125. 

 MELECTA PUNCTATA. 



Order Hymenoptera. Fam. Apiariae Lat. Apidae LcacJi. 



Type of the Genus Apis punctata Fab. 



Melecta Lat., Fab., Panz. — Crocisa Jiir. — Apis Linn., Fab., Kirbij. 

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

 equal length in both sexes, submoniliform and 13-jointed in the 

 males (fig. 1), I'i-jointed in the females, 1st joint elongated, 

 hairy, 2nd minute, 3rd longer than the following, terminal joint 

 subquadrate. 



Labrum large, inflected, convex, rough, pubescent, ciliated and 

 emarginate before (2). 



Mandibles folding over the proboscis, rather long and slender, 

 dilated at the base, acute, with a tooth on the internal edge, 

 pilose externally (3). 



MaxillcE long, coriaceous, terminal lobe lanceolate, acute, in- 

 flected (4 a). PalpiXong, 5-jointed, 1st and 2nd joints more 

 I'obust than the remainder, which are very slender and nearly of 

 equal length (4 b). 



Mentum elongated, slender linear, pubescent towards the base 

 (5 a). Palpi longer than the lip, 1 st and 2nd joints compressed, 

 membranous at the edges, basal joint very long, 2nd shorter, pu- 

 bescent at the apex, 3rd arising near the apex of the 2nd, small 

 clavate, 4lh small, elongate, ovate (b). To?? o-j<e membranous, 

 often reflexed, as long as the 2 first joints of the palpi, slender, 

 slightly attenuated (c) : lobes more than half the length of the 

 lip, setaceous, dilated at the base. 

 Head broader than the thorax. Ocelli 3 in triangle. Scutellum bi- 

 dentate. Abdomen ovate-conic. Superior wings with 1 marginal 

 and 3 submarginal cells. Stigma minute. Tibiae short, slender at 

 the base, slightly pubescent, anterior with a winged spine on the inter- 

 nal side. Tarsi pilose, long, 5-jointed, basal joint very long, incurved 

 at the base and emarginate in the anterior pair, 3 following short, 

 terminal joint longer, clavate. Claws deeply bifid. Pul villi distinct 

 (8, afore leg). 

 Obs. The dissections are taken froni a male. 



Punctata Fab. Ent. Syst. v. 2. p. 337. n. 90.—Kirby Hon. Ap. Ang. 

 V. 2. p. 219. n. 35. 



Black, shining, minutely punctured. Head and thorax densely 

 covered with yellowish gray pubescence ; scutellum with black 

 pubescence : basal joint of abdomen covered with silvery pu- 

 bescence, especially in the males, 2nd joint with a whitish spot 

 on the side, the 3 following with a pure white spot on the side of 

 each. Wings transparent, margined, and a little clouded with 

 fuscous. Tibiae with silvery pubescence at the base. Tarsi sil- 

 very externally. 



In the Authors and other Cabinets. 



