564. 

 BOMBUS ERICETORUM. 



The heath Humble-bee. 



Order Hymenoptera. • Fam. Apidge. 



Type of the Genus, Apis terrestris Linn. 



BoMBUs Lat., Curt. — Bremus Jur., Panz. — Apis Linn., Kirby, Panz. 

 AntenntE inserted at the middle of the face, longer than the head, 

 geniculated, filiform; 13-jointed in the male, basal joint long, 

 clavate, 2nd somewhat cup-shaped, 3rd obovate; nearly as long 

 as the 5th, 4th subquadrate, the remainder longer, oblong, ter- 

 minal joint wedge-shaped, rounded at the apex ; rather shorter 

 and 12-jointed in the female (1 $ ), 3rd joint longer than any 

 of the following. 



Labrum transverse, thickly ciliated with rather long hairs, an- 

 terior margin slightly notched on each side (2). 

 Mandibles elongated, rounded and crenated at the apex, spoon- 

 shaped, narrowed a little towards the base ; ciliated externally 

 with pubescent hairs (3). 



Maxillae as long as the mentum, hairy outside, terminated by a 

 long lanceolate horny lobe (4 a) . Palpi short, attached to an 

 ovate scape, composed of one very slender elongated joint (6). 

 Mentum long, elliptic, rounded at the base, bisinuated before (5). 

 Lip long and linear but slightly attenuated at the apex (c). 

 Paraglossce short broad and rounded. Palpi rather longer than 

 the lip, attached to scapes, broad compressed and 4-jointed ; 

 basal joint very long, 2nd very much shorter, lanceolate and 

 distinctly ciliated on the inside, 3rd and 4th joints minute, some- 

 what obtrigonate and attached near the apex of the 2nd joint {b) . 

 Neuters small. Head triangular -ovate : eyes long, vertical and nar- 

 row : ocelli Z, forming a transverse curved line. Thorax large and 

 globose: scutellum large, semiorbicular. Abdomen ovate, very hairy. 

 Wings, superior with one marginal, 3 nearly equal submarginal and 

 3 discoidal cells. Legs, anterior short : tibiae spurred at the apex, 

 anterior small and trigonate, posterior broad, externally smooth, 

 shining, concave, and free from hair in both sexes. Tarsi 5-jointed, 

 basal joint oblong and dilated, with the external basal angle forming 

 a horizontal tooth in the hinder pair of the female (Sf). Claws bifid. 



Ericetorum Panz.? — Curt. Guide, Gen. 723. 13*. 



Black, clothed with yellow hairs; those of the mouth ferruginous; 

 hinder portion of the thorax and base of scutellum dusky; a line 

 of ferruginous hairs at the base of the 2nd abdominal segment, 

 which bears a slightly dusky band, as well as the 3rd ; 4th with 

 a black band at the base, 5th and 6th white : apex of wings 

 pale reddish brown, with the costa towards the apex darker, 

 nervures piceous, the subcostal nervures pale ferruginous ; tarsi 

 with the inside of the basal joint clothed with bright ferruginous 

 hairs, the following joints, especially the apical one, of a duller 

 colour. 



In the Author s Cabinet. 



