18S4.] 211 



THE ACULEATE HYMENOPTERA OP THE NEIGHBOUEHOOD OF 



COLCHESTEE. 



BY W. H. HARWOOD. 



Having, during the past two seasons, devoted some attention to 

 tlie Aculeate Hymenoptera o£ the Colchester district, I send a list of 

 the species I have met with, hoping it may prove as interesting to 

 others, as similar local lists have been to me. I have worked princi- 

 pally at the bees, but have taken i-epresentatives of the other families 

 when they came in my way. I ought to mention that I have been 

 largely indebted to Mr. Edward Saunders for his kind assistance in 

 naming my specimens, without which my list would be neither so long, 

 nor so reliable, as it is. 



Formica rufa, L., a.nilt.fusca, L. 



Lasius fuliginosus, Ltr., and niger, L. 



Myrmica rubra, L., races, ruginodis, Nyl., and scalrinodis, Nyl. 



Leptothorax tulerum, F., race, Nylanderi, Foerst. — this seems to be a scarce 

 ant generally, but I do not think it is uncommon hereabouts. I found a nest under 

 bark of black poplar at Bures, in Suffolk, on the 12th of last April, and had pre- 

 viously taken it nearer home. As yet I have met with no specimens iu the winged 

 state. 



Mutilla europcea, L., scarce. — three or four males on the wing, and at bramble 

 and Angelica flowers, and one female curled in a curious manner round a young oak- 

 twig, St. Osyth. 



Sapyga Z-purictata, F. 



Pompilus cinctellus, Spin., and plumbeus, F. : chalyheatus, Schiodte. — this 

 species was not rare one sunny morning last autumn, on a small sandy hillock among 

 clay cliffs at Walton-on-the-Naze, but was exceedingly active and difficult to capture ; 

 Wesmaeli, Thorns., and spissus, Schiodte. 



Priocnemis ftiscus, L., exaltatus, F., and hyalinaUis, F. 



Ceropales maculatus, F. — Angelica flowers, St. Osyth. 



Amniophila salvlosa, L., lidaria, F. — coast-sands. 



Tachytes pectinipes, L. 



Passalaecus cornigera, Shuck., and insignis, V. d. L. 



Pemphredon Ingubris, F., unicolor, Latr., and lethifer, Shuck. 



Oorytes mystaceus, L., and campestris, L. 



Soplisiis bicinctus, Eossi. — of this rare and beautiful species I captured a 

 male in 1882, and a female on August 1st, 1883. 



Mellimis arvensis, L. — very abundant at Walton-on-the-Naze, flying about 

 coltsfoot, and resting on the leaves ; I have not as yet met with it elsewhere ! 



Cerceris arenaria, L.— at raspberry flowers, &c. : h-fasciata, Eossi — rare : 

 lahiata, F. — generally distributed, on yarrow-flowers, &c. : sabulosa, Panz. — very 

 rare : ornata, F. — at thistle and other flowers, varies greatly in size. 



Trypoxylon figulus, L., and clavicermn, Lep. 



Crahro leucostoma, Ti., p>odagricus,Y. d. L., Wesmaeli, V. d. L., signatus, Vauz. 



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