EEPOET ON ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



87 



two spiracles, seen with a low power as small browu spots. Two black hooks protrude from 

 the apex of this segment. The apex of each hook is blunt, and its base surrounded by a 

 fleshy ring. Between them is the oral orifice. Paired groups of minute spicular teeth are 

 placed around the two tentacula so as to form a sort of cupping instrument. 



" The arrangement of the teeth is as follows: — A rather large tubercle situated on either 

 side of and above the tentacula ; each is mounted by two or more groups of very small 

 chitinous teeth. Just above each tentaculum is another small group of teeth. On either 

 side of these black tentacula two irregular rows of small teeth are placed one above the other." 



Their larvae do not occur in the same way as those of the Bcmjalia, namely, under 

 the skin causing true myiasis. 



Annoyance caused by Stingless Bees 

 (Melipona f<pp.) 



Mr. Harold Brown, of the Imperial Institute, sent me some bees from the Sudan which Mei'pona spp. 

 cause considerable annoyance. They prove to be Melipona breccavii Gribodo. Mr. Brown 

 found them in numbers in the Bahr-El-Ghazal during a recent visit for the purpose of 

 investigating the rubber vines of the country. They occur in enormous numbers in those 

 parts of the forest where large trees occur. They do not sting but settle on one's face in 

 considerable numbers, and unless constantly removed they persist in crawling into one's eyes, 

 ears, and nose, and cause much irritation. When crushed they emit a very strong aromatic 

 odour, something like very ranlc oil of rose geranium. Mr. Brown could not find any flower 

 possessing a similar odour. 



The nest was observed by Mr. Brown who described it in his letter to me as follows : — 

 " The nest is situated in the trunk of a large tree 

 about seven feet from the ground ; it had a short 

 tubular opening apparently made of wax and about 

 the thickness .of a pencil which projected about 

 three-fourths of an inch from the bark and was 

 curved downwards. Through this passage there was 

 a constant stream of insects going and coming." 



The genus Melipona has a very wide distribution 

 in America, Africa, Asia and Australia. 



The members of the genus occurring in Burma 

 also cause much annoyance to travellers by creeping 

 into the mouth, eyes, and getting into the hair. 



None of the genus possess stings. The annoyance 

 is solely caused by the irritation produced by their 

 movements and by their bites. 



Bates, in his well-known work on the Amazon 

 River, gives an account of one of this genus Melipona 

 fasciculuta, Smith, in America. He states that the 

 workers may generally be seen collecting pollen, but 

 many collect clay. They construct their combs in 

 any suitable crevice in the trunks of trees or perpen- 

 dicular banks, the clay is used to build up a wall to 

 close the gap, a small entrance hole only being left. 

 One species he mentions forms a trumpet-shaped entrance 



Fig. 43. — Hind leg of Mcli/>ana brcccarii Gribodo 

 (enlarged) 



A Enlarged apex of tibia; n Wax cutting organ at 



apex of the first tarsal segment ; c Ungues 



and pulviUus 



to the hive as Mr. Brown 



