisl/zww., Kirb. — Nomacla Fab., Panz. 

 Antennce inserted at the middle of the face, nearly alike in both 

 sexes, rather long, stout and velvety, 13-jointed in the male, 

 12-jointed in the female, basal joint ovate-truncate, 2nd globose, 

 3rd of the same form and size as the 1st, the remainder rather 

 shorter and quadrate, excepting the terminal one which is as 

 long as the 1st, round and compressed at the ajoex (1). 

 Labrum transverse oval, with a large semitransparent spot on 

 each side, the anterior margin ciliated and notched at the centre, 

 with a small tooth at the middle and 2 above it (2). 

 Mandibles rather small, curved and narrow, ovate at the apex, 

 with a shoulder on the inside producing 2 bristles (3). 

 Maxilla broad, the base ciliated internally (4), the terminal lobe 

 as long as the basal portion and rounded at the apex, with a 

 few short bristles outside (a). Palpi very minute and formed 

 of a single ovate joint (b). 



Mentum long, narrow and cylindric, trifid at the apex (5). Lip 

 as long as the mentum, slender and linear (c). Paraglossce 

 membranous and lanceolate (d). Palpi a little longer than the 

 liji, 4-jointed, first 2 joints broad and compressed, basal joint 

 considerably the longest, 2nd attenuated and hairy at the apex, 

 3rd inserted outside the apex of the 2nd, short and slender as 

 well as the 4th (b). 

 Head short and broad : eyes large, lateral and ovate : ocelli 3 in 

 triangle very conspicuous. Thorax short not broader than the head, 

 nearly globose: scutellum short slightly emarginate, with a fiat tri- 

 angular tooth on each side at the base. Abdomen short and ovate- 

 conic, 6-Jointed in the male, 5 -jointed in the female, and armed with 

 a long sting {s) and 2 elongated lobes (6 the lateral view). Wings, 

 superior with a short oval marginal, and 3 complete submarginal 

 cells, 2nd and Srd small, of equal size, and each receiving a recurrent 

 nervure. Legs naked, nearly alike in both sexes, anterior the shortest, 

 posterior the stoutest : tibiae, anterior with 1, posterior with 2 

 spines at the apex : tarsi longer than the tibice, 5-jointed, basal joint 

 long, notched on the inside at the base of the anterior pair, a little 

 dilated and pubescent beneath in the posterior, especially in the male, 

 the other joints very short : claws simple. 



Variegatus Lmw. — Curt. Guide, (?. 716. 1. — crucigeraP^. 61. 20. (J. 

 Female. Opake black, thickly and minutely punctured and 

 densely clothed with depressed pubescence : face and sides of 

 thorax hoary ; margin of collar pale ochreous, as well as the 

 base of the abdomen ; a transverse spot on each side the hinder 

 margin of the 2 first segments, 2 on each side of the 3rd and 

 4th, and 3 surrounding the 5th of the same colour; the mouth, 

 a tubercle on each side the collar, the scapulars, the scutellum 

 and the lobes, castaneous ; legs rather more ferruginous : wings 

 tinged with yellow-brown and forming a fimbria ; nervures and 

 stigma piceous. 



