404 ATTEMPTED DIVISION OF BRITISH INSECTS. 



feelers with the basal joint twice the length of the second, the 

 third and fourth minute, short, and seated on the back of the 

 second, rather before its extremity ; blade of the maxillae lanceo- 

 late, nearly as long as the labial feelers ; maxillary feelers minute, 

 apparently exarticulate ; hind-tibias with brushes for collecting 

 farina. Live in large societies, composed of three kinds of indi- 

 viduals, males, females, and abortive females ; the latter perform 

 the laborious offices of the commonwealth. Apis, the honey-bee; 

 Bombus, the humble-bee. 



Natural Order. — Apathites, Cuckoo-bees. 



Larva hatched from an egg, deposited by its parent in the nests of all 

 the preceding Apina at the time when their own eggs are laid ; when 

 it hatches, being stronger and larger than the rightful possessor of 

 the cell, it consumes the food provided for its companion, and 

 starves it to death ; and in those instances in which fresh supplies 

 of food are daily provided, it continues to receive and appropriate 

 them as its own. Pupa changes in the same situation, in a 

 silken cocoon, spun by the larva. Imago has no apparatus either 

 on the body or legs for collecting honey ; in other respects it 

 resembles in structure each of the orders of Apina before described; 

 it enters their nest with perfect familiarity, and seems to be quite 

 unsuspected of intrusion ; it collects no pollen or honey, never 

 builds a nest of any kind or takes any care of its young, but 

 spends its time among flowers, or hovering about sand-banks in j 

 which other bees have fixed their habitations. Apathus,^ Ccelioxys, 

 Melecta, Stelis ? Epeolus, Nomada, Hylceus ? 



Natural Order. — Chrysidites. 



Larva and pupa, as in the Apathites, prey on the food destined 

 for other insects, particularly of the two preceding Stirpes. 

 Imago, with the antennae thirteen-jointed in both sexes, the 

 second joint elongated, and forming a slight elbow; maxillae 

 obtuse, dilated, their palpi five-jointed ; labium, with the ligula 

 obtuse, entire; labial palpi three-jointed; ocelli three; body con- 

 vex above, flattened or sometimes concave beneath, furnished, in 

 the females, with a tubular retractile oviduct, but without a sting; 

 colours excessively brilliant, red, green, and blue, with a metallic: 



k Apathios. The genus Psithyrus of Dalbom. It closely resembles Bombus, 

 except in the want of the hirsuties on the hind legs for collecting pollen. Inl 

 both of our lists of British insects the species of this genus are scattered' 

 throughout the genus Bombus : the same is the case in Kirby's " Monographiai 

 Apum AngliiE." Psithyrus is a genus of Sphingites. — A, absque, ivaQos, affeclio. 



