82 [Apiil- 



Jerusalem artichokes, a habit common to many Andrenas and other 

 Mymenoptera. The species of Diodontus frequent banks and may be 

 often found in great numbers flying up and down in front of their 

 burrows. D. miniitus is common everywhere, and as it is the only 

 species with yellow mandibles it may be recognised at once, the other 

 two with black mandibles are less abundant. Various species of 

 Grabro also appear in May ; these may be found in similar localities 

 to Pemphredon, &c., the males often basking on leaves, the females 

 either burrowing in wood or banks. The flowers of umbelliferous 

 plants are favorite resorts of species of this genus and of many other 

 genera of the Fossorials ; they frequent these in order to catch small 

 Diptera, &c., with which they provision their cells. The species of 

 Passaleecus are generally to be captured in bramble flowers or on 

 or near palings. The various species of ants are getting active 

 during this month, and a few species of Pompilus and Prlocnemis are 

 to be found. This year (1897) Pompilus viaticus was found as early as 

 March 2nd. Gate posts and old stumps are likely localities at this 

 time of year ; Sapyf/a quinquepunctata frequents them in many 

 places, and the rare ^S*. cJavicornis should be looked for, but as this 

 appears to be chiefly a midland species it would more probably be 

 found in June. It is a narrower and more elegantly shaped insect 

 than quinquepunctata, has longer, thinner, and more suddenly clubbed 

 antennje, and both sexes have the abdomen entirely black, with the 

 exception of the pale lateral spots, which are yellow in clavicornis, 

 whereas in quinquepunctata they are creamy-white. During May 

 species of Gorytes and Nysson are also to be found. Among the 

 AntJiophila, females of Sphecodes and Halictus are generally abundant 

 and in good condition, and may be found either round their burrows 

 in banks or on flowers, especially the yellow flowers of Compositce, but 

 H. sexnotatus, one of our rarest species, I have only taken on Scrophu- 

 laria and bryony. Should any collector be lucky enough to meet with a 

 ^ Spliecodes in spring it will probably prove to be the rare S. ruhicundus 

 recently introduced to our list by Mr. F. L. Sladen. So far as is 

 known this is the only species of the genus in this country that has a 

 spring male. Prosopis sometimes appears in May, but the majority 

 of its species occur in June and July ; at this time of the year the 

 flowers of furze are attractive to many species of Andrena, and 

 among them A. Wilkella and similis, which, as a rule, appear in May. 

 The rare A. hucephala and its rarer inquiline Nomada lateralis should 

 be looked for on blackthorn flowers, both have been found on Boxhill 

 by Mr. Beaumont. The cJ of the Andrena may be known by 



